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Mary felt like she was falling, falling faster and faster into a bottomless pit. Her surroundings lightened from black to about a million shades of gray before finally settling on a bright and crisp white. When the brightness engulfed her, she stopped falling. Mary stopped mid-air and then started to rise up. Slowly, and then faster and faster. She felt like she was soaring.
Mary felt a wind come across her body and whisk her arm up into the air. After a few more seconds, she felt her hand go through something cold. Someone grabbed onto her hand and she stopped moving. They pulled Mary up through the interphase and onto solid ground.
Mary looked at her surroundings. Everything was in shades of white or gray and blurry, except for the person in front of her, the one who pulled her out and up. The second she saw him it all hit her- where she was, what she had done, everything. She felt like she should be crying, but no tears came. Before she had a chance to do or say anything, he grabbed her and pulled her into him as tightly as he could.
His left hand went to the back of her head and pulled her face down to his shoulder, which she accepted eagerly. His fingers dug into the back of her hair and she breathed against him. His other hand was at the small of her back. His head, chin on Mary's shoulder, was tilted toward the ground. The two breathed deeply as one.
Finally, Mary pulled back and looked at him. He was wearing a loose-fitting white shirt and white pants. She was wearing the same, only her clothes were a bit more form fitting.
"Are you all right?" His first question. His words played in her ears and made her feel like a whole person again. She was no longer a lonely shell.
"Wilson…"
He picked up her hand and smiled. "Are you OK?" he asked again, needing to hear her say she was.
Instead, she nodded. "Wh- how." Mary gathered her thoughts. "Where are we?"
"The Purgatory."
"How did you know I was coming?"
"They send a letter to your next of kin up here, which apparently is your grandparents. They are supposed to come and greet you."
"So why are you here?"
"Oh, your grandfather came and found me. He said that I should be the one to come and get you, that you'd want to see me over them, especially under these circumstances."
"About that-"
"Shh," he said and touched her lips. "There will be plenty of time for that later." He took her hand and led her to the staircase in the far back corner. They walked up it and then turned to the right, stopping in front of a machine looking similar to an ATM. "Look at the screen and say your name."
She turned to him, confused. "Why?"
"Just do it," he said soothingly, and she did. The platform they were standing on began to move at about the speed of a person jogging, twisting and turning past bunches of doors before finally stopping at one. The sign outside the door read 'Camden, Mary'. "Home sweet home." He opened the door and she entered. Mary's room, which was all white, was comprised of a twin sized bed, a desk, a chair, a television, and small couch.
She turned around to him and sucked in her lips. "Don't leave me."
He knew she was scared. "I wasn't planning on leaving yet." Still holding her hand, he went over to the couch and sat. She followed. "I saw everything you did, and I honestly can't believe it. I knew you were strong, but I never imagined you were that strong."
She grew quiet. "I think what I did was pretty weak, actually. I had nothing left in my life. So I figured 'why not?'."
"No you didn't." He shook his head. "Mare, I know you. You did it out of revenge more than penance."
"Still-"
"Don't make light of it. I'm proud of you. All your work will pay off the day he gets caught and punished."
"Yeah, but now I'm dead." She sighed and changed the subject a little. "What's it like up here?" she asked apprehensively. She wasn't sure if she really wanted to know.
"It's nice. Nothing to worry about; you don't have to do anything you don't want to do."
"Are you happy? You seem happy."
"For two months, I'm pretty happy."
"Will I be happy here? Because, to be honest, I'm scared."
He smiled again. He knew she was scared. She had that same look in her eyes. "That happens a lot to people who die violent deaths. It might take a while, depending on how you deal with things. But eventually that will fade away. I promise you that."
"OK." She wanted to believe him, she really did, but she just wasn't sure he was right. "So now what?"
"Now I'm going to leave you alone for a few hours if you don't have any other pressing questions."
"What? A few hours? Why?" Wilson went over to the television and flipped it on. "No, I don't want to watch TV. I want to be with you. Wilson!" She was about ready to throw a fit.
"This isn't a regular television set." The picture came into focus and Mary saw what was on the screen. It had a blank box and next to it the word 'locate'. "It's voice activated. Say the name of the person you want to watch and then 'locate'. You can watch anyone on here. Your family, whoever. All the time. Just use your own discretion, you know?" He put his hand out and rubbed her cheek. "Sit here and watch, because you won't be able to get this time back. I'll come and check on you in a little while, OK?"
"OK," she answered meekly. He walked out of the room without saying anything else. Mary turned to the TV and stared at it for a few moments. "All right," she said aloud. "Fine. Let's test this thing out. Lucy Camden. Locate." A few seconds lapsed and the screen turned black. Mary thought for sure she had broken it, until she saw Lucy walking through the quad of Crawford University, her book bag in tow. For the first time in a very long time, Mary wished she was Lucy.
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A/N: The rest of the story after Mary dies is lame, as you probably have surmised from this chapter here. I'm still posting it, though. I just need a new idea for something great. Then I can start writing new stuff and not feel so bad about the old.
You know, thinking about it, I came up with a very bleak view on heaven. Hrm. I bet that has some hidden psychological meaning to it.
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Reviews are like indulgences.
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