by Cege Smith
“Hey, Ellie! C’mon. You don’t want these boys to get all the good stuff!” she heard Lucy yell from across the room.
Her mind and her stomach at war with each other, Ellie reluctantly looked at the stairs. Then she looked back at Jeffrey. “You’re sure he’s okay? Just tired? You’d tell me if it was something else, right?”
A kindly smile replaced the expression of concern on Jeffrey’s face. “Of course. I’m sure he’d appreciate you checking on him after dinner but a few more minutes of rest isn’t going to do him any harm. Not after all he’s been through.”
Body winning out, Ellie barely even heard him. She made her way to the table. Three large covered platters had appeared out of thin air and were sitting in the middle of the table. She realized that everyone had arranged themselves so that the remaining place setting left open was at the head of the table. She gingerly sat down and saw four pairs of eyes staring at her. She realized that they were waiting for her to tell them it was okay to begin.
Uncomfortable again with the authority position that was being thrust on her, Ellie knew that it was pointless to resist. She felt like she was supposed to say something profound. The three kids in front of her were supposed to be something akin to her guests after all. She cleared her throat. Speaking in front of groups had never been her thing. “Again, welcome to Will, Katie, and Martin and to new friends.” She nodded at Lucy. “I hope you will find the mansion comfortable during your stay. Now let’s enjoy the food that Jeffrey has so kindly prepared for us.”
She caught Lucy giving her a sly grin, and then the witch was calling for the biggest platter to be passed to her. It seemed like just seconds later that the platters were empty, and everyone’s plates, including Ellie's, were pilled full. Ellie knew that she was being trained as surely as Pavlov’s dog to eat what was put in front of her, but she was quickly reaching the point where she didn’t care. With everything else going on, quibbling about the food that sustained her in this place was the least of her concerns.
Everyone was quiet as they started to eat, but slowly conversation began again. Ellie was content listening to the three friends reminiscing about the exploits of their weekend and bantering over school gossip. She was used to making herself invisible. Lucy interjected with a question or a joke and it wasn’t long before the table was roaring in laughter. It felt good to Ellie, almost normal. But then inevitably the conversation turned to the accident and what had transpired since then.
“Miss Coulter,” Will said. “May I ask you a question?”
Ellie almost choked at the young man’s formality. Again it seemed like such an irrelevant thing in the waypoint, where life and death had a whole new meaning. But she quickly regained her composure. “Of course, Will. And please, call me Ellie.”
She watched the man flush with pleasure. She missed being that young and untainted. That had all ended for her when her parents died. But that was her life, one that she wouldn’t wish upon anyone else. It made her sad to think that Will may never experience life beyond this point.
“If it would be all right, we…” Will looked pointedly at Katie and Martin. “We would like to know a bit more about this place. Where exactly this is, and how long we are going to be here? Are we going to be able to go home soon?”
These were the kinds of questions that Ellie had no answer to; she didn’t know herself how long she would be sequestered in the waypoint. She touched her napkin to her lips, trying to think how she should respond. Even though she was scared out of her mind at her predicament, it wouldn’t do to scare them as well. She felt like a parent who had just been asked if Santa Claus was real.
“Unfortunately, Will, it’s not up to Miss Coulter to make those kinds of decisions,” Lucy piped in. She relaxed into her chair and gave Ellie a quick wink. “You’re all very lucky that you get to spend this time with her though. This gateway to the Afterlife is one of our best-kept secrets. The people who get sent here to wait for judgment are more than three times as likely to be sent back to the Other Side.”
The three leaned in closer to Lucy, attending to her every word. Ellie looked at the woman in astonishment. What was she talking about? What was her angle?
“Really?” Martin said quietly. “That guy, Jeffrey, seemed to think we were goners. The way he acted, everything was all over. No hope at all.”
Lucy leaned in as well and lowered her voice. “Well, I probably shouldn’t tell you this because it’s a big secret, but our Ellie here has a couple secrets up her sleeve. Sometimes, she can help push you back. She doesn’t like to brag, but if she thinks you have something left unresolved, she has her ways.”
All four pairs of eyes were on Ellie again and she started to feel sick. She didn’t understand the pile of lies that Lucy was telling, but she intuitively knew that she was being set up for something. Something bad.
“Why her?” Katie sniffed. “What’s it about her that’s so special? She looks like just any other old person to me. Why should she get to decide if what we have unresolved is important enough to go back? Wouldn’t she have gotten in trouble by now?”
Lucy rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. “Geez, talk about a downer.” She glared at Katie. “You don’t think that Ellie and I have been around here long enough to find some loopholes? If I didn’t like you guys I wouldn’t have even said anything at all. Yeah, what Ellie does is dangerous, for her. And it doesn’t work for everyone. It only works for some people.”
“Like which people?” Katie demanded.
Lucy sat straight up and leaned back in her chair. It was obvious to Ellie that she was enjoying reeling the three in hook, line, and sinker. “Look, the old man is coming. Don’t say a word. He won’t be able to keep up with us after what I’ve got planned, so just follow my lead. Midnight. In the library. Then I’ll tell you the rest.”
Katie looked like she was going to say something else, but then right on cue Jeffrey entered the room. “How is everyone’s dinner?” he asked. He looked at the empty platters and then at Ellie. “Would you like me to bring some more?”
Even though she thought that she had eaten twice the normal-sized meal, Ellie still felt hungry. But stubbornly, she wasn’t going to give in to that sensation. “No, I don’t think so, Jeffrey. I think everyone has had their fill.”
“Very well,” Jeffrey said. “I have coffee and after dinner drinks prepared in the library. Unless you have some other needs, I think I will join all of you. It is important that I have time to go over the remaining details of this journey for all of you.” He looked at each of the trio in turn and finished by frowning at Lucy.
Ellie noticed that Lucy didn’t seem fazed in the slightest by the older man’s glare. In fact, she had whipped out her nail file and was filing her nails again. Whatever association she had with Mikel definitely appeared to overrule Jeffrey’s authority in the waypoint.
Lucy looked up and saw everyone looking at her. “I’m sorry, these hang nails are a bitch. Did I miss something?”
“I was just escorting everyone to the library,” Jeffrey said sourly. “Perhaps you’d like to stay behind and clean up the dishes?”
Sliding out of the chair, Lucy wrinkled her nose. “Oh no, thank you, Jeffrey. I know you have cleaning imps running around here somewhere that take care of all of that for you. Besides, I killed myself to make sure I’d never have to wash a dish again. The library you said? Sounds like it’s time to relax and take the edge off, everyone.” Lucy gestured at the younger people to follow her and then the room was empty except for Ellie and Jeffrey. Ellie could hear the voices get louder again now that they had left Jeffrey’s presence.
“They seem to like her,” Ellie said, not knowing what else to say. “You don’t.”
“Hmmf,” Jeffrey said. He peered at Ellie from beneath his bushy eyebrows. “I hope you don’t think you can trust that one, Ellie. She’s always been more interested in her own self-interests than anyone else’s. That made her a perfect companion for Mikel. I’d take sp
ecial care in your dealings with her.”
Ellie wondered at the choice of the word “companion,” but she wasn’t going to ask. “We should probably get in there before they find the liquor behind the bar,” she said lightly. She knew that Jeffrey was staring at her, but she was starting not to care.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Ellie entered the library with Jeffrey on her heels, and she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The group had indeed discovered the bar in the back corner of the room, and four shot glasses were lined up across the top of it. The glasses were filled with a reddish-colored liquor.
“One, two, three, GO,” Lucy called out. Simultaneously the four grabbed a shot glass and downed the liquid inside. “Whoo!” Lucy squealed as she slammed her glass down. The other three grimaced as they swallowed. Katie was the next to put her glass down, followed by Will, and finally Martin.
“That was gross,” Katie said. She looked a bit pale.
“Finest liquor you’ll find this side of the waypoint,” Lucy said with a wide grin. “Puts hair on your chest.” She picked another bottle off the shelf and refilled the glasses. “Live a little.” She glanced at the other three before bursting out laughing. “Metaphorically speaking, of course.”
Ellie thought for sure the joke would fall flat, but then watched as first Will, and then Martin and Katie broke out laughing hysterically. Then each grabbed the next shot and slammed their glasses down with the same gusto as Lucy. It was like a bad frat party on full display.
“I think that’s quite enough,” Jeffrey said, crossing his arms over his chest. He frowned in disapproval.
“Ah, hell, Jeffrey. It’s not like it’s going to...KILL them,” Lucy said, taking another swig straight from the bottle.
This time the laughter neared hysterical levels. Ellie looked at the group and then back at Jeffrey helplessly. Jeffrey seemed to be equally uncertain. This time, though, Lucy glanced in Ellie’s direction and winked. “Okay, okay, guys. I’ve been around for a long time and I know the drill. Right now, it’s story time. Let’s all have a seat. There will be more time for shots later.”
“Awww,” was the chorus of unhappy voices.
Lucy waved at them and then came around to the other side of the couch and sat down, kicking her shoes off and curling her feet underneath her. “I know, I know. It’s not as much fun and a big pain in the ass, but certain things have to be told and I don’t want to get you guys in any more trouble than I already have.”
Will was the first to circle the couch and then he sat down on the floor with his back to the fireplace. He put his arms around his knees, waiting expectantly. Katie followed and sat on the couch opposite Lucy. Martin took a seat next to Katie, but Ellie didn’t miss the brush of his hand against the blonde’s. If Ellie wasn’t mistaken, there was something more going on between the two of them. She saw Will smile at Katie, and she wondered if Will had any idea that his other friends probably had something already going. Her guess was that he did not. But a love triangle that wouldn’t have time to come to fruition was irrelevant, although it did make her sad again for them.
Lucy patted the seat next to her and looked up at Ellie. Ellie sighed and sat down. In the meantime, Jeffrey had pulled a chair from one of the sitting tables and set it directly across the coffee table from Will. The six of them now sat in a rough circle.
“There are certain things that you need to know and understand about what’s going to happen from this point forward,” Jeffrey started.
Lucy leaned her head back against the cushion and closed her eyes. “You guys wake me up when he’s done.”
A look of annoyance crossed Jeffrey’s face. Even though Ellie thought that Lucy was being rude, she thought that it was possible that Lucy knew exactly what Jeffrey was going to say and wasn’t concerned by it. But Ellie herself was intrigued. Maybe she was finally going to start getting some insight into what was going on around her. Maybe she’d find out more about herself. She still had too many questions and not enough answers.
Will, Katie, and Martin were finally quiet, and they waited, squirming in silence. Jeffrey stared at each of them for several long moments before beginning again.
“As I told you when you arrived, you are currently sitting on the cusp between life and death due to the accident that you were in. You exist within the waypoint now, and to leave here before the decision of your fate would have disastrous consequences. For a short period of time, you simply are. You are not alive. You are not dead. That puts you in a very vulnerable state. There are those that would do you harm. So you must be kept safe. That is the role of the Guardian of the waypoint.” Jeffrey pointed at Ellie, who raised her eyebrows in surprise.
“The Guardian will keep you safe until the appointed time when you rejoin the ranks of the living or you continue on your journey to your assigned place in the Afterlife,” Jeffrey said.
Ellie’s mind spun from Jeffrey’s words. She wasn’t doing a good job of keeping herself safe; how was she supposed to keep anyone else safe?
“So it’s like Purgatory,” Will breathed. Ellie could see that all three of the young people were entirely caught up in the story.
Jeffrey seemed pleased that they were paying attention. “Purgatory is for those souls that are dead but have not earned a place in Heaven but also have not been quite bad enough to be sent to Hell. People who go to Purgatory could be there a very long time.” Jeffrey stared pointedly at Lucy. “They have to serve out a sentence designated by those that rule that place. No, this is not Purgatory.”
“So there is a Heaven and a Hell,” Katie said with a quivering voice.
Ellie was amazed to see that the blonde’s hands were shaking. She didn’t think anything would be able to faze her. But Ellie figured that coming face-to-face with the reality of the Afterlife could have that effect on someone.
Jeffrey sniffed. “Heaven, Hell. What you’ve learned about these places is based on myth and conjecture. Mortals have no concept of these places and so have made up fantastical stories with no real basis of fact.”
“But you just said that good people get to go to Heaven and bad people have to go to Hell,” Will interjected.
Jeffrey spread his hands wide and shrugged. “You simply go where you are most likely to fit in with people like you. Wouldn’t that be anyone’s ideal of the Afterlife? Heaven and Hell are just the names of the two places where souls exist when they are not on the earthly plane. What actually happens in those two places has been grossly misconstrued. It’s more a classification and sorting system, nothing more.”
“So what, no fire and brimstone or beautiful white meadows and rolling hills?” Katie said sarcastically.
Jeffrey laughed. “No one on Earth has ever been to either of these places, right? I know it’s hard to believe, but neither place is any better than the other. You get to spend eternity with people like you and where you fit in. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Ellie gaped at Jeffrey. She looked at Lucy, but the woman was starting to softly snore. No help there. Ellie wondered if the three were buying the line of B.S. that Jeffrey was selling. And then suddenly it hit her. Of course he would tell people this fairy tale. Of course he would lie. Just like Mikel had lied to her because it suited him. It was all a collusion to keep people calm until it was too late for them to do anything different.
She opened her mouth to say something, and then she saw a form in the doorway. Her chest tightened when she realized that it was Mikel. His green eyes glinted at her, and he raised a finger to his lips. The message was clear. Then he stepped back into the shadows and was gone.
“So when will we know?” Martin said. It was the first time he had spoken since Jeffrey’s story began. “When will we find out if we get to go back to our regular lives or if we are being sent on to Heaven or Hell?” He gulped. “Or Purgatory?”
“Tomorrow morning,” Jeffrey said. “The Guardian is notified and when the escort arrives she will give you safely over into their hands. Yo
u may be escorted back to the Other Side, or you may be escorted to your next destination. But between now and then, it is extremely important that you listen to everything that Ellie and I tell you. Again, it is all for your own safety.”
“So this is the last night that we may be together ever again?” Katie said in a small voice.
Jeffrey nodded with sad eyes. “I’m afraid so.”
Will stood up. “Well then, I think it’s time to party.”
Instantly Lucy sat up and clapped. “Finally! Someone around here says something sensible.”
It was clear that whatever hold Jeffrey had on their attention was broken. Lucy led the charge as the four started rummaging around in the bar. Ellie looked at Jeffrey, who shrugged and sighed. He went over to the side bar where there was a pot sitting with two cups. He poured the coffee into each and brought both cups back and sat down. He handed one to Ellie.
“I thought you may enjoy this. I’m afraid it’s going to be a long night,” he said.
That’s exactly what Ellie was afraid of.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Ellie’s head was throbbing. Somewhere between watching Lucy and crew take the fifth and tenth shot, Ellie couldn’t remember which, she let Lucy talk her into taking a shot herself. Some jab about being a “goody two-shoes” got under her skin. As the liquid swirled down her throat, Ellie finally felt...normal. The alcohol gave her a bit of a warm feeling that settled her nerves and made her toes curl in delight. It didn’t require any arm twisting for her to have another. And another.
Ellie was a lightweight on the best of days, but for the first time in recent memory, she totally gave over to a reckless abandon. For all she knew, she was on a path to certain death at any point, as were the people around her. Who cared if for just one night, she wasn’t completely stodgy and proper? Ellie thought it might even be good for her.
The group soon found itself sitting in front of the fire with several half-empty bottles of liquor around them. Ellie and Lucy had pulled pillows off the couch and were lying sprawled with their heads sitting on their hands as they were perched over the pillows. Katie sat between Martin and Will, and Ellie almost felt bad for the blonde who didn’t seem to know what to do since both boys were clearly vying for her attention.
