Prologue

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Okay, jumping across the river, not the best idea…I could only imagine the trauma I was putting my parents through. And how was Jess going to take it?

"Leslie Burke? He's ready to see you."

I must admit, this wasn't what I thought dying would be like: sitting in a waiting room, sopping wet with no one to talk to. Well, I guess life…or afterlife…is full of surprises.

This room's only color was gold, and it was giving off such a glare that the room didn't have any lights. I just stood at the back of the room; the last thing I wanted to do was do more sitting after an hour in the waiting room.

"Okay. I've already read your dossier. I just need to get this straight." God spun around in his gold leather armchair.

"Draw any conclusions yet?" I asked.

"We need to talk this over before I can do that, but I've got a general idea," He replied. "So…according to this, you"—he looked down at the folder in his hands—"drowned?"

"Yeah," I retorted, trying to peel my jean jacket off. "I'm sorry, but I really don't want to be here." Wait a second. "Where am I?"

"This is the stage between life and death when I decide where to put you: heaven, hell, or purgatory. Just have a seat and answer the questions."

I sat, hanging my jean jacket up on the back of the chair. "Okay, go on."

He flipped through the massive dossier and stopped on the first page. "Tell me a little bit about yourself."

"Um…well, there's not that much to tell, really…"

"Oh, please. I've already read about what you did for everybody on page"—more flipping—"32."

"Huh? Okay, I have a question—how did you guys assemble a dossier in that much detail?"

"Oh, you'd be surprised. Alright, next question…"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The dossier was so big that you couldn't fit it in a recycling bin, and we scanned every inch of it that you could pack in a folder.

"Okay, I think I have enough," He said, closing the folder.

"Where am I going, then?" I asked, feeling too tired and sluggish for words.

"I'm going to send you back as a ghost."

"What?" I said.

"You heard me. I'm going to send you back to Earth as a spirit so you can still be with everyone and keep an eye on everyone."

"But you can't just send me back as a freaky ghost girl, it's too weird and science-fiction," I reasoned. "Can you just send me to heaven or hell like everybody else?"

"I've already made up my mind, sorry," He said. "Bye," he added.

I landed with a CLUNK on the forest ground, totally ticked. "You could've at least given me my jacket!" I screamed. Next thing I knew, a big wet heap of denim landed on my head. Of course.

This is where running off at 7 in the morning had gotten me: dead, and the mascot for a childhood fear. Well, I wasn't just going to sit on the sidelines, no sir. This is my story.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

A/N: Uh…hi. I started work on this plotline when I was 9, right after I read the book, so please don't tell me that it's been done like this before. It seems pretty typical right now, but it has an unexpected twist. I don't think it's been done quite like this before. Also, please don't flame me—be constructive in your criticism. A few cons about the book: has a few foul words, and maybe one bathroom joke. As for the Christian refs above, I only put them in so that the plotline makes a little more sense. I am a Christian, but I don't think there'll be any more refs. Please R&R, and suggestions and questions are welcome.

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