The Job: Part 3

Greetings readers!! My apologies for the delay with this part of the story! If you have been following with my previous posts, you must know that there have been a lot of things going on over at  La Casa de Yeti. The death of my aunt, of course, being the most major. After losing someone so close, I did think about putting the kibosh on this story. I wasn't sure that I could finish. I thought I might have to rethink the entire story before I could go on. But my Aunt Sandra wouldn't have wanted me to stop. She always encouraged me to write more. That's why I realized it was important to finish this. Especially this scene. Instead of making this very crucial scene in the story something abrupt. I turned it into something beautiful. At least I think it is anyway. I turned this into a vision of what I believe came for my Aunt. Something more incredible than any of us could ever imagine. So I hope you all enjoy this third installment of "The Job", dedicated to my Auntie. 

Since it has been a long time since I posted Part 2, let me refresh your memory a bit: Our narrator finds himself accompanying Death on a job. Death's Job. On this particular job, Death has transformed from the terrifying specter it was once to a softer image. The spirit is hoping to teach our narrator a lesson regarding respect for his own life. But what  the speaker finds is, something a lot different  than he imagined...

                                                 3.

“From this point on, you are nothing but a mere shadow of yourself.” The voice of Death had also changed. It was soft and reminded me of listening to the choir as a young boy in church. “No one will be able to see you or interact with you. What brings us here today is the true nature of what I do. You seem to think you understand what my job is. Today you will learn. I am more than just a harbinger of sadness and woe.” What could I say to that? I nodded in agreement.

As if it was perfectly timed, the elevators “dinged” and the squeaky old metal doors slid open. I turned just in time to see a disheveled and confused looking young girl run out of the car straight towards us. She barreled right through us like a bullet, never acknowledging our presence. We watched as she stood quietly, mere inches in front of us staring at the two double doors. I could hear her slowly beginning to sob. The girl began to walk closer to the doors when an older man poked his head out from one of the rooms to our left. “Sarah!” he called and she turned. I hadn't noticed the little waiting room until now. Just a small room with a few chairs, an old television and a coffee table. She walked over to his open, comforting arms and he led her over to a seat. I can only imagine that this was Sarah’s father. In the room were a few older people, maybe a grandparent among them, and a few of the younger generation. I couldn't hear what was being discussed among them but I knew that it couldn't be anything good.

“Are you ready?” I heard the voice of my host call out pulling me back to the task at hand.

“As ready as I’ll ever be, I presume. I've never accompanied Death before so I don’t exactly know what to be ready for.” The Spirit nodded at me, took my arm and we walked towards those doors that poor Sarah was so fearful of. 
We walked straight through them as if they were made of nothing more than mere mist and found ourselves in front of a busy nurses station. The few patient rooms were situated around it in a circular pattern. I had been in several hospital wards over my lifetime and none had struck me with such a feeling of sadness as this one. The lights were dimmer than that of the bright hallway we were just in. All was quiet, save for some various beeps that rang out from several different directions as we walked around the room. A few white-coated doctors walked by us with furrowed brows, some with haggard looking five o’clock shadows. Eventually we stopped in front of room 504. Inside the room hung a large blue curtain that I could only imagine surrounded a hospital bed. My heart skipped a beat and I gulped. I looked up for some sign of comfort from my escort, yet it’s face was focused on the deed to be done.

As we walked through the doorway, an older nurse emerged from the curtain. I could hear just the faintest sniffle as she passed right through us. She took off her gloves, washed her hands, and grabbed a tissue from a nearby receptacle to dab at her eyes. “Not too much longer now.” I heard her say to one of her coworkers. “The family is here, right? Go get them.” This was it. I wished I could go back home and not have to witness this horrible moment in time, but there was no turning away now. The slightest tug by Death on my arm and we moved swiftly, without a rustle of the fabric, through the curtain. In front of us now, lay a woman who looked to be in her mid-70’s. Her grey hair was combed back away from her weathered and weary face. Her heart monitor beeped intermittently, and her breathing was shallow. “Is she why we are here?” I asked softly.

“She is.” The tender voice of Death responded. With this the older woman began to stir. Her eyes opened slowly and gazed upon us. A faint smile came over her face.

“Have you come for me?” she asked.

“I have, my dear.” The spirit responded. “You have come down such a long, hard road, Marion.Your rest awaits you. This illness that has taken hold of your earthly body will not follow you.”

“I understand.” She nodded. “Can I say goodbye first?”

“As you wish. Whenever you are ready, just close your eyes.” The spirit uttered these words and, without a moments notice, the older man from the waiting area poked his head through the curtain.

“Who are you talking to, sunshine?” he asked quietly. Marion smiled at him.
“Hello, Jack. Oh, you know me, just talking to myself.” She said between breaths. Jack chuckled and moved further into the room. Not far behind were Sarah and her father, accompanied by a few others. As they quietly filed in, each party acknowledged Marion in some way, whether it was a kiss on the head or a quick embrace. I backed away towards the far wall to make some room but forgetting all together that I was invisible to them. I watched as Jack grabbed Marion’s hand and squeezed it tight. His eyes began to water and a single tear rolled down his cheek.”We’ve talked about this, Jack. Don’t cry for me.” she whispered.
“I know, I know. But it’s hard not to become a rain cloud...when i’m losing my sunshine.” Jack began to choke back tears and a series of sniffles passed through the room. I was surprised to feel a tear fall from my eye as well, considering the invisible state we were in. I watched as poor Sarah gripped her father tight.
“I love you, grandma.” Sarah called out. Marion turned slowly towards her granddaughter.  

“I love you too, sweetheart. All of you. But...” Her  breathing slowed even more now. “I’ve seen....we’re i’ll be going next....and it’s beautiful.” Marion said. She looked straight past them all and into the face of Death. Jack leaned in close to her face and kissed her on the head.

“Oh Marion, I wish you didn’t have to leave us. But....if it will take this pain away from you...God, I wish I could take it from you...” Jack began to sob harder now.

“But then...i’d be in your shoes...my dear.” Marion said continuing to stare seemingly into nothingness, that they could see anyway. I looked up at the face of Death, unfazed by this overwhelmingly moving event.

“Don’t hold on for us any longer, my heart. If you can see it...go. Remember that we love you.”
“I will be with you again....one day.” Marion said. A faint smile can over Jack’s face. With that she closed her eyes slowly. At this moment, I looked right to Death for the next move. Her breathing ceased, her heart monitor gave one last lonely beep before it flat lined, and Death raised his hand. A light grew from its outstretched hand. It spoke “Marion, your soul is free now. I release you from your earthly bonds. Sit up, my dear, and join me.”  
As the light from the hand of Death grew and seemingly filled the room, I watched as Marion’s beautiful spirit emerged from her body. It was as amazing as I had envisioned it. The broken and ill woman who laid in that bed was not the same as the energy it embodied. The soul trapped within that earthly shell burst through and had the biggest smile on her face. She was quite the sight to behold. Her hair that was combed back before was now full and curly, with little slivers of silver glinting throughout it. She wore a long sun dress covered in a sunflower pattern. She was Jack’s sunshine after all. She scooted off the bed, walked her way over to Death and grabbed his hand. I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself and wonder if this incarnation of Death had a warmer grip. She turned back to take one last look at her family and the smile on her face began to fade. “Angel, “ she said “before we go....can you answer me one question?“
“I will try my level best, dear.” The spirit said with a nod.
“My poor Jack. Will he be taken care of?”
“Always. Do not worry, Marion. Although you have left this Earth, you will always be with them. We will go to a place now where you can watch them always. Until you are reunited once more.”

As the light grew, the images of Marion’s family began to weaken and grow thinner and thinner to the naked eye. Soon we were surrounded by nothing but the light! It was so brilliant and blinding, brighter than any sunny day I have observed throughout all of my days.  Within moments, another picture emerged before my eyes and what a sight it was! There was the most beautiful clear blue sky above us with not a cloud in sight. White daisies and blue wildflowers were scattered all throughout a field of emerald green grass we now stood in.  Amidst all of that, and in front of my very own eyes, were the most beautiful pearly gates I had ever seen! I could swear they were almost 7 feet tall and spanned across the wide field as far as the eye could see. It was encrusted with rubies and sapphires and even had two solid gold handles.I could not contain my happiness any longer. I grinned from ear to ear! This was Heaven after all!

In front of the gates, stood a bearded man with two gold keys that were almost as ornately decorated as the door itself hanging from a brown leather rope tied around his waist. In his hands he held a large book with gold leaf pages. He looked at us and smiled pleasantly. “Who do you bring to me now, Friend?” he said.

“St. Peter, I bring to you Mrs. Marion Jacobs. A fine woman who I believe you will find written in the Book of Life.” The spirit sounded confident in his response, but St. Peter seemed reluctant.

“Mrs. Jacobs has been expected, Friend, of that you are quite true...but who is this one you bring behind her? I do not believe I know this one.” He zeroed his gaze in on me. I gulped. Up until now I thought I was practically invisible to everyone, even Marion! But it was a good question.  What about me? Is this where my journey would end as well? Or was I going elsewhere? If Heaven exists then surely...so did the other place.

“I wouldn’t expect you to, your holiness. This is a task I alone have been entrusted with. I do not wish to bring this soul through the gates. Only Mrs. Jacobs.”

“Very well then, Spirit.” St. Peter nodded.  “This is where we part ways, as you know. Mrs. Jacobs, please, come and stand before me.”

“This is where I leave you, Marion.” Death smiled at her. “Enjoy your new home and remember: Your family will always love you and miss you. Now you go on to prepare a new place, so when they arrive...you may welcome them there. “

“Thank you, Angel. And thank you!” She said turning and looking at me “Good luck to you, wherever you end up.” I was flattered that she acknowledged me, in such a grand locale such as this. She could see me after all! I smiled at her.

“Goodbye ma’am” I said. “It looks lovely from out here!” She smiled and turned back towards St. Peter. Death walked towards me and took hold of my arm once more.

“Spirit, I can’t believe it! You’ve shown me Heaven and it is more beautiful then I could have imagined! So it’s true then, eh? The Christians had it right all along! Ha!”

“Quite the contrary, actually.” Death said as it pulled me along through the field.

“I’m confused, Spirit. Clearly this is Heaven, right?” The spirit began to chuckle as I spoke.

“This is Heaven for Mrs. Marion Jacobs, my friend.”

“So...Heaven...can change?” I asked quizzically.

“Heaven. Hell. Purgatory. Nirvana. The Summerlands. Elysium or the Fields of Aaru as it was once called in the days of old. It can be whatever you want it to be. Just as I have changed to fit the soul I am retrieving.”

“Amazing. The afterlife is purely what you make of it.” My mind was blown, but the concept made so much sense to me. How could it be that such an overwhelmingly beautiful idea of a resting place for the soul could be restricted to just one correct choice? How unfair would it be if a Buddhist was sent to Hell purely because his belief was different than that of a Christian or a Jew? This gave me a comfort I had never known before.

“Now, that’s not to say the alternative isn’t still a possibility. The same thing goes for, well, you know. A life of endless torment cannot be escaped unfortunately. You’d be surprised actually. The amount of folks I bring there and their reactions to it.”

“Do you change for them?”
“Nothing more than what you see now. Why if I were to become a purely demonic form, I imagine it would be horribly difficult to help them cross over, which is purely what I do. ”

“I can see that now.”

“Good. Now are you ready to....” Before the Spirit could finish it’s statement, the heavenly fields gave way to the biting cold vortex we had entered before but more violently and abruptly then the first time, almost chaotic! Only this time it happened violently and more abruptly than the first time, almost chaotic!  I felt no floor below my feet. “Oh no, no. I had hoped this would not happen while you were still with me. Fear not, friend. No harm shall come to you. However I must tell you, this will not be pleasant.” Death tried to reassure me as we began to fall. The stinging frozen breeze hurtled us downward. The spirit held tight to my arm and I could feel those frozen phalanges even  through my clothes! Was this it? Were we being called down to the inferno? Was the Devil himself calling us to him? I braced myself for impact at any moment.

Well there you go guys! Another installment for your reading pleasures. Now I know I'm not very good about adding new content regularly anyway but I feel it's only fair to let you know now that "The Job" may be M.I.A. for a little bit. I'm gonna be working on another project entitled "Amenhotep The Black" that i'm hoping to submit to the Innsmouth Free Press for their "Sword and Sorcery" anthology they are putting together. So sit tight while you wait...and please cross your fingers that they accept my story! 

P.S. I don't know who is responsible for the above image but...it's amazing! Whoever you are, let me know so I can properly give you credit for it!