by S S Bazinet
Yes, that’s true, Arel. We can communicate if we choose to allow it. So listen carefully to what I’m saying. Because of your stupidity and need for revenge, I’m another casualty in your life, and there’s nothing in this world that can stop me from leaving you.
Arel’s response was immediate. “No! I can’t lose another brother!” As he began to argue, Arel felt his words bouncing off some invisible wall. William had hung up on him, throwing up his shields in a clean, efficient manner, letting Arel understand the finality of the conversation. William was saying, “Goodbye.” It wasn’t a nice farewell. It was a bitter leave-taking that left Arel without any options. He prayed that he’d find a way to prove William wrong.
Seven
WILLIAM’S RECLINER HAD become his deathbed, a place where he ticked off time with each wheezing breath. He did have one chore left before he departed his earthly life. He steadied a pen in his left hand, grateful that he was ambidextrous as he finished writing out his will. His right hand was useless. The medication he’d taken wasn’t helping with the infection. In fact, he was sure he was having an allergic reaction and his end was near. But he wouldn’t go without taking care of a final responsibility. When he thought about his collection of art, he was determined to have it go to a person who would care for it properly. It was unbearable to think that his secretly owned Matisse and other rare pieces would be gawked at by hordes of detestable humans in some museum.
“So it’ll all go to you, Arel. You’re a bastard, but you’ve always loved beauty. At least you’ll know how to appreciate what I’ve valued.”
He signed his name at the bottom of the document and dropped the pen on the side table. Leaning back in his chair, his body sank deeper into a state of weakness, but he smiled briefly. He’d made peace with his enemy. Letting go of any hatred for Arel came as a surprise. He’d kept his feelings under control for a long time, but to actually feel all his bitterness dissolve was unexpected. It was almost as if he’d had a brief moment of enlightenment, a moment when something seemed to be urging him to let it all go. It felt like the right thing to do. Why should he let Arel’s ignorant, immature actions spoil his final hours? It was a comfort to know he’d die in peace.
William! You can’t do this!
“Oh hell,” William mumbled back. He recognized the voice calling to him and realized that in his weakened state, he had inadvertently lowered his shields.
William, are you listening?
William couldn’t believe that one of the side effects of his disease was an ability to hear Arel’s thoughts, or in this case, his rantings. He let out a weary sigh, wishing he had an icepack to cool his brow. He was burning up.
William!
He moaned out a protest.
Arel, stay out of my mind. I only have a few minutes left, and I want those minutes to be free of your meddling.
A response popped in immediately.
No! I refuse to let you leave this world knowing that I’m responsible.
William laughed.
Sorry, but I’ll have to foil your desires, you misguided lunatic. And congratulations, you sound healthy enough. I guess you’ll beat this thing that’s done me in.
A barrage of Arel’s pleas followed, but William was able to tune them out by turning his attention to the art of dying. The quiet around him, the feeling of knowing himself as very special and unique was comforting. Peace, even joy, began to replace the pain in his hand and in his body. He began to drift out of the world. He began to let go of everything but the sweetness of his calm, tranquil mind.
“Help! Don’t let this thing devour me!”
Just as William was falling into a fatal slumber, a jarring shout from somewhere in the room broke the silence. It was so unexpected that William was jolted back to a more externalized focus. The cry of a panic-stricken voice was his reward. When he opened his eyes, Arel stood eight feet away, looking not quite solid. Before William could respond, Arel let out another horrified shout.
“Stay back! Please!”
William stared at his visitor. How dare Arel show up on his doorstep when he was taking his last breaths?
Or maybe, this is part of the death process, a few last emotions coming up for disposal.
He tried to blink away the apparition in front of him, but he couldn’t help but note that Arel’s eyes were wide with alarm. Arel the Ghost looked like he was seeing a ghost or maybe, judging from his terrified expression, he was checking out the hound of the Baskervilles.
“Will, help me!” Arel begged loudly.
William sighed. “Dammit, this apparition certainly seems real enough.”
As the shouting continued, William knew his wonderful appointment with a composed, quiet death would have to be postponed. He couldn’t relax with Arel having a fit in front of him. Somehow, goaded on by a need to stop the assault on his nerves, he found the strength to get up, to stumble over to where Arel’s ghost was standing. It was his turn to start yelling. At first, his voice was feeble. It picked up in volume as he felt Arel’s terror course through his own body. It activated his protective side, the part that had always tried to look out for his “blood” brother. “Arel, you’re okay! Quiet yourself!”
After a moment, Arel finally acknowledged William’s order. Staring back with wild, blazing eyes, he reached out a shaky hand that passed through William’s body. “Thank goodness, Will. I thought I was a goner. These damnable out-of-body experiences never go well. When I got here, I thought I saw a fiery beast.”
William was still able to get out a few words. “All that I see is an idiot. What are you doing here, Arel?”
Instead of answering the question, Arel tried to reach out again. “Will, my god, you look horrible!”
William leaned heavily against the wall for support. He tried to get his breath, but his body refused to take in enough oxygen. Every time he inhaled, his chest rattled and heaved uselessly. “There’s a reason for my condition, Arel, and he’s standing in front of me.”
* * * * *
Arel was still shaken, but he was grateful to be in the lower level of William’s home. Like he told William, astral travel was a scary proposition. A person never knew who or what one might encounter. But he didn’t have time to think about the monster he’d seen when he arrived. William looked flushed with fever, and he was struggling to maintain his standing position. “You better sit down, Will. I’d help you, but I’m not quite sure how my body works in this form. As you might have noticed, I haven’t mastered astral travel.”
William gasped out a reply. “Please, astral travel your ass back where you came from. I’m trying to die in peace here.” After a few more labored breaths, he pushed off from the wall, barely able to stagger his way back to his recliner.
Arel wanted to help, but he didn’t know how. He silently called out to Michael for advice.
Michael, if I find a way to really touch William, would it be safe to try to help?
Michael’s reply was immediate.
Not unless you’re sure about your control.
Arel felt his chest tighten. His control was utter crap.
Does it matter at this point? If William’s dying, I have to try something.
Michael’s voice was firm and unyielding.
Arel, please, he’s asking you to let him die in peace.
Astral body or not, Arel couldn’t breathe any better than William when he thought about William leaving the world.
No! That’s not acceptable!
William coughed and looked up. “Why are you still here? I asked you to go. I even said ‘please.’”
“I know, but I can’t leave just yet.” Arel was on a mission. To accomplish his task, he needed a body that he could manipulate. As he tried to understand what he was working with, he had a brilliant idea. If operating in the astral plane was anything like lucid dreaming, he had to visualize what he wanted.
I have to see myself as real. I’m sure that’s the key.
Using his experiences
in the dream state as his guide, Arel saw himself having a physical body. As soon as he did, he felt a shift. His ghostly body began to take on a denser quality. After a few more tries, he felt almost as solid as he normally felt. A sense of triumph made him rush forward to where William was sitting. “Look at me, Will! Look at what I can do. Isn’t it exciting?”
William stared back with annoyance. “Why me? Why won’t you just give me a break?” he wheezed.
“Are you kidding? I’ve got more power, more control! That means I might be able to really help you.”
“Help me how? In case you haven’t noticed, I’m dying of an infection and a disease that you gave me.”
“I understand, and I want to make it all right again. Just let me see what we’re dealing with.” Arel reached out and touched William’s bandaged hand. Another triumph! He could interact with actual matter. He could feel the gauze. “I’ll be very careful, Will,” he said as he began to unwrap the layers that covered William’s wound.
William gritted his teeth in pain, but he seemed too weak to attempt any resistance. “Stop tormenting me!”
But Arel couldn’t stop. He had to see what lay beneath the stained gauze. When he managed to strip away the last layer, he nearly gagged at the sight in front of him. William’s hand was red and swollen twice its normal size. His palm was a bed of festering pus.
“Are you satisfied?” William shut his eyes and paused. “Listen to me. I’m talking to my hallucination.”
Arel smiled broadly. “That’s right, but this hallucination is going to help you.” He felt more confident, merging more closely with his new body. In fact, he imagined himself a kind of hybrid angel. But he wouldn’t just be a hybrid angel. He’d be the healing kind. He reached out to William. “Now just relax, my friend, and don’t worry about a thing.”
Before William could reply, Arel took hold of William’s hand with both of his own. As he touched his blood brother, Arel willed himself to be a healer who would restore William to health again.
* * * * *
Michael appeared in William’s lower level, ready to help Arel if he insisted on taking on his ‘angel’ duties. Raphael, a fellow angel, had also volunteered. Raphael had been assisting William on an unseen level before Arel arrived. He’d been successful in helping William to attain a more peaceful attitude. Arel was oblivious to the two angels. With his astral eyes shut tight, he was intent on healing William. William had his eyes shut too, looking dazed and breathing heavily.
“After what happened a couple of months ago, we better be ready for a sizable surge of energy,” Michael warned as he positioned himself on Arel’s left.
Raphael, appearing tall, youthful and handsome in an earthly body, gave Michael a thoughtful glance as he stood on Arel’s right. “Gabriel or Carey as he’s now calling himself, says Arel is not capable of precise energy measurements.”
Michael’s brows went up in alarm. “Be prepared for more than an imprecise delivery. Arel nearly took out my corporal form the last time he accessed his ability. And with William in such a fragile state, we’ll have to divert all but a small amount of the energy Arel channels.”
Raphael laughed. “I’ve never seen you like this before. You look a little—”
“Worried? Maybe I am.” Michael smiled too. “Arel hasn’t had time to really practice with this sort of thing.”
“I understand. In fact, when he appeared in William’s room, I was a little unprepared myself. I’d just managed to help William release some of his resentment and anger. The room was quite tranquil for a few moments. But Arel’s entrance changed everything. When he saw me in my ethereal form, his fears escalated so quickly. The only thing I could do was retreat.”
“Arel has quite an imagination, especially after his first astral trip. He encountered an angel named Grace and thought she was a fire-breathing dragon. The experience nearly frightened him to death.”
“But he took a chance anyway. He must be very concerned about William.”
“They share some deep and unresolved attachments. Arel also needs to clear a lot of painful emotional issues. They often confuse him when it comes to decisions. As a result, he can react in very impulsive ways.”
Raphael gave Michael a nod. “Right, and I think he’s going to prove that now.”
The next instant, both angels were on the receiving end of a discharge of energy that nearly dislodged them from their posts. The room became a small amphitheater of dazzling fireworks. As the light faded, both angels tried to ignore their own reeling worlds. Both of them attempted to check on the two humans in their care.
Michael looked up with eyes as bright as pale-blue stars. “Arel’s disappeared.”
Raphael’s eyes were bright too, but filled with dismay. “William is dead!”
Eight
WILLIAM GLANCED DOWN at his lifeless body. From his lofty vantage point, it lay far below, resting immobile in his recliner. “I’m must be dead, but I still feel like me.” His tone held an element of contempt. He hadn’t expected to survive death, and he wasn’t comfortable with being proven wrong. But he wasn’t one to make hasty judgments either. He needed to gather some facts about his new situation. “So what is this place?” He checked out his surroundings with caution and curiosity, knowing the advantage of adapting quickly to new circumstances. The place he was in was definitely unlike anything he’d experienced before. It had a wispy feel with no defined parameters. His next question was more personal. Did he have a form? Taking stock of himself, he saw that his new, non-physical body was a duplicate of the one he’d left behind. There was only one difference. He flexed his hand a couple of times. “Nothing hurts anymore. That’s a plus.”
He moved forward, feeling very light and buoyant as he observed a sunny area in the distance. When he focused on it, he noted a pleasing sensation in his chest. The feeling reminded him of happy times in his childhood. He’d often explored the woodlands and meadows surrounding his family’s home. Their beauty had filled him with the same excitement and pleasure. As he walked towards the light, he smiled. Somehow, he knew he was back where he belonged, in his true home, one where the heaviness of earth would be left behind.
“William, thank god I found you!”
“What the—” William stopped short and turned around. He was shocked to see Arel standing a few yards away. An immediate question came to mind. “Dammit! How did you get here?”
Arel grinned back. “Can you believe it? I was wandering around for a while. Then I realized I could simply state my desire to find you. As soon as I did, I was transported here.”
William stumbled back a few feet. “I thought this peaceful little cloud was too good to be true. I must be in hell.”
“You don’t sound like you’re very happy to see me.”
William couldn’t reply. His mouth was hanging open with disbelief. He knew Arel could be a little dense, but he never imagined how unable Arel was of recognizing his ignorance.
Arel moved a little closer. “Will, say something? This is a momentous accomplishment on my part.”
William took a couple of breaths and got his voice back, along with an acute case of irritation. “Oh, I’m sorry. Should I be thanking you for blasting me out of existence?”
“You were dying anyway.”
“I might have lived a little longer, you imbecile, but you made sure that didn’t happen.”
“I did my best! The point is that you have to go back. You don’t have to stay here.”
“How do you know that?”
“I don’t know how I know these things. It’s just a very strong feeling that I have.”
“I don’t want to go back. I have nothing to go back to, remember?”
“Of course you do! You love life, Will. You love it more than anyone I’ve ever met.”
“Right, I did until you spoiled everything.”
“I want to make it up to you. Things will be different, I promise.”
“Leave me alone. Let me rest in pea
ce. Heaven, hell, wherever I’m at, has nothing to do with you. That’s one perk that comes with being dead. I won’t have to have you torturing me constantly.” William paused and stared hard at Arel. “Unless you’re the devil. Is that it? Have you always been the devil, and I didn’t know it. Maybe you’ve been deceiving me all these years.”
Arel shook his head. “No, it’s not true! I’m not the devil. Besides, neither I nor you believe there’s such a thing.”
“Just go away.”
“I won’t go away, not until you agree to go back to your body!”
“No, I won’t go back and that’s final.”
Arel gave him the blinky-eyed look of a child finding out that Christmas had been canceled. “Please, Will, you have to do this.”
“Why? What difference does it make to you? You have your own life. Now that you’ve finally killed me, you’re free to play with your new friends or should I say family.”
“We’re brothers! You’re my closest family.”
“Don’t bring up that subject. I was in excruciating pain because of your insane idea about making me your ‘blood’ brother.”
“If you go back, your hand will heal.”
“I suppose you have another strong feeling about that too.” William started to walk towards a bright opening he saw in front of him. “Good bye, Arel. Have a great life without me.”
“Will, I’m begging you. I can’t lose you too!”
William swiveled round. “So that’s it. You lost your real brother, and you want a substitute. Do you realize how co-dependent you are? Grow up, Arel! Once and for all, realize that you have to take responsibility for yourself.”
“Maybe you’re right. Maybe I am dependent, but I know this is wrong. You and I are connected in a way that I can’t explain. Remember how you had that vision of us working together?”
“I don’t give a damn about that now. I’m dead, and I’m going to enjoy being dead.”
In an instant, Arel was standing next to him, grabbing hold of his arms. “No, I won’t let you go!”