Between (Sparse Updates)

Two

I fell to my knees in the snow, too numb to sob. My grandmother crouched beside me and rubbed soothing circles on my back.

"Come on, sweetie. Let's go somewhere quieter."

I nodded softly, allowing her to guide me to my feet and away from the scene. She took my hand and we suddenly appeared someplace else entirely. She sat me down at a booth in an empty, but vaguely familiar diner. The blizzard still raged on outside.

"So what happens now?" I asked numbly, trying to distract myself from the horrific images that now played on repeat in my head.

My grandmother reached over the table and took hold of my hand, squeezing it lightly.

"Death is not the end, child," she said, and it made me look back up into her kind brown eyes.

"Then what is it?" I asked sullenly.

"An opportunity," she smiled at me.

"I don't follow."

"Let me see if I can explain this properly," she stopped to gather her thoughts for a moment. "Think of a raindrop entering a pond. It does not silently slip beneath the surface, does it? It ripples in the water, affecting far past the point it first touched. This is what we do in life. We touch the people around us. Nurture relationships. Create families. Form powerful connections that link us all together-"

"You know, sometimes I forget you used to be a writer." I was nearly able to smile at the face she gave me for interrupting her.

After a moment, she cleared her throat, eased up on her glare, and continued. "What I'm trying to say is that this isn't the end for us. There's a place beyond this. A better, happier place where in time, we will be reunited with all of the people we ever loved. But for now we reside in the In-Between, a place between the Living World and the Light. We stay here because we are not ready to let go. There are still people here that we love and care about, and we can't bear to leave them behind. The In-Between is an opportunity for us to get closure about those we're leaving behind before we ascend into the Light."

She paused to let me absorb her words more fully. We sat in silence for a few minutes before some of my questions started bubbling up my chest.

"How do you know when you're ready? To go to the Light?"

"Most of us in the In-Between watch over our loved ones until the time of their passing. We are there when they cross over, to help ease their transition into death, as I am here for you now," she smiled softly at me, caressing my face gently from across the table. "But our ripples don't last forever, and eventually all those we cared about in life have passed on. It is then that we finally find peace and are able to join those we love in the Light."

"So I have to watch everyone I ever cared about die?" I asked.

"Unfortunately, yes," my grandmother sighed. "But it gets easier."

I rubbed my hand over my face, trying to take it all in. It was all so much. So crazy.

"How do you know who's going to be the next to die?" I asked hollowly.

"It's an intuition you'll develop as time progresses. There's a kindling of it in you right now, though, and it'll lead you to your first loved one."

"How?" I asked.

"Take my hand," she held it out over the table and I obeyed by closing my fingers around hers. "Now close your eyes. Try to imagine a person or place in your mind. It'll be hard at first. It's easier when your memories return. But for now try to focus on whatever your mind manages to conjure up."

I smelled lavender perfume, and through the fog in my mind I caught a glimpse of thin fingers with smooth pale skin. They were nearly hidden by the sleeves of an oversized sweatshirt. I tried to picture more, but the memories were faint, muddled.

I opened my eyes and frowned when I saw that we now stood in a cramped dorm room.

There were bunk beds pushed flush against one wall, with the dressers and desks against the other. A few band posters were taped up to the available wall space and there were strands of white Christmas lights hanging from the ceiling.

I couldn't see who slept in the top bunk, but that didn't matter. I was drawn more to the person on the bottom.

I took a cautious step closer, stunned by the beautiful girl that laid there. She wasn't the traditional kind of beautiful either. She was small and had thin features, sure, but her skin was a cool pale tone which contrasted greatly with her hair. It was cropped short, a pixie cut I think, and it was black with subtle streaks of purple shining through. She was unique. I felt like I knew her.

"Who is she?" I asked, unable to take my eyes off of her sleeping form.

"Someone very special to you," she smiled and put her hand on my shoulder again. "You were with her often when I watched over you. You will remember her soon."

"Wait. Does this mean she's going to die?" I finally looked back at my grandmother as the realization struck me.

"Yes," she confirmed, and I felt dread enter the pit of my stomach.

I turned back to the girl, millions of conflicting emotions crashing around inside of me.

"When?"

"I don't know," she said honestly. "It could be tomorrow or it could be in twenty years. All we know at this point is that she'll be the first of your loved ones to cross over."

"That's not fair," I whispered as I looked down at her.

"Life isn't always fair," she responded. "But I hope you find comfort in the fact that you'll be there to help her when her time comes. Because of you, she won't be alone."

I nodded solemnly, standing in a gloomy silence.

"I think I've told you all I know," my grandmother sighed. "It's time for me to leave you."

"Already?" I asked, not wanting to lose her again. Especially when no one else could see or hear me. "Do you have to go?"

"I've got my own list of loved ones to look after," she smiled sadly and pulled me in for a hug. "I'll probably see you again when it's your father's turn."

"I love you," I said, squeezing her a little tighter.

"I love you, too, sweetheart. It was good seeing you again," she kissed my cheek. "Good luck."

She pulled away from me and sent me a final encouraging smile.

And then she was gone.