This isn’t happening…I have so much left to do…I can’t leave my girls behind, all alone…
Anthony laid on the cold, marble floor, in a pile of his own blood. The bullet had made a perfect entry and exit out of his body, barely clipping the left side of his heart just enough for him to cling to life a little bit longer instead of killing him instantaneously. Death was inevitable though, slowly making her approach towards Anthony, to lead him away from the physical dimension into The All-Knowing. He couldn’t move. He just laid there and watched Death walk casually across the bank’s cold, marble floor towards him.
The world had the perception of Death all wrong, Anthony thought. Death wasn’t a skeleton draped in a grey cloak, holding a scythe. Death wasn’t ugly nor scary. She was beautiful…graceful…and radiated nothing but love.
Death knelt down and offered Anthony her hand. A gentle smile was on Death’s face. “It’s ok, Anthony. There’s nothing to fear.”
Anthony took Death’s hand and slowly stood up. He looked down at his chest, there wasn’t any blood, no hole, nothing. It was if he had never been shot, but once he looked past his chest, down to the floor, he saw his body lying in its own pool of blood. Anthony looked up into Death’s eyes, they were kind and understanding.
“Alright, Anthony. It’s time to go.”
“But I can’t go now! My job…my friends…my girls…” Anthony replied. “They need me! I need them…”
“You did exactly what you came to do this lifetime, Anthony. Your job, friends, girls, this was all by design, the design you all agreed upon. You fulfilled your side of it, and you did it perfectly. You should be very proud of yourself. It’s not easy sacrificing yourself for others.” Anthony was a little unsure, but deep down, he felt a sense of truth behind Death’s words.
Anthony broke his gaze with Death and looked around the bank, but there wasn’t anyone there, not even his body. Indeed, it was time to go. They began walking towards the bank’s doors.
When they got to the bank’s entrance, Death held the door open for Anthony. “Are you ready?”
Anthony stood at the doorway, looking outside. Everything looked the same, but there weren’t any people about. That’s strange. He gave Death a nod and walked through the door.
When Anthony stepped outside, the sun was blinding, forcing him to cover his eyes from the intensity of it. He lowered his hand and shook the temporary blindness from his eyes.
Anthony stood staring in complete awe. Remarkable! He found himself standing in the middle of a field with snow-capped mountains in the background, and a babbling brook to his left, leading towards the mountain range. The sky was full of puffy, white clouds rolling gently along.
The colors. The colors were so intense as if he had been blind and had never seen them before. They were absolutely beautiful, singing to him, washing over him, filling his heart with love and happiness.