Just to Hold You Close and Tight

During the next week, every day was so alike; I knew I would have gone insane if Friday never came. Every day I woke up, went to school, same home, did my home work, and went to sleep. Ray was always by my side.

Friday was different, though. We went out to eat with Ben. I had become really good friends with Ben, though we hadn’t known each other for that long. The attitude he had on the first day we met had evaporated. I really liked him.

We said out goodbyes after dinner casually, and then I drove Ray and myself home. I was in a really good mood. Not only had I had fun, but the weather was beautiful, considering the time of year. It meant I would be able to sneak out again. I didn’t even suspect what was coming.

Ray and I were laying in out sleeping bag, just enjoying out proximity. I sighed.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing’s wrong,” I replied. “That was a sigh of relief. The week is over, and I’m free of school.”

He laughed, but he stopped short. I was confused for a moment. Then I heard the footsteps approaching us. Suddenly, and unexpected figure stood at the foot of our sleeping bag.

“I knew I’d find you here,” Ben said, smiling.

I thought about scrambling out of the sleeping bag so that our situation didn’t look so… bad, but it was a little too late. He had already seen.

“What are you doing here?” Ray hissed more viciously than I would have thought possible.

“Obviously I’m interrupting something,” Ben replied.

Ray glared at him. “Not much. How did you know you’d find us here?”

“I was told,” Ben said, frowning.

Panic shot through me. “Told!” I exclaimed. “By who?”

“Relax,” he said. “I’ll tell you everything.” He sat at the edge of the sleeping bag. I angrily went to push him off… and found that I was pushing nothing. My hands when right through him.

Ray let out a long string of profanities I hadn’t heard him use ever before. The he said, “Ben, what the hell happened? Explain!”

I could only pull back my hands, utterly shocked.

Ben sighed. “When I left the restaurant, I got into a car accident.”

Ray was stunned into silence. However, I managed to choke out, “You’re dead?” I couldn’t piece everything together. It wasn’t all possible.

“Sort of,” he said slowly. “I died, and I was in a room full of bold colors. Someone told me what to do next. I have a lot to get through in not that much time… My body is still alive, in a coma, but I’m not going to return to it.”

He stared at us for a second, waiting for a response. Once he realized neither of us were going to say a word, he continued, “They told me so much… where do I start?” I had no idea who he was referring to when he said “they.” “Let’s see… well, telling you all this is my unfinished business. Once I do what I have to, I can move on.”

“Good for you,” Ray mumbled.

“Maybe,” Ben said, grimacing, “but not any better than for you. Ray, I’m supposed to move on. You aren’t. You have to stay with Amber.”

Ray’s face lit up. “Really? They told you that? You mean Amber really is my unfinished business?” They had completely lost me. How could I follow their conversation when I didn’t know who this “they” was that the two of them kept talking about? It occurred to me that it was something beyond my understanding – something you have to die to understand.

“Of course,” Ben snapped. “You knew that all along. You were never supposed to die. They told me that if you were in the exact same accident now, you wouldn’t die because you’d have something to live for. Amber, of course. But since you hadn’t met her yet… you died.”

“What are you getting at, Ben?” Ray asked.

Ben looked straight into Ray’s eyes and held them. “I can’t go back to my body,” he said, “but you can.”