But you don’t look dead, either.” She bites her lip, thinking. “If you’re so dead…how’d you die?”
Every muscle in my body seems to ache at once. Though this is a reasonable question, I’m not prepared for it. My throat seems unbearably dry, and I’m not sure I can answer. It’s been so long since I’ve allowed myself to think about that night.
Charlie must see the pain in my face because she says, “Oh, my gosh. You’re being completely serious. You’re, like, dead.”
My stare falls to the floor. I can’t meet her gaze. I don’t want her knowing this about me. But for some reason, the words tumble out. “Yeah. It was a car accident.”
Charlie wraps her arms around my waist and hugs me. I bury my face in her hair and squeeze my eyes shut. “My dad wanted to go to the store to get brownie mix, of all things. He begged me to go, said he needed backup.” I let my head fall back. “This damn deer was just standing in the street.”
It’s like I can’t stop. Stop!
“He died first. I watched him. I watched my dad die. After that, I just kind of let go.”
Charlie leans back and raises my chin, and in that moment, I see something in her eyes I hadn’t noticed before. It’s compassion, yes, but there’s something else. Though we met almost three days ago, it seems like she’s seeing me for the first time. “Hey,” she says gently. “It was an accident.”
I nod.
Her arms around me suddenly feel less like a friendly hug, and more like something else entirely. Against my chest, Charlie’s words hum near my skin. The sensation sends a shiver down my back, though I can’t imagine why. “He didn’t know that would happen.”
I nod again.
“You and I aren’t so different,” she says, rubbing a small hand up my arm. “Except that I somehow survived.”
Survival is the exact reason I’m here. To get a second shot at life on earth. I reach inside my pocket and touch my penny, the one Dad gave me on my seventeenth birthday. The one I told him was not my thing .
Rubbing my face, I push him to the back of my mind. This whole conversation has gotten way too emotional, and I have to put a stop to it. We both died that night, but he went one way, and I went another. And now here I am.
“Listen, you know how I told you I’d make you beautiful? I have something for you.” I pull the contract out of my back pocket and hold it out to Charlie.
“What is it?” She takes the contract and watches me expectantly.
“Well, like I said, I’m a collector. I came to collect your soul.”
She cringes, and all the things I’d just seen on her face, things that said she saw something in me—they vanish. I try to soften my approach.
“I know that sounds bad, but isn’t that where you want to go when you die?”
“Heaven?” she asks.
“Sure.”
“Yeah. Yes. But I’m not ready to die now.” Her eyes widen with fear. “There are things I still want to do. And what about my grandma? She’d have no one.”
I see my opening to close the deal, and I take it. “That’s the best part. You’ll go on living even after your soul is collected. And in the meantime, we’ll give you anything you want in return.”
“Like a selling your soul kinda thing?” she asks.
I smile and shake my head. “Yeah, exactly. It’s a win-win.”
“I don’t know. This feels weird.”
“There’s nothing to feel weird about. Think of it as a gift. You want us to have your soul anyway, and we’re willing to pay for it.”
“I know, but it’s strange to think I’ll be walking around soulless.”
I squeeze the bridge of my nose. I’m so close to ending this, I can taste it. This needs to be over for my sanity’s sake. “Charlie, a million people would kill for this opportunity.”
She crosses the room and plops down on her bed. “This is a lot to process at three in the morning.”
“People are more open to grand ideas at three in the morning,” I say. “Charlie, let’s just do this. You
Every muscle in my body seems to ache at once. Though this is a reasonable question, I’m not prepared for it. My throat seems unbearably dry, and I’m not sure I can answer. It’s been so long since I’ve allowed myself to think about that night.
Charlie must see the pain in my face because she says, “Oh, my gosh. You’re being completely serious. You’re, like, dead.”
My stare falls to the floor. I can’t meet her gaze. I don’t want her knowing this about me. But for some reason, the words tumble out. “Yeah. It was a car accident.”
Charlie wraps her arms around my waist and hugs me. I bury my face in her hair and squeeze my eyes shut. “My dad wanted to go to the store to get brownie mix, of all things. He begged me to go, said he needed backup.” I let my head fall back. “This damn deer was just standing in the street.”
It’s like I can’t stop. Stop!
“He died first. I watched him. I watched my dad die. After that, I just kind of let go.”
Charlie leans back and raises my chin, and in that moment, I see something in her eyes I hadn’t noticed before. It’s compassion, yes, but there’s something else. Though we met almost three days ago, it seems like she’s seeing me for the first time. “Hey,” she says gently. “It was an accident.”
I nod.
Her arms around me suddenly feel less like a friendly hug, and more like something else entirely. Against my chest, Charlie’s words hum near my skin. The sensation sends a shiver down my back, though I can’t imagine why. “He didn’t know that would happen.”
I nod again.
“You and I aren’t so different,” she says, rubbing a small hand up my arm. “Except that I somehow survived.”
Survival is the exact reason I’m here. To get a second shot at life on earth. I reach inside my pocket and touch my penny, the one Dad gave me on my seventeenth birthday. The one I told him was not my thing .
Rubbing my face, I push him to the back of my mind. This whole conversation has gotten way too emotional, and I have to put a stop to it. We both died that night, but he went one way, and I went another. And now here I am.
“Listen, you know how I told you I’d make you beautiful? I have something for you.” I pull the contract out of my back pocket and hold it out to Charlie.
“What is it?” She takes the contract and watches me expectantly.
“Well, like I said, I’m a collector. I came to collect your soul.”
She cringes, and all the things I’d just seen on her face, things that said she saw something in me—they vanish. I try to soften my approach.
“I know that sounds bad, but isn’t that where you want to go when you die?”
“Heaven?” she asks.
“Sure.”
“Yeah. Yes. But I’m not ready to die now.” Her eyes widen with fear. “There are things I still want to do. And what about my grandma? She’d have no one.”
I see my opening to close the deal, and I take it. “That’s the best part. You’ll go on living even after your soul is collected. And in the meantime, we’ll give you anything you want in return.”
“Like a selling your soul kinda thing?” she asks.
I smile and shake my head. “Yeah, exactly. It’s a win-win.”
“I don’t know. This feels weird.”
“There’s nothing to feel weird about. Think of it as a gift. You want us to have your soul anyway, and we’re willing to pay for it.”
“I know, but it’s strange to think I’ll be walking around soulless.”
I squeeze the bridge of my nose. I’m so close to ending this, I can taste it. This needs to be over for my sanity’s sake. “Charlie, a million people would kill for this opportunity.”
She crosses the room and plops down on her bed. “This is a lot to process at three in the morning.”
“People are more open to grand ideas at three in the morning,” I say. “Charlie, let’s just do this. You
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