Mr. Mittens' Adventure in the Great Beyond
I was laying down on a patient at the hospital and the next thing I know I'm here, on a moving staircase going to wherever it was taking me. I looked all around, meowing. Where am I going?
"Hello." Said a voice. I looked at whoever spoke and I can't describe it. What the heck am I even looking at? It was like an abstract two dimensional humanild with a purple hue. They bent towards me. They spoke in a feminine accent, but it was still hard to tell the gender. I'm a calico, yet I'm male. I just want to be respectful. Better safe than sorry.
"You must be confused about where you are and where you're going." He was right. I am confused… about everything!
"Well, you're going to The Great Beyond." Huh? They were not making sense at all. The Great Beyond? What's that and what's so great about it? "You're going because your time on Earth is up."
"Are you saying I'm dead?" I accidentally asked out loud.
"Bingo, kitty cat." They replied. I was once again puzzled.
"Wait a minute; you can understand me?"
"Of course. Everyone can understand animals once they die and their souls get sent here."
"How did I die?" This time, they were confused.
"I don't know. Don't you know?" I shook my head.
"It's like I felt someone knock into me, and now I'm here. It's all so strange."
"Interesting. Well, in any case, you're here. And since you're a cat, I will escort you to where all of the dead pets are."
"I appreciate that, but I have to get back now. The hospital needs me. The staff will be worried about me. I'm a therapy cat, so I help people in need." I looked around again. "Now, where is the exit?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, but you can't leave." I looked at them.
"Why?"
"Because you're dead and once you're dead, you can never go back. You're here for all eternity. I thought by spending a lot of time at a hospital, you would know that." I looked back at them.
"I am very aware of what death is, but the humans stay on Earth once they're declared dead. I know the smell all too well."
"The bodies of the people and pets stay on Earth, but their\ souls, which you are right now, go to The Great Beyond, well, the good souls do, at least."
"Souls?" They nodded.
"Your spirit."
"Oh, I get it." They nodded with a smile.
"Good. I don't have to go in depth with my explanation then." I lied. I still didn't get it. I panicked and ran down the moving steps.
"I CAN'T BE DEAD!" I yelled. "I HAVE TO GO BACK! I'M NEEDED AT THE HOSPITAL! DEBBIE! DENICE, JUDY! HELPPPPPPPP! GET ME OUT OF HERE!" I felt someone picking me up.
"Whoa, whoa!" The being stated. "Calm down!"
"Calm down?! How can I calm down? I'm dead! Haven't you freaked out about being dead before?"
"Well, no, because I was never alive." I jumped down from their grasp and looked at him.
"Wait, you were never alive?" They nodded.
"I'm just in charge down here. Anyways, you're not all dead."
"What do you mean?"
"You're a cat and cats have nine lives, so ergo, nine souls. Your body back on Earth needs to die eight more times to be permanently dead. Does this make any sense to you?" I shook my head. They sighed.
"It's okay. You have your whole afterlife to understand. Now, step into the Great Beyond and I can take you to where the other pets are." And so, that's what I did. "Oh yeah, and you can call me Jerry."
As soon as I took my first steps in The Great Beyond, I looked all around. There were souls everywhere. I don't think any of them were cats though.
"Now, follow me." Jerry told me. I followed them. "By the way, what's your name?" As a kitten, animals would laugh at me about my name and I was so embarrassed. Now, as a grown cat, I didn't get what was so funny. It was just a name given to me by my owner. I can't help that. A name is just a name, right?
"Mr. Mittens." I answered. "I was a calico cat."
"Ah, yes. Male, I assume?"
"Yes, male."
"Yes, very rare for a calico cat."
"I never knew that, but, if you say so." I changed the subject. "So, why are there no cats here?" I asked him. "Why are all of the pets separated?"
"They can be with the human souls if they want, and some are. However, some just choose to be alone sometimes, and like to be with their own kind."
"I hear you. I loved being a therapy cat, being with the patients in their final hours, but I also love my me time."
"I get it. The other Jerries are nice, and even Terry. I love their company. But it's nice to be by yourself sometimes."
"Amen to that."
Jerry and I chatted the rest of the way about what I can expect now that I'm dead and my new afterlife here in The Great Beyond. I'm sad that I'm dead and can no longer go back to Earth. I'm really going to miss my beloved owner and everybody at the hospital, but I'm willing to give this place a chance. I'm here for all eternity, so I have to.
Sometime later, Jerry led me to an area where cat souls were everywhere.
"And here we are." Jerry said to me. "This is the place where all of the cat souls are. Hope you get used to it and make some friends."
"I'm sure I will." I told him. I frowned with a sigh. "But honestly, I'm going to miss my time on Earth, even the dogs."
"Everyone misses their time on Earth."
"And everyone misses their loved ones when they pass on to this place. I've seen a lot of tears and comforted a lot of grieving people."
"You were a good soul and had a good life, it sounds like."
"You have no idea. I had the best life that a cat could ever dream of."
"Well, you'll have a pretty good afterlife too. You helped souls on Earth and prepared them for The Great Beyond. Perhaps you can still do that here, comfort the souls down here that are sad and miss their lives."
"I guess I can do that." I replied. Jerry smiled.
"Perfect! We would appreciate that very much."
"Jerry, Jerry!" A voice shouted to him. We looked at the source of the voice. It was someone who looked like Jerry.
"What is it, Jerry?" Jerry wanted to know.
"A five-year-old female soul just came and she is freaking out. The Jerries and Terry can't seem to comfort her." Jerry frowned.
"Oh, my! She must be terrified. Poor little soul." They then looked at me. "Looks like you got your very first job. Are you up for it?" I looked at them, all determined.
"You bet! That little girl needs me! I usually calm down grown patients or elderly patients on the verge of death, but I'll do what I can."
"Great; then, let's go! The sooner, the better. Jerry, lead the way!" As we walked, I talked to Jerry (the Jerry that I was taking to earlier and always had talked to). "So, the majority of souls around here are named Jerry?"
"No." My Jerry answered. "Just the majority of the ones in charge down here are named Jerry. There are also souls named Jerry too. Pet souls too."
"And it never gets confusing?"
"It can be. But once we get familiar with each other, it's no longer confusing."
"I guess. But you and Jerry look the exact same to me."
"Really?"
"Yeah, are you twins?"
"No. We aren't related at all. You just died. Once you're here long enough, you'll know how to tell us all apart."
"Something tells me no, but I guess I'll have to believe you. You know best."
"You will. Trust me. I know what I'm talking about."
I knew we were getting closer because I could hear loud crying. There was a gathering of what I assumed to be the Jerries and Terry.
"I'm here!" Jerry announced. They all looked at us. I then saw her. The little girl sobbing and tears strolling down her face. "And I brought a soul that I think can help." They looked at me. "Mr. Mittens, work your magic." I was about to go to the girl, when Jerry (or Terry) blocked my path. I looked up at them.
"I wouldn't go near her if I were you." They told me. "There's no telling what she'll do to you."
"It's alright, Terry." Jerry told them. "Mr. Mittens was a therapy cat at a hospital before he died. He's trained for this." Terry allowed me passage.
"Oh, sorry." They apologized to me. "Good luck! We tried everything to calm her down." I went towards her and mewed at her. She looked at me.
"Oh? You're a kitty cat?" I nodded. She smiled as I let her pet me. She giggled. "I love kitty cats. Hello! My name's Jamie." She then frowned. "They say I died, kitty cat. A very bad thing happened to my house. It caught on fire. I don't know how and why, but it did. I smelled smoke. I really did. After I smelled it, I coughed and coughed. Mommy, Daddy and my sister ran around, screaming. Firefighters also came. It was scary. My eyes then shut and the next thing I knew, I was here." She began to cry again. "They said I can never go back. I'll never see Mommy, Daddy and Emma ever again!" She cried and cried. I nuzzled next to her.
"You will see your mommy, daddy and Emma again." Terry reassured her. "It'll take time and might seem like an eternity, but trust me, you'll see them once again, as well as your relatives." She looked up at them, tears still in her eyes.
"But why can't I see them now?"
"Well, they can't. They have to die first. And you don't want that, do you? Their time on Earth isn't done yet. They'll get here when they get here. I promise."
"That's right." Main Jerry agreed. "In the meantime, we'll all pitch in to make you feel safe and comfortable. Don't you worry." The girl cheered up a bit.
"And the cat?" She wanted to know. "Can I keep it?" Main Jerry looked at me.
"What do you think, Mr. Mittens?" Jamie looked at me too.
"Oh, yes, please, Mr. Mittens?" I looked at her.
"Sure. Why not?" I could tell that Jamie needed me. Jamie beamed again.
"Cool! A talking kitty cat! That never happened to me before!" Main Jerry smiled.
"Alright, then. It's settled then. Mr. Mittens will belong to you now for all of eternity now. He's now your responsibility." Jamie cheered.
"I'll do the bestest that I can!" I smiled.
"There are other therapy animals here that can cheer up the distressed souls." I frowned. I almost forgot about that. I saw that Jamie was thinking about something.
"Can't he do both?" She asked. "Be a the…the…can he be that as well as be my cat?"
"I think that's a splendid idea." Main Jerry said and looked back at me. "Mr. Mittens?"
"I was born for it!" I said. "Or however the dead saying goes."
"Okay, then. Then that is what your job will be here." I smiled again as Jamie cheered once again.
I wasn't keen on being dead, and I'm still not. I know that it will take getting used to. I'll miss my time on Earth. But knowing I had eight remaining lives up there in my body, continuing on being a therapy cat and comforting the folks at the hospital, makes me feel a little better. Plus, I can continue to do it here in The Great Beyond with my new young owner, Jamie. I was a lucky cat when I was alive and I will still be a lucky cat in the afterlife.