Beyond Death (The Afterlife Series Book 1)

by Deb McEwan

  They arrived and parked up. He took a deep breath and headed towards the main entrance in a hurry, not looking forward to the task but keen to establish that it had all been one big mix-up. A story they would share with their kids in years to come. Jay wanted to go into the room alone so the others agreed to wait outside.

  Tony and Jim stood next to each other and Tony put a hand on Jay’s forearm before he entered.

  ‘Claire’s gone.’

  Annoyed, Jay shrugged him off and walked towards the door.

  Claire watched him enter the room and wanted to be there with him. Not sure how it had happened, she was now next to him, crying and explaining that she loved him and that it wasn’t her fault she’d left. Jay stopped before he reached the trolley and shivered. He sensed her presence and knew instantly. The cold truth hit him like a bucket of iced water. As quickly as he’d sensed her presence it disappeared and his agony was too much for words. He let out a primal scream and collapsed to the floor.

  Tony and Jim burst through the door closely followed by the mortuary staff. The twins gently lifted Jay and sat him down on a chair. Seeing the cover on her body still undisturbed they looked at each other and Jim nodded.

  ‘Did you look, Jay?’ said Tony and Jay lifted his head and looked at her brothers. All colour had drained from his face but the twins were too anxious for information about their sister to worry about him.

  ‘I didn’t need to look,’ he shook his head and folded his arms around his middle, pushing them into his stomach, trying unsuccessfully to stop the pain. ‘She was in the room with me.’

  Jim nodded his head and the twins looked at each other in silent understanding but knowing that Claire had now left the room. They walked over to the trolley slowly, in perfect sync, and the mortuary attendant would later tell his colleagues how weird the whole experience had been from the comments of the dead girl’s fiancé to her identical twin brothers who seemed able to mind read.

  They’d been warned that the person on the trolley had suffered severe trauma and knew that Claire was under the cover but nothing could prepare them for the shock of seeing their sister’s lifeless and broken body.

  Claire was once again looking at the scene from above and had no idea how she’d travelled between the two places. She looked down at her mangled shell and was devastated by the sight. Devoid of life, her face was bruised and pale with a wide gash under her chin. The boys had slowly moved more of the sheet in morbid fascination, although they’d been advised not to, and Claire’s legs sat at unnatural angles, obviously broken. She didn’t want to watch any more but she felt drawn to the scene below her like a passing driver rubber-necking a road accident. She laughed bitterly to herself at the likeness. That was exactly what she was, a road accident, taken before her time and now only able to watch those she loved live life to the full instead of living it with them.

  Her parents arrived shortly after. Claire barely recognized her mother who had aged considerably since she last saw her. They both wanted to see their daughter’s body but the twins advised against it.

  ‘You don’t want this to be the final memory of her,’ said Jim, trying his best not to break down in front of everyone. The twins had vowed to be strong for the sake of their parents but were finding it difficult, especially as Tash hadn’t stopped bawling and the noise was beginning to grate on everyone’s nerves.

  Graham, Claire’s father, reached for his wife’s hand but Marion ignored him and instead nodded to the mortuary attendant.

  ‘This way please,’ said the man in the white coat and walked through the door ahead of them. Marion took a deep breath as the cover was removed to expose her daughter’s face. Her worst nightmares were confirmed. She looked at the broken body of her daughter. This was all wrong thought Marion wondering why nature had been reversed. Parents weren’t meant to outlive their offspring.

  ‘I’ve lost my daughter.’ Marion muttered.

  ‘Me too.’ Graham tried to hold her but Marion was inconsolable and refused the contact.

  ‘My only girl, my baby.’ She shuddered then sobs wracked her whole body.

  He tried again but his wife refused his attempts at physical contact. Graham stood with his arms by his side and his chin resting on his chest, staring at the face of his little princess. For once in his life he didn’t know what to do. How could it be that his daughter had been taken away from them all on what should have been one of the happiest nights of her life? And why wouldn’t Marion let them comfort each other? He stopped thinking and looked at what used to be his daughter. He allowed the numbness to take over, in an attempt to mask the great big hole that he felt spreading throughout his entire body.

  Outside in the waiting area Tash was still crying and Jay sitting down hugging himself. Tony entered the room and told his parents it was time to leave. They both followed him out like zombies on a cheap B Movie and Jay stood up as they came out. No words were exchanged between Jay and Claire’s parents. They didn’t know each other very well and Jay felt unable to offer Marion any physical comfort as she walked directly to the exit, still ignoring her husband and everyone else around her. Graham gripped the top of Jay’s right arm and the two men looked at each other in painful understanding of what they’d lost. Graham pulled Jay into his arms and gave him a tight bear hug. Even under the circumstances the twins were amazed as their father was a typical old-fashioned Yorkshire man who very rarely showed any emotion. The men separated and tears slowly trickled down Jay’s face. Having watched his wife shuffle out of the door and seeing the distraught youngsters in the room something clicked inside Graham. He came out of his trance and went onto autopilot. He held Jay at arms length and looked into his eyes.

  ‘Be strong, son,’ he said. ‘I’ll call you about the arrangements after the post mortem.’ He turned to the twins. ‘Do what you have to do today and then come home. Your mother needs you.’ Graham put a hand on Tash’s shoulder and she looked up at him and managed a weak smile. If Claire’s father could be strong the least she could do was try. Graham followed his wife out of the door, knowing that his family was broken and that he was the one who had to hold it together for all their sakes. What he didn’t know was that his safe, hidden secret was already out and his daughter’s death was the catalyst that would cause his own life to implode.

  *****

  So this was it then. Life as she knew it was over. Her family had actually loved her after all and because she was dead, yes dead, they were all suffering and there was not a thing she could do about it. These were Claire’s thoughts as her family left the building. Death means that I stay here for eternity as a spectator instead of one of the main cast.

  She was shortly to discover that her assumption about her future was completely wrong.

  Chapter 3

  Claire could hear Ron’s voice in the background but was having her favourite fantasy and didn’t want it to end. It was their wedding day. They’d been lucky with the weather. It was warm, but not too warm, and the air was still. A few small clouds hung static in the deep blue sky. The elaborate white chairs padded and covered with red velvet, had been placed in rows of ten on the gravelled area beyond the country mansion’s patio. Claire’s family and friends were sitting chatting on the left side and Jay’s on the right. A red carpet placed in between the rows of chairs led the way to the concrete steps at the top of which the ceremony would take place. Jay stood nervously talking to his best man awaiting the arrival of his beautiful bride. Claire and her bridesmaids, Tash and her best friend from school Cheryl, made their way from her room along the corridor towards the entrance. Although the listed building had been modernized it still contained the framework of its original features and the mix of old and new gave it a feeling of splendour and comfort. The front doors were already open and they didn’t notice the wedding planner as he indicated that the guests should stand. All of the women turned to look at Claire and the men smiled at the ‘Ooohs and Aaahs’, knowing that there’d be tears spilt befo
re the end of the ceremony. Claire looked and felt wonderful. In her fantasy she’d managed to lose the five pounds that took her down to what she considered to be her ideal weight. She was in a tight fitting white satin dress that clung to her upper body, showing off her lovely figure. The sleeveless creation had a row of crystals sewn to the neckline, which shimmered in the sun. The dress billowed out from the waist and as Claire walked to meet her groom, the bottom half of her dress undulated like waves buffeted by a gentle breeze. Her bridesmaids followed behind holding her train. As she walked along the red carpet she locked eyes with Jay. It was as if an invisible thread held their look and they smiled at each other enjoying the moment. Claire took her eyes off Jay and handed her bouquet of freesias to Cheryl before walking up the steps. She was greeted by the Registrar and her groom, and taking in a breath, she took a moment to admire the stunning view from the elevated position, determined to enjoy every minute of the wonderful day. To the right was nothing but green countryside with gently sloping hills. On the other side was the magnificent sea view. The day could not have been more perfect.

  ‘Claire. Claire. Come on! I need to speak to you.’

  Ron’s shouting shattered her fantasy and brought her back to the present with a depressing thump. When he saw her face he knew straight away that she’d been fantasizing. He had fantasized many times about his holiday with Val for their 25th wedding anniversary.

  ‘Oh, Claire, it’s going to be all right, you know.’

  She couldn’t hide her tears and she didn’t want to.

  ‘I thought I’d never know what it felt like to wear my wedding dress, to see what Jay looked like on our special day and to see how happy our friends and family were for us. But I was wrong. It was like I lived it, Ron, and it was so...’ She shuddered and sucked in a few breaths, trying to find the right word to explain.

  ‘It was just so real, as if I was actually there. But I’m not. I’m here and I’ll never go on honeymoon with Jay. Never experience the pain and joy of childbirth. Never see the emotion on his face from holding our sons and daughters. Never attend their school sports days, never...’

  Her sobbing prevented her from continuing. Ron put his arms around her and stroked her hair, trying to console her. She felt real to him but both of them knew that this was some sort of illusion and that their physical bodies no longer existed. It didn’t matter as long as they could pretend.

  Thinking of the whole death experience it had not been what she’d expected to say the least. There hadn’t been a tunnel, a white light or any of her dead relatives beckoning her or steering her in the right direction. The last was a disappointment. If she had to be dead the least that could be done was to reconnect her with her adored grandmother who had died more than two years before. She still felt as if she had a body and felt as if she could open and close her eyes yawn and stretch but yet, when she tried to look at herself, all she saw was a hovering light. It was all very weird and Claire wasn’t yet used to her new status and situation.

  The mood was broken by an interruption shortly after and they turned, looking in the direction where they’d heard a whoosh. A bright golden light appeared and both squinted as if the sun were blinding them. The light slowly began to take form and a female appeared in front of them. The light had made them feel wonderful and Claire and Ron instantly forgot their conversation as they surveyed the angel before them. Over six feet tall and dark as a moonless night, with long black tresses that were blowing over her face. Must have been a windy journey thought Claire, smiling. She was dressed in a gown and there were two large wings on her back but unlike any pictures that Claire had seen of angels, these wings were black and the feathers black, shiny and exquisite.

  Her hair calmed and she smiled and Claire felt as if they were friends already.

  ‘I’m Gabriella and as you might have guessed, I’m an angel. To simplify matters for you both, think of me as an Admin Angel and your guide and mentor. I have many tasks to complete so I need you to pay attention and to listen without interruption.’ Gabriella lifted her hand and caught two notebooks, which had appeared out of nowhere. Claire and Ron were mesmerized, as if watching a magician.

  ‘Get comfortable and I’ll begin.’

  Lovely as the angel was, Claire had many questions.

  ‘Hang on a minute, I need to...’

  ‘All will become clear, dear Claire.’ She opened one of the books, scanning a page. Closing it she looked at Claire.

  ‘Hmm... As I thought, impatience is one of your flaws. You will need to listen to the wisdom of others, Claire if you want to progress...’

  ‘But I...’

  ‘Just listen for a minute, love,’ said Ron and Claire didn’t say a word but leaned her head to one side, raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips while looking at Gabriella.

  ‘You are not a child, Claire, though we are all children of the Chairman,’ said Gabriella, and Claire’s good feelings towards her were beginning to waiver.

  ‘Neither are you a teenager and you should not expect all your own way.’ She lifted her hand containing the book into the air and waved it.

  Learning that her anger wouldn’t get her anywhere with the angel, Claire tried to calm down.

  ‘Shall we carry on or shall I come back at a later date?’

  ‘Please carry on,’ said Ron and Claire nodded, not trusting herself to comment.

  ‘For every one of you that arrives, a decision has to be made whether to recommend you to upstairs or to downstairs, for eternity. We take into consideration a number of factors such as your behaviour before arrival and the circumstances of your journey to us.’

  It seemed pretty clear to Claire and Ron so far, though neither had imagined that this was how it would be.

  ‘As you can imagine, we are very busy and the more souls we have to deal with at any given time the longer it takes to come to a decision. I’m afraid I have something very distressing to show you.’

  Claire doubted that anything could be more distressing than having her life cut short in the way that she had but had no choice other than to listen to the angel.

  Gabriella explained that the events they were about to watch had started during the night of their death. She hung her head in obvious grief and her emotion was almost palpable. She made a sweeping motion with her arm and they watched a scene unfold below them.

  A large ship was moored in the sea, the passengers enjoying themselves on the deck, sunbathing, swimming and relaxing after having visited an island.

  ‘A cruise,’ said Claire and the others ignored her.

  The calm sea started agitating and the passengers looked around, feeling the ship’s movements. This was unusual in itself on such a big liner. None of them knew the cause, thankfully, until the wave hit. Thousands of tons of water shattered the massive cruise liner as if it were plywood. The screams were drowned out by the noise of the water.

  ‘Three thousand, seven hundred and fifty four,’ said Gabriella.

  Claire covered her open mouth with a hand and Ron remained silent as they looked on in awe and distress as the wave hit land and caused immeasurable devastation.

  ‘Can you stop it now please?’ she said as they watched hundreds then thousands of people lose their lives in the violence and carnage of the tsunami.

  Further scenes were displayed once the wave had dissipated. Broken homes and people. Toddlers crying unable to understand what had happened and with nobody available to comfort them.

  ‘Enough, please,’ said Claire.

  ‘I thought they could predict them these days and save lives,’ said Ron and Gabriella told him that an unusual earthquake had happened on the seabed causing the tsunami and that it wasn’t always possible to predict nature.

  ‘How many?’

  ‘Including those at sea, fourteen thousand and thirty one. We’re expecting many more to arrive in the aftermath because of disease,’ said Gabriella, ‘and it would have been worse had not the Committee caused the diversion that
stopped even more people arriving on the island.’ Gabriella explained that the Committee had arranged a large storm that had stopped flights from arriving on the island.

  ‘If they can arrange storms then why can’t they stop earthquakes and tsunamis?’ It was a logical question and Gabriella explained that some weather events could be arranged or managed but not geological occurrences.

  ‘Poor people,’ said Claire. Both she and Ron were upset at what they’d witnessed and Gabriella wanted to give them time to gather their thoughts.

  ‘I’ll come back later and we’ll talk some more,’ she said before disappearing in a whoosh as suddenly as she’d arrived but this time without the bright light.

  ‘It’s awful, Ron. All those people and such a violent death.’ Claire was still upset about her own death but this had given her something else to dwell on. Ron agreed. Their own deaths had been violent but thankfully without much pain.

  ‘And what did she mean by the Committee and the Chairman?’ Claire often asked questions that Ron couldn’t answer so, consumed by his own thoughts and grief, he quietly ignored her.

  Neither knew how much time had passed before they heard another whoosh, which preceded Gabriella’s arrival. She continued as if she hadn’t left.

  ‘In addition to this disaster...’

  ‘Who are the Committee?’

  ‘Let me finish, Claire’ said Gabriella. ‘The next part may be even more difficult to bear.’