could anything be wrong in light like that? It wasn’t so bad here, really, except for the might-go-to-hell part.
He looked down at himself, suddenly curious. It looked like his body. It felt like his body, except there were no sensations of pain or soreness or pressure anywhere. That slightly dodgy knee? He wobbled it. Perfect now. Hangnails? He usually had one or two of those stingy little suckers. Gone. He didn’t even need to breathe, he realized, though he found he could mimic the motion of it if he tried— in, out . Huh. He felt… light as air.
“Peter will join us when he can,” Brutus explained. “I recommend resting. You’ve had a big day.”
As if reminded of the possibility by Brutus mentioning it, Brian suddenly felt tired. He shut his eyes and sank into the couch.
The next thing he knew that posh voice was asking loudly, “Are you awake?”
Brian opened his eyes and glowered. Eternal rest. Did those words mean nothing? Peter stood next to one of those floating screens, one eyebrow raised imperiously. He wore a long white kaftan that glowed with that same wonderful light. Brian smiled happily at the gown. Pretty.
“Yes, yes, I realize you’ve had little time to adjust, but I’m afraid we simply don’t have time for fluffy clouds and heavenly bliss.” Peter spoke brusquely and the screen flickered to life. “In short: you’re on a deadline. I’ve identified an appropriate challenge for your redemption. Do thank me; you’re welcome. Recognize this young man?”
Brian stared at the screen. It showed the Madison campus at night. A guy in a dark blue hoodie, puffy parka, and jeans was walking in the rain. The guy looked up as the camera zoomed in. It froze on his face, illuminated from above by a halogen streetlight. His white-blond bangs were wet on his forehead and his large blue eyes were sad. His delicate-looking features were marred by acne.
“Well?”
“Yes. That’s, um, Kevin.”
“Who is?” Peter prompted.
“My friend Chuck’s roommate.”
“And he also is…?”
Brian didn’t want to answer. He bit his lip and shrugged. What? It used to work on his mother.
“Exactly,” Peter said with a voice like a Frigidaire. “Now then, your task is to save a life. You have two Earth weeks to do it. Should you fail, you will be in the red. Is that clear?”
“You mean….” Brian looked at the picture of Kevin with alarm. “Kevin is going to off himself?”
“Is that clear?” Peter demanded.
“Well… no, actually,” Brian said, feeling a twinge of annoyance. “How am I supposed to…?”
“Your primarily realm of influence as a spirit is anything electrical. You can also move small objects fairly easily and larger objects if you expend all your energy, but I don’t recommend it. It’s a great way to lose time. Oh, and it’s expressly forbidden to let any of the living know you’re there. Got it?”
“But I—”
“ Kevin ,” Peter said firmly, pointing toward the screen. “Good luck.”
Peter snapped his fingers. The white room disappeared.
Chapter Two
R AIN . D ARK . Brian was on the sidewalk outside of Cole Hall, the dorm where Chuck lived. He could see students walking by in a hurry, heads down, bundled up, so it had to be cold. But he felt neither the cold nor the rain.
No one seemed to see him, even when Brian waved his arms, even when he yelled, Hey! It was creepy. It made Brian feel small and insignificant.
Shit. I’m really dead. They’re all still moving on with their lives and mine is over.
That sucked. Hard .
Before Brian could get too freaked out, he saw a guy approach in a hooded sweatshirt under a parka. Kevin. Immediately, Brian’s fear turned to motivation. Whatever he had to do, man, whatever . He was not going to that red place, no way. The white room wasn’t that bad. Maybe with some manna and some communion wine, a vestal virgin or two, and a lot more of that sweet light, he could deal. No aches, no pains, no finals, no
He looked down at himself, suddenly curious. It looked like his body. It felt like his body, except there were no sensations of pain or soreness or pressure anywhere. That slightly dodgy knee? He wobbled it. Perfect now. Hangnails? He usually had one or two of those stingy little suckers. Gone. He didn’t even need to breathe, he realized, though he found he could mimic the motion of it if he tried— in, out . Huh. He felt… light as air.
“Peter will join us when he can,” Brutus explained. “I recommend resting. You’ve had a big day.”
As if reminded of the possibility by Brutus mentioning it, Brian suddenly felt tired. He shut his eyes and sank into the couch.
The next thing he knew that posh voice was asking loudly, “Are you awake?”
Brian opened his eyes and glowered. Eternal rest. Did those words mean nothing? Peter stood next to one of those floating screens, one eyebrow raised imperiously. He wore a long white kaftan that glowed with that same wonderful light. Brian smiled happily at the gown. Pretty.
“Yes, yes, I realize you’ve had little time to adjust, but I’m afraid we simply don’t have time for fluffy clouds and heavenly bliss.” Peter spoke brusquely and the screen flickered to life. “In short: you’re on a deadline. I’ve identified an appropriate challenge for your redemption. Do thank me; you’re welcome. Recognize this young man?”
Brian stared at the screen. It showed the Madison campus at night. A guy in a dark blue hoodie, puffy parka, and jeans was walking in the rain. The guy looked up as the camera zoomed in. It froze on his face, illuminated from above by a halogen streetlight. His white-blond bangs were wet on his forehead and his large blue eyes were sad. His delicate-looking features were marred by acne.
“Well?”
“Yes. That’s, um, Kevin.”
“Who is?” Peter prompted.
“My friend Chuck’s roommate.”
“And he also is…?”
Brian didn’t want to answer. He bit his lip and shrugged. What? It used to work on his mother.
“Exactly,” Peter said with a voice like a Frigidaire. “Now then, your task is to save a life. You have two Earth weeks to do it. Should you fail, you will be in the red. Is that clear?”
“You mean….” Brian looked at the picture of Kevin with alarm. “Kevin is going to off himself?”
“Is that clear?” Peter demanded.
“Well… no, actually,” Brian said, feeling a twinge of annoyance. “How am I supposed to…?”
“Your primarily realm of influence as a spirit is anything electrical. You can also move small objects fairly easily and larger objects if you expend all your energy, but I don’t recommend it. It’s a great way to lose time. Oh, and it’s expressly forbidden to let any of the living know you’re there. Got it?”
“But I—”
“ Kevin ,” Peter said firmly, pointing toward the screen. “Good luck.”
Peter snapped his fingers. The white room disappeared.
Chapter Two
R AIN . D ARK . Brian was on the sidewalk outside of Cole Hall, the dorm where Chuck lived. He could see students walking by in a hurry, heads down, bundled up, so it had to be cold. But he felt neither the cold nor the rain.
No one seemed to see him, even when Brian waved his arms, even when he yelled, Hey! It was creepy. It made Brian feel small and insignificant.
Shit. I’m really dead. They’re all still moving on with their lives and mine is over.
That sucked. Hard .
Before Brian could get too freaked out, he saw a guy approach in a hooded sweatshirt under a parka. Kevin. Immediately, Brian’s fear turned to motivation. Whatever he had to do, man, whatever . He was not going to that red place, no way. The white room wasn’t that bad. Maybe with some manna and some communion wine, a vestal virgin or two, and a lot more of that sweet light, he could deal. No aches, no pains, no finals, no
Similar Books
