Chapter 2
Smith forced himself to stop crying as he watched the soul of Alicia slowly rise from her body. She was confused and disorientated, just like all the others.
"Alicia!" Mr. Smith called.
The confused teenager stared at Mr. Smith for a moment. "Who are you?" she asked, before taking a step and walking through the jelly wall. "Where am I?"
"My name is Mr. Smith." Smith hoped that he would not start crying again, though he could feel his voice start to croak. "And you, Alicia Chang, I am afraid you're dead."
Alicia followed Mr. Smith's gaze towards her own body. "I remember the screaming...I remember the boy, the gunshot, and then I don't remember anything else."
"This one does not seem to be in denial of her own death, Mr. Smith." Judge Othniel commented as he appeared from the stairwell.
"Who are you?"
"This is the honourable Judge Othniel," Mr. Smith explained. "He's going to be the man to decide your fate. Don't worry nothing bad will happen to you."
"You seem confident, Mr. Smith." Judge Othniel calmly opened up his bag and took out a bunch of papers and carefully examined them.
"I am sure that Ms. Chang has all the evidence she needs." Mr. Smith began. "Her father tragically died of cancer when she was only seven, and Alicia took care of the whole household until her mother and brother were able to get past her grief and move on. Alicia has also been a First Class Honour Roll student all of her life and participated in numerous clubs, all the while ignoring taunts and ridicule from her fellow classmates. She has even put in extensive hours volunteering at the local hospital with hopes of becoming a doctor. She deserves a second chance."
"A second chance? A second chance at what, Mr. Smith?"
"At her life of course." Mr. Smith was growing more confused with each passing moment. "To change the biggest regret of her life."
Judge Othniel smiled warmly at Alicia. "And do you feel as if you had any regrets in your 17 years of living, Ms. Chang?"
"It...is funny actually, because these past couple of years I've started to wonder why I was here." Alicia finally stammered. "I know, Mr. Smith mentioned that I had hopes for becoming a doctor, and I did, but that was only because my dad died of cancer. When my mom and brother stopped grieving and I didn't have to take care of them, I felt that, that had been the great purpose of my life. That now I had done everything that I was supposed to have done."
Judge Othniel nodded understandingly. "A noble purpose, not many would think that." He examined the papers once more. "Yes Ms. Chang, the evidence is all here. You have clearly led the life of an angel, or at least as close to one on Earth."
"So she'll be sent for a life sentence in heaven?" Mr. Smith asked hopefully.
"No Mr. Smith. I believe there is a better alternate solution."
Alicia looked as confused as Mr. Smith felt. "But if Alicia is not going to heaven, nor is getting a second chance, then what other solution would there be?"
"Doing what you do, Mr. Smith." Judge Othniel said. "It has been decided, that you, Alicia Chang, will learn all the knowledge from Mr. Smith in order to help guide souls towards their fate, whether or be a passage to heaven or a second chance at life. You will have all the powers that are needed, yet you must be the one responsible for learning and maintaining all those skills. You have the blessing of God Almighty, and his court."
Smith forced himself to stop crying as he watched the soul of Alicia slowly rise from her body. She was confused and disorientated, just like all the others.
"Alicia!" Mr. Smith called.
The confused teenager stared at Mr. Smith for a moment. "Who are you?" she asked, before taking a step and walking through the jelly wall. "Where am I?"
"My name is Mr. Smith." Smith hoped that he would not start crying again, though he could feel his voice start to croak. "And you, Alicia Chang, I am afraid you're dead."
Alicia followed Mr. Smith's gaze towards her own body. "I remember the screaming...I remember the boy, the gunshot, and then I don't remember anything else."
"This one does not seem to be in denial of her own death, Mr. Smith." Judge Othniel commented as he appeared from the stairwell.
"Who are you?"
"This is the honourable Judge Othniel," Mr. Smith explained. "He's going to be the man to decide your fate. Don't worry nothing bad will happen to you."
"You seem confident, Mr. Smith." Judge Othniel calmly opened up his bag and took out a bunch of papers and carefully examined them.
"I am sure that Ms. Chang has all the evidence she needs." Mr. Smith began. "Her father tragically died of cancer when she was only seven, and Alicia took care of the whole household until her mother and brother were able to get past her grief and move on. Alicia has also been a First Class Honour Roll student all of her life and participated in numerous clubs, all the while ignoring taunts and ridicule from her fellow classmates. She has even put in extensive hours volunteering at the local hospital with hopes of becoming a doctor. She deserves a second chance."
"A second chance? A second chance at what, Mr. Smith?"
"At her life of course." Mr. Smith was growing more confused with each passing moment. "To change the biggest regret of her life."
Judge Othniel smiled warmly at Alicia. "And do you feel as if you had any regrets in your 17 years of living, Ms. Chang?"
"It...is funny actually, because these past couple of years I've started to wonder why I was here." Alicia finally stammered. "I know, Mr. Smith mentioned that I had hopes for becoming a doctor, and I did, but that was only because my dad died of cancer. When my mom and brother stopped grieving and I didn't have to take care of them, I felt that, that had been the great purpose of my life. That now I had done everything that I was supposed to have done."
Judge Othniel nodded understandingly. "A noble purpose, not many would think that." He examined the papers once more. "Yes Ms. Chang, the evidence is all here. You have clearly led the life of an angel, or at least as close to one on Earth."
"So she'll be sent for a life sentence in heaven?" Mr. Smith asked hopefully.
"No Mr. Smith. I believe there is a better alternate solution."
Alicia looked as confused as Mr. Smith felt. "But if Alicia is not going to heaven, nor is getting a second chance, then what other solution would there be?"
"Doing what you do, Mr. Smith." Judge Othniel said. "It has been decided, that you, Alicia Chang, will learn all the knowledge from Mr. Smith in order to help guide souls towards their fate, whether or be a passage to heaven or a second chance at life. You will have all the powers that are needed, yet you must be the one responsible for learning and maintaining all those skills. You have the blessing of God Almighty, and his court."