Purgatory

Chapter 37

The sunset was a magnificent display of gold and orange that dipped into the brilliant orb sinking into the horizon.  The smell of freshly cut grass and the warm scent of tilled earth lifted into the atmosphere as the warmth rose from the ground.  I sat perched on a hill overlooking the fields to my right and the woods to my left.  Far into the distance I could hear the crashing of my favorite waterfall.  I was back at home on the farm and it felt like summer.

I didn’t know how I got here, but then again I didn’t seem to care.  I enjoyed the soft caress of the setting sun upon my cheeks and for the first time in so long I smiled happily.  I was home; right where I wanted to be.

Looking behind me, I could see the old house I used to live in.  It still looked so inviting and as peaceful as ever.  I wondered what my mother was cooking for dinner and when my father would be home from work.  I remembered we had moved, or at least I thought we did so many years ago after Naddia’s death.  My mother told me often it was a chance for us all to experience a change in pace and live a different life away from painful memories.

My fingers bristled through the cool stalks of grass as I remembered Naddia.  It didn’t hurt anymore to think about her.  It was as if she never left me and my petty veil was lifted from my eyes.  I was content and at peace with the world and everyone in it.

“Helena!” I heard my mother call out to me.  “Time for dinner!”

My smile widened and I closed my eyes to cherish the sound of her voice.  It was like the melody of a song I had long since forgotten, and hearing it again I realized how much I had missed it.  I rose to my feet steadily, and an image flashed before my eyes and was gone just as quickly.  All I could recall was the color white, but I did not know why it felt so significant.  A pang of pain shot through my head suddenly, and I applied pressure to my temples.

“Helena!  Dinner!” my mother reminded me.  I turned to head back towards the house diligently, but nearly ran into a dark figure of a man.  At first he looked ethereal as if someone had spilled black ink into water, but his figure solidified into a cloaked silhouette.

“Mom!” I called out as I backed away from the looming form.

“Helena,” the silhouette whispered.  “It is not your time to go.”

“Who are you?” I asked, though for some reason I felt I should already know.  Another image flashed before me sending another wave of pain.  I saw eyes, but they weren’t normal.

“I am Death,” the silhouette said to me airily.  I eyed the figure curiously and looked at the world around me.  It felt so wonderful and so peaceful for it not to be real.

“Am I dead?” I asked hesitantly.

“You are dying,” Death replied.  “Do you remember why?”

I shook my head no in reply, my brow furrowing as I realized I should know.  “Something happened,” I said thoughtfully, and I searched my mind for more answers.  “I was hit by a car.”  As soon as I grasped the memory, the pain of my injuries manifested, and I collapsed onto the grass as I cried out.  Another image flashed before me, this time lingering as I noticed the door marked with a bright blue square.  I looked back up at Death with pleading eyes.

“Do you remember what brought you to your failure?” the darkened silhouette whispered in question.

“I was running,” I recalled, and turned to look away.  I didn’t want to remember what I did. I was at peace before Death showed.  I was going to have dinner with my parents and live on the farm again.  It was all I ever wanted and Death was making me remember all the terrible things I wanted to forget.