It's a Wonderful Death - Sarah J. Schmitt Page 0,97
hallway full of rooms. I can hear Sandy and James arguing about not wanting to be split up. A moment later, I hear her squeals of laughter and clapping of hands.
“It’s time,” Lillith says and with a deep breath, I step over the threshold.
The sounds of the Lobby fade away and I walk forward, searching for the nearest open room.
“Need a little help?” a familiar voice says.
I look up to see Yeats standing before me. A smile spreads across my face and I run to him, almost tackling him.
“You’re here.”
“Of course,” he says, “I’m still your Guardian, after all.”
“Yeah, about that,” I say, pulling back. “You could have given me a heads up.”
“I didn’t know it was going to turn out like this, not exactly.”
I sigh. “I know, but you could have sent me a dream or a fortune cookie or something like that.”
He laughs. “And what would the fortune say? Fail to save a little boy from a speeding car and you will live a long and prosperous life?”
“Well, when you put it like that,” I mutter before glancing into the room. “Guess I better get this over with.”
“I know your life didn’t last as long as you wanted it to, but I think you will be happy with the outcome.”
“I better be,” I say, only half joking. “I’m not sure if the Tribunal is ready for another appeal.”
“Right,” Yeats says, giving me a nudge into the room.
After he closes the door, I carefully remove the disc from its case. It’s hard to believe that somewhere in the clouds an angel is looking at my life and deciding what to put on my highlight reel. I wonder how someone gets that job.
The lights dim and my birth flashes up on the invisible screen, just like last time. But everything else has changed. Instead of petty fighting and backstabbing, each scene is full of laughter and silly moments with my friends. There is a dark period where I start hanging out with Felicity, but even then, I find time to spend with other friends. I watch as I read Madeline’s letter and see the faces in the crowd. Her words touch them and I can’t help but wonder how many of them will change because of her.
The last night of my life flickers in front of me. The screeching of the tires and my mom crying when they tell her I’m gone. I haven’t given much thought to what she and my dad are going through and I’m so glad the last night of my life was spent with them.
I expect the recording to end, but unlike the first time, it continues with my funeral. It’s held in the same gym as Madeline’s, but this time, rather than a sea of yellow, the bleachers are full of every shade of purple imaginable.
I see Daniel, his face stricken with grief. I’m not sure how he manages another funeral for one of his best friends. But he does, though he staggers to his feet as he escorts my casket out of the building and to the waiting hearse. His sadness is unbearable and I wish I could tell him that I’m okay, that I’m sorry he’s hurting. But I can’t. All I can do is sit and watch him carry his pain.
I wonder how my life, and more importantly my death, will impact his future. Is he still going to be a brilliant doctor and find a cure for cancer? Or does my sacrifice for a little boy change that?
Luckily, I don’t have to wait long to find an answer. After my funeral scene ends, another set of clips begins. I’m not in a single one of them. You know at the end of some movies, when the director is kind enough to give you a glimpse at what the future has in store for the main characters? Like, marriage, kids, working in some magical office or something like that? That’s what this is like. Instead of focusing on my life, the images are of those I love and what is in store for them.
My parents manage to stay together, holding tight to the strategies they began during their marriage counseling. In fact, they eventually adopt a little boy. I feel like I should be angry at seeing my replacement, but I’m not. I’m happy that they are able to find a way to come to terms with my death and to take a chance on being parents again.