Ray was surprised to find himself falling, surrounded by seeming
nothingness. After a moment, he landed with a thump on what seemed to
be a hard surface. At first he was a bit dazed, but it didn't take
long for him to realize it was pavement he was lying on. As he stood
up, shapes started to emerge from the darkness. Buildings. A
cityscape. It looked like Chicago, but somehow at the same time it
didn't. Strangely, there were no other people or even any cars in
sight . There was snow on the ground and on the buildings, mailboxes
and fire hydrants, but despite the apparent wintery setting,
however, Ray felt no cold. All around him was silence and emptiness.
There were lit streetlamps on some of the corners but it still seemed
quite dark.
Ray looked down and realized that where there should have been a
bloody wound, there was only healthy skin. And he didn't feel any
pain anymore. He looked at the unfamiliar area around him and was
about to start running when he heard a voice.
"Ray!"
He looked around.
"Ray, behind you."
Ray turned around to see Fraser, dressed, as before, in his red serge
uniform.
"What's going on?" Ray asked. "Where am I?"
" The borderlands, Ray."
Ray gave Fraser a confused expression. "I'm dead, aren't I?"
"No, not technically. You're in a kind of in between life and death."
The Mountie looked around. "Though I belive it's changed quite a bit
since I was here. Last time I saw a vast forest, with trees all
around. I guess each of us sees what he or she wants to see."
"I don't have to stay here, do I?" Ray asked.
"That's your decision, Ray. No one can make it for you."
"If it's a choice thing, then why did you stay?"
"Well, most of the time it's a choice. In my case, my earthly body
was too badly damaged to continue supporting me. I didn't really
have a choice."
Ray pondered this for a moment. Fraser started to walk, and Ray
followed him curiously. "Actually, y'know, I'm not sure if I do want
to go back. I mean, this recovery thing, it's gonna hurt a lot,
isn't it?"
"Well, it does at times." Fraser answered. " It is a long and
difficult thing, and painful at times, but I would have to say it's
worth it."
"And I'm worried about Bower. I've got a feeling that when he finds
out I'm alive he'll try to kill me again."
"Like I told you, Ray, it's entirely up to you whether you go back or
not."
Ray was silent as they continued to walk, as if pondering what had
been said.
"Where are we going anyway?" he asked after a while.
"You'll see," Fraser answered.
"Fraser, I don't like surprises, especially at a time like this."
Ray's question was soon answered, as they came to an apartment
building. Something about it looked familiar to Ray, but he couldn't
quite place it. Fraser opened the door and they climbed the stairs.
They stepped out into a hallway, and stopped in front of an
apartment. Something about the hallway and the apartment itself
reminded Ray of his apartment, but at the same time there was a
feeling of unfamiliarity about it.
"What's this?" Ray asked.
"The threshold to the next world," Fraser answered. "If you cross it,
there's no turning back."
Ray stepped back from the door. "I don't think I'm going to do it.
I know I'll have a lot to face down there, but I'm not ready to stay
here. At least not yet. I mean, I did make you a promise. I gotta
catch this guy before he kills Vecchio or anyone else. "
"It would seem that you have some unfulfilled obligations" Fraser
said thoughtfully. "But again, it's your choice. "
"Yeah, it would." Ray answered.
Ray studied the Mountie for a long moment. "Will I see you again? I
mean, before I die."
"I don't know, Ray, maybe. I don't know very much more about this
than you do."
"I guess this is goodbye…I hope not permanently, though."
Fraser extended a hand, and Ray shook it. Before he could say or do
anything, however, everything seemed to slowly begin to
disintegrate. A few seconds later, darkness once more surrounded
Ray. He felt as if he were falling but saw nothing below him.
Suddenly, a bright light seemed to come from below him. He screamed
as it enveloped him and after a second, felt what seemed to be the
thump of landing. Almost immediately, he once again felt pain, and
his mind was flooded with a mass of confusing sensations.
nothingness. After a moment, he landed with a thump on what seemed to
be a hard surface. At first he was a bit dazed, but it didn't take
long for him to realize it was pavement he was lying on. As he stood
up, shapes started to emerge from the darkness. Buildings. A
cityscape. It looked like Chicago, but somehow at the same time it
didn't. Strangely, there were no other people or even any cars in
sight . There was snow on the ground and on the buildings, mailboxes
and fire hydrants, but despite the apparent wintery setting,
however, Ray felt no cold. All around him was silence and emptiness.
There were lit streetlamps on some of the corners but it still seemed
quite dark.
Ray looked down and realized that where there should have been a
bloody wound, there was only healthy skin. And he didn't feel any
pain anymore. He looked at the unfamiliar area around him and was
about to start running when he heard a voice.
"Ray!"
He looked around.
"Ray, behind you."
Ray turned around to see Fraser, dressed, as before, in his red serge
uniform.
"What's going on?" Ray asked. "Where am I?"
" The borderlands, Ray."
Ray gave Fraser a confused expression. "I'm dead, aren't I?"
"No, not technically. You're in a kind of in between life and death."
The Mountie looked around. "Though I belive it's changed quite a bit
since I was here. Last time I saw a vast forest, with trees all
around. I guess each of us sees what he or she wants to see."
"I don't have to stay here, do I?" Ray asked.
"That's your decision, Ray. No one can make it for you."
"If it's a choice thing, then why did you stay?"
"Well, most of the time it's a choice. In my case, my earthly body
was too badly damaged to continue supporting me. I didn't really
have a choice."
Ray pondered this for a moment. Fraser started to walk, and Ray
followed him curiously. "Actually, y'know, I'm not sure if I do want
to go back. I mean, this recovery thing, it's gonna hurt a lot,
isn't it?"
"Well, it does at times." Fraser answered. " It is a long and
difficult thing, and painful at times, but I would have to say it's
worth it."
"And I'm worried about Bower. I've got a feeling that when he finds
out I'm alive he'll try to kill me again."
"Like I told you, Ray, it's entirely up to you whether you go back or
not."
Ray was silent as they continued to walk, as if pondering what had
been said.
"Where are we going anyway?" he asked after a while.
"You'll see," Fraser answered.
"Fraser, I don't like surprises, especially at a time like this."
Ray's question was soon answered, as they came to an apartment
building. Something about it looked familiar to Ray, but he couldn't
quite place it. Fraser opened the door and they climbed the stairs.
They stepped out into a hallway, and stopped in front of an
apartment. Something about the hallway and the apartment itself
reminded Ray of his apartment, but at the same time there was a
feeling of unfamiliarity about it.
"What's this?" Ray asked.
"The threshold to the next world," Fraser answered. "If you cross it,
there's no turning back."
Ray stepped back from the door. "I don't think I'm going to do it.
I know I'll have a lot to face down there, but I'm not ready to stay
here. At least not yet. I mean, I did make you a promise. I gotta
catch this guy before he kills Vecchio or anyone else. "
"It would seem that you have some unfulfilled obligations" Fraser
said thoughtfully. "But again, it's your choice. "
"Yeah, it would." Ray answered.
Ray studied the Mountie for a long moment. "Will I see you again? I
mean, before I die."
"I don't know, Ray, maybe. I don't know very much more about this
than you do."
"I guess this is goodbye…I hope not permanently, though."
Fraser extended a hand, and Ray shook it. Before he could say or do
anything, however, everything seemed to slowly begin to
disintegrate. A few seconds later, darkness once more surrounded
Ray. He felt as if he were falling but saw nothing below him.
Suddenly, a bright light seemed to come from below him. He screamed
as it enveloped him and after a second, felt what seemed to be the
thump of landing. Almost immediately, he once again felt pain, and
his mind was flooded with a mass of confusing sensations.