Death's Captive: Will she escape eternal confinement?

CHAPTER 16

Margie bursts into the room and is immediately at Jason's side assisting Matthews. I hear the TING. He stops seizing and both women relax momentarily before alarms begin to go off for his vitals; the TING is getting louder in my head. I ignore it.

"BP is spiking; he's going into cardiac arrest!" Matthews says as Margie races across the room for a crash cart.

The TING becomes louder, this time ringing in my ears; I pull my knees up to my chest and put my hands over my ears as a tear slides down my cheek.

Matthews has one knee on the bed and has begun compressions. Margie preps the paddles of the defibrillator.

TING!

I don't want to be the one who kills Reeves.

TING!

This noise is screaming at me! My head hurts! I shake my head back and forth holding my head in my hands.

"Not me, not me! Please! I don't want to be the one who kills Reeves! Please!" I beg aloud to the ceiling, but I know no one can hear.

Jason's spirit is fighting for release from its earthly body. It looks like agony. Choking back tears I reach out and clasp his spirit; it flows with ease into my hand.

"I'm sorry Jason, I'm so sorry..." I hold his spirit to my body and he feels real, I can touch him; feeling the fabric of his shirt against my cheek, staining it in tears. "I didn't want to be the one, please know this!" I look up into his face and he looks shocked, surprised even; he does not push me off as I had expected, but he does not comfort me either.

"Where am I?" he asks simply, looking down into my eyes.

"In between..." that's all I can bring myself to say.

"What?" Reeves says still dazed.

From the corner of my eye I can see the after-light forming. I know that once he sees it he'll forget his life and lose the fight. I look to Matthews and Margie who are still madly trying to save his life. They just need more time...

I kneel in front of Reeves and hold his face and say, "Jason, whatever happens don't stop looking at me. Your life depends upon it. Don't be tempted to turn around. Whatever you hear, ignore it!"

His eyes widen. "Why? What's behind me?"

I caress his cheek with my thumb. "Because you are looking directly at Death and behind you is the afterlife. As soon as you see it you won't be able to come back and you have more you need to do in this lifetime. You don't deserve to die; I want you to live." I had never meant anything more in my life; I want him to live with every fibre of my body and soul.

"Who are you? Why do you get to decide?"

"I don't get to decide, but I'm going to try and give you time. All anyone ever wants is more time and that's what I want to give to you, Jason." My voice falters and a sob escapes my throat. I can't speak but I can't stop holding his face in my hands. I don't understand why, after hundreds of lives have slipped through my fingers to the other side... why should this be any different?

Jason puts his hands onto my shoulders, and I feel the warm embrace of a comforting hug. Over his shoulder I can see a woman dressed in a cream fitted suit; her face is stern and she is glaring at me.

I lean up and whisper in Jason's ear.

"Whatever happens, remember what I said. It's a trick. Don't listen to anything you hear from behind you, and don't give in to the desire to turn away from me. Just focus on me, my voice... and don't let go."