Troubled Seas
Deja Vu
It was white. Everything was white. It was absolutely blinding. Katie blinked several times, trying to adjust her eyes to the whiteness. It took a while, but finally she was able to look around her.
There wasn’t much to see. Just a lone palm tree with three coconuts lying below it on the white ground. Katie hurried to the tree, not wanting to be the only living, colored object in this white world.
“Katrina?”
She whirled around, searching for the owner of the voice. Her eyes caught on the only other human within sight. “Benjamin!” her voice hitched.
“Katrina! My beloved baby sister,” he rushed to her side, capturing her in an emotional embrace and refusing to let go. “What happened?”
“I…I don’t know. Where am I Benjamin?” she asked, frightful.
“Oh Katie,” his voice was filled with remorse. “My precious sister, you are in the hereafter.”
“I’m…I’m dead?”
“No, not quite dead Kate. You are hovering between life and death,” he informed her.
“So this isn’t heaven?”
“No and it’s not hell either, not that I can ever imagine you ending up in a place like that,” he frowned at the very thought of it.
“What am I doing here? What happened to me?” her eyes pleaded with his for answers.
“I’m so sorry Katrina. I’m so sorry I wasn’t the brother you deserved, I’m sorry I let you down. Oh Katrina please forgive me!” Benjamin began to cry.
“Benjamin! You’re scaring me! What are you apologizing for,” she hugged him closer trying to stop his tears.
“For abandoning you and letting those horrible natives scar you! For letting them ruin your life, oh Katrina, how could I have brought you on that voyage? I should have left you home where you would have been safe and none of this would ever have occurred.
“And now my poor baby sister is gallivanting about with dangerous pirates and letting one dastardly pirate take advantage of her! Running your name through mud and tarnishing your reputation, our family's reputation! Oh Katrina,” he lamented.
“Benjamin you don’t know what you’re talking about! Jack isn’t dangerous, he is my friend. The only thing he cares about is making sure I survive this wretched curse, I swear it,” she said in earnest.
“Then why is he so interested in going between your skirts? Why does he have you dressing like a man? Why was he fighting with you right before you came here?”
“Because-Because-oh I don’t know Benjamin! But what does it matter anyway? I’m here now aren’t I? I’m going to die aren’t I? All of this upsetting conversation will have been for null.”
“Kate, this is your chance to decide. You can give into your fate and come with me to the gates of heaven, or you can fight. You can fight to live even though all the odds are stacked up against you. The decision is yours.”
“What is heaven like Benjamin?” her wide blue eyes watched his with rapt attention.
“It’s wonderful Kate, everything is warm and beautiful. The world is filled with love, harmony, and peace. And you get to watch the people you left behind grow and change,” his voice was serene as he disclosed this information with his younger sister.
“What should I do Benjamin?” she begged his guidance.
“I can’t tell you that Kate, this is a decision you and you alone must make. But tell me Kate, what back on Earth is worth your return there?”
Katie thought, she thought of her family, of her home, of her island, of the new life she had carved out for herself, of Jack. Jack. Jack who had once been the best person in her life and was now her tormentor. Was he worth returning to? Or would he be better off, would he be happier, without her?
She made up her mind, turning to her brother with a look of determination she made her decision. “Benjamin, I want to…”
There wasn’t much to see. Just a lone palm tree with three coconuts lying below it on the white ground. Katie hurried to the tree, not wanting to be the only living, colored object in this white world.
“Katrina?”
She whirled around, searching for the owner of the voice. Her eyes caught on the only other human within sight. “Benjamin!” her voice hitched.
“Katrina! My beloved baby sister,” he rushed to her side, capturing her in an emotional embrace and refusing to let go. “What happened?”
“I…I don’t know. Where am I Benjamin?” she asked, frightful.
“Oh Katie,” his voice was filled with remorse. “My precious sister, you are in the hereafter.”
“I’m…I’m dead?”
“No, not quite dead Kate. You are hovering between life and death,” he informed her.
“So this isn’t heaven?”
“No and it’s not hell either, not that I can ever imagine you ending up in a place like that,” he frowned at the very thought of it.
“What am I doing here? What happened to me?” her eyes pleaded with his for answers.
“I’m so sorry Katrina. I’m so sorry I wasn’t the brother you deserved, I’m sorry I let you down. Oh Katrina please forgive me!” Benjamin began to cry.
“Benjamin! You’re scaring me! What are you apologizing for,” she hugged him closer trying to stop his tears.
“For abandoning you and letting those horrible natives scar you! For letting them ruin your life, oh Katrina, how could I have brought you on that voyage? I should have left you home where you would have been safe and none of this would ever have occurred.
“And now my poor baby sister is gallivanting about with dangerous pirates and letting one dastardly pirate take advantage of her! Running your name through mud and tarnishing your reputation, our family's reputation! Oh Katrina,” he lamented.
“Benjamin you don’t know what you’re talking about! Jack isn’t dangerous, he is my friend. The only thing he cares about is making sure I survive this wretched curse, I swear it,” she said in earnest.
“Then why is he so interested in going between your skirts? Why does he have you dressing like a man? Why was he fighting with you right before you came here?”
“Because-Because-oh I don’t know Benjamin! But what does it matter anyway? I’m here now aren’t I? I’m going to die aren’t I? All of this upsetting conversation will have been for null.”
“Kate, this is your chance to decide. You can give into your fate and come with me to the gates of heaven, or you can fight. You can fight to live even though all the odds are stacked up against you. The decision is yours.”
“What is heaven like Benjamin?” her wide blue eyes watched his with rapt attention.
“It’s wonderful Kate, everything is warm and beautiful. The world is filled with love, harmony, and peace. And you get to watch the people you left behind grow and change,” his voice was serene as he disclosed this information with his younger sister.
“What should I do Benjamin?” she begged his guidance.
“I can’t tell you that Kate, this is a decision you and you alone must make. But tell me Kate, what back on Earth is worth your return there?”
Katie thought, she thought of her family, of her home, of her island, of the new life she had carved out for herself, of Jack. Jack. Jack who had once been the best person in her life and was now her tormentor. Was he worth returning to? Or would he be better off, would he be happier, without her?
She made up her mind, turning to her brother with a look of determination she made her decision. “Benjamin, I want to…”