Part 25

She felt the warmth of the sunshine on her face, birds were singing and somewhere somebody was making bread she could smell it. It felt good lying in the sun. The grass was comfortable underneath her. She was at peace. So why did she feel like she had to be somewhere? Thoughts of Alice in wonderland floated into her head. Did she dare open her eyes? If she did would this all fade away? Or would the white rabbit come and take her away? Giggling to herself she propped herself onto her elbows and slowly opened her eyes. Stood before her was the one person she had never expected in a million years.

"Hello Hetty!" Calla said. Hetty was shocked. It was like looking into the mirror. She was the perfect image of her, well except she had black hair.

"Calla?" she said shakily getting to her feet. Calla nodded. "Where are we?" she asked.

They seemed to be in a field. The sun was indeed beating down and the smell of flowers and freshly baked bread wafted on the breeze.

"In your subconscious!"

"My what? Why am I here?"

"You died!" Calla said calmly. Hetty gasped, and then she began to laugh.

"Calla you brought me here to swap places. You were angry; I shut you away so easily!" Calla reached out and pulled an electrode from her arm.

"Remember this?" she said holding it up so she could see.

"The lab….. The machine! Oh my god the doctor!" she screamed. "I did I died!" Hetty began to sob uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry that it had to come to this!" Calla rested her hand on her shoulder. After some moments Hetty looked at her.

"Is this what heaven is like?" she had seemed to calm.

"No you haven't got that far yet, your in shall we say limbo!" Hetty looked confused she had started to pace up and down.

"There is a way back!" Calla broke the silence once more.

"How can I come back from death? That's impossible!"

"Not for the Cartuceans!"

"Who?" Hetty demanded.

"Our people. We are half Cartucean on our mother's side." Hetty stopped pacing intrigued.

"What are they?"

"The Cartucean women are blessed with our unusual abilities. The foresight, the healing ability and the power. It is possible to channel the healing ability to bring us back from the dead. It only works once and takes a lot of power. You will be left unable to heal yourself or others again."

"How about Calendor he is Cartucean how come he couldn't do any of this?"

"Cartucean men have no powers; the gods decided that these gifts were better used by women." Hetty smiled. Finally she was better than any man.

"The dead should stay dead!" Hetty said gravely.

"But think of what you can still achieve."

"Don't you mean we?" Calla hung her head.

"This would be as far as I go! I must cease to be for you to go back. We can't be together anymore; it would be all up to you."

"What if I can't handle it alone?"

"Don't you see? It's been you controlling it all the time. The sedative just made me surface, I'm like your conscience just guiding you along, watching your back. If you decide to go back you will be on your own!" Calla had begun to cry.

"I'll never be alone! You will always be with me, the little voice in my head that I try to ignore!" Hetty smiled and Calla laughed nervously.

"What if I decided to stay dead?"

"Your father would have won! He would kill the doctor, the villagers and then build his race of soldiers. In a short space of time he would spread to other systems. Without you the whole of existence is in jeopardy."

"No pressure then!" she said rubbing her temples. "I thought deciding which pub to go to was hard! There is too much at stake, people I love could be hurt; and I did promise to kick his arse didn't I!" she smiled craftily. "As for the other stuff well I guess I'll do what I always do…… wing it!" she said laughing. She had never felt so alive. This thought made her laugh out loud.

"Ok what do we do now?" she said clapping her hands. Inside she was as scared as hell. Calla came and embraced her. They stood as one for a moment. Hetty broke away just enough to look into Calla's face. Her cheeks were tear stained.

"Good luck Hetty the nurse from Manchester." Calla started to come closer and she entered Hetty's body. Hetty jerked and shivered as again she stood alone.

"Ewwww. Ok what happens no……." her sentence was broken as she felt a new surge of power coursing through her veins. Her body started to take on a purple glow.

"Well this is new!" she whispered. Then the field seemed to melt away and she could hear screaming. "Brace yourself Hett this could be a bumpy ride." she said to herself with a smile.

The doctor's grin seemed to broaden as slowly but surely the purple light solidified into a figure. Stood before him Hetty was alive and well; and with black hair.