When Logan opens his eyes he's in a white room. He sits up, looking around suspiciously. There don't appear to be any doors or windows. Something else feels wrong too. He doesn't appear to be in any physical pain. Even on his best days his body still aches and groans in certain places.
How did he get here? It feels like a dream where you don't know how you got to the place where you are, but then if he was dreaming he probably wouldn't notice that.
"Hello?" he calls, and his voice sounds different, less croaky than usual.
The last thing he remembers is being on the plane. He was short of breath, on the bathroom floor, having just listened to his youngest son calling him a cunt in his voice messages. He'd felt like he was about to—
Oh. Oh.
"Hello, Logan."
There's someone else in the room with him. He turns his head and sees Lester, looking young and healthy again. In fact he looks in better shape than Logan can ever remember seeing him, apart from the chains around his wrists and ankles.
"Oh, fuck off," Logan explodes. "You mean there really is an afterlife? For fuck's sake."
"Nice to see you too." His old friend almost sounds serene.
"Go on then," says Logan. "I'm guessing this isn't the good place, if you're here?"
"You guessed right," says Lester cheerfully. "A lifetime of sin had to catch up to me. But you can still choose a different path."
"What the fuck are you talking about? I'm dead."
"Yes, you are," Lester acknowledges. "But you can spend the rest of your eternity in chains, like me. Or you can be reunited with your mother and sister for a peaceful eternity. The choice is yours."
"What do I have to do?" Logan asks reluctantly. He's still not entirely sure that Mo's not pulling his leg.
"You will be visited by three spirits."
"Fuck off."
"I'm serious. The ghosts of Christmas past, present and future."
"It's not even Christmas."
"Not yet. The point is, the spirits will show you everything and you can make a decision about whether to be bound for all eternity or not."
"Can't I choose now?"
"No." Lester sounds irritated. "I've done my part. I've given you the message. Now I must depart."
"Wait, M— Lester. When will the spirits come?"
"Time doesn't really exist here." Lester shrugs, his chains clanking. Logan eyes the chains, suddenly afraid.
"I'm not like you," he says. "I don't deserve—"
"The spirits will show you what you deserve," Lester interrupts. "Goodbye, Logan."
He's gone in the blink of an eye, like he was never here. Logan looks around, but no other spirits appear.
Not yet.