AN: In this story, Angel gets the chance to come back to Earth for one day. What will happen? Review!
DISCLAIMER: Some of the these characters are mine, but the main ones are Jonathan Larson's.
"Angel. Angel. Angel, open your eyes."
Angel sat up and looked directly into the eyes of her guardian. "Hi, Jonathan. What's up?" She was sitting in her New York apartment. Of course, she wasn't in New York. She hadn't been in New York for over a year. This was her favorite place on Earth, and it had been recreated for her use in the afterlife.
"Today's the day," said Jonathan, grinning.
Angel's eyes went wide. "You mean…"
"That's right. Get dressed and meet me in the commons in five."
"You got it." He disappeared in a flash, and Angel snapped her fingers and was quickly dressed. She was wearing her best. Black top, black skirt, white polyester tights and high heels. And of course, her black wig.
She checked herself in the mirror. It was perfect. Today was going to be a great day. She would be seeing her old friends for the first time in a year. She could picture the look on Collins' face when he saw her. She absolutely could not wait.
Once at the general commons area, the place where everyone spends their time when not in meditation, she began looking for Jonathan. "Hi, Gordon." She waved to the small man, and he waved back and smiled.
Jonathan approached. "Angel, are you ready?" He held his beloved pencil and clipboard with all the souls he was responsible for.
Angel nodded. "So ready. This is gonna be great!"
He put his arm around her and walked with her to the giant silver gate. "Once I open this gate, you and the rest of the visiting souls will be free to go wherever you please. All you have to do is close your eyes, picture the place you want to go, and you'll be there."
"Sounds easy enough," she said.
"Right. Now head over there with the others," he said, pointing to where hundreds of people were gathered near the gate. "There are some things that have to be covered before we set you free."
She nodded and walked over to the enormous crowd. People were whispering excitedly with those around them about who they were going to visit and what they were going to talk about and how they couldn't wait to see so-and-so.
Jonathan walked up to a podium and everyone got quiet. There was no need for a microphone, of course. "Now, as you all know, today is the day you will be permitted to leave the gates of heaven and roam the Earth. I'm sure you are all very excited," he paused and smiled, "but there are a few ground rules that should be addressed." He pulled a white piece of paper from his robe and began to read.
"There are three conditions which must be followed by all souls who intend to visit Earth. First, do not attempt to alert any mortals, except the ones you know of course, that you have returned from the grave. You will be invisible to anyone who did not personally know you while you were alive, but you are responsible for making sure those you communicate with do not tell anyone of your return. This especially includes media. Any unauthorized people you meet with will have their memories erased promptly.
"Second, do not commit any immoral acts while on Earth. Remember, you are pure beings now. Any behavior on Earth will go on your Record, and serious acts of evil can get you condemned. This means no murder, drugs, rape, drunkenness, assault, trespassing, robbery, or gambling. If you commit any of these, it will be taken to the Council and it will be determined whether or not you will be allowed to enter Heaven again."
At this point, someone in the back raised their hand. Jonathan nodded, and a man's voice shouted, "Are we allowed to have sex?"
Everyone's eyes were now on Jonathan. This was obviously an important issue. He smiled and said, "Of course. Sex is a natural part of being on Earth. As long as it is consensual and with someone over the age of 17, you may have sex."
He resumed his recitation of rules. "Lastly, it is imperative that you do not visit the site of your burial. This is because when a soul gets too near to its body, the body absorbs the essence of the soul. This will mean you are back in your body, and for those of you buried in ground, you will be trapped in your coffin. You will have to be excavated and we'll have to go in and erase memories and do things we don't want to do. So, don't go near your graves."
Everyone nodded. Jonathan looked around. "Any questions?" None. He smiled and turned to his left, to the enormous 50-foot high gate. He raised both his hands into the air, and slowly the gate began to swing open. Once it was open, he turned back to the crowd and smiled. "You have twenty-four hours. Go."
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Ta-da! First chapter's short, I know. Next one will be longer. Tell me what you think! Review!!!
