asks.
Something I hadn’t felt before begins to fill me up from the inside out; a fire, burning my chest as it tries to rake its way outward, flooding my veins. It’s extremely uncomfortable, so I release my hold on it and let it fill me. An image of the blonde girl flashes in my mind, and I feel at peace for a moment. Then, God places his hands on my shoulders and the girl is gone. Katherine , her name is. I feel her inside of me, her l ight burning, her heart beating and her feelings.
“She needs you as much as you need her, Tristan. You are not only hurting yourself, but hurting her, too. Without you, she won’t survive. You see, Tristan, every one of my children has a protector, an angel sent to this Earth to make them happy, to make them strong. You were blind to this fact, Tristan, as are all the others. If you wish to return to your earthly body, you may have a second chance,” he says, pausing.
“Please,” I beg, falling to my knees. I need this angel- this Katherine- in my life. I need my life. I need her to heal my soul. “I am sorry, Lord. Please, I need this,” I say, feeling despair fill me.
“You need to accept my will; without it, I will not let you return,” God says. I nod, feeling a lightness fill me as he smiles. “Tristan, this act will not go un-punished. You defied me; turned your back on me when I could have helped you. You will search for Katherine, but you will find her wounded. Your Punishment requires you to face the reciprocations of your Earthly actions. Also, your own feelings will be dulled, but you will feel Katherine’s, and hers will be heightened. Her fate is sealed, Tristan. You have watched her kill herself, and you will have to feel her struggle to stay together.
“Because you accept my will, Katherine shall live. The vision I showed you, of her death, is from the future; two years ahead of our time. Until then, she will feel what you should have been feeling for the past two months, for she has been punished as well for her future act of defiance. When you feel your emotions returning, that is when you should pay extremely close attention to those around you. Tristan, I am a loving God, but turning your back on me is the most wretched kind of blasphe my, and this is your Punishment. This is what you need to heal your soul. This is what you need to make things right, ” he finishes.
I wasn’t sure whether to cry or jump with joy; she’s safe, I’m safe, we both get second chances. I was still confused, not quite grasping the information being hurled at me, but nevertheless I was elated at the fact that I would return to find her.
* * *
I stare at Katherine’s shocked face, not sure whether to say something or just shut up. She makes the decision for me as tears pour from her eyes, spilling onto her pale cheeks and dripping off the sides of her face. About to open my mouth, I watch as Katherine sits upright and buries her face in her hands, releasing a sob so fierce I feel an ache in my stomach.
“Katie?” I say, sitting up and moving to face her. No response, just heartbroken sobs. “Katherine?” this time, I try grasping her hand, but she pulls away from me and my heart drops into my stomach. Did I unload too much on her? Too soon? Desperate for her to acknowledge me, I say, “Please don’t cry. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to-”
She cuts me off with a look so disbelieving it shocks me. “You think I’m mad at you?” Katherine shakes her head, tears flinging off her cheeks like salty rain. “I can’t believe you- you would think that,” she lets out another sob, covering her face with her hands again. Before I have time to say something else, she sits up straight, hands traveling forward and grasping my face.
“You are forbidden to ever think I am upset with you again! Unless I tell you, physically say to you ‘I’m upset with you,’ I never want you to even think I am anything but grateful,” she says, green eyes locking me in a trance.
Something I hadn’t felt before begins to fill me up from the inside out; a fire, burning my chest as it tries to rake its way outward, flooding my veins. It’s extremely uncomfortable, so I release my hold on it and let it fill me. An image of the blonde girl flashes in my mind, and I feel at peace for a moment. Then, God places his hands on my shoulders and the girl is gone. Katherine , her name is. I feel her inside of me, her l ight burning, her heart beating and her feelings.
“She needs you as much as you need her, Tristan. You are not only hurting yourself, but hurting her, too. Without you, she won’t survive. You see, Tristan, every one of my children has a protector, an angel sent to this Earth to make them happy, to make them strong. You were blind to this fact, Tristan, as are all the others. If you wish to return to your earthly body, you may have a second chance,” he says, pausing.
“Please,” I beg, falling to my knees. I need this angel- this Katherine- in my life. I need my life. I need her to heal my soul. “I am sorry, Lord. Please, I need this,” I say, feeling despair fill me.
“You need to accept my will; without it, I will not let you return,” God says. I nod, feeling a lightness fill me as he smiles. “Tristan, this act will not go un-punished. You defied me; turned your back on me when I could have helped you. You will search for Katherine, but you will find her wounded. Your Punishment requires you to face the reciprocations of your Earthly actions. Also, your own feelings will be dulled, but you will feel Katherine’s, and hers will be heightened. Her fate is sealed, Tristan. You have watched her kill herself, and you will have to feel her struggle to stay together.
“Because you accept my will, Katherine shall live. The vision I showed you, of her death, is from the future; two years ahead of our time. Until then, she will feel what you should have been feeling for the past two months, for she has been punished as well for her future act of defiance. When you feel your emotions returning, that is when you should pay extremely close attention to those around you. Tristan, I am a loving God, but turning your back on me is the most wretched kind of blasphe my, and this is your Punishment. This is what you need to heal your soul. This is what you need to make things right, ” he finishes.
I wasn’t sure whether to cry or jump with joy; she’s safe, I’m safe, we both get second chances. I was still confused, not quite grasping the information being hurled at me, but nevertheless I was elated at the fact that I would return to find her.
* * *
I stare at Katherine’s shocked face, not sure whether to say something or just shut up. She makes the decision for me as tears pour from her eyes, spilling onto her pale cheeks and dripping off the sides of her face. About to open my mouth, I watch as Katherine sits upright and buries her face in her hands, releasing a sob so fierce I feel an ache in my stomach.
“Katie?” I say, sitting up and moving to face her. No response, just heartbroken sobs. “Katherine?” this time, I try grasping her hand, but she pulls away from me and my heart drops into my stomach. Did I unload too much on her? Too soon? Desperate for her to acknowledge me, I say, “Please don’t cry. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to-”
She cuts me off with a look so disbelieving it shocks me. “You think I’m mad at you?” Katherine shakes her head, tears flinging off her cheeks like salty rain. “I can’t believe you- you would think that,” she lets out another sob, covering her face with her hands again. Before I have time to say something else, she sits up straight, hands traveling forward and grasping my face.
“You are forbidden to ever think I am upset with you again! Unless I tell you, physically say to you ‘I’m upset with you,’ I never want you to even think I am anything but grateful,” she says, green eyes locking me in a trance.
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