The Balance

by C. L. Nelson

  I arrive in the Waiting in front of a massive palace made of granite and limestone. It is only natural that the three most revered beings of the Waiting live in style and luxury. While the interior is designed as a palace, the exterior is how you would imagine a castle would look with turrets, towers, battlements, a copious number of windows, and giant doors, but it is also mixed with ancient, fairy tale, and modern elements. The exterior and interior are a blended design of styles that reflect the three residents which include an ancient Egyptian, an ancient Roman, and a Viking. You might imagine that it looks a little crazy, but it is actually very beautiful.

  The palace is built into a massive waterfall that cascades beautifully around the structure. It is perched above the large plunge basin and it overlooks one of the reaper communities that is nestled along the river.

  I am greeted at the door by a reaper who works in the palace. Not all reapers collect souls. Some reapers collect souls, others deliver souls to their next incarnation, some do both, and some do not deal with souls at all. Usually, the weaker reapers work as servants or hold other various jobs.

  I tell the servant that I need to speak with the Ladies about an urgent matter. I am brought into a sitting room where I am to wait for an audience with the Ladies. I am not waiting long when Destiny and Karma enter the room. I notice Fate is absent.

  Destiny, Karma, and Fate are their given titles, not their names. It would be like referring to a leader as Mr. President or Your Majesty, it is respectful and formal.

  I greet them both formally. “Destiny, Karma, it is an honor to have an audience with you. Thank you for taking the time to see me today,” I said as I bow reverently.

  “Prince Kian, while we appreciate your formality, you know it is not necessary from you. Please call us by our given names,” Destiny asked politely. Her original accent has faded, and it now sounds similar to a modern Arabic accent.

  Destiny’s last incarnation was in ancient Egypt before she ascended in the eighteenth dynasty. During that incarnation, she was a human named Amenemopet, and she has chosen to honor her last incarnation by keeping her name, though she goes by Ameny for short. She has retained the body used during her last incarnation, but it has been made immortal. Her golden eyes glow from her power. She is a petite female standing no taller than five feet tall, has flawless brown skin, and long braided black hair. She stands before me wearing a long flowing white dress that adds to her elegant appearance.

  Destiny’s job is to subtly guide the souls during their incarnations. She knows what each soul can accomplish and what they are intended to become. She hints through dreams and cosmic signs what is possible for the soul to achieve, but it is ultimately up to the soul to do the work and learn their lessons. Once the soul is back in the Waiting, Destiny works with Fate and Karma to decide the soul’s next destination. For many, the next destination is usually another incarnation in the Provisional.

  Karma has also retained the body from her last incarnation where she was a Viking warrior named Ingrid. She ascended in 870 AD and is the youngest of the trio, having replaced the original Karma who was a Creator. Ingrid is also small in stature, only topping Ameny’s height by two inches. She has a slender, but strong frame topped with red hair cut short in a pixie style. She is dressed in leather pants, a white tank top, and boots. It is an outfit that silently warns you that she will kick your ass if you step out of line. As she was expertly skilled in battle with both an axe and a sword, you better believe she could take you down before you had time to think about it.

  Karma’s job is to review a soul’s incarnation after it is brought back to the Waiting. If a soul has been good and has learned some lessons, then it is able to advance forward in their journey. If the soul hasn’t learned any lessons, then it is sent back into another incarnation that will repeat the same lessons.

  If a soul has done something wrong or bad, but are still deemed fixable, then they will go into a harder incarnation where they can learn the proper lessons and hopefully not repeat their bad choices. If they continue to do bad things, Karma is allowed to step in during incarnations to give rewards or teach lessons. As a former Viking, Ingrid loves this part of her job. It is absolutely true that what goes around, comes back around, so you might want to start putting out what you want to get back.

  I rise out of my bow. “Ameny and Ingrid, I apologize for my oversight. You both look lovely today.”

  “Enough with the pleasantries, Kian,” Ingrid cuts me off, straight to the point as usual. She is not one to beat around the bush. “What has brought you to us today?” she prompts in an accent that sounds close to an Icelandic accent, but not quite the same.

  “I had a problem with a pickup yesterday,” I start to explain. “My last pickup of the day was a woman named Charlene James. When I went to collect her, she wasn’t…uh…she wasn’t dead. I waited a few minutes to see if maybe the pickup time was early, but she remained alive.”

  “Everyone that was scheduled for pickup yesterday is accounted for here on our end, so there must have been a mistake with your list,” Ingrid said.

  “Give me a minute, and I will scan her files,” Ameny said as she closed her eyes to concentrate on the information she was accessing.

  She opened her eyes and looked alarmed. “I don’t have any record of a Charlene James.” She looks at Ingrid with concern and dismay.

  Ingrid held Ameny’s hand to comfort her. The two are lovers and Ingrid is fiercely protective of Ameny.

  “Bring the woman to us, and Ameny will read her soul to see where she has been in her incarnations. We can figure out where she fell out of the records. I am sure it is just a small glitch that we can fix,” Ingrid said as she moved in to put an arm around her lover.

  “That is also a problem. I have tried to bring her to the Waiting, but with her still being in a physical body, I am unable to astralocate with her,” I explained.

  Ingrid thought for a moment. “We will meet with you and the woman tomorrow after we are finished with the souls for the day. Where does the woman live?”

  I tell her where Charlie lives, and she enters it into her phone.

  “Text me if the location changes. Thank the Creators for modern technology and interdimensional cellular service,” she laughed.

  “Thank you for your time and assistance, Ladies. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow,” I said as Ingrid escorts Ameny out of the room.

  I linger for a minute in the sitting room to think about what I am going to do next. I should probably monitor Charlie to make sure she isn’t causing more problems for me. She probably left her apartment just to spite me if her attitude before I left was any indication.

  Yeah, I think I will go check on her now. Not that I want to see her or anything. I am just doing my job. Yep, that’s definitely the reason why I am going to check on her. I am just doing my job.

  My phone rings. I pull out my phone and see that my sister is calling. “Hello, Emilia,” I said into the phone as I start heading out of the palace. I nod to the servant as I exit through the front doors.

  “Don’t ‘hello’ me, butthead. You missed our dinner last night and didn’t even call.”

  I completely forgot with everything that has been going on. “I am so sorry, Emilia. Something came up at work that needed my attention,” I tell her vaguely.

  I am not sure if I should tell anyone else about the incident. It will look bad on the reapers and the system if the word got out. I also wouldn’t want anyone unnecessarily panicking about the Balance if there is nothing to worry about.

  “Look, it doesn’t matter. Make it up to me and come visit me for lunch, Kian,” she demanded, knowing full well that I cannot refuse her anything.

  I take a deep breath and let it out. Checking on Charlie will have to wait. I am sure she’s just hanging out in her apartment, watching Netflix or something. I stop my thoughts before they drift down an inappropriate rabbit hole, thinking of what else Charlie could be doing right now.

>   I check my watch and it is already after noon. “I am heading over now. I should be there…now,” I said as I astralocate to her front door and knock.

  My baby sister opens the door with a huge smile and invites me inside. I notice she has changed her hair color again. Emilia is full of life and always lives each day to the fullest. She isn’t one for mulling over decisions. She just pursues what makes her happy. So today her curly locks are a pale pink. I don’t know if she is hoping to look sweet, so people don’t see trouble coming their way. My sister just can’t seem to stop herself from stirring things up.

  Just as I am thinking about how mischievous my sister is, I see a sparkle in her eye and her mouth turns into a knowing smile. A second later, I am knocked to the floor by something large, and I feel something granular falling on me. I hear familiar laughing that can only belong to my brother and Emilia’s twin, Jarrett.

  “Please, tell me I am not covered in glitter again. Please, anything but glitter,” I said as I refuse to open my eyes to look. I just know it’s going to be glitter. They know how much I hate the stuff and they are constantly amusing themselves at my expense.

  I open my eyes and yep, of course, it is glitter. “Come on, you guys. This stuff never comes off. I finally just stopped finding glitter from your last attack.”

  They are turning red from laughing so hard.

  “Real funny. Just laugh it up,” I said as I stand up and start brushing glitter off.

  Emilia and Jarrett don’t look much like each other with Jarrett’s more brawny, athletic frame being five inches taller than Emilia’s 5’4 petite frame. However, like Emilia, Jarrett also prefers more unusual colors in his hair. Recently, he has been sporting electric blue highlights in his black hair. Their eyes are really where you see the resemblance as they both have large deep-set hazel eyes and thick dark eyelashes.

  While they may not look much like twins, they definitely act like each other. They obviously both love a good prank, but when they aren’t causing trouble, they are usually very outgoing and likeable.

  Jarrett is especially charming and is never without a female companion. Emilia doesn’t date as much since her would-be suitors are slightly intimidated by her having four brothers.

  “That’s what you get for being a no show to our weekly dinner!” Emilia said as she catches her breath from laughing.

  “You’re lucky that it’s just glitter. Dashiel wanted to kick your ass,” Jarrett said referring to one of our other brothers. “You know how much he loves to fight.”

  I take a deep breath and then sigh. “Fine, I accept my glitter punishment. I am very sorry I missed our dinner. Now is there actually lunch or was that just the ruse to get me here?” I ask as I continue to shake glitter off my clothes.

  “Yeah, here is your lunch,” Jarrett said as a wrapped sandwich is hurled full speed at my face. I manage to catch it just in time.

  “Thanks a lot. I will take this to go. I have a couple pickups scheduled soon. I will see you both at dinner next week. Try to stay out of trouble,” I tell them as I hug them both goodbye and try to pass along a little glitter to them.

  Emilia pulls me aside before I reach the door. “Try to enjoy life a little, Kian. We live far too long to be so miserable. Grab hold of laughter and joy where you can find it,” she said, kissing my cheek before running off.

  As I am leaving, I think about how lucky I am to have four younger siblings. They may be a handful at times, but they are my closest friends. Besides the twins, we all have different mothers as our father never reproduced with the same concubine more than once, but that has never prevented us from bonding like full siblings. We have truly bonded over the deaths of our mothers and our shared hatred of our cruel father.

  I shake off the emotions I stirred when thinking of my mother’s death and my love for my siblings. I have to go collect some souls, and then I will go update Charlie. The sooner I can get back to my normal routine, the better.

  Chapter 7

  CHARLIE

  I have cleaned my apartment, eaten lunch, reorganized my closet, and binged watched several episodes of American Horror Story, all while being fully dressed because I have no idea when some asshole might pop back in. I have been stressed out all day, and I can’t even use my go-to relaxation tool because I don’t want to be caught in a compromising position, mid-moan.

  “What asshole are you waiting for, love?” I hear a familiar voice say behind me. I spin around and see Finlay standing by my stove.

  “Oh, thank god you are back, Fin!” I exclaimed as I run over to hug him.

  “Was someone here? You mentioned waiting for someone to pop back in,” he asked with concern in his voice.

  “Oh crap, was I talking out loud to myself again? I seem to be doing that a lot lately.” I rambled, hoping I didn’t mention the last part out loud.

  “I am so glad you came back. Did you find out anything about yesterday and can you please explain what you meant in your note?” I said and realize I am speaking really fast. I need to calm down. It has just been another long day and I am a little stir crazy.

  “Charlie, love, let’s go sit on the couch and take a deep breath,” he said as he pulls me toward the living room. “Please, tell me what happened after I left.”

  I take a deep breath and begin telling him what happened. “Well, I was about to have some breakfast, when a man came out of nowhere and was suddenly sitting at my kitchen table. Like what the fuck? I noticed that it was the same guy who grabbed me in the parking lot after the shooting, so I grab a knife, threaten him, and make him tell me what is going on. And get this, the dude said he was a freaking grim reaper and then disappeared right in front of my eyes. I nearly crapped my pants. Then he reappears in my living room. He then tells me about different realms and how I am supposed to be dead and that me not being dead could cause a problem. I tried to make a break for the exit, but the asshole astral projects or something in front of me and throws me over his shoulder like I weigh nothing. Then he was still for a minute and then dropped me to the floor. He said he couldn’t take me with him, so I had to stay here and wait for him, so that is what I have been doing all day.”

  Finlay had cursed a few times during my summary of the day’s events, but now he is silent like he is thinking.

  I catch my breath. “So now it is your turn. Can you please explain to me now about what you meant in your note?”

  Finlay rubbed his face and then combed his fingers through his hair. “Charlie, if a reaper was supposed to collect you, then you were supposed to die. I am assuming he left to go figure out what to do with you. This has never happened.”

  I know all of this, so I just let him keep talking.

  He took a deep breath. “Okay, love, I am going to tell you something that is going to be about as strange as what you have already been told. It concerns you and me. Please don’t get mad at me and try to understand that there are rules that I had to follow,” he said as he wrapped his hands around mine.

  “Finlay, you are freaking me out. Just tell me, I am not going to get angry.”

  He raised his eyebrows doubtfully since he knows I have a temper sometimes.

  “Okay, fine. I will do my very best to think before I react to what you tell me.”

  He nodded, knowing that’s the best he can hope for. “I have known you for thousands of years,” he began.

  I go to argue that I haven’t been alive that long, but he put his finger to my lips to tell me to be quiet. The next person that tells me to be quiet with a finger is going to get hurt.

  “You have been reincarnated many times and, in each life, I have found you and become your friend. We have always been close, like we are in this life. Though in some lives you were more open to being closer,” he said with a grin and a wink.

  Closer? I think about what he meant and then turn red when I figure it out.

  He stopped smiling as he grew more serious. “I’ve had to watch you die more times than I care to remember, a
nd you have never lived past thirty. Something always happened that would end your life prematurely.”

  I look down at the floor to process what he just said. Not only have I been reincarnated many times, but I died young in every incarnation. What the damn hell?

  “Now here is the part that I am more worried about telling you.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “I am not human. As I just alluded to, I have been alive for thousands of years. I met you the first time in ancient Rome when I was what humans would consider a young adult, though I was over one hundred years old at that point.”

  I pull my hands out of his and get up to stand near the television with my arms crossed in front of my body. He looks hurt by my distance, but it is just too much to process and I need some space.

  “So, what exactly are you if you are not human?” I ask shakily as I start to pace.

  “I am a Light Fae,” he said cautiously and then waits for my reaction.

  I stop pacing and look at him for a moment before I start laughing. I am not laughing because I don’t believe him. I am laughing because I am relieved that it’s not something worse like a troll or a vampire.

  Now he looks offended.

  “I’m sorry, Fin. I am just so relieved that you aren’t something ugly or scary.” I said as I go back to sit next to him on the couch. I gave him a hug and his body relaxed. “I love you, best friend.”

  Finlay drew a shuddering breath. “Oh Charlie, I am so relieved. You took that so much better than I thought you would,” he said as he hugged me tighter. “I love you too and I don’t want to lose you again.”

  We pull back from each other and just sit in silence for a minute. I look out the window to admire the beautiful night sky and wonder morbidly for a moment if I will see many more nights like this.