Afterlife

PROLOGUE

…As the years passed on, the world was rid of disease and famine, and the technological advancements of scientific research became the focal point of the world’s interest. Everyone searched for the next best thing. Whether it was a mere object, or an elaborate theory of relative existence, everyone slowly became engrossed in the power of knowledge. Science became the new religion, and hence set upon a quest to solve the remaining questions of its modern era, the seemingly unsolvable riddles of existence, the last true mysteries of time and space: In the absolute vastness of the universe, in respect to their natural environment, inclusive of all they were yet unaware, what were they? What was their purpose of being? And where did they come from? But everyone seemed oblivious to the questions which should have been on their minds: Where were they all going? And how was it all going to end?

God is not the God of the dead, but of the living…

(Matthew 22:32)

For he dwells with you and will be in you.

( John 14:17)

CHAPTER ONE

John could remember the night; a dark night, void of hope. There was a mass in the air, a thickness, a depth, so much so he could feel the force of gravity pushing against his very strides.

‘It would not be long,’ he thought, as he forged on through the darkness, down no certain path, as his irreverence urged his determination. The seconds became minutes, the minutes, hours. He had reached the point of exhaustion by dawn’s first break, but there was no lift to the darkness surrounding him. All light was suspended in a distance, beyond his perception. His limbs were numb, but were aching, as if painful nothingness were consuming his muscles. He could feel warmth as the sun began to rise, but the sky remained pitch black.

Struggling on through the excruciating pain, it was not long before he could go no farther. He slowed to stop as he felt his muscles tense to a locked position, and there he remained motionless, and in absolute darkness as the sun began to make its way across the morning sky.

He could feel the heat slowly intensify, and by midday his eyes were tearing from the glare of the sun. His pores were sweating profusely, but there was still no light. The heat became unbearable. He tried to move, to find shelter from the extreme heat, but he was paralyzed in his stance, burning alive, till suddenly the temperature began to rapidly drop.

He could feel his tears freeze in place as his perspiration turned to scales of ice, frost burnt into his skin. He could feel his body begin to freeze as his respiration slowed. It was becoming more and more difficult to breathe. Laboring intensively he managed slight inhalations, but it was not long before his light headedness had limited his capabilities.

He could feel himself slipping away, gasping for his final breath, when he felt the slightest warmth upon his forehead. He struggled for another breath as the warmth began to intensify, and after three more breaths his breathing became more involuntary and his body began to thaw. He could feel his muscles relax, and he was able to slowly stretch into a walking motion. Step by step he stretched, till his muscles slowly returned to normal.

It was then he caught his first glimpse of light. Somewhere off in the distance he could see a flickering white dot, just a speck of illumination; it quickly grew before his eyes, and it turned bright yellow as his vision fully returned. He could now see the bright light in its full capacity as he stared into the sun, beaming towards him, ever enlarging to encompass the entire horizon. Its rays began burning his skin, and his sweat began pouring profusely. He turned to run from the scorching light, only to feel his flesh begin to boil; the pain forced him to scream out in torturous agony…

He awoke, shaking in bed, and shielding his eyes from the sun's rays pouring through the bedroom window. He set up, wiped the perspiration from his forehead, and turned to see Audrey, who was just beginning to open her eyes. She smiled at him; his exasperated state mellowed to one of light confusion. He smiled back. He was relieved his nightmare had ended, though it was still fresh on his mind. Audrey sat up in bed, stretched, and yawned; she eased from the bed and made her way to the shower. He turned back and towards the sun’s rays pouring through the window as he tried to recall his dream. He tried to remember it in its entirety before it slowly faded away, but it was gone; his mind could only recall fragments, the bitter cold, the sweltering heat, his blindness, his motionless, but mostly the scorch of the sun’s rays as the huge fireball fell towards the earth.

Moments later, the dream’s aftermath was gone, and he began getting ready for work. Audrey had finished her shower and was attending to Sara, preparing her for her first day of preschool. He began to recall more of his dream; fragments raced through his mind. But as quickly as they came upon him, they faded, and reality soon took hold of his senses.

Sara was just finishing her breakfast as John made his way downstairs. Audrey had just finished packing her lunch. He kissed them each goodbye, and Sara, who was anxious about her first day of school, raced to the front door and reached up for the knob. Struggling to turn it, she nearly fell backwards as the door slowly opened. Catching her balance, she began laughing, and her smile paralleled the bright rays of the sun, which were now pouring through the open doorway. The image reminded John of a younger Audrey; her sparkling eyes, her playful disposition. As John made his way out the door, the dream was entirely gone from his mind and only the image of Sara’s smile remained. He waved goodbye as he pulled from the driveway, and he saw Audrey waving back as she opened the car door for Sara, who climbed in the backseat.

A few minutes later John saw the traffic congestion and decided to take an alternate route. He found a way to circumvent the masses by way of the shoreline road. Ten minutes later he was turning back towards the heart of town as he sped down Cable Drive. He was rushing to reach his eight o’clock appointment, when suddenly the sun broke free of its cloud cover and showered its rays upon him, blinding his vision. His eyes began to tear from the intense light. John slowed down a bit and squinted to see, but the brightness only intensified, till he was forced to come to a complete stop; he heard the screams and the sound of a loud thud. The car shook from the impact as he heard more cries bellow out, and then he saw the rush of bystanders. His heart sank as he opened the door and raced to the front of his vehicle. He saw a child face down in a pool of blood. His horror intensified as he looked up to see Audrey, bursting in tears as she ran towards him. It was then he noticed the blood tainted yellow ribbon upon the child’s head, and the white pleated skirt Sara had been dressed in for her first day of school. John fell to his knees and scooped up the poor child, cradling her in his arms as his tears poured to the rhythm of Audrey’s hysterical screams. All he could feel was the sun closing in on them as their world came to an abrupt end…

CHAPTER TWO

John awoke screaming for Sara. Shivering, he leapt from his bed, and within minutes he was dressed and out the door. He contemplated the irony of life as he sped his Bentley towards Westside Memorial Hospital. He arrived to see his daughter in her same lifeless condition, somewhere between heaven and hell, as Sara lay attached to her life support system. There had been no change in her condition since the tragic accident that rendered her incapacitated; the very same accident that abolished her mother’s existence. John thought of Audrey as a tear swelled in his eye. He heard the door open and turned to see his colleague enter the room.

Hey, John, Dr. Peters said, while slightly nodding his head in condolence.

John just quietly turned his attention back towards his daughter and asked, How is she doing?

Still no improvement, the doctor replied, as he lowered his head in disappointment, The latest tests show very little brain activity. I’m sorry John.

John just stood by the bedside. He could feel how close his daughter was to death. He tried to remain strong as he felt the tear run down his cheek.

It may be a bit premature, John, but have you considered Afterlife? Their general cutoff age is two years, but there are special sanctions in place for certain situations, particularly if one of the parents has passed on. They may be able to help.

John just continued staring at Sara as he replied, But then her memories of Audrey would be gone forever. What good would it serve if she were unable to recall her mother? It would seem so unjust.

Dr. Peters nodded his head, succumbing to John’s convictions; he gestured once more in condolence before turning to leave the room.

John remained by his daughter's side as he contemplated his colleague's suggestion. It was several hours before he could fully grasp the notion, but he slowly began to rationalize the possibility of Sara being reborn, and by midday he was leaning across the bedside to kiss her goodbye.

By nightfall, John was struggling to fall asleep, but shortly after midnight his exhaustion overwhelmed his mind. An absence of dreams flooded his subconscious as the night progressed, and he awoke the next morning to an odd peacefulness. As he lay in bed, he recalled Dr. Peters’ suggestion, but he