Page 5 of An Unexpected Ascension (A War Between Worlds #1)

The Angel

The crowd around the stage in the center of the market starts to disperse. Everyone scurrying off to continue their shopping or mingling with friends as if my literal neighbor wasn’t just set on fire and damned to Hell.

“So, if I don’t finish the penance on my list by the deadline they gave me, that happens?”

I gesture to the now empty dais.

He nods just as Sarah May excuses herself to mourn with a few of her friends over a man they hardly knew.

“There are no second chances? No negotiations here? Just poof, you’re gone forever?”

“Basically. I mean if you think about it, Heaven is your second chance. Why should you get any more?”

“I just… I don’t know? I mean, isn’t God forgiving and all that sh—crap? Why didn’t he come when Marty prayed? Does he ever show?”

Will gnaws on his lower lip,.

“He hasn’t. None of them usually do. Not since I’ve been here anyway.”

“So, they just let a demon pop in, drag you in front of the entire population of Heaven, and execute you?!”

The pitch in my voice jumps.

“I mean, technically you’re already dead.”

Will shrugs before he shuffles towards the edge of the market. I follow in shock, completely overwhelmed by how little he’s disturbed by the whole thing. It makes me wonder how often this happens.

“Come on, there’s something I’d like to show you.”

He guides me away from the bustle of saints and angels toward a thicket of trees, heavy with vibrant green leaves. The branches sway slowly, moving like a carefully rehearsed, lyrical choreography.

As we approach, a familiar, sweet scent lingers at the edge of my nose. Never too much and never too little. I smell the flowers before I see them blossom one by one, enticing me to look their way.

“Wow.”

I breathe.

Will smiles next to me, watching the beauty unfold bit by bit. Just when it seems there couldn’t possibly be any more flowers to bloom, he takes my hand and leads me onto the path.

If I could sweat here, little beads would bubble along my hairline, and my heart would tick a beat faster. A forest is how I got here and the idea of trekking through another?—

“Where are we going?”

He can sense my hesitancy.

“You’ll see. We’re still inside the walls of Heaven. There’s only one way to leave and you’ve just seen it.”

I nod, relief only a mild antidote to my blasé panic.

As we continue down the grassy trail, rabbits with the softest fur and the cutest noses hop along with us. Butterflies flit above our heads with a safe distance, leading the way. Even a family of deer trots along our side as if in Heaven there’s nothing to fear.

After some time, the sound of rushing water tickles my ears. Will lifts a low hanging branch, urging me to duck under. On the other side awaits a scene so ethereal, my brain can't even comprehend the reality of it.

Utopia.

Paradise.

Heaven.

A rush of water cascades down a glistening cliff, dispersing into a cerulean pool. The water is the color of polished gems, it’s so clear you can see all the way to the bottom and to my relief, there’s not a fish in sight. Not that it would have stopped me from jumping in, but I much prefer to be the only creature when swimming in large bodies of water.

“Your first week seemed a little rough. I wanted to show you why people are so desperate to get into Heaven. Why it’s worth it.”

“So, this is free then? I don’t owe any Hail Marys to jump in?” I tease.

“Nope. Nature is always free.”

A slight wave of emotion rolls through me, tickling the backs of my eyes with the urge to cry. It’s a feeling of joy, relief, of utter euphoria. I’ve made it. Granted, I’m on borrowed time unless I complete my penance of course, but that’s a thought for later when I’m not surrounded by magic.

The surface glitters like glass in the sunlight, beckoning me. Before I can think twice, I’m shucking off my shoes, pulling my black tank top over my head and unbuttoning my jean shorts. The same clothes I’ll forever wear. Well, until I can afford new ones.

Entranced, I don’t even notice that despite stripping, I’m still clad in all my clothes as if I never even tried taking them off. I guess my underwear isn’t PG enough for God.

Yet, it doesn’t bother me. My mind is too hypnotized by the rivulets pulsing around me as I step deeper into the crystalline pool. I’m enveloped by its silky warmth. If it wasn’t for my soaked denim growing heavy, I would argue that I’m wrapped in a cloud rather than nature’s basin.

Inhaling a crisp breath of air, I plunge under, my fingertips parting the water with ease. It’s after a long moment of taking in the lifeless, yet colorful city below that I realize I don’t need to breathe. There’s no use for it here in Heaven.

A flurry of little bubbles escapes my mouth as I giggle, the sound muffled by the pressure. There’s a serenity in this moment, a peace that overtakes me. I can feel it stretching within my chest, expanding, bursting outward and settling in my limbs.

From beneath the surface, I watch Will’s body pierce through the still water as he jumps in after me. The momentum creates shock waves, and they roll right over me as he plummets to the bottom. I catch the smile stretching across his face, his eyes closed, relishing this luxury we’ve been gifted.

The second his toes touch the sandy ground, he pushes himself off toward me and together we break the surface.

“So?”

he urges, wiping the little rivulets of water from his face.

“So... It’s...”

I’m at a loss for words as I look around me.

“Breathtaking.”

“And it’s just one of many sanctuaries, but I like this one the most because it’s never busy.”

His gaze twinkles back at me, little wrinkles crinkling at the outside of his eyes. I didn’t notice before, but Will is handsome for a man of his age. The years have been very kind to him.

My heart gallops uselessly inside my chest as we tread just a foot away from one another. There’s a heaviness in the air around us, thickening with each passing second. As if these thoughts inside my head – possibly his too – seem to cause the subtle changes around us.

The birds cease their singing as the twinkle in Will’s eyes catches mine. With one swipe of my tongue along my bottom lip, the sun’s rays dim, casting us in an ever-growing darkness. Even the water starts to cool rapidly with every inch of distance we close between us.

It isn’t until the thunder thrashes above us, vibrating the bones in my chest, do we both realize that we’re not alone, that we will never be alone.

“Come on.”

Will slips under the surface one last time before combing a hand through his hair.

“Where are we going? I don’t want to leave yet.”

The thought of going back to my concrete cell stirs a small panic inside of me.

“Oh, we’re not. There’s more I want to show you.”

No sooner does Will swim away that the world rights itself again. Birds resume their blessed chorus, the sun begins to brighten, and even the water finds its way back to the perfect temperature.

Heaven’s warning that the Gods are always watching.

Will pulls himself up onto the rocky surface near where the waterfall meets the pool, crashing loudly and spraying like a sprinkler. As he stands, he lends a hand for me to take. The warning strikes large in my head, the threat of more penance looming with just one mistaken touch, but it’s innocent, isn’t it?

“It’s okay. I’m just helping you to your feet.”

He flashes that heartwarming smile again, encouraging me to trust him, so I do.

A suppressed squeal flies from my lips as I’m yanked into his chest before I can slip and fall backwards. I linger maybe a bit too long, the birds falling silent once more.

I clear my throat.

“So what were you going to show me?”

Will leads me from one rock to another, helping me along the way. From what I’ve gathered, there isn’t pain in Heaven, but our human instincts are to always preserve ourselves, to keep ourselves from harm’s way. So, even if I were to tumble down a bed of rocks and it wouldn’t hurt a bit, I still actively avoid it.

“I was married before...”

He starts.

“Before you died?”

I don’t miss the slight cringe at the crass word, but he nods.

“And now? How does that work?”

“I’ve seen it here and there. Couples reuniting with years of life between them. Someone like my age together with someone far older. Then there are people like me.”

“How do you mean?”

“Well, my wife was still young when I died. Only in her forties. If she lives a long, healthy life – something I want for her desperately – I can only assume she’ll find another partner to get her through.”

“What if she does move on? Then what? Do you all live happily ever after in Heaven, the three of you?”

I smirk, but he only rubs the scruff on his chin.

“I think it depends. Our emotions here in the afterlife, they’re muted. My happiness, my fear, my love. It’s all mild versions of what we had on Earth. I think it’s to better regulate the peace. How do you keep everyone content when we’re all so different? You don’t, you keep everyone at peace to avoid chaos.”

“That’s… bleak. I thought everything here would have been the same, if not better than life on Earth. I thought we would love deeper, laugh harder, and live freer.”

“Well, think about it. When one feels deeply, they may love and be happy, but when they are angry or scornful, those emotions would also be heightened. We’ve seen what happens on Earth. War, hate crimes, genocides. How do you avoid it all?”

he explains.

“So, I will find Melinda when her time comes and when I do – whether it’s with a new partner or not – I will be grateful either way.”

He reaches the grassy land at the bottom of the waterfall, grabbing a ledge of the cliff to haul himself up. His foot catches another piece of jagged rock, and he starts to climb.

“Come on! It’s not like you’ll die if you fall.”

He chuckles, teasingly.

I shrug, following behind him.

“Does it bother you that you feel so little?”

“No, in this case, I think I’m okay with it. On Earth, my heart would have broken if I saw her with another man, but here – feeling what I feel – I know I’ll be okay.”

Will pulls himself up onto the flat surface at the top. Crawling to his knees, he extends his hand for me to grab as I take my final steps before joining him.

We fall onto the grassy crest, lying next to the edge of the drop just past the cliff.

The height is dizzying, but I force myself to sit up anyway, absorbing the breathtaking beauty that is Heaven’s landscape.

From here, you can see everything; the lush forest colored with vibrant budding flowers, the grassy plains where animals graze, and in the distance is the market. The people like little ants weaving between vendors.

“I don’t know, Will. Your take on love after life is bleak,”

I tease.

“Or maybe you’re just old.”

His dark oaken eyes widen when he finds my smirk.

“How old do you think I am?”

“Hmm…”

I trail my gaze over him, perusing his features as I sit up on my elbows.

“Grey hair, faint wrinkles when you smile, weathered hands from years of hard work... I’d say about fifty.”

He flinches, his face contorting with distaste. “Ouch.”

I laugh, finally sitting up completely.

“Then how old are you?”

“Forty-two!”

My brows jump in surprise. “Really?”

“Yeah, I mean I went completely grey at thirty. It runs in the family. Now it’s my turn to guess. I’m going with thirty-three.”

My eyes nearly bulge out of my head as I smack his arm.

“Now you’re just trying to get back at me!”

“I would never.”

“Well, you’re way off.”

“How off?”

“Twenty-seven.”

He shrugs, contemplating something.

“Not that far off.”

My mouth drops open.

“Wow. Jerk!”

A sudden panic strikes me, my hand flying to my mouth. I wait for my penance receipt to pop up and add another prayer, but it never shows.

“Jerk isn’t a swear,”

Will reminds me with a teasing chuckle.

“I don’t know what’s what anymore.”

Those soft wrinkles on the outside of Will’s eyes slowly disappear along with the smile from his face.

“I don’t mean to say that you look older than you are – because you don’t – but there’s something in your eyes that screams years of seeing too much of the world. Like your soul was around a lot longer than your body.”

“Some might call that maturity.” I snort.

He bumps his shoulder against mine in a friendly gesture.

We sit in silence, watching over the vast lands. Other than the white noise, there’s a calmness in being surrounded by nature, but after some time, Will stands.

“We should head back. I can show you another place tomorrow.”

Tomorrow. Whenever that is.

“Yeah, okay. I’d like that.”