The Other Place

Alice pushed open the heavy glass door, a small bell jingling overhead as she entered the coffee shop on 7th street. She promised Melissa she’d be here by 10:00, but she was already running behind. She tousled her drenched hair, and reasoned with herself that it was better to be late than not show up at all. She had already backed out of meeting with Melissa before, so she couldn’t shirk this meetup with her friend a second time - especially since Melissa was the only one who agreed to hear her out.

She glanced around the coffee shop for her friend but Melissa didn’t seem to be here yet. She checked her phone, but there wasn’t anything from Melissa to let her know she’d be late. Alice shrugged and made her way through the eclectic maze of mismatched chairs and tables to get a closer look at the menu’s colorfully handwritten specials.

Alice sat down and took a breath - inhaling the delicious, earthy aroma of freshly ground coffee. The soft hum of conversation mingled with the lo-fi music and occasional hiss of the espresso machine. Alice looked around again, but still no Melissa. It was like Alice to be late, but not Melissa. Melissa was a firm believer that if she wasn’t fifteen minutes early to an engagement, then she was late. Alice pulled out her phone. Where are you?

“Can I get you something, hun?” The barista’s cheery voice called from the kitchen.

“I’ll take a caramel latte, please!” Alice called back. The rich aroma of freshly ground coffee beans and sweet scent of brownies and cookies wafted through the air as Alice scrolled through her newsfeed to distract herself from the creeping feeling that Melissa wouldn’t come. When she looked up, her caramel latte was waiting for her. She didn’t even see the barista breeze by and drop it off. She settled into her chair and cradled the smooth ceramic cup in her hands as she took a sip of the comforting warmth of her latte. The creamy blend of milk and caramel soothed her anxious thoughts.

The small bell above the door jingled as someone entered the coffee shop. Alice turned to see if it was Melissa, but she didn’t see anyone.

“Hello.”

Alice started at the sudden noise and whipped around. She noticed his tousled mousey brown hair first, then his bright, curious blue eyes. 

“Hello. Where did you come from?” Alice asked, still a little startled.

“Through the door of course!” The young boy giggled and climbed in the seat next to her and Alice noticed that a small cup of hot chocolate was already waiting for him. She looked around for his parents, but no one else had come inside with him. She couldn’t help but smile at him as she took in his faded red hoodie and scuffed sneakers.

He gulped down his last bit of hot chocolate and turned to her. “I’m Seven” he announced excitedly, his voice clear and earnest. Alice chuckled a little.

“I’m thirty-two.” She replied sheepishly. He returned her grin.

“No, I mean my name is Seven.” He held out a scrawny hand.

“Well, then, nice to meet you Seven. I’m Alice.” Alice shook the boy's hand. Despite it being damp and cold outside his hand radiated a comforting warmth. She suddenly smelled a faint floral scent - like lilies - which tickled her nose along with the vanilla and cinnamon of the remnants of his hot chocolate.

Seven sat with Alice and talked to her about how he won the last game of stickball, and the one time he took candy from Mr. Carson’s Candy Store, but it wasn’t very good candy. On and on, he shared bits of his little life, and Alice couldn’t help but admire how honest and full of life kids could be. Alice listened to him quietly, enjoying the company of this small boy, while sipping on her caramel latte. 

How innocent and simple his life seemed. A stark contrast to her own where she had been battling addiction and homelessness. After seven months of sobriety, Alice wanted to celebrate by connecting with old friends. The friends she had before she became a different person. Out of all the people she contacted, Melissa was the one who accepted her apology and made plans to meet with her and rekindle their friendship. Alice started to question if that was true. Would Melissa, or anyone for that matter, really want to have someone like her as a friend?

Alice looked at the clock above the chalkboard menu - the time read 10:37. Had she really only been here for ten minutes? Alice could have sworn she had been here for an hour at least. That creeping anxiety started to snake up her spine, and her tongue started to feel thick in her mouth.

“Are you okay?” Seven asked.

The lights in the shop seemed to dim slightly. The background noises faded, a slight ring filled Alice’s ears. Maybe Melissa wasn’t coming. Maybe she lied about forgiving her, and she really wanted nothing to do with Alice. Alice started to feel a numbness crawl through her skin, her body felt heavier than ever as if the air in this place started pressing on her. She tried to take a sip of her latte to calm her nerves, but it tasted bland, like water. Every joyous feeling drained out of her and she felt cold.

“She’s…she’s not coming Seven. I need to go home. I shouldn’t have even tried.” Alice placed money on the table and started to walk to the door without saying good-bye to Seven. The vibrant colors of the eclectic coffee shop began to wash out, turning gray and lifeless. Alice stopped as she watched the last of the colors fade. The silence became deafening. No music, no chatter, just an oppressive quiet accompanied by fading images. I’m dying Alice thought to herself. I have to be dying.

“Almost.” Seven was standing next to her by the door.

“What do you mean almost?” The words choked out of Alice as the rich aromas of the coffee shop were replaced by a sterile, metallic scent.

Seven looked up at her with such a gentle expression that it made Alice collapse to her knees beside him. “You’re here in the Other Place.” When Alice looked at him with pleading eyes he explained, “Ten minutes ago you stepped in front of a car texting your friend Melissa that you’d be late. It happened just outside.” He pointed out the door.

Alice looked through the paned glass of the door to see images fade into view. The street, the car, and the crowd surrounding her lifeless body. Alice could see Melissa’s long curly red hair through the passerby’s legs. She was crouched by Alice’s body weeping.

“You’re not quite dead. You’re in the Other Place.”

Alice looked into Seven’s curious blue eyes. “So, what are you? The grim reaper or something? Is this purgatory?” 

Seven laughed and shook his head, a gentle light radiated from him.

“Not really. Not like movies and the TV talk about anyway. The Other Place is much nicer. It’s tailored to you. You were coming here to meet your friend. So, your Other Place became this coffee shop. My brother, Six, is closer to what you imagine a grim reaper to be. He’s the one that deals death. I’m here to help you decide whether you go back or you move on.”

Judgment. Alice realized that this was her judgment for all the wrong she did in life. What a way to die. She always assumed she would overdose on a stranger's couch, or in an alley somewhere, but she cleaned herself up. She had been sober for seven months, and now she lay in the middle of 7th street, broken, and bleeding.

Seven laid a hand on her shoulder. His hand radiated warmth, a welcome feeling compared to the coldness that surrounded them. Alice looked into his steady eyes. They reassured her, grounded her in the moment.

“You said…you said you’re here to help me decide? Doesn’t everyone decide to go back?”

He smiled. “Not everyone. Some people are just ready no matter what their age is. The world is full of pain and suffering and darkness. What is Beyond your Other Place is peace.” His voice was soothing and calm, cutting through the deafening silence around them.

“I’ve met so many people like you, Alice. The ones who are angry at the world for being the way it is. They demand change, but the only change they can seem to find for themselves is at the bottom of a bottle or bowl. Your anger comes from fear. You are afraid of your past self, the mistakes you made, and you feel crippled by it. You are afraid that your friends won’t forgive you because you can’t forgive yourself.”

She didn’t realize that she had been crying until he wiped away her tears with soft swipes of his little fingers. Seen. She had finally felt seen. Understanding and acceptance washed over her.

“The key, Alice, is to forgive yourself. If you can do that, right here, right now, then you can go back. You can live a full life until Real Death claims you. Or, you can choose Real Death now, and I can walk with you to the Beyond. No matter which one you choose, know that you are a good person, and while you made mistakes, those mistakes don’t make you. You can still do good things with the time that’s left. You are still good. I believe that. I believe in you.”

I believe in you. The words crashed into Alice like a wave slamming into the shore during a storm. They enveloped her, and filled her with warmth and light. The coffee shop began to take on a soft, ethereal glow. Alice watched the people swarming her body, EMS pushing through the crowd to save her life. It was like watching a silent movie, as the chaotic scene unfolded in front of her. The scent of lilies surrounded her. A bittersweet taste lingered on her tongue as she processed his words.

She placed her hand on top of Seven’s. “I came here to meet a friend. I didn’t realize that I would meet my very best one.”

His smile grew wide with pride at the words. He had never been called someone’s best friend before. He liked that very much, and he liked her. “What have you decided, Alice?”

“I’m ready to go home.”

The coffee shop became brighter, more vivid. Alice felt like she was walking through a dream. She folded his hand into hers and they started toward the door. The door glowed with a warm, inviting light. Alice took one last look at her friend, his smile gentle and reassuring. His hand, a solid and comforting presence in hers.

The smell of metal was replaced by fresh flowers and rain. Her tears were replaced by a subtle sweet feeling, and a sense of peace washed over her as Alice and Seven went hand in hand into the Beyond.