When Heaven meets Hell

Chapter Fifty Two

She saw their faces, the faces of the people who cared for her, the people she cared for. They gave her strength, fueling the fire that began to burn brightly within her again. She would not be beaten. This was her mind and body and she would not allow any force in this world to wrest control from her. She would not give up.
Her unyielding determination paid off . Even as the darkness closed in, even as it slowly choked her, she knew she had won.

Cracks wedged themselves into the dark space, light filtering through and increasing in brightness. It cut through the blackness like a blade, beams sailing off in all directions. Joan heard a high pitched shriek from somewhere as she emerged from the light, watching her doppelganger slowly disintegrate.

"No." She screeched, clutching her face as it slowly turned to ash. "No, no, no! You cannot have beaten him, you cannot have–"

That was all she said before the beams of light destroyed her.

In seconds, the black of the space was saturated with white, darkness turning grey and then pearly. When Joan opened her eyes next, she found herself surrounded by white. Someone was holding her.

She recoiled, wrenching free and readying herself for an attack. But what she saw made her jaw drop and her heart skip a beat. She stared into the two very familiar faces, faces she never hoped to see again. Their skin glowed like polished silver, giving them an angelic look. For an eternity, Joan gaped at her parents' smiling faces.

They were exactly as she remembered them. Her mother looked radiant as ever, her golden locks framing the face she always claimed was identical to Joan's. Her lips were pulled back in a warm smile, the blue eye twinkling with the love and affection only a mother could have.

"Mother..." Joan gasped, her gaze switching to her father. He was dressed as she had last seen him alive, brown hair flopping over his loving grey eyes. They shined with that rare light he only reserved for his wife and daughter, the smile on his handsome face enough to melt her heart. Joan saw he was wearing the ring she had given him on his birthday.

"Father..." Joan trailed in an equally shocked manner. Her mother spread her arms wide and Joan spared not a moment. She threw herself into those arms, feeling the rush of tears and emotions overcome her. She melted into the embrace, weeping like a child. She did indeed feel like one as her mother rocked her back and forth while her father draped his arms around them both. Joan took a moment to steady herself, waiting until she had overcome the initial shock. She looked up at them through tears.

"I'm sorry." She choked. "I'm sorry for everything, for not being there, for everything I did after that. I just missed you two so much."

Her mother leaned forward and kissed her forehead, holding her close. Joan realized this was her way of granting her forgiveness. Her father too stroked her head affectionately, nodding. He did not speak; But Joan knew from that look in his eyes what he meant. 'You've set things right now, you've begun to make amends. We're proud of you'

In unison, they looked up beyond her and Joan followed their gazes to see Avander and Heidi standing some way off, waving to her. Joan's parents gestured to them, as though they meant to say; Go to them.

For a minute, Joan hesitated, a part of her wishing she could stay in her parents' embrace forever. Her heart ached to think she would have to leave them. She stared, looking very much like a confused child and shook her head. Her mother reached out and cupped her face in her soft hands, looking at her both with sadness and determination.