Disclaimer:  I DON'T OWN NEWSIES.  DON'T SUE!

==

How to Get Into Heaven without Really Trying

==

Chapter One

==

Madison Square

==

            He was floating.  His head was swirling with white clouds and everything was misty and blissful and perfect.
            If this is what hangovers felt like in Heaven, Spot should have died sooner.
            "Oh, dear," he heard a mystical voice say.  It was sweet and echoed in his ears.  His mind filled with images of beautiful people dressed in all white and bells ringing.
            "Wake up, honey," she said.  "Wake up."
            He opened his eyes to see the angel before him, but instantly he was blinded by the celestial light.  He winced and shielded his eyes in vain.  The light was everywhere.
            "I keep telling Him to turn off that Light, but He insists that it is good for His complexion.  I'm sorry."
            "Him?  Him who?"
            Laughter like tiny bells jingling filled his ears.
            "The Lord God of course."
            He tried to make out the figure standing before him, but all he could see was a dark silhouette of what he presumed was a woman in a flowing white dress.  And—was that a flicker of wings?
            He looked down at whatever surface he was sitting on and gasped.  There was nothing but mist under him!
            "Yes, that does tend to scare newcomers."
            He turned quickly to the woman again and his head spun with the light.
            "Where am I?  Am I in—"
            "Heaven?"
            He nodded.
            "No, dear child, you are not."
            "Then—"
            "You are in limbo."
            "Huh?"  Her silver-bell laughter rang again and Spot couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed.  Angel or not, she was aggravating.
            "Limbo," she said happily, twirling around so that her dress flowed about her.  "The gateway between the living and the dead.  Your spirit has not yet been accepted into either afterworld."
            "Huh?"
            She stopped twirling and put her hands on her hips, facing him.  She must have been scowling.
            "Your spirit floated up here, tried to go through the Gates, but when they didn't open, your spirit lost energy, and fainted.  You are stuck in the in-between."
            "Oh, damn," he said with feeling.
            "Shh!" she frantically whispered.  "We do not use such language Up Here."
            "Oh, darn."
            A beat of silence passed over them.
            "So," he started uncertainly, "who are you?"
            She laughed again, and the noise grated against his ears.  People Up Here were too happy, he decided.
            "My name is—" She let out a high pitch scream, followed by two clicks with her tongue, then emitted a noise akin to a chattering chipmunk.
            "Um," Spot said.  "That's nice."
            "Oh, you mortals have so little control over the palate.  You may call be Gwyndolyn."
            "Gwyndo-what?"
            She sighed.  "Just Gwyn, dear."
            "Gwyn," he said slowly, experimenting with the name.  "So, Gwyn, what am I here for?"
            "You have no place in Heaven—or Hell.  Not yet."  Her voice suddenly dipped lower, losing her previous lightheartedness.  "You have some unfinished business down in that mortal world."
            "Like what?"
            "Like righting some wrongs; tying up loose ends."  She cleared her throat and pulled out a scroll from a fold in her gown.  Spot squinted his eyes against the glare and saw her unroll the parchment.
            In an air of formality, she announced:
            "Samuel Conlon, it is hereby decreed that you shall remain in the Neither World until you redeem yourself.  You must travel to the Mortal World as a spirit and make right your wrong doings.  The following are people you have offended in some way:
            1.  Mr. Thomas Baker, 2.  Miss Tina Smith, 3.  Mr. Nicholas Darling…"
            The list went on.  Spot gaped at the amount of people he had supposedly wronged.  So what if he stole some bread every other day?  Didn't everybody?
            "52.  Miss Fei Chen, 53.  Miss Alison Hudson, 54.  Mr. Cian Parker, 55.—"
            "Hold on, miss.  How are there so many people?"  He could not believe how polite he was being.  There must have been something in the air Up Here.
            "Honey," she said, her voice coated with sugar, "you offended at least one person a day.  You made quite the handful of enemies."
            "But how will I—"
            "Hush.  You only need to amend a few.  Enough for Him to welcome you into His lands."
            "How many?  What if I don't help enough people?"
            "Only five or six of the more serious sins you committed.  If you don't help enough…then, it's Hell for you, boy."
            "Great."
            "Hush, child!" she said abruptly.  He hushed.  "You have been told what you must do!  You now have two weeks of mortal time to carry it through!"
            "Two weeks?"
            "Yes!"  The air around her was starting to chill.  He felt like a stone had settled into his stomach.
            "It will decide which after world you enter.  Not to worry, I will be there to guide you!" she sang.  Lovely, Spot thought.  Just lovely.  He felt the clouds closing over him, and then he was falling, falling, falling.
            Before he was overcome by the light, he heard the angel say quickly, like she had almost forgotten, "Remember!  You cannot be seen, or heard!  But you can be felt!"
            As he contemplated her words, he closed his eyes and let the whiteness engulf him.
            He hoped his skin didn't look too pale.

==

End Chapter One

==

[A/N]:

You'll see in the next chapter whether or not your characters are used!

Thanks to parkranger for telling my about my typo when Gwyn said "Wake up, honey."

Shoutouts:

Matchin' Laces:  I love your name.  It's so great.  I'm guessing you're a Mush fan? 

Dakki:  ::is glomped::  Awww, thanks babe.  You're a pretty great writer, too!

klover:  Why, thank you.  I think it's pretty cool, too.  Hahah.  Spot IS a cocky little bastard.  But a lovable one.

Wisecracker88:  Do you get it now?  Please say you do!

Angie:  ThanQ for the character, hun.

Ccatt:  JINX.  Duuuude.  What a name.

Strawberry Shake:  Thanx for the character, and the nickname!  I realize now that I should have included that in the criteria or whatever. 

QuietViolence:  Cian sounds like an interesting, nice guy.  There need to be more guys like him in this world.

Dimonah Tralon:  Thank you!    I'm glad you liked it.

uninvisible:  Both of your characters are pretty cool.  One thing about Hyena though.  She's Asian, almost fifteen, and … 5'7"!  Sorry, that just doesn't happen often.  Do you mind if I make her shorter?  I'm Asian, 16, and … 5 feet.  Meep.

elvenrarehunter:  Yay!  Thanx!

Cassies-Grandma:  Thanx babe!  Btw, quirks are just little oddities about the character.  Like he absolutely HATES people who like peanut butter, or something strange like that.

Moonlights Sundance:  Thanx for the character!  I like your name, very sweet.

studentnumber24601:  Aww.  Now I feel bad.  Because you were off studying your butt off.  I hope they went well.  If you want, you can send in your CC and I'll see what I can do with him/her.  Thanx for the review!

waternymph:  Technically, the casting call was closed.  But I'll see what I can do with you character anyway.  Thanks for the CC!

You've already read, now Review please!!!!!!