The Second Life

Kiera sat outside a small house, her legs crossed, waiting. She watched as passersby jogged by on the sidewalk, some of them walking dogs or chatting loudly on their cell phones. Her dark eyes scanned them, wondering what any of them would think if they could see her.

    She stood once she knew her time had arrived. Kiera went to the front door and opened it. Locks did not work on spirits like her. The door opened and firmly locked in place again once she was inside.

    She did not waste much time admiring the simple décor of the house, the framed photographs of grandchildren and old wedding photos. She made her way up the staircase and into the one bedroom overlooking the suburban world outside.

    Kiera pushed the door opened and found two people.

    One, was an older woman, crumpled on the floor, dead of a heart attack. She was dressed in a pink nightgown, her silvery hair thinned and her glasses broken from the sudden fall.

    The other person in the room was the same woman, much younger, dressed in a simple skirt and sweater with her blond hair pulled up into a high ponytail. She looked afraid, her eyes darting back and forth between her own dead body and Kiera, who must have appeared very frightening in this moment. Kiera, however, was used to her clients being afraid. She smiled.

    “Hello,” Kiera said to the younger woman. “My name is Kiera. I’m here to take you away from your old life, into your new one.”

    “My-my new one?” The girl’s lower lip trembled. “I’m dead, aren’t I? I’ve died here on this floor. Alone.”

    Kiera nodded solemnly before checking the small piece of paper in her pocket. “You’re awaited by George and Luke Sanders. Your husband and son.” She smiled. “They’re both excited to see you.”

    “Luke?” The girl’s hand went to her heart as if it were pounding. Kiera knew that old habit would fade away with time. “He…he died just a few hours after he was born.”

    “I can take you to them, Darla, if you’ll follow me.”

    “What will happen to my body?”

    “The police will be notified, I’ll make sure of it. Your children Andrew and Beth will hold a beautiful funeral for you and all your grandchildren will be there. Your granddaughter, Sarah, is getting married this year to a young man named Orlando. Isn’t that exciting?”

    “Orlando?” The woman nodded her head, as if struggling to remember. Kiera gave her time. Memories of one’s old life were difficult to recall at first. “That’s wonderful. A shame I can’t be there.”

    Kiera held out a hand to Darla. “It is a shame, but you can rest easy knowing they will have a long and happy life together. George and Luke are waiting. It’s a very short trip. If you’ll just take my hand.”

    Darla reached out a trembling hand. Kiera took it.

    At once they disappeared.

    The sensation was always hard for clients to handle. It felt like falling from a great height, and a little like being plunged into icy water. Once they arrived, however, they usually recovered quickly.

    When they landed, Darla was still clutching her hand, though her eyes had gone wide from the sudden travel. She gasped for air for a moment and then her shock vanished. She looked around at her second life.

    The afterlife was not what most people expected. Many of them, Kiera had learned, envisioned a city in the clouds, with gates of pearl and streets of gold. The afterlife was different for everyone.

    For Darla Sanders, it was an island.

    The ocean stretched out before them, lapping against the fine white sand. Patches of palm trees were scattered here and there, and a cabana stood close to them, draped with white curtains. Inside was a large sofa and chair made of wood, the cushions creamy white, and a table made of glass. On the table was a pitcher of water and several glasses.

    Darla Sanders seemed to recognize her husband at once. He was lounged in one of the chairs, his feet propped onto an ottoman, dressed in swimming trunks and a white button-down shirt. He had a thick black beard and dark skin. He stood when he saw Darla and Kiera together and immediately scooped his wife into his arms. He kissed her cheek and twirled her around in the sand, his feet bare against the white grains. Darla smiled for the first time since Kiera had met her, and Kiera was finally able to relax. The hardest part of her job was ensuring that her clients found happiness in the afterlife. So often they were too afraid, shocked, or even confused at their afterlife. Darla had been one of the easier clients.

    Luke Sanders was a small boy, who appeared to only be one or two years old. He could just barely toddle around on the beach, his small sandals leaving prints in the sand. His skin was like brown sugar and his hair was wild and curly, caught in the wind. Darla pulled away from her husband when she saw the boy and lifted him into her arms. She kissed his forehead and cheeks, pausing only to kiss the top of his head. She murmured his name over and over into his curly hair.

    Kiera smiled. Her job was nearly done. “Your home is a little north of here,” she explained, pulling Darla’s attention away from her baby. “You should find it perfectly accommodated. Other members of your family and friends are free to visit and you are free to visit them as well. I’m sure George can show you around.”

    “Thank you,” Darla whispered.

    “It’s my job.”

    With a flash of a grin, Kiera vanished. She checked the list she kept in her back pocket. Her next stop was a few states over, a young man named Leonard, who would soon die in an accident, only to find his mother who had passed away when he was born.

    She loved her job.