Life After Death

Chapter 23

I went back in time.

The cold water glided over my body like a second skin.

And I was home.

***

The never-setting sun was sitting on the crystal waters. The current pushed and pulled at one another, and the seagulls cawed announcing my return.

The warmth and safety that the west coast exuded was indescribable. I felt like I had returned home from a long journey. It was a journey, though. Experiencing life after death on earth was a perpetual journey that could only be explained as scary.

Walking across the golden sand, feeling the the salty breeze caress my skin and the sun shine on my hair, made everything better. I was meant to be here until I was meant to go to my Elysium. I understood that now. But that didn't mean that I accepted that I was dead. That was something that I would never be able to accept.

Pizza Palace called me with its scent.

If I wanted to help Danny and give him the message David gave to him, then I need to learn more about this life - the afterlife. And I knew some people that would help me.

As soon as I entered the pizzeria I felt some form of longing toward it - mostly because I never felt any longing toward the material realm. It was weird. I pushed through, ignored stares that I received and sat down at the bar on a stool.

Moira spotted me and her eyes went wide. I'm sure I heard her gasp as well. Maybe she could help me. With that in mind I looked up and smiled.

"Meredith Gray," she said. "Look at you. Back at this old place." She still had that nasally voice. I cringed. "How was your trip to earth? Where's Roman? - I heard he went back."

"He did - go back that is." I raked a hand through my hair and managed another smile. "The trip to earth was enlightening. Its so weird when you're dead. To be there."

"Did you find what you went there for?" Moira asked, reading my mind (not actually reading my mind; I doubted she had Roman's power) and handing me a pepperoni pizza, extra cheesy with orange soda. I smiled and thanked her.

"I went for closure. I went so that I could change the outcome of death," I said. "But I couldn't. Plus, I don't think closure is something you can find. I think it's something you have to experience." I munched on a slice. "And I haven't experienced it. I doubt I ever will."

I slumped in the seat.

Moira frowned. "And why would you say that?"

"Because I don't want it to end," I said, surprised at my honesty. "I don't want it to be over." I stared at the bubbles in my soda like it held all the answers in the world. Maybe it did. "Do you know the war going on down there? On earth? Do you know how the ghosts devour souls on a daily basis? It's a goddman horror show. And there aren't enough ghost hunters to prevent it. It's sad. Those souls lost their lives. And now they have to lose all over again."

Moira smiled. "Can I tell you a secret?" I looked at her and nodded. "I could see ghosts - not dead people or celestial beings; I saw ghosts. The demons, and all those other horrible things. When I was little and thought I heard someone knocking on the door or window - there was something knocking on the door or window. If I thought I saw something warped and odd-looking, then I was probably right." Moira cringed. "Once, I heard something knocking - I shouldn't have peaked, but I did. I looked and there was a little girl inside the mirror. Knocking." A shiver racked through me. "She asked me to help her. I did. She pulled me inside that mirror and I saw the most horrible thing a ten year old girl could ever see - decapitation, mutilation, rape..." Moira let out a deep, strangled breath. I thought she might pass out anytime now. "The reason why there aren't much ghost hunters is because no soul wants to die and have to deal with that for all eternity."

A silence followed and Moira spoke again, "But if you feel like justice isn't being served to all those souls then you can become a ghost hunter. But know, once you're in. There's no coming back out. You're a captain of a ship. And when that ship sinks, you have to sink with it." Moira wiped down the counter. "Just ask Meg."

"Meg?" And then she disappeared from the bar to serve some boy with a buzzcut.

Just then, Meg came from the, presumably, kitchen and paused when she saw me. "Oh, good," her voice laced with sarcasm, "you're back."

"I'll take that comment positively, because that's the kind of person I was," I said smiling. I slurped up some soda - glad that I could eat.

Meg rolled her eyes. "I heard Roman went back to his soul catching job."

I narrowed my eyes at her.

Meg shrugged. "I eavesdropped. Sue me."

I sighed. "Yeah, he did." And then I thought back to the ugly fight we had and him storming off and I felt horrible. I needed to fix that, too.

"You have the face of a smacked arse, what did you do to him?" Meg asked, leaning over to scowl at me.

"What's it to you?"

"He's my friend," she said. "And don't look so surprised."

"Nothing happened. I didn't do anything. I may have been selfish but who could blame me?" I fisted my hair. "There I go again. I just don't understand."

"Don't understand what?"

"I don't understand anything," I said. "I don't understand Roman. One day he's happy, and talkative. The next he's all moody and touchy. I don't know where I stand with him. Either he's bipolar... or he's bipolar."

"You're new to all of this so it's understandable," Meg said, nodding.

She straightened up and was about to leave but I remembered what Moira said last minute.

"Were you a ghost hunter?" I asked, expecting some monotone, sarcastic answer.

"I am a ghost hunter," Meg said, leaving. "What's it to you?"