Paradise Found
:-:
Sawyer has always imagined Heaven to be a stereotypical place with green rolling hills, creamy-rose coloured marble pillars, flocks of cherubs dancing in the wispy, snow white clouds and bluer than blue summer skies. Or maybe cream coloured ponies and crisp apple strudel or whatever.
He doesn't expect to die being run over by a kid, driving a Ferrari, the last surviving person of Flight 815, half drunk on cheap booze on a seedy bar in L.A.
Death doesn't hurt, there's only a little friction as the expensive car slams into him. Then it's just falling into a deep blackness that frightens Sawyer because he doesn't know where he's going but then it starts to sooth him and Sawyer lets the darkness surround him. He feel as naked and helpless and protected as a baby in the womb and he lets himself be.
Then he opens his eyes after a lifetime of the blackness and finds warmth surrounding him. Like being wrapped in a huge king-size quilt. Softer than he could ever had imagined and slight blurred
Slowly, the colours leak into view like the beginning of a painter's masterpiece.
The soft gold of the sand in the distance. The blue of the sky in the west splashed with streaks of purple-gold, scarlet and orange and midnight blue cotton candy clouds as the sun sets. The soft glitter of the Fifties style diner.
This place reminds him of everything he's ever loved; strawberry ice cream, Southern Comfort whiskey, The Bell Jar, the smell of sandalwood and eucalyptus, lightly salted popcorn, old Bond movies and books. And he feels thatthere's something beneath the surface, underneath the chocolate cake and patchwork quilts and flat, round skipping stones, something which he wants to find out but not right now.
For the moment, he sips the red wine and eats the butterscotch cookies. He talks with Sun and Shannon and his mama. The wounds are patched up slowly.Then he finds her at the beach.
Claire. She's wearing Grecian style robes in dove white and cerulean bluethat flutters slightly in the breeze, her golden blonde hair looking beautiful and softly windswept. Sawyer drops the piece of cookie which instantly disappears and runs to her.
He hugs her and doesn't let go because he doesn't want to. He wants to take her in, the softness of her skin, the sweetness of her scent of jasmine and sweet chilli, spicy and sweet.
Eventually he lets go and sees Aaron playing nearby with some pebbles. He presses his lips to hers and she responds by kissing him back. It isn't long and passionate, but it's a sweet promise that soon they will be. A promise of paradise that leaves Sawyer aching for her more but he knows he's got eternity to spend with her.
Sawyer lets go of his previous life and falls into Heaven. Claire holds his hand as they walk back to the ice cream parlour for Aaron's double chocolate chip cone. They'll sleep on a four poster bed and tomorrow morning, they'll discover Heaven all over again and be together after all this time.
They're finally together and that's good.
Fin.