Her sight returned to her in the slow form of tunnel vision. She was unsure if she had woken up or had drifted on into the next phase of human existence. It was quiet, had she regained her hearing as well? Or was that to come later?
She had gone to church religiously when she was younger, and still fully under the influence of her mother. Then again, who was she kidding. She made be older, as not a regular visitor to the church, but her mother still held a firm fist on many of the decisions in her life.
Where was the bright light? Ah, there is was. A small pin hole at the end of a dark walk. It was like looking directly at the sun without any glasses on. Everyone knew that doing that would cause irrevocable damage to your eyes, but for whatever reason, hers didn't burn or water.
She tried to remember through the fog of her mind what was next on this journey. Just because she had been a frequent visitor to church didn't necessarily mean that she had retained or paid attention to any of the information passed on.
The tunnel slowly widened, and she felt herself propelled forward, the light growing larger and brighter. What waited for her on the other side? Was she going to be greeted with honour as a child of God and brought for to Saint Peter and the gates of Heaven? Or were her sins too much for her to have atoned for in the eyes of the lord? Was there going to be a Heaven or Hell lurking on the other-side of the light?
Mentally, she doubted she was accepted to either. She had stopped going to church, as she was capable of greed, gluttony and envy. Envious of her sister and her easy acceptance of her lifestyle by her mother. Gluttony- well, Tasteycakes explained that one easily. And greed, she was greedy of wanting another man's love, while leading on another. Greed for acceptance by a tall and dark Cuban had led her to this tunnel, which she now believed lead to Purgatory.
Her forever waiting place.
If only she had had a few more minutes on this earth to atone for what she had done. To turn back the clock and make all the wrongs right again.
She wanted to turn around and run. Run away from the light. She knew she had a bad habit of running, it was to avoid. But here, she wanted to avoid her death, she wanted to turn around and run back to the life she knew, back to the chances and opportunities to change it and to make it right. To make it right for her, and those around her.
Her head began to throb. Suddenly, she became aware that she was cold, and that her hearing had began to return, slowly. She could hear voices, and wondered who they were, and if they were determining her fate. She strained to listen in, she had this sudden inclination to storm up to Saint Peter and demand to let her into Heaven so she could at least be what her mother wanted, and to finally help someone's life in a positive way. If he refused, she would threaten to do whatever was required to make a deal with the Devil.
She was determined.
The noises became louder, and painful to her ears, the light blinded her eyes and made them water. She tried to cover her eyes, but something held her hands and she was immobilized. She struggled, fighting, she had work to do. This wasn't her time.
A voice tried to break through. But she couldn't make out the sounds. She tried to talk, her voice a rusty reminder of what it had been.
Heaven or Hell. She tried to say. Heaven or Hell. She kept repeating it. She wanted to scream where am I? Heaven or Hell? She wanted to know, she wanted to be prepared, who was she going to have to make her deal with?
The voice cut through her struggles. Like a sharp knife cutting through her mind, allowing the fog to escape.
It said Heaven.