Annalise

Chapter 27

**Annalise's POV**

The afterlife is not how I'd imagined it. Not that I'd spent a lot of time imagining it. It's strangely similar to life, except you don't need to eat or breathe, and you don't feel pain. No one works unless they want to. You wish for something and it appears. When you first get here your loved ones are there to meet you. My parents were there, along with my grandmother, who told me she passed a few days after I'd left, my grandfather and my paternal grandparents. They showed me around and got me settled in, with the help of the guides, who are sort of like tour guides.

It's strange, when you can have everything and anything you want, there's not a whole lot that you actually wish for. I have a house just like the one Fred and I had, a dog and a whole host of books. I'm happy. Of course, you can't feel negative emotions here.

"Excuse me, Miss."

I look up from the book I'm reading. A guide is standing beside the tree I'm lounging against.

"Yes?"

"You have someone to greet," the guide says, "follow me, please."

I get up, calling to Kain, who comes running over, his tongue hanging out and tail wagging. The guide leads us through the streets, then over a hill that is only there sometimes, and to the gates that have just opened. The guide bows and disappears, leaving Kain and I waiting. I watch the gates with curiosity. I can see a figure coming, the fog slowly parting.

"Fred!"

I leap into his arms and feel him pull me tight against him.

"Anna!"

We hold each other tightly as Kain barks and bounces around us, eager to meet his new friend.

"Who is this?" Fred asks, stooping to scratch Kain's ears.

"Kain," I say, "oh, Fred!"

I hug him again.

"You know, I feel as if I should be mad at you for leaving me," he says, "but I'm not. I'm not even disappointed that I died. I'm just happy to be here."

"How did it happen?" I ask, taking his hand and beginning to lead him back home. He's looking around in fascination, but still answers.

"Death Eater," he says, "there is, or was? I don't know... A battle at Hogwarts. The last stand, I guess."

I stop walking and look back at the gates.

"We should wait here, then," I say, "there will be more coming through."

"Even Death Eaters?"

"I don't know," I say, "everyone I've met so far has been good. Imagine if Voldemort came through those gates."

We sit down on the hill side by side. Kain lays his head in my lap, looking up at me with happy eyes.

"So, this is the afterlife," Fred says, "what do you do here?"

"Read, garden, it's like a big holiday," I say, "you can have anything you want."

"And Kain, he's just appeared here?"

"No," I shake my head, "I got him from the animal heaven. You can adopt pets and even kids that died young. They don't start aging until they're adopted."

"So, we could have kids?"

I smile over at him and nod.

"As many as you want," I tell him.

"But... Won't their parents come eventually?"

"They weren't all... Wanted," I say, "so..."

"Fred!"