Life after death

Darcy wandered around aimlessly. She was looking at all of the plants and trees that had once given her joy. When she had first come to this botanical garden, she stood there awestruck, staring up at the magnificently tall trees, they were seemingly untouchable. Why had I never come here before? She’d asked herself.

That was six years ago, and every week since then she’d gone there to study, always to the same patch of grass underneath those same trees. Every time she came here, she was just as awestruck as that first day. Now she felt nothing. She’d felt nothing ever since she received the news.

She shook her head as she looked away from the trees, trying to rid herself of the thought; she didn’t want to think about that right now.

As she looked away, she glanced at an empty park bench when something caught her eye.

She squinted her eyes and leaned closer. Yep, no doubt about it. There was a briefcase sitting right by the bench, all by itself.

Her first thought was BOMB! But then she rationalised, why would there be a bomb in the middle of the botanical gardens? That doesn’t make any sense.

She craned her head, left then right, trying to locate its owner, but there was no one in sight.

She decided to check it out to see if it had a number or an address so she could return it to its owner.

She kneeled to examine the case. It had no number, no address and no lock.

So she opened it. I mean, technically, it’s not breaking and entering, right? She thought.

Once she’d lifted the lid, she felt her heart flutter with excitement. She hadn’t felt that for a long time. She couldn’t look away.

As 20 thousand dollars just sat there, staring back at her.

Then her eyes flickered to a little piece of paper in the back of the briefcase. It looked as though somebody had torn it from the corner of a page. Written on it was an address—214 bellbird court.

She wondered if she should leave the briefcase and let somebody else find it.

It’s an adventure, she told herself. I have to check it out, besides what do I have to lose?

She had no clue what was about to unfold, had no idea what she was about to step into, and that should have deterred her, but it only encouraged her. After having everything in her life already planned out since she was a little girl in primary school, this was different from what her life had been.

She hadn’t felt this excited in a long time, and she liked it.

. . .

Elaine was getting out of the shower when she heard a knock on the door. Now, who could that be?

‘Just a minute!’ she called out.

A minute or so later there was another knock, this time more demanding. ‘I’m coming!’ Elaine exclaimed as she pulled up her floral dress and wrapped her wet hair in a towel.

‘God people sure are pushy these days.’ she mumbled under her breath. She finished getting dressed and opened the door.

‘Can I help you?’ she asked.

‘Hi. I’m so sorry to bother you. I have to say I’m quite relieved. I thought I was going to end up at some drug dealers house.’ She exclaimed.

‘Excuse me?!’ said Elaine.

‘I’m sorry…I just mean… I’m Darcy.’ She panicked and offered out her hand.

‘Oh I’m sorry, I don’t like to shake peoples hands. I’m somewhat of a germaphobe.’ She explained. ‘I’m Elaine.’

Darcy glanced past Elaine noticing all of the dishes piled up in the kitchen behind her. ‘Oookay.’ She replied, retracting her hand down to her side. ‘Well, the reason I'm here is, and this may sound strange, though you may know more about it than me… Alright, I’m just going to say it.’

‘Yes, please do.’ Elaine interrupted though she seemed more amused rather than annoyed.

‘Yes, well, I found this briefcase in the botanical gardens about 20 minutes from here.’ She leaned a little closer and whispered, ‘it has 20 grand in there! It also had an address —this address, which brings me here… Obviously. And that’s also why I thought it must be a drug dealers house or something. Cause who just leaves 20 grand lying around?’

Elaine stood there looking quite astonished then out of nowhere she burst out laughing. ‘Haha, you’re fucking brave, intentionally heading for a drug dealers house!’ she cackled. ‘Come in, come in.’ she offered still trying to contain herself. ‘I was about to have a glass of wine. It sounds like you could use one!’ she said, still trying to stifle her giggles.

‘I can’t argue with that!’ she agreed. ‘Thank you.’

‘Have a seat.’ Elaine said, gesturing towards the light grey couch.

As Darcy went over to sit down, Elaine walked into the kitchen and took two wine glasses from the cupboard above the stove and placed them on the bench.

‘So is it yours? The money?’

‘No darl, I’ve never seen it before in my life.’ Elaine replied as she poured two generously sized glasses of wine.

Darcy tried to hide her disappointment. Well, who does it belong to then? She wondered.

‘Though I may know who’s it is,’ Elaine revealed as she walked over to Darcy and handed her her wine. ‘And to get to that, I’m going to have to tell you something that happened to me a long time ago.’ She said and sat down on the couch across from Darcy. She took a long sip of wine before continuing.

‘Okay.’ Said Darcy.

‘When I was 28 years old, I had a near-death experience. I was kayaking with some friends in questionable conditions. I went down this out-of-control waterfall, and I knew right away that I would not emerge unscathed. Anyway, I ended up getting lodged between these rocks completely submerged underwater. It turns out I was there for more than 20 minutes. I had this vivid otherworldly after-death experience, I won’t bore you with the details, but these figures appeared and took me through the universe, and we finally came to a place that I can only describe as heaven. Anyways they then told me that it wasn’t my time yet and I was to return to my body. So here I am.’ She lifted her arms and then slapped her hands on her lap where they stayed.

‘That’s amazing and all but what does that have to do with the money?’ Darcy asked insistently. Getting slightly impatient, she didn’t buy into all this “after-death” crap.

‘Yes, I was getting to that. So when I came to, I was in the hospital, and I realised that somehow, the experience I had, had given me a certain power. That whoever I touched, you know, like any type of skin on skin interaction, I would have a detailed vision of how that person would die.’

Darcy just sat there, stunned. ‘No fucking way.’ She said. ‘I don’t believe you.’

‘That’s fine, you don’t have to believe me. But let me ask you this; why would I bother telling you this unless it was true? Why would I even invite you into my house if the $20,000 had nothing to do with me? Why do you think I poured wine? I knew this would be a lot to take!’ Elaine sat back her lounge chair, laid her arms on the armrests, and looked back at Darcy expectantly.

‘Okay, I guess that makes sense.’ Darcy admitted. ‘Wait, is that why you wouldn’t shake my hand? Because of that whole skin touching thing?’

‘Haha yeah, sorry about that. That was weird, huh?’ she said as she got up and walked into the next room and returned quickly with a little black notebook in her hand. She sat back down in her chair and continued.

‘So naturally, after the incident, I never did go kayaking again. And after a few years of being freaked out by my new “power”, I decided to use it. So I opened up a psychic business, specifically death-readings.’ She leaned in and handed the book over to Darcy. ‘Here, take a look for yourself.’ She said.

Darcy opened up the book. The first few pages were a detailed recount of Elaine's near-death experience. She flicked through the rest of the book, which was filled with individual stories of how each of her clients dies. Up the top of each page was the date followed by their name and then an excruciatingly detailed description of how it happens.

‘I give the book to my clients to read before a reading to help them decide if they trust me enough to go through with it. It also helps them not to fear death, as my experience of it was quite blissful. Also, I keep my fee extremely high, only to help people realise that to know one’s death is not a decision to be taken lightly.’

Darcy looked up at her from the book. ‘What’s your fee?’ she asked curiously. Then she picked up her glass and took a sip.

‘15,000 dollars.’ She replied.

Darcy almost spat out her wine. ‘Holy shit, 15 grand?! Well, I guess that explains the briefcase, someone must have been on their way to see you, that’s why they had your address, right? Only they left it behind. But what about the remaining 5 thousand?’ She asked.

Elaine shrugged, ‘Maybe they intended to make another cash purchase elsewhere.’ She suggested. ‘I guess we’ll never know. Still, the people that come through here are exceptionally well off. So, you keep that money. Finders keepers and all that.’ There was a brief pause before she added with a thoughtful look on her face, ‘Whoever said knowledge is power was an arrogant ass. Knowledge is nothing but a fucking curse.”

“I’ll drink to that!” Darcy said as she raised her glass slightly and downed three large gulps.

It was apparent to Elaine that Darcy knew something she wished she didn’t, and Elaine was curious to know what that something was but just as she was about to ask her what it was Darcy started to get up. Elaine followed suit.

‘Thank you so much for the wine, and the explanations. It was definitely not what I expected. But I really should be going. I’ve taken up enough of your time.’ She said and started heading for the door picking up the briefcase on her way.

‘It was a pleasure having you.’ Replied Elaine as she followed closely behind Darcy. She reached for the doorknob, accidentally brushing Darcy’s elbow as she swung the door open.

Darcy heard a sharp gasp and turned around to see if Elaine was okay and saw her head thrown back and her eyes had rolled back into her head. Darcy looked on horrified. And then all of a sudden Elaine was back to normal and had tears running down her cheeks.

Did you know? Elaine asked with her eyes. Darcy just nodded with a sad smile. She had received the news only a couple of days ago. She had breast cancer and had only less than a year at best.

‘So what are you going to do with the money?’ Elaine asked her.

‘I’m gonna travel for a while. Start living for me. My parents always had everything planned out for me.’ She explained.

‘From when I was a little girl I already knew I was going to be a doctor, which medical school I’d be attending and ultimately which hospital I’d be working in. I lived my whole life how they wanted me to. Since I’m going to die soon, I’m going to start living for me.’

They smiled sadly at each other, and Elaine watched as Darcy walked away. And she wondered if she should do the same.