Ascension: Part II

This is the second part in a series, so if you have not already done so, you might want to read Part I before continuing.

As Agatha watched and waited, she wondered when she would be allowed to move on. She had heard once that it took about a year to recover from losing someone, but her first acquaintance in this strange new world was right in that time moved differently here and she wasn’t sure how much time had passed. Had it been a year yet? Six months? Three years?

All she knew was that something kept pulling her back to them. She watched them grieve her in their different ways and she was disappointed to see their grief drive a wedge between them instead of a bond.

Her son, in particular, had always pushed people away when he was in pain and he was an expert at it. He always knew just what to say to inflict the most pain on someone, and she watched him employ that dark talent now with deadly precision. And the more he pushed away the living, the tighter he held onto her. It felt like a noose that kept tightening around Agatha and pulling her downwards when all she wanted was to go up.

Her frustration was aggravated as she watched all the new arrivals who came in after her ascend before her. For all that people talked about wishing someone would miss them when they were gone, Agatha was beginning to wish she had left behind no one who loved her. At least those who were lonely on earth were able to achieve peace more quickly than those who still had attachments down below. Suddenly, dying alone sounded very appealing.

But Agatha had not died alone and her family had loved her dearly and she tried to remember that that was a blessing.

Until her husband died.

“Finally,” he said when he saw her.

“Finally? How long has it been?”

“10 long years.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Why would I kid about something like that?”

“It’s been ten years and that little shit still won’t let me move on?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Our son! He won’t let me go, so I’m stuck here while everyone else gets to ascend.”

“Oh. Yeah, he took it really hard when you died.”

“You think?”

“So, it’s true then? You’ve been watching over us this whole time?”

“Not by choice.”

“Well, at least now we can watch together.”

Agatha’s resentment melted away at those words. “That’s true. Hey, want to watch your funeral?”

“Really? I can do that?”

“Of course.”

So they watched his funeral together. A lot of the same people who had been at Agatha’s funeral were there, but many of them had already passed on. There were some there who had not been at Agatha’s funeral as the offspring of their friends had procreated and new friends and neighbors had moved in after Agatha’s death.

It seemed like the funeral had just ended when Agatha felt her husband pulling away from her. “Wait. Where are you going?”

“It feels like I’m ascending.”

“Wait. What? He’s already letting you go while I’m still stuck here?”

“You always were the favorite,” he said before disappearing.

“Oh, come on!”

To be continued…