Prologue
Luz
As my boyfriend gets down on one knee the restaurant falls into silence. I think they’re all holding their breath along with me. It’s been five years together and I probably should have put two and two together from the fancy reservations and the wine he’d ordered us. Yet as I blinked down at him all I could think was that it was about damn time.
I could already hear mom’s excitement and dad’s prideful boasting of having someone to take over the ‘family’ business. We never had the heart to explain that Brad wasn’t exactly the hunting shop type. He loves Brad almost as much as I do though and that’s what matters.
“Yes,” I answer after a few beats and his whole body sags in relief. As I pull him to his feet and press my lips to his, the entire restaurant erupts into cheers and shouts of well wishes. When the waiter swings back by with a slice of chocolate cake it feels like some kind of dream. Stuff like this didn’t happen to me. Ever.
“Congratulations. This is on us,” he says as he sets the cake down. Brad is all smiles as he sits across from me, happier than I’ve seen him in weeks. Though now I think about it, his constant anxiety makes a bit more sense; the work issues must have been his cover for planning all of this.
“I finally got a surprise in, didn’t I?” he teases with a playful smile. I hold up the ring and admire the sparkling diamond on it. Subtle is more my style but even I can admit it’s gorgeous and likely cost him a few months’ wages. Brad is the type to go above and beyond for those he cares about and I can’t wait to marry him.
“You did,” I confirm with a grin.
“Are you happy?” In true Brad fashion he’s nervous and I bite back a chuckle.
“I am,” I promise. “Happier than you can imagine.” We share a glance before he picks up the fork and cuts off a piece of the cake, holding it out for me. It’s rich and chocolatey and somehow makes the evening even better.
Everything is finally falling into place. I’m getting married, landed a promotion, and in two weeks we’d be enjoying sun and sand on a much needed vacation.
By the time we finish our dessert and pay the bill, I’m practically bursting to call my mom and tell her the news. If she isn’t already in on it at least.
My focus is on my phone as we leave the restaurant, and if not for Brad’s hand on my waist I would have toppled over as a man runs by. The next few moments feel like time has stopped. The screeching of tires is followed by the loud blast of a gun. It takes several moments before anything else registers. Brad's screams, the wail of a siren, the cold that takes over my body before I’m falling to the ground.
“Stay with me,” Brad pleads, but I can’t do anything other than blink up at him, hot tears coursing down my cheeks as reality hits me. I’m so tired and weak, exhaustion tugging me under its spell until I can’t fight it any longer.
Death is near.
“Help is here,” an unfamiliar voice says and I feel myself being moved. Eventually I’m in the back of the ambulance, the paramedics barking orders at each other as warm blood soaks through my shirt. It’s a harsh contrast to the cold spreading through me until I can do little more than shake.
“Please, help her,” Brad begs them but he’s ignored as they continue to try to save the life that is fading swiftly from me.
“Her heartbeat is weak, we’re running out of time,” one of them whispers, just loud enough I can hear it.
Then the heart monitor lets out a long tone and for a brief moment, clarity returns. I see Brad and his panic, holding my hand though I never felt the touch. The paramedics surrounding my body are desperately trying to save me. And the strangest part is I can see my body lying on the gurney. I barely recognize myself with blood and dirt covering my skin, my perfect dress ruined, and a broken heel hanging from my foot.
It had started out as the best night of my life. I only wish I knew that it would be my last.
ChapterOne
Luz
Time loses all meaning as I wander in the darkness of this place. Whatever it is. The afterlife? Limbo? A void of some kind?
All I know is that it’s devoid of sound except the occasional forlorn wail. It’s like a sensory deprivation tank except I’m walking and moving forward.
Or at least I think I am.
I can’t see my body, or my feet, nothing but inky blackness all around. The only way I can tell I’m moving is by the soft breeze that blows against my naked body as I walk forward.
Yet even as I’m stuck in some sort of in between, I feel nothing but peace. There are flashes of my death, of Brad, but beyond that there’s no worries or pain. There’s no destination in my mind, nothing more than confusion and curiosity.
“Come.” The voice echoes all around me so I can’t tell which direction it’s coming from. The nasally tone is laced in ice and fake kindness that I can metaphorically see right through.
“Who are you? Where am I?”
“A friend,” it promises. I highly doubt that’s true in a place like this but I’m left with little choice if I want answers.