Summer Snow

     Where am I? I wake up and look around. For miles and miles all I can see is snow. I start to walk with no goal in sight. How did I get here? The last thing I remember I surfing with my friend Lissa at the beach. We were on vacation…

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     “Laney, wake up, we’re going to miss our plane!” I grumble and roll over while trying to hide under my blanket. “Laney, don’t make me throw cold water on you…”

      “I’m up, I’m up! Jesus, you’re supposed to be my friend.” She just laughs and starts to carry her bags out to the car. I start complaining under my breath and get changed. Why couldn’t we have gotten a late flight? She knows I’m not a morning person. She backs back in the room and just stares at me. Then she drops onto my bed laughing. “What’s so funny, Laurelissa?” She glares at me and the next thing I know, she’s launched a pillow at my head. 

     “Oh, it’s so on Laney, you know I hate my full name.” I laugh and start to shove the rest of the stuff in my suitcase. I’m happy I finally got a new set instead of my old hot pink set, I shudder. 

     “Sorry Lissa, wouldn’t want to miss our flight.” I snicker at her and carry my stuff out to her Jeep. She huffs but she follows me with the rest of my luggage. We get in her car and turn on the radio. When we hear what song s on, we give each other knowing glances. This is our theme song, Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max, so this has to be a sign that our trip will go great. After all, it is senior week.

      It seems like almost no time has passed since we left my house but here we are at the airport. “Laney, I’m so excited. In no time we’ll be sipping Martinis on the Mexican coast!” I laugh at her. It isn’t quite my idea of a good time but I’d do anything to make my best friend smile. It helps to remove some of the pain about my family. But I refuse to think of that, after all, it is summer vacation. The plane ride seems long and boring, Lissa sleeps the entire time. When we get there, we check into our hotel rooms. 

     “Lissa, do you think we should break in these beds for now and surf later? After all, we don’t want jet lag to go out surfing with those hot guys.” At first she thinks I’m stalling but then she actually looks nervous. 

     “Oh my gosh, Laney, you so have a point about that. Okay, I’ll wake you up when we need to get ready.” With that, she disappears into our conjoined room. I lay down for what I hope will be a very refreshing nap. When we wake up, she shows me our wetsuits. Mine is blue with different orange designs while hers is a jaded pink with yellow splatters. 

     “So what do you think? Do you like them?” She sounds a little worried I won’t like them but they are so us. I decide to torment her a bit. 

     “Hmm I don’t know Lissa… the guys might love it too much!” She starts laughing. You might think she’s used to me making her sweat it a little by now. We walk down to the beach and meet our instructor. I don’t like him much so I tune him out and watch the rolling waves. I’ve been on a board before but it has been a while. These waves are probably too big for me on my own. 

     “Are you ladies ready to get in the water?” You can tell he was flirting with Lissa so I just follow his lead and get in the water. At first the water seems cold it warms up. I start paddling toward the medium waves and leave Lissa at the ones for beginners. I see a big wave coming for me. I don’t know if I can make this but I think I’ll try. I start paddling for the wave. Just as I start to stand, I see Lissa cheering me on from behind me. I wave back but loose my balance and everything goes black as the wave sweeps over me, again and again. 

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     This has to all be a bad dream. I couldn’t have died, I’m only eighteen for crying out loud! I start running hoping to find someone to ask where I am. Finally, I see a man up ahead. I run towards him.

    “Help! Help!” He doesn’t seem to hear me. When I reach him, I go to grab his shoulder but my hand goes through him. “Sir, help me, I’m lost!” He doesn’t hear me and he continues walking. I collapse onto the ground, crying. I watch him as he walks away and I realize that I haven’t left any footprints in the snow. 

     Without knowing how much time has passed, I lay there in the snow curled up in a ball. Finally, someone approaches me. 

     “Get up child, you’re okay. I promise.” I look up at him, this has to be a dream. No one else has seen me in their passing. “We don’t have much time, you must make your decision.” This little bit intrigues me. If I’m dead, what decision do I possibly need to make? “You must decide if you want to live.”

     “Wait, can you read my mind?” He nods his head and I just stare at him. How the hell can he read my mind? I just want to go home…

     “And you may go home yet. Come, there isn’t much time.” I get up and follow him, unsure of where we are going. 

     “What’s going on? Where am I?”

     “You are in the place between life and death. As we speak right now, a young man is doing CPR on you in hopes of recessitating you. There is a rather hysterical girl screaming near by.” At this I start to cry. Pour Lissa, I can’t leave her… “You have another option, my girl. You can in fact go back to this Lissa, but you can also decide to move on and be with you family-”

     “You’re lying! My family dies last month in a car accident. How can I possibly be with them?” I give him an incredulous look. 

     “You must choose which you desire more. You get to make this decision: keep living and be with your friends or pass on to join your family? I cannot tell you what to do but no matter what you decide, your family is always waiting for you.” With that, he disappears as though he was never there. What should I do?