Chapter 9 - Back From The Dead

Back From The Dead

A Novel

By Paul McCann

 

Chapter 9

Trains Beyond The Sky      

He was standing at the station now knowing where to go ,  with a suitcase in his hand and the memory of the family he used to know . A train pulled in at the station and he stepped on board with the last words his wife had said still running through his head . She didn’t want to be part of his life anymore and she already had another place to live and he wasn’t part of her plan in the years that lay ahead .

As the train pulled away from the station, he stared into space still in shock of what had happened .He relived the moment over and over in his head after returning home from work and finding an empty house waiting for him . All that was left was his suitcase . She had packed him some of his clothes with a goodbye letter  attached .

He looked around the carriage where he was sitting and saw a young girl facing him  with this blank expression on her face . She just kept staring at him so he tried not to notice and closed his eyes pretending he wasn’t there . As long as he couldn’t see anyone then they couldn’t see him which is what he really wanted at this time . ‘The train went around and around for hours and he just stayed on board not knowing where to go or what to do . Living in a trauma of losing his wife and children was something he had never done before and he had no idea what to do . They had gone somewhere and he had no idea of where that was .

As the train rolled into the night no one got on and no one got off .

“It’s an unusual way of life isn’t it . If you’d even call it a life ?”

The girl facing him said .

He looked at her and had no response .

He would have liked to tell her exactly what had happened to him but he thought she would never understand .

The miles went by into the darkness of the night and the train rolled on and on along the track until the girl facing him said ,

“Well, this is the end of the line . It’s time for us to get off now ?”

“Get off where ?”

He said ,

“To the place where they sort things out for those who have committed suicide. “

“Don’t be playing silly games with me , what are you talking about ?”

“Look at your left arm my dear corpse friend ?

In his arm he saw a needle stuck there  . He gasped and said.

“How did that get there “

She responded .

“Don’t you recall sticking the needle in and injecting yourself with heroin . After a while you will start to recall everything that happened . As soon as they get things sorted out but make no mistake, you’re a dead as a doornail “

“All that I remember is my wife leaving me with all the children.

 ” Actually I‘m like to guide while you’re in transition to the afterlife . So let me try to explain , you died from an overdose of heroin and left your wife and family behind to get on with their lives without you . Your brain kind of programmed a story that would be more acceptable for you to cope with and so now the hard stuff will begin after you death . It’s time for you to repay the debt of what you did ?”

A tall gruesome figure came into the carriage and grabbed the tag that was on his big toe . He read aloud the name and age with the cause of death .,

“Let’s go, all you druggies are the same, you never learn “

He said putting  his arms around the corpse , then he was carried from the train to a waiting room . He was in a section for all drug related suicides.

His guide was still with him and she said ,

“Most likely you will be sent to the hospital here for a total recovery plan before they send you unless you don’t get sent back and that’s the biggest worry for you “

“So where would I be sent to and what if I don’t get sent back?

\He asked .

“She just stared at him for a while and said ,’

“ If you’re sent back you’ll be reborn and return to earth to live a new life facing all the challenges that you had done previously and if you commit suicide again chances are you’ll be sent to hell for the rest of eternity and take my word for it hell is not a place where you want to go to ?”

“I thought all that stuff about heaven and hell was just a myth “

She replied ,

“Think again because you are now in between both of those places waiting to get things sorted . I hope and pray for your sake that they will sent you back “

He was approached by a person wearing a dark shroud who picked him up like a feather and carried him to a large room where a crowd of people sat . It resembled a court room with a judge and jury . Some of the faces there he recognised as family and friends who had previously died .

“His suitcase was taken from him and the judge took out all the paperwork from inside and began to read through all the reports of what he had done with his life . Then he handed out the reports to the jury who also ready the story of his life in detail ,The good and bad things all were presented .

Some of those who were present there were called to give a reference of his character . After some deliberation , the jury made their decision and handed that to the judge who ready to pass on the decision of what was going to happen .

He spoke with authority saying.

“You died from drug related overdose at your own hands , which is also a murder charge however this is the first time you have committed this crime and, in that case, you are to be sent back for one more time to life on earth . Now if you should  return again with this charge you will go to hell for the rest of eternity with no chance of getting out . This is your last chance . One more thing all the memory of this will be erased from your memory before you return to your new life .You will remember nothing about this place or what had been said . You are to be taken from this place to do a rehabilitation for a period to be determined before being sent back to earth “

He was removed from the court by another person wearing a white shroud .

The guide walked alongside them and said  ,

“You are so lucky my corpse companion . Please next time try to do the right thing otherwise there’s no hope for you to be sent back again “

Outside the court was a railway station where some stood with chains on their hands and feet ,. They were put on the train screaming in fear of where they were going.

Another platform had a few who stood peacefully as the train arrived .

:They were assisted on board by a group of angels “

He stood there on a side track where a steam train rolled in . The guide smiled briefly and said. 

“This is the train to Rehab . Soon you’ll forget all of this and even me . I will try to make enquiries about how things are going for you from time however you will forget me and everything else on your return . It’s time for you to go  now . Goodbye and good luck . ‘

 End of chapter 9

 

link to chapter 10

 

https://www.abctales.com/story/mcscraic/chapter-10-back-dead

 

Back From The Dead

A Novel

By Paul McCann