Courageous: Afterlife Book Four (20 page)

"With pleasure, Meghan. If you give me what I came here for. What is rightfully mine."

I shook my head. "No," I said. "Never."

I cried heavily now and looked at my son. Then I looked at Jason. He was crying too. I lifted the baby and handed him to Jason.

"No," he said while shaking his head. "No."

"I have to," I said crying. "I have to go."

"Please don't do this," Meghan," Jason pleaded. "There must be some other way." He looked desperately at Rahmiel.

"Meghan don't," she said. "Don't do it."

"I have to," I said looking at Jason holding my child in his arms.

"Let me go instead," he said.

I caressed his cheek, then leaned over and kissed him. "I can't let you do that," I said. "There is no way I'll ever let you do that."

Tears were streaming down my cheeks as I looked at the people I loved. Jason, the baby, even Mick. Then I turned and floated towards the dark mass growing out of the giant hole in the floor. Underneath it fire was crackling, an endless fire burning from the pit of hell.

"Here," I said. "Take me."

C
HAPTER 39

I
T WAS WITH
great anxiety and a heavy heart I floated towards my new destiny. I felt this was the only solution, the only way I could see this end and still live with myself. I had no idea what awaited me but was prepared for it to be bad. At least he could no longer hurt anyone I loved.

As I floated towards the fire and black mass of shrieking small creatures I felt a growing despair in me. The hopelessness grew the further I got away from Rahmiel, the further I moved from the light into the darkness. Voices were whispering in my head, laughing, filling me with emotions. Feelings like jealousy, greed, anger, bitterness grew and grew in me and the closer I got the less I was able to fight it. Soon I was overwhelmed with fury and sadness at once. It was so strong it pulled me downwards towards the fire; it was sucking all life out of me. I heard screaming voices as the hole in the ground opened up beneath me looking like a giant volcano with nothing but death and despair in it. An endless screaming coming from the many tortured souls spending eternity there, being eaten up in a constant torture of the numbness, of the complete absence of love and hope.

Then I started falling. Falling into the crater and the burning fire, feeling nothing but gloom.

"NO!" I heard Jason scream behind me. "Don't let her do it! Do something!"

I hardly noticed since I was almost drawn into a different world, taken over by thoughts and emotions but suddenly something happened behind me. Turmoil broke out and there was yelling. Someone grabbed my neck and pulled me back while screaming.

"No!" a voice said. I felt arms on me and was pulled backwards. It took awhile for me to return, to be able to see properly who had pulled me out.

It was Mick. He was crying. Sobbing and screaming. "I can't let you do this!" he said.

"I have to," I said and tried to break free from his grip. He held me tighter. Then he put himself in front of me. "I love you Meghan," he whispered. "I have always loved you and I always will."

Then he turned his back at me and shot himself through the air and dove directly into the big crater.

"No!!" I screamed.

Immediately after he was gone, the hole closed up with a loud almost slurping noise sucking Mick and all the black hairy creatures with it.

Then everything went quiet and I saw nothing but stars.

A bright light woke me up and I felt myself smiling. Light was a good thing, where there was light darkness had to yield, someone had once told me.

I opened my eyes and looked into the shinning face of Rahmiel. Her love and mercy filled me with joy. Then I froze and sat up.

"The baby!"

Dizziness forced me to lay down again even if I wanted to get out of bed in a hurry. Rahmiel put her hand on my chest and I was immediately calmed down.

"Jason is taking care of him," she said and pointed at the bed next to me where Jason was lying with the baby on his chest. They were both sleeping heavily. Jason was even drooling slightly. "The baby kept him up all last night, and didn't fall asleep until this morning so I think we should let them get some rest, don't you?"

I chuckled, and then nodded. "I bet they both need it."

"So do you," she said. "You've been unconscious almost twenty-four hours."

I exhaled. "Is it all over now?" I asked.

Rahmiel nodded. "It's all over. They're all gone. I guess Mick's sacrifice was enough for them."

I thought about Mick then I was filled with guilt. "Will he be okay?" I asked knowing it was a stupid question.

"It was a big sacrifice he made. I don't think anyone is ever okay in that place." She stroked my cheek. "But that doesn't mean you should feel guilty about it. It was the right thing for him to do."

"So now what?"

Rahmiel looked at Jason and the baby. He was snoring now.

"Now you take care of your family and enjoy your life in eternity. You owe that to Mick. Don't let his sacrifice go in vain. He would want you to be happy."

Tears were piling up in my eyes. I wiped them with my arm, when suddenly there was a sound, like a small babbling or giggling coming from the baby. I turned and looked at him. His eyes were open and he was looking at me. I jumped out of the bed and approached them. His sounds had woken up Jason too. He smiled widely when he saw me. I took the baby from his chest and held him close to me. I inhaled his scent and closed my eyes. I felt Jason's hand in mine. I leaned over and kissed him.

"Have you thought about a name yet?" Rahmiel asked.

I looked into Jason's eyes and smiled. He smiled back.

"I was thinking Mick," he said.

"I was thinking that too."

C
HAPTER 40

"
A
RE YOU NERVOUS?"
I asked as I watched Jason correct his jacket for the fifth time.

"No, not at all," he lied with a smile. "I can't seem to get this jacket to fit me right." He stretched it once again, pulling the sleeve. Rahmiel had provided it for him since we thought Jason needed to cover up his wound from being stabbed when he died.

"Relax," I said and kissed him. Little Mick was babbling in his crib. I handed him his bottle. We decided to give him milk and food to make sure he would be able to enjoy it when he grew older like we did. It meant we had to change him as well, but neither of us minded doing so.

"It's just my parents," I said and lifted up little Mick.

Jason exhaled. "How does this look?" he asked. "Does it cover everything?"

I nodded. "Most of it at least." I grabbed his waist and kissed him again. It made him loosen up; I sensed how his entire body relaxed. I looked into his eyes.

"Ready?" I asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Then let's go."

We streamed through the walls and into the air outside the castle. With the baby in one arm and Jason holding my other hand I shot all of us through the air towards Earth almost with the speed of light. A few seconds later we landed in the front yard of my childhood home. There were lights on and I could hear voices. I smiled at the sound of my parent's voices and pulled Mick towards the house. Then we streamed through the door.

They were sitting in the living room talking in front of the fireplace. I stared at them, startled. The bottles and pills were all gone from the coffee table. My father's seedy looks had completely vanished. They seemed happy and were laughing as we approached.

My mother saw us first. She froze and lifted her head.

"What's wrong, dear?" my father said. Then he lifted his head above the couch and stared directly at us. He was at a loss for words. My mother stood and ran towards me crying. "It wasn't a dream," she said. "I knew you'd be back as you promised."

She gasped and stared at the baby. Then she burst into tears. "My sweet little baby. You're a mother now?"

I nodded while tears piled up. "This is little Mick," I said and lifted him in the air.

My mother clapped her hands with a shriek of joy. "Oh he is gorgeous," she exclaimed. Then her eyes set on Jason.

"This is Jason," I said. I smiled. He was trembling.

"Well hello there, Jason," my mother said.

My dad was still staring at us from a distance not knowing how to approach. I looked at him and smiled. "Your mother ... Your mother told me you came to her, but I didn't believe her," he said shakily.

"Oh you have to forgive your father," my mother said and walked towards him. She grabbed his hands and pulled him closer. "It's a little overwhelming for him."

"You look great, Dad," I said.

"He’s been much better lately," my mother said. "I have no idea what happened to him, but a couple of weeks ago something happened to him, that suddenly changed him. No more beers, no more pills, no more depression. The doctor calls it a miracle. I'm beginning to think they're right."

"That's so great to hear, Mom."

I floated towards him, and then stopped. He was trembling, but still smiling. "So you're okay?" he asked.

"Better than that, Dad. I'm perfect."

He reached out and tried to touch me. His hand went straight through and he pulled back with a gasp. I leaned over and grabbed a hold of his hand, then lifted it in the air. Then I kissed him gently on the cheek.

"It's alright, Dad," I whispered. "You can let go of me now." I handed him a map where I had Rosey help me mark where she had buried my body. "This should give you some closure," I said with a thick voice. I kissed him again, and then floated towards Jason.

"Wait," my dad said.

I turned. He reached out his hand and touched me on the cheek. "I love you sweet-cheeks," he said while tears rolled across his face.

I sniffed and smiled widely. "I love you too, Dad. I love you too."

A few days later Abhik went back to be with Mai and I saw him off. He kissed me on the cheek and then kissed little Mick gently.

"I'll miss the both of you," he said.

"I know. We'll miss you too, but it's time you live your own life. It's only about to begin. We'll see you there later on. I'll find you."

Then we hugged one last time and said goodbye.

Jason and I stayed together at the Academy until he graduated. Little Mick was almost two years when we finally could put the school behind us and start our new life together. Jason got his file back and once he realized how much I had been there for him, he cried and held me tight, and then we both laughed our hearts out.

When the day finally arrived and we were supposed to leave, Rahmiel, Salathiel and all the teachers gathered to wave us goodbye. They brought us up above the castle and through the clouds. We stood on top of one of the rainbows as we said our goodbyes. Rahmiel hugged me tightly and tickled little Mick on his tummy till he laughed.

"It's not really a goodbye. We'll see each other on the other side," Rahmiel said with a tear in the corner of her eye. "I go home ever so often. I'll make sure to come and see you. All three of you," she said and tickled little Mick again.

Little Mick whined with joy. I put him down, and then smiled at Rahmiel. "I'll look forward to that," I said. Then I grabbed little Mick by the hand, while Jason took the other one. We smiled at each other, then looked down at little Mick between us.

"Ready?" I asked.

"Ready," Jason nodded.

Salathiel smiled. Then he lifted his hands and the clouds beneath us opened up like a zipper opening it and a bright light shone up from it.

I looked up at him. "We're going down?"

He nodded, then he lifted his hands again and something appeared in front of us.

"A rollercoaster?" I asked surprised.

Salathiel nodded again. "You're in for quite the ride," he said and winked.

I shrugged and looked at Jason, and then we both smiled. "Why not?" I asked as an old hand-carved wagon rolled up in front of us.

"After you," Jason said and held the door for me.

We strapped ourselves down and I tried to look down into the hole but the roller-coaster seemed to go on for an eternity. I couldn't see the end. I shrugged again, then turned and kissed Jason just as the wagon began moving towards the big fall.

Filled with joy and expectations of the wonderful life awaiting us, we were carried towards the hole in the clouds and the bright light coming up from it. As we came closer I heard music that sounded like angelic singing coming from it. Just before we went through the opening we both turned and waved at the many people waving back at us from the rainbow. I took one last glance at the marble castle and its many towers, then turned and looked down into the brightness ahead.

As the wagon pulled forward down through the cloud all three of us screamed with pure joy.

THE END

Dear reader,

Thank you for purchasing the last installment in my Afterlife-series. What a journey it has been for me as a writer to follow Meghan, Jason and Mick's lives in the Academy. During the process they have all surprised me, given me sleepless nights and both Meghan and Mick have managed to make me so angry that at times I found it hard to write their story. But now it is done and I truly hope that you have enjoyed it as much as I have.

Thank you for going on this journey with me, I hope to be able to continue to entertain you with some of my other books and series. Please keep reading. On the next pages follows an an excerpt from Willow Rose's International Bestselling Scandinavian Mystery/Horror Novel:

 
O
NE,
T
WO ...
H
E IS COMING FOR YOU
(Rebekka Franck #1).

Take care,

Willow Rose

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