Disclaimer: I don't own What Dreams May Come
Summerland was incredible. Chris couldn't help noticing everything around it was perfect. He'd found Katie. He had found Ian. He had found Annie. The only one he had yet to find was Marie. He brought that up with Albert one day.
"Why can't I find Marie," he asked Albert as he threw a ball for Katie to fetch.
Albert sighed. He tried to change the subject. Annie and Ian may have let him get away with that, but Chris wanted answers and planned on getting them.
"Marie," Albert finally said, "blamed herself for the accident that took the life of herself and her little brother."
"That's ridiculous," Chris exclaimed. "She was only twelve. Besides, that does not answer my question. Where is Marie?"
Albert sat him down.
"Chris," he said, "Marie is… she's in hell."
"She was twelve," Chris exclaimed, "She did nothing wrong."
"She ended up in hell," Albert repeated, "She couldn't forgive herself for the accident."
"There was nothing to forgive!"
"I understand," Albert said.
There was a short pause.
"The saddest thing is that once someone is there, they stay there. Nobody can rescue her."
Chris stood so fast it was almost as if he flew.
"I'm her father," he said, "I can rescue her."
"Chris," Albert said gently but firmly, "You don't know what you're talking about. You'd be putting your soul in jeopardy."
Chris shrugged.
"If you fail," Albert continued, "Your own soul would be damned."
"My daughter is in hell because of something that isn't her fault. You damn well better believe that I will rescue her. I would do that even if it was something that was her fault."
"You'll need a guide," Albert said, "and you won't be able to rescue her. Just knowing that you tried will have to be enough."
"You just get me there," Chris said, "I'll decide what's enough."
"You'll be damning your own soul!"
"Better mine than Marie's," Chris replied.
The descent into hell was dark. Chris could feel his breath becoming shallower. His eyes could see nothing.
"It will adjust," Albert said.
Chris nodded.
Chris was a positive person. He didn't believe it was ever okay to be negative or hurtful. His friends used to try to convince him that he was doing things wrong. He never listened to them.
"Just remember," Albert said, "You're going to be challenged to your max. You'll be pushed to your breaking point. It's important that you stay alert and aware."
Chris nodded and paid close attention. This was his daughter's soul he was fighting for. He wouldn't leave hell without her.
"Alright," Albert said, "We're here. Good luck."
Luck is for the undetermined, Chris thought to himself.
Marie saw him the second he emerged.
Marie couldn't move. She could talk. She could breathe but she was frozen. Chris moved FAST. He had to get to his girl as quickly as he could.
"Daddy," she whispered weakly, "What are you doing here?"
"Oh Marie," he said, "Baby you don't belong here. You belong in Summerland– heaven."
"It was my fault," Marie said, staring out into the distance, "My fault… my fault."
"Nothing is your fault," Chris said firmly but gently.
"You don't understand," Marie said, "I was driving. Nanny let me drive. I got scared and pressed the gas instead of the break when the car came."
"Nanny had no business letting a 12-year-old drive," Chris replied.
"I feel so guilty. I-"
"Marie," Chris said, gently touching her shoulder.
He nearly jumped. She was freezing.
"GOD baby," he said, "You're freezing."
He took off his jacket and put it around her.
"It's been like this for 3 years," Marie said, "It's been like this ever since I died. I can talk. I can breathe. I can't move and it's freezing. It hurts so bad."
Chris could feel the freeze and the pain without his jacket, but he wasn't about to show that to Marie.
Deep breaths, Chris said to himself.
"I know," he said, gently putting his hand on her back.
She relaxed.
"Do you remember," he said, "We were on a camping trip, and you found a baby deer?"
Marie couldn't nod.
"She was a doe," Marie said, "I named her Fawn."
"Yes. She was injured. You brought her to the camper to care for her. Mom and I explained that a deer wasn't a pet. It belonged in the woods."
"I remember that" Marie said, "I refused to abandon her. I insisted we bring her to the vet to get taken care of."
"You acted as Fawn's mother," Chris said.
Marie would have laughed if she could. She couldn't even smile.
"I remember that" she said, "I took care of her until she grew up and then we released her back into the woods."
"The point," Chris said, "Is that you never gave up on her. I'm never going to give up on you. I'm your dad. I love you more than you could imagine."
"Well now isn't this sweet," Chris and Marie heard a snarling voice in the distance.
"LET HER GO," Chris ordered.
"I don't think you realize who I am," the voice said, "Let me introduce myself. I'm known as the devil!"
"I'm known as a father," Chris said, "You trapped my daughter here for 3 years. It ends today."
"You have nothing on me," the voice snarled, "I can do whatever I want, and you can't stop me."
Chris whirled around to face the devil. He snarled at him again, but Chris was holding his ground.
"Do you think I'm afraid of you," Chris demanded, "I have Jesus on my side."
"Don't you ever say that name here again," the devil ordered.
"Oh, you mean Jesus? You know what? I command you to release my daughter from this place in the name of Jesus Christ Son of GOD."
The devil roared as if in pain.
"Your 'daughter' belongs here," the devil said, "She caused the accident that-"
"I command you to release my daughter from this place in the name of Jesus Christ, Son of GOD," Chris repeated.
He wasn't going to justify himself to the devil.
"But-"
"No but," Chris said, "IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD RELEASE MY DAUGHTER FROM THIS PLACE NOW!"
The devil growled and after just a mere second Marie was unfrozen.
The world swayed around them and within a moment they found themselves in Summerland.
"CHRIS," Annie exclaimed, "Where were you? I was so frightened."
Chris ran over to Annie.
"I went to hell," he said, hugging her tightly.
"What? Why? You did nothing wrong."
"I went to rescue Marie," Chris said, gently lifting her head up.
"I was told that was impossible," Annie whispered.
"I was told so too," Chris said, "I don't care what I was told. I'm her father. I wasn't about to let her stay in hell."
I failed her as a mother, Annie thought to herself.
"No," Chris said, "You absolutely did not fail her. She was trapped by the devil. I couldn't have rescued her without-"
"But you did," Annie said, "And I couldn't. When I was told it was impossible, I just accepted it."
"So did I mom," Ian said.
"It's okay mom," Marie said, "I'm here now. I'm safe. Dad looked the devil in the eyes and defeated him."
"Oh, my baby," Annie threw her arms around her daughter, holding her tightly.
"This is a huge place," Marie said.
"Oh sweetheart," Chris said, "You haven't seen the ½ of it."
Marie started to explore.
"Hold on," Chris said, "Let me show you around."
He felt content as his whole family was back together again.
