It was his final hour his lungs stopped receiving air and slowly his heart came to a halt. When his eyes opened again he found a beautiful young woman smiling down at him sweetly. Her pale face was slim and her eyes a gorgeous light blue.
-“Where am I?”-he asked nervously. She bent down and helped him stand back up tenderly, her movements graceful and paused.
-“You died, this is the after and before life”-her voice sounded like a soothing autumn breeze. Her touch was cold but not too cold.
-“Who are you? I’m so confused…”-he let her pick him up and looked around. There were infinite stars all around them; they seemed to go on forever without a horizon at sight.
-“I’m Death! Don’t you worry. All recently deceased people feel like that except by very wise people or people who really had no care in life…they don’t have any care in death either”-she explained with a sweet smile-“Would you like to drink a cup of coffee or tea? I’d love for you to share with me your story!”-
-“My life was awful. I don’t think you want to listen to it”-he sharply replied. She looked into his eyes and sighed, hers were filled with an ancient profound sadness.
-“That’s a shame…I know my sisters can be a little harsh at times but most people think of me as bad. I thought you’d like to be my friend; I really enjoyed watching you grow. It’s always painful to bring you here”-
He looked at her surprised and then confused. When he thought of Death he never imagined she would be like this but neither did he think she was mean.
-“No! I’m sorry; I do want to be your friend. I was actually desperate to meet you!”-he blurted making her raise her eyebrows and then laugh. She created around them a gorgeous garden with a rocky path leading to a small house. Without saying anything Death walked off into the house. He was confused but he didn’t want to be left behind so he hurried after her.
The ambiance within the house was cozy and warm. She sang in an unknown language with a melodious velvety voice as she prepared a cup of his favorite tea. There was a couch where he cautiously decided to sit down. After it was finished she sat beside him offering him the steaming cup.
-“How did you know this was my favorite?”-he asked after taking a sip.
-“I told you, I watched you grow up. How are you feeling now? I know you wanted to meet me…but I can’t help but to feel bad about how you came to me!”-
He lowered his eyes and stared into the dark liquid inside the cup before replying in a whisper.
-“I’m really sorry; I thought it was the only way. Wait, why do you want me to tell you my story if you already know it?”-
-“You’ll see…when humans come to me I let them narrate their stories so they say goodbye to that life they had and they realize what they learned so in their next life things will be easier to remember”-
-“So…so I’m just going to be born again?”-
Death opened her mouth to reply when another two women came inside the room. One was really short with bright blonde hair and wild green eyes. The other one was taller and with a darker tone of skin, both her hair and eyes were a dark brown.
-“I don’t understand why you’re here!! It was somewhat exciting but excruciatingly painful! Are you insane?!”-the blonde one yelled at the young man.
-“Life! What have I told you about screaming? He recently passed away for the love of spirits, treat him nicely”-Death slowly defended him.
-“Death is right, I’m also sad I didn’t get to be with him longer and watch him truly mature but we aren’t easy to deal with. Suffering is one of our essential traits”-the brunette added gently.
-“I…I know. But I love you so much; I wanted to have fun with you! I loved watching you laugh and cried each time you did so. I’m sorry I’m so chaotic…I don’t mean to hurt anyone! But there are so many threads and actions playing a part of each individual…why did I have to be so complex? Maybe if I weren’t then you would have liked me more”-Life looked extremely young and somehow felt extremely old to him at the same time. She sat down silently crying and he couldn’t help but feel angry.
-“I hated every single thing about you! Don’t start crying now! I was exhausted, I couldn’t continue and I’m sure everyone is better without me anyways”-
-“I wish I could explain to you how wrong you truly are! So many people are mourning you right now. Their pain is deep and it makes me sad. I know I’m complicated but I have to be if you want to become who you truly are! A god, someone like us”-she explained with her green eyes flaming with passion.
-“I am the one who made you suffer; I’m also the one who made you feel any other emotion. I am the one who shapes you and if you walk by my side long enough you’ll understand everything becoming a god”-the brunette woman explained, her gaze firm and determined.
-“Who are you?”-he asked looking at her intrigued.
-“My name is Experience. Life, Death and I constitute the essentials of any human being. Life is the force to move forward you’re born with, she is your passions, your emotions and in a way the young part of your soul. Death, on the other hand, is your accumulated wisdom, she is peace, she is the sweet friend who waits for all of you after watching you grow and welcomes you before guiding you to your next life”-Experience explained with a composed but firm tone.
-“And what do you do?”-
-“I’m the one who takes you between the two, if you truly engage with me then I represent growth and maturity. I help you blossom into your true potential if you know how to play your cards correctly, most humans have to live different lives to get the hand of how I work. Some even need to experience various lives simultaneously! Interacting with themselves to be able to grow”-she replied with her earthy voice.
-“So…if I had continued my life I would have learned a bit more from you so I didn’t have to live another life?”-
-“Don’t worry so much about your next lives, you’ll forget them. Tell Death your story and you might remember a thing or two, inside your soul everything is registered. One day you’ll get access to it all and become a god. For now, forgive yourself. We know how hard it is to experience, I am the hardest to deal with from my sisters. But we all love you; all those people you ever loved are you. They share your same energy and you were all generated from the same thing…our love”-
-“I’ll be there with you next try! I hope now you’ll pay a bit more attention to the details and lessons we offer every single day. And do have some fun with me! I hate when people are boring, besides you’ll actually kill Death with boredom if you tell her that kind of story!”-Life commented before hugging him tightly.
-“Thank you…the three of you. I feel better now…I think. Can I tell the three of you my story?”-
The sisters exchanged a look that combined surprise with a sense of deep gratitude only they could understand. They nodded in unison and sat down around him as he told them his story. What he didn’t know is that he had been a hero; he would be again a woman who changed the world and also the bravest firefighter of his country. He had been and would be many things but the sisters only cared about watching him grow and hopefully remember their encounter.