The last thing I could remember was the ceiling of my ward at the Dignitas facility. Doctors bustling around me, the rhythmic beeping of a heart monitor, the brief sting of a needle- then drowsiness. In that moment, I felt an overwhelming sadness in my chest. It was a bittersweet mixture of guilt, for leaving Louisa on her own, regret, for not holding my mothers hand one last time, and longing, that I would never again feel an ocean breeze or a spring shower on my face. But soon, all faded to black, and I felt as if I were floating in the air like a feather in the wind. For a moment, I was tempted to flex my fingers and toes- just to see if they would work in this... this afterlife. But I soon realized that my mind was all that was left of me. There was no body to experiment on. I floated in the vacuum of space that I was seemingly resigned to for eternity, pondering a few things- Did she get that blasted letter? Would she follow my advice? Would she miss me? Would I soon fade into nothing more than a fond memory of hers, that she would occasionally revisit whilst in the arms of some new lover? The thought made me irrationally angry, and I pushed it out of my mind. As my head grew void of thought, it began to be clouded by fear. I was never one to be afraid of the dark, but this was absolutely claustrophobic. The darkness seemed to press in from all directions, and if I had lungs I would be gasping for breath. Moments before I would have lost mind, a lantern was lit right next to me. How long was that there? The warm yellow light illuminated my surroundings, showing a small windowless room with nothing but a big red sofa. I turned sharply around as a door opened behind me, and an old woman with a shock of white hair and caramel skin walked in, supporting her small frame on a walker. I noticed with amusement that each leg of her walker had a bright green tennis ball wedged onto it. At her own pace, she made her way across the room and lifted herself onto the crimson sofa. She then turned her focus to me, a knowing smile on her face.

"Hello, William." She said, a thick creole accent lacing her words.

Hello I thought- for something told me she could read my mind.

"Now then, I've been keeping an eye on you boy- don't think I haven't because of the hardships you've been through."

Who are you? God?

"God? You mean he with a capital H?" She cackled as if she found this genuinely funny.

"You people- all thinking I'm God- all knowing, all seeing, all good. Naw, that ain't me. There's no such thing, although I'd see the comfort of believing in such a deity."

Then who are you?

"You can call me Marcie. Mother of all men- but like any mother, I am imperfect. There are just so many of you that I can't prevent all evil from falling upon you. I try my best to provide, to nurture- but I'm afraid bad things still happen."

Like me.

She nodded sadly.

"But I'm not completely powerless. Sometimes- when bad things happen to good people... I give them a second chance. I don't force it upon them- I offer it to them. Most say no. They want to see what's on the other side of that door."

She pointed manicured finger to the door she had entered through.

"On the other side of that door lies not paradise, but a second adventure. One that surpasses the thrill of life on earth by a million times."

You mean I have a choice?

"Yes. You can either go through that door and go on a journey I cannot disclose any information about just yet... Or my child, you can go back to Earth, and come back later."

I felt an overwhelming urge to say yes to the door. An odd magic seemed to be pulling my soul towards the other side- I felt like a child at the gates of an amusement park, eagerly pulling my parents along by their wrists. But then a fleeting image passed before my eyes. Louis, smiling as brightly as the sun itself with her bumblebee tights in hand.

"I already know your decision, and I can make it happen. Just wish it, and you'll be back on Earth, the very morning of your accident, back in your London apartment, next to your girl."

My girl?

"She was your girl then, remember? Do me a favor, will you? Break the news to her easy- that it won't work out. I just hate it when my children are cruel to one another."

I promise.

"Then go, William Traynor. Live the life you were meant to live."

Hi. This is my first story and I'm willing to write more. Please leave a review if your interested in reading more :)