* * * * *
Fiona
Fiona woke up in her tent wondering when she’d get to go wherever she was going.
Her work was done.
And she was pretty damned satisfied with it if she did say so herself.
Therefore, she was kind of surprised she went back to her tent.
This couldn’t be it.
If Fiona existed, both her Nans and her Granda’ were somewhere out there and Fiona couldn’t imagine why she’d be kept from them. She couldn’t imagine eternity was alone.
Then again, it could be that horrible black place, so she probably shouldn’t complain.
She wandered out of her tent and stopped dead.
A man stood at the stream. He was wearing a white suit, he had thick white hair, a white goatee and a white string tie.
He looked like a thinner, younger Colonel Sanders of chicken fame, except his string tie wasn’t black and he wasn’t wearing glasses.
“Are you God?” she whispered, thinking it was kind of funny that God looked like Colonel Sanders.
Then again, the Colonel’s chicken was nothing to sneeze at, it couldn’t be described as divine but it certainly tasted good.
The man smiled and shook his head.
“An angel?” she breathed as he walked to her.
“I’m not an angel, Fiona, I’m a messenger.”
“An angelic messenger?” Fiona asked.
“Um…” he hesitated, “something like that.”
“Are you here to take me to heaven?” she enquired, certain she knew the answer, certain that he was definitely there to take her to heaven but suddenly uncertain she wanted to go.
She hadn’t had a chance to say good-bye to Sally and Jason.
Or Prentice.
Or, even, Bella.
“No, Fiona, your work is not yet done.”
Fiona stared at him not getting a good feeling about this.
Then she asked, “My work?”
He nodded.
“What work?” Fiona went on.
“Before you…” he paused a moment then continued, “move on, you have to commit one selfless act.”
There it was.