by Cege Smith
Lucy told her that Riphers were rare in the Afterlife, and those few that were found were ostracized. The night that Braz and Falla took Mikel and David into custody, they discovered that Ellie was a Ripher, another fact that Mikel had hidden from them. After that, Ellie still had no idea why she had been allowed to continue as the Guardian of the Bradford waypoint. For the last few days, she was waiting for the other shoe to drop and for the remaining Council members to reappear and take her away too. Everything inside of her screamed that it would be soon.
“I am going to go crazy sitting here and doing nothing,” Ellie said. She brushed past Lucy and made her way out of the greenhouse. She didn’t need to glance over her shoulder to know that Lucy was following her. No one wanted her to be alone.
CHAPTER TWO
As soon as Ellie entered the hallway she felt like the light was sucked out of her. On the Other Side, the hallway served as the pass through from the kitchen to the garage, but here the hallway ended at the mysterious greenhouse. As beautiful and grand as the Bradford mansion was, as far as she knew, she was trapped inside of it for the rest of eternity.
A familiar depression settled heavily on her shoulders. Before, in her other life, it had been David who helped her chase away those shadows. It seemed overwhelming to her to attempt to do it on her own, but Ellie knew that she had no choice but to try. Her life was what it was, and there was nowhere to go but forward. At least in the greenhouse, in the false light that came from some other invisible place, she felt close to home. Once back inside the mansion, she couldn’t escape the fact that its walls formed the boundaries of her existence, and she had a new set of responsibilities to fulfill.
Not unexpectedly, Ellie found Jeffrey in the kitchen. His role within the waypoint was still unclear to her, but since her arrival he had served as her guide and caretaker. She had known him briefly on the Other Side as an employee of Linda Jordan’s, aka Lillian Bradford, so she couldn’t help but question his motivations. He had also seemed to be in cahoots with Mikel, but then he helped her and Lucy blow the whistle on Mikel. She thought if he was a master manipulator he had the perfect disguise. He looked like the classic vision of a kindly grandfather, complete with his thick cardigan sweater.
Jeffrey slid a pot of tea across the counter in her direction as she entered the room. The man had an uncanny knack for anticipating her movements, and always seemed to know when she needed a cup of tea to settle her nerves. Of course, the food and drink he provided was another reminder that Ellie’s physical body had changed. The food was always meat so rare she thought it might move itself off the plate. The tea was a strange blend of herbs that she couldn’t identify, but as off-putting as all of it was, she couldn’t deny that her body craved it.
“Lucy tells me that you two haven’t uncovered anything useful yet,” she said as she pulled a stool out and plopped herself onto it. Tired of feeling like a useless third wheel, her tone was brisker than she anticipated. Lucy and Jeffrey had been in the Afterlife for years. They both had a network of contacts to work through as they dug for more information about David’s whereabouts and into Ellie’s past. She didn’t know anyone outside the waypoint other than the transports who ferried the souls to their sectors, but she couldn’t trust them even if she did have a way to contact them.
“Things have been noticeably quieter,” Jeffrey said in an even tone, as always unaffected by her frustration. He busied himself cleaning the countertops, even though from what Ellie could see they were spotless. “It seems prudent to proceed with caution at this juncture.”
Ellie’s eyebrows drew together as she brought the teacup to her lips. Once she would have tried to tell Jeffrey that she didn’t want his tea, or anything from him for that matter. But now that he was an ally, or at least she thought he was, Ellie had to play nice. “What does that mean?” She blew on the steaming liquid before taking a sip. Even though she wanted to gag at the acrid bitterness as it slipped down her throat she immediately felt calmer. After a few sips, she was able to block out the taste.
“It’s hard to explain,” Lucy said.
As Ellie expected, Lucy had followed her into the kitchen. Lucy’s constant hovering was part of the reason behind Ellie’s escape into the greenhouse. She needed time to be alone and think. It was as if Lucy expected her to shatter to pieces at any moment. Ellie had no intention of ever doing that again, no matter how long the shadows clung to her. Lucy took the stool to Ellie’s left, and a glass of red wine appeared on the counter. “It’s okay, Jeffrey. I’ve got it,” Lucy said smirking at the older man.
Ellie knew that it annoyed Lucy that Jeffrey catered to Ellie’s every whim, but liked to pretend that Lucy didn’t exist. Ellie didn’t think that Jeffrey approved of Lucy’s lifestyle. Even in the Afterlife, Lucy was a partier.
Ellie studied her friend. “Well, try. Like you said, we have nothing but time, right?” She watched Lucy cut a glance at Jeffrey before turning back to her.
“Look, El, you know I love you and that I’m all in to help you because I think that something big is going on, and it’s all focused on you, but you have to understand. I’ve been around for a long time. I’ve seen a lot of crazy stuff here in the Big A, but there’s something different in the air right now. It’s almost like everyone is waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
“What was the first shoe?” Ellie asked, a sense of dread swirling in her stomach.
Lucy grimaced. “What happened with Mikel has got a lot of tongues wagging about how the Council governs the way points and if they’ve really got things as under control as they think they do. I mean, it’s not the first time some lower level minion made a grab at the golden ring, but it’s been a long time, so it’s got people rattled.”
Goosebumps formed on Ellie’s forearm, and a chill ran through her. “What else? What aren’t you telling me?”
“I am sure that Braz tried to keep the whole thing about David under wraps, but people in the Afterlife have big mouths,” Lucy paused.
“What about David?” Ellie couldn’t keep the shrillness out of her voice. Her heart beat painfully against her chest, and she set the teacup down on the counter before she dropped it. Her hands shook ever so slightly, so she balled them into fists. She wasn’t sure what she would do if something happened to David.
“People are scared. Asking questions about him right now is bad news. Everyone is buttoned up tight, waiting to see what Purgatory is going to do with him,” Lucy’s normally gregarious voice was barely a whisper.
“Because his soul isn’t supposed to exist?”
“Because he represents a risk to everyone. Don’t you see, Ellie? The Afterlife isn’t like the Other Side. Everything and everyone here is bound by the same set of rules. This isn’t a place of unknowns. David is an unknown. When the higher ups don’t know what to do, it calls into question everything else. But that’s the good thing for us because they aren’t going to do anything with him until they are sure that what they are doing is the right thing, and I have no idea how they would determine that. What’s going on is unprecedented. So everyone is leery, and I’m trying not to draw attention to us. Don’t forget, Braz told you to keep a low profile too. I can’t even imagine what people would do if they knew a Ripher was involved too.”
Listening to Lucy’s words made Ellie realize something profound. The shackles of depression finally broke from around her chest. It was as if her thinking transcended to a new level. She saw the whole situation in an entirely new light. She had been too selfish and too narrowly focused. If she wanted to help David, she needed to help everyone. She needed to unravel the mystery around David, just like she had unraveled the mystery of the Bradford mansion. A thought of what she needed to do next hit her with complete clarity.
“We need to find out everything we can about this waypoint. We need Max Turner,” she said. She smiled smugly as she watched both Lucy and Jeffrey’s jaws drop.
“The guy who literally wrote the book on the waypoints? W
hy?”
“I don’t know yet,” Ellie said, chewing on her lower lip. “But it seems like if we are dealing with something unprecedented, then we need to get a whole lot smarter about what we are dealing with. Don’t you think that all of this is a bit too convenient?”
“How do you mean?” Jeffrey asked. He leaned in, closely listening to her every word.
“You told me that Riphers are rare, right?” She barely waited for Jeffrey’s nod of agreement before continuing. “So low and behold, Mikel finds a Ripher and reels her in using a person who isn’t even supposed to exist. This Ripher’s had ties to the Afterlife, and somehow it was her destiny to become the guardian of what was once the most powerful waypoint in the Afterlife. This waypoint just happens to be where David was born. There are too many coincidences that start and end with this waypoint.”
“Mikel was using you, Ellie, just like he used Lillian Bradford. He had to find a new source of energy for the waypoint because she and Joseph didn’t have the right kind of juice. I think it was dumb luck that he found you, not coincidence,” Lucy said.
Ellie shook her head. “No, I can’t explain it, Lucy. We’re missing something. Mikel was making a power play, but he focused his efforts here to get this waypoint running first. He did that for a reason. He could have picked any waypoint, but he decided to go after one that was pretty much burned out and no one remembered anymore. There is something bigger going on that we just can’t see yet.”
“Mikel was ambitious, I’ll give you that, Ellie. But I knew the guy for a long time. He held my sister’s fate over my head to get me to do his dirty work. I got to know him pretty well. He’s clever, but he’s not some kind of genius criminal mastermind,” Lucy said, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Then what if,” Ellie’s thoughts lead her to a much darker place, “What if, Mikel, was manipulated by someone else?”
A shadow passed over Lucy’s eyes. “Who? Why?”
“That’s what we have to find out,” Ellie said. “It makes sense to start here, with this waypoint, and find out why it’s so important. To do that, we need an expert in waypoints. That’s why we need to find Max Turner.”
Lucy slowly nodded. “Okay, well that’s easy enough.”
“It is?” Ellie was surprised. So far nothing in the Afterlife had been easy for her.
“Sure, the guy never stopped his work researching the waypoints. If you think this waypoint is that important, I bet that when he finds out that this waypoint is open again, he’ll come running. Let me put out some feelers to make sure that news has reached his ears. That I can do without anyone getting suspicious.” Lucy slipped off her stool and started to leave the room. At the doorway, she turned. “Are you sure you aren’t physic?”
Ellie said nothing. Deep within her, she could feel the pulse of the power that she ripped from Henry, one of her wards, the night that they sent Mikel to Hell. That power, through her, was what kept the Bradford waypoint open and active. It lived inside of her, and in turn, the house lived on because of her. It was a strange thing to become accustomed to, but she got gleams of insight every now and then, and this one told her that she was finally on the right path. Maybe she could free herself from her fate after all.
She shook her head. “Not a psychic, I promise.”
A small, tenuous smile crossed Lucy’s face. “Just checking.” Then she was gone.
Ellie found the teacup in front of her refilled. Her eyes lifted up to Jeffrey’s and she saw awareness in them that made her squirm, but he said nothing. He turned and started to heat water for another pot of tea.
“How long do you think it’ll take for him to find us?” Ellie said.
There was a long pause. “Mr. Turner will no doubt be here long before you are ready for him,” Jeffrey finally said.
Ellie had no idea what Jeffrey’s words meant, and she wasn’t ready for another round of verbal gymnastics.
Ellie was restless. She pushed back from the counter, mumbled something to Jeffrey that resembled an excuse, and left the kitchen. Her thoughts were racing. She felt a strange energy inside of her. She was ready to do something. Something important. She wanted to be done with the Afterlife before it was done with her.
CHAPTER THREE
Instead of turning into the library, Ellie continued down the hallway into the front foyer. She did a slow turn and thought about her first night inside the house, the night of Linda Jordan’s party. Linda was later revealed to be Lillian Bradford. She had come through to the Other Side and posed as a lonely widow to get a job at Ellie’s shop before worming her way into Ellie’s friendship. Lillian was David’s aunt. They had both lived hidden inside the waypoint, only coming out when Mikel sent them to retrieve Ellie. The only difference was that Lillian knew exactly what she was doing while David was given false memories to ensure he played his part perfectly.
Ellie took in the grand staircase that led to the second floor and then looked up at the massive chandelier. Lit up the night of the party, it was a sight to behold. It spoke to the wealth and extravagance of the people who built the house: Joseph and Lillian Bradford. Ellie wondered again how much Lillian knew about the place where she built her dream house, and if she had planned all along to open the waypoint. Ellie knew only one thing for certain about Lillian; the woman was a skilled liar.
Ellie’s turn brought her around so that she was once again facing the front door. She wanted to turn the handle and find herself back at home. She wanted to see the blue waters of the beautiful Lake of the Isles just a hundred yards away on the other side of the parkway. She wanted to escape the house and everything it represented.
As she closed her eyes and focused on that image of home in her mind, she thought that she could even catch a whiff of burning autumn leaves that would have been a common smell at that time of the year across the Minnesota landscape. Autumn was Ellie’s favorite season of the year.
Ellie wanted nothing more than to be normal. It had been her desire every day of her life since her parents’ death. The irony that even in the Afterlife she was an anomaly was a fact not lost on her. It forced her to confront the possibility that this was her normal. She would never be like anyone else.
Ellie wanted to know what was on the other side of the door. Gripped by the irrational idea that the Other Side was waiting for her, right there on the other side of the door, she reached her arm out. Her fingertips brushed the cool metal of the doorknob. She realized that she expected it to be warm. All she had to do to go back there was just open it. She took a deep breath and cleared her thoughts. Then she grabbed the knob and opened her eyes as she flung the door open.
Ellie gasped.
What waited for her was not the Other Side, but a gaping black void of nothingness. She stared deeply into it, entranced by the feeling that the answers she sought were somewhere in there. Awareness sparked in her mind that the blackness was spinning, but the dark swirls were so subtle that they were almost invisible.
As soon as she recognized the circular pattern, her head spun and she lost her balance, pitching forward. She felt a relentless cold chill wash over her body as her arms breached the surface of the void, and then she felt the tightening across her shoulders as someone clutched the back of her shirt and dragged her backwards. As soon as her body cleared the doorway, the door swung shut with a booming crash.
Ellie flew backwards from the momentum of the pull and collided with a warm body behind her. Her thoughts were frantic as they collapsed to the floor. She rolled off the body beneath her and onto her knees hoping beyond hope that she’d find David’s blue eyes staring back at her. Instead, her mouth fell open.
Lying on his back with his head rolled in her direction was her ex-husband, Jake Coulter.
“Jake?” Ellie’s voice came out in a squeak.
His brown eyes twinkled at her, and he grinned. “Ellie. I see you are still getting yourself in trouble whenever nobody’s looking.”
Ellie slowly pushed herself backward
s. “You’re dead, Jake.”
Her ex-husband rolled his eyes and then pushed himself up so that his head rested in his hand with his elbow on the floor. “Yes, Ellie, you are stating the obvious. I am dead. Hence me being here.” His other arm stretched above him pointing all around them. “Funny how it starts out looking so much like home, isn’t it? I suppose it’s their way to make you feel comfortable during the transition.”
“You aren’t supposed to be here, Jake.” Ellie felt a sick twisting in her stomach. There was something terribly wrong. “They told me that because your death was unnatural, you couldn’t be allowed to pass into the Afterlife. Your soul was decimated.”
Jake’s eyes grew wide, and then he started to laugh. He laughed so hard that his whole body shook, and Ellie watched in chagrin as tears started to fall from the corners of his eyes. “Decimated? That’s a bit melodramatic, don’t you think?”
He pushed up onto the balls of his feet and offered a hand to Ellie. Ellie ignored it and got to her feet, brushing imaginary dirt off of her pants. She didn’t think that dirt even existed in the Afterlife.
“Explain to me how you are here then,” she said.
Jake sighed. “You’re welcome for saving you from that vat of nothingness. It’s nice to see you again too, Ellie.”
Jake had a way of making her feel instantly guilty. He had years of practice doing that to her. That thought made her angry. She was past this with Jake. Ellie stood as tall as her five foot three inches allowed. She still only came up to Jake’s chin. She crossed her arms. “Where have you been? Why are you here now? If what you said is true, shouldn’t you have passed on to wherever you were supposed to go?” Ellie was careful not to mention a specific destination. She wasn’t sure if Jake’s actions near the end of his life might have resulted in his calling to Hell instead of Heaven.
