“No way. I’m feeling pretty angry right now.”
“Taylor, you know you stuff down your emotions any chance you get. The only reason you are talking back to me now is because you are in denial.”
“That's because you’re not real!” I’d had enough of this crazy nightmare. I turned my back on her.
“You should make the right decision before you step out the door.”
“Like I’m going to believe if I don’t sign the stupid contract, I’m going to become some green, globby slime.”
I paced the floor like Lucy did when she needed to go outside. The dream had spun out of control.
Schwartz blocked my path. She held up a pretty gold necklace with a clear glass amulet. The glass vial was filled with a strange thick liquid. “Maybe this will make your decision easier.”
I took the necklace from her hand. “What is it?”
“The amulet will help you see when you’re stuffing down your emotions.”
“I told you, I don’t stuff down my emotions.”
Schwartz let out a grunt. “Really?” She pointed to the amulet. “Touch it.”
With an unsteady hand, I tapped the glass with my index finger. The liquid inside turned a gross yellowish green, then the glass grew hot. “What the? The thing looks like it’s full of snot!”
“Ever the drama queen. The color is moss.” Schwartz dangled the glass vial in front of my eyes. “Look closely. The amulet is filled with a tiny bit of pond scum. When you’re beginning to suppress your feelings, it changes to the color of moss. If you stuff your emotions down, it turns a dark khaki. When you’re getting close to letting your emotions go, it turns a pale mint green. The scum will disappear when you set your emotions free.”
“I don’t believe you. Gotta be some trick.”
“This is very real.” To make her point, she reached back into the big glass jar and shoved the stinky spongy mess in my face again. I’d heard of words coming back to haunt you, but this was too much. I pushed her hand out of the way. Why did my worst nightmare have to be being reincarnated? “Why would you want me to be disgusting scum?”
“Like I said before, it’s the perfect example of something that has a total lack of emotion. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted to make your mother happy?”
Crap. How could she know that? “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The scum in the amulet bubbled away, turning the liquid a dark khaki green, the color of sewer water.
“Taylor, emotions shouldn’t be something you dread. They should be something you embrace.”
Easy for her to say, she wasn’t raised by a Cruella de Vil of a mother. I could hear her now. “Taylor, I don’t care if you’re dead and in Heaven, you know the rule. No crying—ever!”
I instinctively bit my lip. “Pets love you unconditionally. Caring about people is so painful.” I’d learned about love the hard way. I thought I was going to die when Ryan said he only wanted to be friends. “Love hurts. I see why my mother taught me to stuff my feelings down.”
“Taylor, your mother was wrong.”
Damn, I’m proving Schwartz is right about me. “It doesn’t matter anyway. This whole thing is one crazy nightmare.”
“For the last time! This is real. You’re in Junior Heaven, but not for much longer.”
Chewing on my nails like they were dinner, I needed to prove more than anything this was a dream. An article in the newspaper flashed into my mind. “No, Mrs. Schwartz, you’re not real. I have proof!”
My former teacher’s brown eyes bored into me. “Really? What is it?”
“You look exactly the same as you did when you taught fifth grade six years ago. You told me everyone looks exactly the way they did right before they died.”
Schwartz smiled. “That’s true for children but not for privileged adults like me.”
I tossed the amulet on her desk. “I’m done. This dream is over.”
I ran toward the door, but Schwartz clapped her hands and the door slammed shut in my face.
“Nice try.” She waved her pointer in a circle. “Maybe this will convince you.”
A purple glow filled the room. My body tingled as my skin turned a strange color of green. Something made my nose itch. I reached up to touch it and a gross dark khaki mass was in place of my hand. What the hell? This couldn’t be happening. My legs suddenly grew wobbly. They dissolved into a Jell-O-like goo. I tried to stop them from liquefying, but my fingers were gone. I had kitchen sponges for hands. Schwartz tried to tell me something, but I couldn’t hear her. My ears quickly filled with a gelatinous slime.
The nerve! She was really turning me into pond scum. She didn’t even give me a chance. I opened my mouth to scream. To tell Schwartz she couldn't go through with her threat. Nothing came out.
Silence.
My mouth—everything that used to be me, Taylor Anderson—gone.
Chapter Two
The Temple of Truth
A purple light illuminated the room as bits of my former self reemerged. First my brain, then tiny legs and arms. Schwartz smiled down on me as she waved the pointer back and forth. Her massive body cast a dark shadow, which made it hard to see. I’d never felt so insignificant—or more terrified.
A burst of energy ran through me. The ground grew farther away. In an instant, my familiar human body returned. The dark khaki goo on my arms and legs vanished, along with the sewer stench. So did the low incessant buzzing in my ears. I could hear clearly for the first time since I arrived. Then a lump formed in my throat. I fought not to throw up. In my heart, I could no longer deny the obvious. “Shit, I’m really dead!”
The distinct taste of Ivory soap hit my tongue as my mouth filled with suds. I spit them into my hand. “Yuck. What the he…”
Schwartz beamed. “Every time you curse in Junior Heaven will be the same.”
Talk about old school. My mom had told me stories of her German great grandmother washing her mouth out with soap. “Message received.”
“Good. Hopefully you’re convinced about the contract as well.” Schwartz pushed me into the chair. “Sign. Then we can move on.” She shoved the document at me, along with a silver pen and a magnifying glass.
My mouth went dry. I had run out of options, for the first time in my life—make that death. I ran a hand along my arm, remembering the emptiness of being pond scum. Any doubts I’d had about signing on the dotted line vanished. I picked up the magnifying glass and read the tiny letters before me. Signing this contract waives all rights for eternity.
The pen shook. Could I really sign myself over to Schwartz?
My former teacher tapped her foot on the floor. “You don’t have all day.”
With a wobbly hand, I scribbled my name. Goose bumps formed on my arms. Now what?
“So tell me, Taylor, what did you learn from being an emotionless mound of goo?”
“How would I know? I didn’t have a brain.”
“I had higher expectations of you. After all, my retirement’s in your hands.” Schwartz handed me the necklace. “Take this. Put it on now.”
With shaky hands, I placed the amulet around my neck. The scum floated on the clear liquid at the top of the glass vial. As soon as it touched my skin, the scum began to bubble on the surface. The glass felt hot to the touch, as the scum continued to multiply. “Do I really have to wear this thing? The snot-colored stuff is growing!”
“Yes. I explained this to you. It grows larger when you stuff your emotions down. It’s a tool to help you learn to let your emotions go free.” She tapped the amulet with her pointer. “Don’t even think about taking it off—I’ll know. Punishment will be swift.”
I held up the amulet. “But it’s alive. This thing creeps me out.”
“Taylor, you’re obviously not taking my role as your afterlife coach seriously. Mr. X can deal with you.”
I fidgeted in my seat. “Mr. X? Who’s he?”
“He runs the Temple of Truth. He'll get wh
at I want out of you.”
My fingers clutched the chair. “You make it sound like I’m going to be tortured.”
She flicked her pointer at me. “To the temple, now!”
My body ached like someone had folded me into an origami animal. Like being transformed into scum wasn’t enough for me to go through. Standing on shaky feet, I faced an exact copy of the Khufu pyramid in Egypt. I rubbed my eyes. Was my vision affected by whatever happened? A bronze sign above the enormous entrance doors declared “Temple of Truth.”
A bald man the size of a WWF champion wrestler stood by a large Sphinx statue. He wore a robe covered with Egyptian hieroglyphics. He waved, trying to get my attention. “Please come in.”
“Where are you taking me?”
The man ignored my question and signaled for me to follow him.
I searched the temple for any other signs of life. None. I planted my feet firmly on the ground. Since I’d been two, I’d never followed a stranger anywhere. “I’m not going with you until you tell me what’s inside.”
Levitating a foot off the floor, the man tapped a large gold bracelet and a surge of energy raced through me. At the same time, a red slip of paper with a big black X materialized in my hand. He pulled me into a chamber with the ease of a fisherman reeling in his catch. The harder I tried to free myself, the worse my situation became. I needed to find a way out. Could there be a doorway hidden amid the scenes of royal life depicted on the walls? I scanned the enormous painted courtyard in search of the slightest break in the paintings. Whimsical animals strolled through the foliage; their eyes followed me as I floated by. I made one more attempt to find an exit. Nothing. Then, just as quickly as the energy swept over me, it fled, leaving my body exhausted.
The bald man pointed to a door carved into the shape of a scarab beetle. “Wait in there.”
My hand reached for the doorknob, but then I hesitated—for a second. What was on the other side? An ancient tomb? I opened the door and faced a long line of people that rivaled the ladies’ room at the Pacific Theater. Kids of all colors, shapes and sizes, just like when I first entered Junior Heaven, pushed each other toward a large bright blue room. The sound of so many kids grunting and groaning filled the hall with an eerie, almost tribal chant.
The walls were rimmed with long, white overstuffed benches that resembled large rectangular clouds. Just like in a game of musical chairs, the kids all raced to find an empty spot. A few of the girls glared at me. Crap. The frumpy T-shirt from Schwartz made me look like an idiot. Wanting to look cool, I quickly tied the top into a knot so a bit of stomach showed.
I stood by a sliver of a bench at the far end of the room, next to a pretty girl dressed head to toe in gold. Her eyes were lined with heavy black makeup; she made a beautiful modern day Cleopatra.
I touched her shoulder. “Do you think I can squeeze in next to you?”
The brunette moved over a few inches.
“Love your costume.”
“Thanks.” She held out her hand. “Name’s Isis. I’m trying out for the Cloud Nine Contest.”
“Taylor.” I shook her hand. “Sorry, never heard of the contest.”
She glanced at me and smiled. “Guess you’re a newbie. It’s the biggest event in Heaven. A huge scavenger hunt that’s broadcast everywhere. The grand prize is awesome.”
“Is it getting out of here?”
She laughed. “Better. You get to go back to your old life.”
“Wow, that’s awesome!”
The amulet turned a pale mint green, sensing my excitement.
She pointed to my neck. “That’s a cool necklace.” She touched the glass vial. “It’s changing colors. Is it like a mood ring?”
I put my hand around it and smiled. “Kind of.”
Then she spied my red paper and bit her lip. “You’re the first person I’ve met with a red slip.”
I shrugged. “Lucky me.”
She laughed. “You’ve got the right attitude.”
I gave her a weak smile. “Thanks. Do you know anything about Mr. X?”
“I think the scary stuff is all hype.” She squeezed my hand. “You’ll do fine. I’ve heard he just asks stupid questions about your time in school on Earth.”
School, my least favorite subject. “Oh, that doesn’t sound so bad.”
“You’ll be fine.” She ran her fingers through her long, wavy hair. “As long as he doesn’t put on the headset.”
Huh? “What do you mean?”
Isis opened her mouth just as a loudspeaker clicked on.
“Will group C exit out the west door.”
She glanced down at her orange piece of paper. “That’s me. This is my audition. The contest starts soon.”
Great. She left me with more questions and no answers. “Good luck.”
Isis smiled as she darted for the door. She disappeared along with a bunch of kids all carrying orange slips. Why couldn’t I be one of the lucky ones? I moved over to Isis’s empty spot, next to two guys about my age, one sandy blond and the other dark-haired. Total skater dudes dressed in black skinny jeans and matching hoodies. They clutched yellow pieces of paper. Not wanting them to make fun of me, I stuffed my red slip in my skirt pocket.
They ignored me and continued their heated conversation. The dark-haired guy’s face turned bright red. “Dude, I didn’t know. Someone said the place was rad.”
The blond punched him in the arm. “Rad? Because of your stupid idea to try out State Street, we’re dead. Thanks a lot, a-hole.”
They knew how they died. I still couldn’t remember a thing. I leaned forward, wishing I wasn’t wearing the dumb grey T-shirt. “You guys remember how you died?”
The dark-haired guy turned around and glared at me, revealing a ying-yang tattoo on his neck. “Can’t you see we’re in the middle of something?”
The blond elbowed his buddy and then leaned over and held out his hand. “Ignore the idiot. I’m Austin. He’s Blaine.”
Blaine, the guy with the tattoo, punched Austin in the arm again.
Austin ignored him. “What’s your name?”
“Taylor. Are you guys newbies too?”
Blaine’s eyes moved toward my wrist. “Hey, what’s up with the lame tattoo?”
Great. How could I forget to hide it? The amulet turned the gross snot color. My nerves must be more frazzled than I thought. I quickly tucked the necklace under my shirt so the guys wouldn’t notice. I didn’t need them teasing me about one more thing.
Austin moved next to me. “I think it’s kind of cool. What does it mean?”
“Um...it doesn't mean anything. It’s a birthmark.”
Blaine’s eyes grew large. “Dude, that sucks.”
I gave my pat answer. “I think it makes me special.”
“Sure you are.” Austin’s eyes drifted away from my mark. “You know, we’ve been here for a week and never met someone who didn’t know how they died.”
Goose bumps formed on my arms. “Really?”
Blaine snorted. “Wanna bet you’d get the same answer from everyone here.” He gave me the once over. “You must’ve been hacked up. Or worse.”
I shuddered. What could be worse than being mutilated?
A clank came through the loudspeaker. “Group K, please exit out the east door.”
Blaine stood and grabbed Austin’s arm. “Dude, that’s us. Hope we get picked. The contest prize is crazy cool!”
“You coming too?” Austin shook off Blaine’s grasp.
“No. I better stay here.”
“Don’t worry, Taylor. I’m sure you’ll remember soon.”
I gave up talking to any more kids. Instead, I grabbed a magazine someone had left behind—a copy of Teen Magazine from 2001. Reminded me of sitting in the waiting room at the dentist’s office. More and more groups of kids were called. Soon I sat in a half-filled room. They all headed off to audition for the fun contest while I sat waiting for some guy named Mr. X. Tired of waiting, I marched up to a vacant recep
tion desk and pounded on the counter. “Can anyone help me?”
A voice crackled through a speaker. “Have a seat, Miss Anderson.”
I didn’t move.
“Your appointment isn’t for another five minutes.”
My blood boiled, but who could I be mad at, the wall? The amulet heated as the scum multiplied. I needed to get out of here. To the left, a boy half my size, dressed in a silver robe covered in purple hieroglyphics guarded a gold door. I raced for the door and the boy tried to block it. It was pretty funny when his head only came up to my waist. With one shove, I pushed him aside and grabbed the handle.
Inside, gilded walls glowed, illuminated by two brass chandeliers the size of a Smart car. The space could easily have been used for a movie theater. Instead, only a lone chair stood in the center of the room. The red velvet chair had large gold sphinxes carved on each side. Somehow I’d been expecting something more menacing. In the movies, truth got extracted in some very unpleasant ways. The room was filled with impressive hieroglyphic panels and a mural depicting an ancient river. The sound of rushing water echoed all around me while I scanned the room for a crack of light that might mean a chance for escape.
Nothing.
I walked over to the harmless-looking chair. Could it be something far more sinister? I sat in the deep cushions. Trumpets drowned out the peaceful rushing water. A man as tall as a basketball player, wearing a loose gold robe, materialized out of thin air. What the heck?
He drifted closer to me. I bit my tongue to keep from screaming. I’d expected some sort of Egyptian Pharaoh, not this tall, strange, distorted creature. His skin, as pale as onionskin, was so translucent, the map-like network of blood veins running across his arms showed through. He floated down until his sandal-clad feet touched the stone floor. “Welcome to the Temple of Truth. Seems you can’t wait to get started.”
Crap. He knew I broke in.
“The kids call me Mr. X, but my name is Xavier.”
Xavier. Too nice a name for this scary person.
I gripped my chair like it could transport me out of here.
Nine Lives (The Katran Legacy) Page 2