Suck My Life (Sucking Dead #1) - Andie M. Long Page 0,29

any maliciousness, just desperation.”

I took over a little at that point. “Heaven and Hell aren’t the simple places they are borne out to be. There is a hierarchy on both. The lowest rung of heaven is for people ready to repent for their sins. It’s not the case that you go there and live a perfect life with your every wish catered for. Sometimes you have to earn your right for access to higher levels. Now Mya will decide where you will go.”

“My decision is that you go to Heaven, Nancy, but on that bottom level. You did after all have a knife under the sofa and you did commit a murder.”

“It was just supposed to scare him, but he started on me and…”

“I saw what really happened. That’s my decision.”

“Mya will write a report and you’ll be leaving here shortly. We hope you’ll do the work necessary to purify your soul and work your way up the ladder, or as it’s called the stairway to heaven. Because if you fall off, there’s only one way gravity goes and that’s down,” I added.

“Is there any chance I can watch the film again while I wait?” she asked.

Mya nodded, “but only for as long as it takes me to do the report.”

It took me an hour to show Mya how to complete the report. Finally, she pressed send. I walked over to Nancy. “It’s time for me to take you, Nancy.”

Nancy’s body returned to its flimsy, translucent self. I held out my hand, where a bright gold sphere appeared. The soul went into the sphere and I went out and up, my body becoming wraithlike and allowing me to pass through solid construction. I moved into the attic and pressed the golden button.

An angel appeared. He held out his hand and I placed the sphere into his palm. We nodded to each other and then he was gone.

I returned back to the room where I’d left Mya.

“Well done, Mya. You passed the test with flying colours. You will do your job well.”

She turned to look at me, and I realised her eyes were flooding with tears.

“That was awful. I was so scared of making the wrong choice. I don’t think I can do this, Death. I really don’t.”

She flew into my arms and cried into what I realised was my grey sweater. I’d never got changed. I’d just greeted the angel in a grey sweater and navy chinos.

I’d be the talk of the upper realm.

Mya

“I’m sorry.” I pulled back from Death. His grey sweater was marked with my tears.

“Mya, if the role was easy it wouldn’t have taken so long to find someone to fill the position. You’ll get used to it, I promise.”

“What if I don’t?”

“If you don’t, you can ask me to take you back to the point of death and you can go to the Field of the Drained.”

“Oh.” I rubbed my face. I’d not found the test easy, but it beat nothingness. “I’m going to go spend some time down in my rooms now. Get a couple of hours in and then start some cleaning.”

“Are you sure you want to sleep down there on your own tonight?”

“What other options do I have?” I asked him.

“I don’t need to sleep, do I? You can sleep in my bed.”

“No. Thank you, but no. I need to face my new reality head on, so I’m going to go down to my floor and rest and have a think about things. It’s been a very different and very challenging day.”

“Okay.” Death nodded. “But, Mya. If you need me, don’t hesitate to find me. I don’t sleep. You won’t disturb me.”

“Thank you,” I told him, and then I left the room and walked down the stairs and through to my bedroom.

I stripped the bed so there was only a sheet on top of the mattress. The sheet smelled fusty but was clean, as it had been protected by the duvet cover. Rolling up my coat, I used it as a pillow, and I laid on the mattress. I thought my mind would be overrun with thoughts, but instead, my mind had obviously had enough and within a minute I was fast asleep.

When I woke up, feeling clearheaded, I looked at the clock. Three hours. I’d been to sleep for only three hours. It was one am. Death had said I wouldn’t need to feed again until around eight, so that gave me seven whole hours in which to sort some of this