by R. L. Naquin
His eyes fluttered open at my touch, and he smiled up at me. One pupil was huge. “I knew you were real,” he whispered. His eyes closed .
“No, stay with me, Gordon.” I stroked his cheek to get him to respond .
He took a raspy breath and a few drops of blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth .
I fumbled with my phone. “Hang on, Gordon. I’m getting help. You’ll be okay.” It took me three tries to dial for emergency services. My eyes were too blurry with tears to see what I was doing .
The dispatcher took the address and promised an ambulance was on the way. When she asked my name, I was so upset, I nearly told her .
“Wyn-” I stopped. “It doesn’t matter. Just, please. Hurry. I don’t think he’s going to make it much longer.” I hung up and placed my hand on his chest to feel his erratic breaths. “Please don’t go, Gordon .”
He opened his eyes halfway. “Tell my brother I love him , okay ?”
I nodded, though I had no idea how to find his brother. “Or how about you stick around and tell him yourself ?”
“I don’t think that’s going to happen. Just tell him, okay?” His voice was so quiet, I had to lean closer to hear him .
“I will. I promise .”
“And tell him not to be an ass.” He smiled, breathed in a hitching breath, then stopped breathing .
“No!” I cast around for something to do. Should I try to do CPR on him? The glass tube in his side must’ve hit something major inside of him. And the head injury was massive. I didn’t think my pounding on his chest would help .
Sirens grew louder as they approached, and I realized I had to move or be caught. I ran to the door and unlocked it, then returned to my invisible state to watch the EMTs from the front window .
Within a minute, they were inside the house. A police car had joined the ambulance, and before I knew it, several people crammed into the kitchen trying to help him .
I stayed out of the way in a corner, with the sounds of radio chatter and medical terms I didn’t understand making a mishmash of background noise that sounded like it all came from far away or from the other end of a tunnel. I observed as they knelt over him to place him on a stretcher .
None of it made any sense. I was watching a movie, but I’d missed the first twenty minutes. I wondered if I was going to be sick, and if I did, would they be able to see it ?
“What the hell is going on? Gordon? Where’s Gordon?” Elizabeth stood in the doorway, her face ashen .
An officer blocked her from seeing into the kitchen. “Ma’am, there’s been an accident. Are you the one who called it in ?”
She shook her head. “I’m his manager. We had an appointment. Is he okay? What’s going on?” With every sentence she spoke, her voice sped up and grew higher in pitch .
I backed away as they lifted him onto the stretcher. I could see him from my corner. Gordon’s face was peaceful and his eyes were closed. They hadn’t given him an IV or tried to revive him as far as I could tell .
Gordon was gone .
Somebody said something about a time of death. Another said something about calling it in. Elizabeth must have heard because she let out a sob and collapsed in the officer’s arms .
I didn’t wait for them to take him away. I couldn’t watch the rest of it .
On the way back to my car, I realized there was still something I could do. Quite possibly the thing I was meant to do from the beginning .
After I became visible again and climbed into my car, I took out my phone and made another call .
“Wynter. Hey. What’s up?” Parker’s cheerful voice nearly broke me .
“I hope you’re not busy. I have a huge favor to ask .”
S ince I’d never been dead before, I wasn’t sure how long the process took. I hurried to arrive before Gordon did .
The gods must have been smiling on me, because I didn’t get pulled over for speeding as I drove across town like…well, like it was a matter of life and death. I parked and gave Syd a distracted wave as I ran past him and into the Mt. Olympus lobby .
I shook my head and flapped my hand at Patrice, then nearly mowed down a cyclops on my way to the elevator .
She moved out of the way and grunted at me. “ Watch it .”
I blew past her and hit the button for the elevator. The doors opened and several people exited. The cyclops tried to get on with me .
I held up my security card. “Sorry. I’m going down.” The doors closed. The last thing I saw of her was a single blinking eye with a scowling eyebrow floating over it .
Parker met me in the hallway as I left the elevator. “Everything’s set. Mandy will keep him there so you can cross back with him. Hal’s waiting at the dock for you. Kris is taking care of the rest and will meet you on this side when you get back .”
I kept moving as we talked. “I owe you guys so much .”
He jogged beside me. “It’s no problem. Besides, with the king and queen gone, you’re sort of the reigning monarch down here .”
I gave him a sour look as I opened the glass door to the building. “That’s not even funny, you know. So, no word from them , yet ?”
He shook his head. “Nothing .”
We arrived at my golf cart. “Well, I’m going to take full advantage then.” I climbed in and turned it on. “Be back soon.” I pulled away and raced through the Underworld at my top speed of thirty miles per hour .
At the dock on the bank of the River Styx, my friend Hal stood waiting for me .
“You know, this will be the second time you’ve backed up traffic at the Gates.” He grinned and gave me a bear hug. “ Hop in .”
“Thanks for doing this, Hal. I know it’s going to make more work for you later.” I climbed into his airboat and held on tight .
Hal jumped into the single seat above and behind me. “Nah. It’s an endless job. Back and forth on the river picking up on one side, letting them off on the other. I don’t care if there’s one person waiting or a hundred. All the same to me. Hold on tight.” He started the motor and buzzed us away from the shore .
The engine on the giant fan that propelled the boat was too loud for us to talk, so I sat fidgeting the few minutes it took for him to transport me across the River Styx. Hal didn’t wear a robe or look like a skeleton. He wore khakis and a green polo. He was mostly bald, but certainly didn’t have a skull for a head. While I thought of him as almost a father figure, his wife, no doubt, thought he was dreamy .
The Underworld was nothing like the stories .
Since my personal Underworld Ferryman drove a motorized boat and didn’t row us across, the trip was quick. When we arrived, there was a sizable queue of recently dead waiting to cross, but Hal wouldn’t let them on board .
“Hurry, if you can.” He helped me off the boat. “I’ll wait here for you .”
I trotted past the chatting dead souls waiting in line, headed toward the Gate, then veered to the left to the gatehouse. My knuckles made a hollow sound against the closed door when I knocked .
The door flew open, and Mandy stuck her head out. Her blue eyes lit up in her freckled face. “Wynter! Great! I think maybe this belongs to you.” She swung the door open to reveal a confused Gordon Gordon seated on a stool in the corner .
“Mandy, you’re awesome. Thank you.” I stepped past her into the tiny space and touched his shoulder. “Gordon ?”
He looked up at me, startled. “It’s you.” The creases of confusion eased on his face. “I don’t understand .”
I held my hand out. “Come on, Gordon. I’ll explain on the way .”
He took my hand and walked with me out of the gatehouse. Mandy winked at me. I smiled back and mouthed a silent thank you .
Gordon gripped my hand as we walked past the Gate. “Did you see those dogs?” He shivered. “They had three heads .”
I patted his arm. “That’s Bosco and Kevin. They’re very sweet. They guard the gates to the Underworld so nobody tries to sneak in or ou
t .”
He swallowed. “The Underworld .”
“Yes .”
“I’m dead.” He made it more of a statement than a question. “I fell off the bar stool .”
I nodded . “Yes .”
“And you were there.” He stopped and looked at me. “You were always there .”
“Only for the last few weeks .”
“If you’re my guardian angel, you didn’t do a very good job. No offense .”
“Not an angel of any kind. Ask anybody.” I chuckled and tugged his hand to get him walking again. “I’m—I was —your Muse. I was supposed to help you with your painting .”
“Ah.” He frowned. “That makes so much more sense. I bet I drove you crazy .”
I nodded. “A little bit. But I like a challenge .”
We strolled past the queue of souls. No one seemed irritated to be waiting. No one seemed to be sad or afraid, either. I’d done that. Not intentionally, but in my brief time minding the Gate for Mandy, I’d sort of broken a few rules and used my Muse powers on the waiting souls. Apparently, the effects were permanent .
“So, I’m dead.” He glanced over his shoulder at the Gate .
“Yes .”
“What next? Why am I walking with my Muse past a line I’m guessing I should be standing in ?”
I grinned up at him. “Because I have connections. And I think you were assigned to me for a reason.” We stopped in front of the dock. “Gordon, this is my friend Hal. He’s the Ferryman who will take us across .”
Hal stepped forward and held out his hand. “I’ll need to scan your ticket, please .”
Gordon blinked at him, glanced at the airboat, then back at Hal. “Oh. Yeah. Sure.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a piece of paper .
Hal scanned it with his handheld machine and handed the ticket back. “Excellent. Let’s get going then.” He helped us both into the bottom of the boat, jumped in behind us, and off we went .
Even in the boat, Gordon didn’t let go of my hand. I didn’t blame him. I’d been nervous my first time in the Underworld, and I hadn’t recently died. Having someone even slightly familiar to hang on to must have been comforting .
We arrived at the dock with my ears ringing from the noise and climbed out .
“Do you want me to wait with you?” Hal stood with his arms folded, eyeing Gordon .
While Hal’s protective stance was unnecessary, I felt warm inside knowing he wanted to keep me safe. “Nah. We’re fine. Kris is on her way. You’ve got work to do .”
“If you’re sure.” He unfolded his arms and took a step toward the boat .
“I’m sure. Go. Give my love to Adrienne when you get home.” I waved him off .
He gave Gordon a warning stare, then left in a blast of noise and river spray .
Gordon watched him go, then eased his grip on my hand. “So, what happens next ?”
“Well, normally, you’d walk across the road and disappear. Souls go to the next step to be sorted and sent to wherever they’re supposed to go. Some stay indefinitely to do work. Some go to Tartarus for punishment. A few go to the Elysian Fields to be rewarded—freaky place—and some stay long enough to record the memories of their lifetime, then move on to start a new life .”
His face grew pale. “Where am I supposed to go ?”
I shrugged. “I don’t really know. But, like I said, I have connections .”
A small dot moved toward us from up the road. As it grew nearer, it became a golf cart with two figures inside .
“Gordon .”
He turned his head and looked at me . “Yeah ?”
“That’s my friend Kris in the golf cart. I asked her to find something you lost so you could have it back .”
He frowned and focused on the cart as it pulled up next to mine. The air left him in a whoosh, and he let go of my hand to place his palm against his chest. “Charlotte ?”
Her face was a little different from the many, many sketches and paintings I’d seen, but it was the same as the photo I’d caught a glimpse of. She was beautiful, but her eyes weren’t quite as big or her lips quite as full as the idealized version Gordon portrayed .
She slipped out of the golf cart with slow, hesitant movements. Her gaze was fixed on Gordon’s face. “Gordon ?”
“Charlotte!” He broke into a run in her direction .
The disbelief and hesitation on her face disappeared and turned to elation. She ran to meet him halfway and flung herself into his arms. They held each other, both of them laughing and sobbing, then separated enough to see each other’s faces .
Tears filled my eyes, and I bit my lip to keep from crying right along with them. I didn’t care how many rules were broken to make this happen .
They spoke at the same time, the words tumbling like pebbles rolling into a stream .
Gordon brushed Charlotte’s hair from her face and held her shoulders. “I thought I’d never see you again. I didn’t want to live without you, but I finally said goodbye, and here I am. You’re still so beautiful .”
Charlotte’s hands framed Gordon’s face. “How are you here? Can you stay? Are you dead? Oh, Gordon, no. Did you die ?”
Their lips met in a passionate kiss, and it struck me that the kiss joined two souls more than mere flesh. I looked away to give them their privacy and wiped the tears on my cheeks .
Kris and I made eye contact, and she laughed while wiping away her own tears .
I joined her at the cart. “Thanks .”
She nodded. “I can see why it was so important to you .”
“I am a full service Muse.” I chuckled. “So, now what. Where did you find her ?”
“She was in Tartarus .”
“Oh, no!” I couldn’t imagine what Charlotte could have felt so guilty about that she was being punished .
“No, it’s okay. She was working there. She opted out of reincarnation and wanted to stay for awhile. She works in the costume department .”
I glanced over at the couple still locked together. They emanated a soft golden light like a halo around them. “Think she was waiting for him ?”
Kris nodded. “It’s probably a good guess. I would have done the same for Parker .”
I sighed. I wasn’t sure if this was what the Fates had intended for me to do when they’d assigned Gordon to me, but I was satisfied that I’d made the right choice .
I couldn’t help but wonder, though, could I let my guard down enough for a love like that to happen to me ?
Was Mark even still thinking about me ?
Chapter 20
I was done. Stick a fork in me. Bathe me in gravy. Slice me up and put me on a plate . Done .
But so was my client. Whether I’d succeeded in my assignment to help him finish his final painting or not, there was nothing left for me to do. You can’t help the dead .
Well, I did help the dead, actually. But that was a bonus. And as tired as I was, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pride in how many people had come together to help me. I had friends now. Real friends. People I would do anything for, and who didn’t hesitate when I needed help from them .
I was physically and emotionally wrung out, but I had no reason to keep my belt and bubbles over the weekend. Dropping them off was only a matter of traveling a few more floors in the elevator .
When I stepped into the office, it was filled with chatter. Usually it was empty in the middle of the day. People came to get their assignments and their equipment, went out to inspire, and didn’t come back until the end of the day. Curious, I followed the buzz of conversation past the unoccupied desks, past Polly’s office, and around the corner .
Five or six people were gathered around someone I couldn’t see. She said something and everyone laughed. The person in the center stood up .
“You’re leaving so soon?” Audrey reached out and gave the woman a hug .
The crowd parted and I saw the newcomer’s face. “I have to get back to my new job.” Our eyes lo
cked and her brows drew together. “And I have to talk to Wynter before I go .”
“Phoebe.” I breathed her name as if she might disappear if I spoke out loud. After the day I’d already had, tears prickled my eyes. I’d hit my max as far as emotions went .
She gave out a few more hugs, then stepped away from her circle of old friends to join me. “Can we talk a minute ?”
I nodded. “I have something for you .”
She followed me through the office to my desk. I pulled an extra chair over so we could sit while we talked .
She folded her hands in her lap and gave me a shy smile. “First of all, I want to apologize .”
I let out an involuntary snort. “What on Earth would you have to apologize for? I need to apologize to you .”
She shook her head. “No, really. I failed you as a Muse, for one thing. For that, I am so, so sorry. But then, when I saw you in the audience at my last show, I bolted on you.” Her hands wrestled with each other and her face held a pained expression. “I don’t know what to say. I saw you and ran out. I messed up with you. Three times. You deserved so much better .”
I couldn’t take watching the battle between her nervous hands, so I reached forward and placed one of mine on top to still them and give her a measure of calm. “You didn’t fail me, Phoebe. My life was a mess. You couldn’t possibly put it back together for me. I had to do that for myself.” I let go of her and reached into the cabinet under my desk. “I brought this in so I could give it to you if I ever found you. You sort of fell through the cracks between jobs, and I was waiting for you to settle somewhere .”
I tore open the plastic around my quilt. The moment I broke the airtight seal, the whole thing plumped back up .
Phoebe’s eyes grew wide and her expression brightened. “Is that…? Oh, my gods. You finished it.” She ran her hand over the patched squares and tufts of yarn. “You really did it .”