Part 2 : Getting the Wish
There was a light, brighter than anything she had ever known but it felt so primal and right that she kept going towards it. Not that she could quite help it; the thing was pulling her towards it. It felt almost like dying or being born or both. “Turning, turning, turning. The wheel is always turning.” This was it, the big transition, the next step. ~Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. Wish I may-~
-=Thunk=-
“Owies.”
Sometimes, people get the wish.
Nikki opened her eyes in time to see a neon green UFO fly over her head. “Wait. That can’t be right.” At second glance, it was a neon Frisbee tossed around by some college kids. “Okay, that makes more sense… I guess.” Things felt so… confusing. And the whole world was blinding sunlight. Nikki blinked and rubbed at her eyes. Gods, she would give anything for a pair of sunglasses right then.
For a few minutes, she sat in the grass and let her eyes adjust. When she could see again, she looked around. A green park surrounded her. The trees breathed around her, making her feel sheltered, safe. The grass underneath her was spring green and alive. There was a breeze that ran over her skin and blew her hair up out of her face. Every single feeling felt so brand new that she had the urge to cry. “It worked, it worked.” Oxygen was flooding her lungs. Blood was pounding through her vessels. Energy was running through her whole body. A laugh slipped past her and she started to spin around in dizzying circles.
She was alive.
…and she was floating. About a foot and a half off the ground.
“Woah!” -=Thunk=- “Ow.” For the second time in her new life, Nikki found herself on the ground.
“Nicole, close your mouth, you look like a fish.” She twisted around to see Lizbeth leaning against the tree next to her. “Welcome back to Midgard, Nicole.”
With a slightly sheepish expression, Nikki made her way to her feet and stared at Lizbeth. “Thanks. But why are you here?”
“Maybe I’m here to haunt you,” Lizbeth winked. “Actually, I’m-hey, where are you going?” The last was directed at Nikki who had disappeared around the tree trunk.
“Nowhere. I’m still listening though. ‘Actually, you’re’ what?” Half way up the trunk, Nikki found a thick branch for a handhold. Her toes found tiny cracks in the bark and she propelled herself up into the tree. She settled on a branch above Lizbeth and grinned. “Isn’t this familiar?”
A tortured sigh was the only answer she got. “Lord and Lady. Look, Nicole, the head honchos gave you back your body because, well I guess because you gave a convincing argument, but things are a little different this time around. They sent me down here to give you the basics. You are a pretty special case, sort of like an experiment. Now, you’re a messenger. Every now and then, you’ll have an assignment. You’ll have to track down someone and give them a message. It’s that simple. In return, you’ve got a few gifts. Your energy has a little more oomph to it than most people’s, and gravity doesn’t quite apply to you anymore.”
“Which would explain the floating then,” mused Nikki.
“Exactly. But be careful about using those gifts. You don’t want to advertise yourself.”
“Aww.”
“Restrain yourself, Nicole. Other than that, you’ve got a life all over again. Do what you want to do with it and be happy. Maybe this place will be a little more interesting than the Summerland, eh?”
“Here’s hoping.”
“They’ll probably send me down to tell you about your assignments, at least until I take my next turn. Oh, and here’s your first job. She’s in the area, a few klicks west of here. And you need to catch her by eleven or so tomorrow night. Here’s the assignment.” Lizbeth held up a thin sheet of notebook paper. Nikki grabbed it and skimmed over the sheet.
“I have to do that?”
“Yeah, it’s a toughie for your first try, but this is necessary. The girl will be important one day. Anyway, be good and have fun. I’ll see you again, sooner or later.” With a final wave, Lizbeth melted into the trunk of the tree and disappeared. Nikki swung her way back onto the ground and ran a hand over the tree. The bark was smooth and solid; real. “Well isn’t that a trip.” Nikki folded the paper and slipped them into her pocket. Then she noticed something. She was still wearing the same clothes she had when she died. The jeans were still blue and grass stained at the knees. The sandals were still falling apart at the seams. Her thin quartz necklace still circled her neck. Everything was the same. A slight smile crossed her face and she looked up at the sky. “Nice touch, guys.”
Whistling a sharp tune, Nikki headed off into the sunset of her second chance.
Pt 3: The Other
Return to the Notebook
