Chapter 1

Kevin’s point of view

Brian’s pained face was the last thing I saw before I let the darkness engulf me. I’d done the things I wanted to do before I left for good: to share my affection with Kristin and to see the guys one last time. After that, I just let go of life. I had no need to hold on, to hopelessly run away from the inevitable, now that I was truly at peace. I had to die this night and I had accepted it.

I just lay in complete darkness. I could still feel the stone pavement underneath me, hear the crying of my wife and bandmates, but I was strangely detached. I wasn’t there anymore. The noise, feeling, and pain all faded and I felt free, liberated.

Peacefully, I smiled slightly as all my pain, worry, problems, melted into the darkness with my physical life.

“Kevin,” a voice alerted.

I felt the amazement fill my mind as I opened my eyes, recognising the voice, even after all these years.

“Dad?” I gasped.

“Son….. you’ve come too, I see,” he softly replied.

“Come? Dad, you’re…. Then I’m….”

In the relief of the liberation from pain, I’d almost forgotten what had happened to me.

“Dad, does this mean I can be with you again?” I asked hopefully, sitting up.

“Of course it does,” he smiled at me.

I shot up and hugged him as tight as I could. He hugged back, laughing in happiness. I felt like I was ten years old again.

“Ten years, my son. It’s been ten years.” He whispered.

“Ten years too long, dad. You don’t know how much I’ve missed you!” I wept.

“I do, Kevin. I’ve been watching over you.” He claimed.

I didn’t reply, but nodded.

“But, son, there is another option.”

“I don’t want another option. I want to stay here with you!”

“Son, listen!” he ordered, a little harshly. Just like he used to. “For ten years I’ve watched you. Watched you grow, watched you succeed, watched you love Kristin and get married. I’m proud of the life you’ve made yourself, Kevin.”

I was a little shocked. I never thought I’d ever hear that for him. Ever. I brightened slightly, knowing I’d fulfilled one of my life goals: to make my father proud on his youngest son.

My father noticed the change in my expression, then continued. “Kevin, I don’t want you to be forced to leave all of that behind. You have a wife, friends who need you. There is a way to go back to them. Another way for your soul to live, to exist.”

I stared at him blankly. How? I was dead!

“There are aliens in another part of the universe. They have the power to take your soul back to the living realm. It is possible for you to get back home to Earth. I know its far away from home, but it IS possible. You CAN get back.” He told me.

My mind reeled in confusion. I knew hardly anything of what was happening. I knew nothing of the afterlife. I felt like I couldn’t make the right choice on my own.

“Dad, I’m sacred,” I admitted. He was the only person I could say this in front of, bar Kristin. I was big brother to all the others. I wasn’t supposed to be scared. In truth, I was a little brother, in my real family.

“Don’t be, son.” He comforted. “You have to make up your own mind.”

“Help me, Dad. I can’t do this alone!” I begged.

“Kevin, I’ve waited so long to see you again, and I don’t want to wait for decades to see you again after this. But, I don’t want you leave all your family and friends behind so soon. You have a lot to live for, and I don’t want to see your life wasted or thrown away because of me.” He sighed. “In the end, the decision is solely yours.”

I looked away, thinking, thinking, and deciding. I don’t know how long I sat there lost in my thoughts.

But finally, I made up my mind.

Brian’s face washed over in sorrow, Kristin’s begging and our last kiss, still fresh in my mind, I knew I couldn’t just abandon them. I consoled myself with the thought that I’d managed to live on without my father so far, but it would just be another adaptation to make if I left the guys and Kristin.

I glanced at my waited father. There’d be another chance, in time. I’d meet him again.

“Dad, I’ve decided.”

He looked at me anxiously.

“Where are these aliens?”

My father closed his eyes in sadness for a moment, but shook it off and replied. “Follow him, and remember, hold on to your life with what’s in your heart. I’ll see you again in a few decades then.”

I looked around to the black, cloaked figure standing in partial darkness, no features of the face, or shape of the hands, could be seen. I turned back to my father.

I hugged him again,” I’ll miss you.”

“Same here, son. But if you ever need my help, just ask for it. I’m always there.”

I pulled back and smiled.

“Goodbye…” I let a tear fall down my face.

I turned away and followed as the shadowy figure led me away into the forbidding darkness.

Glancing back around, I saw my dad waving, a smile on his face.

I suddenly got a vivid flashback. Brian was kneeling beside me, crying hard and uncontrollably. His mind was clearly torn with grief and I could feel the emotion in him as he looked at me with eyes full of inner agony.

I blocked the image from my mind with great effort.

“I’m coming back, Brian. I promise, I’m coming back.” I whispered.

Brian’s point of view

Three days. How’d I lived with myself since then? In my sleep, I relived the scene from that night. As I had for the past few nights, I cried in my troubled sleep.

Once again, I knelt by him, asking what had happened.

“Wrong place…wrong ….. time, little cuz…” he told me. “But I’ll always be with you……. I’ll be…in your….hearts….”

His hand fell to his side and he slowly died before me.

Time seemed to stand still. The others let the fact sink in quicker than I did. I saw Howie checking Kevin’s neck for a pulse and looked down sadly. I screwed my eyes shut in sorrow.

I felt someone’s hand softly on my shoulder. I looked up.

“Brian, we have to go.” Howie told me softly, tears staining his face.

I didn’t move, reply or respond.

“Brian, he’s gone.” Howie began to cry. “I have to take you back to the hotel.”

“NOOOO!!” I screamed in complete despair. I stood up and ran off. Howie’s urgent voice echoed behind me, but I ran on and on, not knowing where I was going.

The only thing that stopped me from continuing a good few blocks away was sheer sorrow and exhaustion. I collapsed onto the floor and rain started to fall on my head and body.

In the darkness that followed the scene, I heard a voice.

“I’m coming back, Brian. I promise, I’m coming back.” it whispered.

I woke up with a start.

“KEVIN!” I yelled in shock.

Leighanne was woken up as I jolted upright.

She put her hand on my chest and lowered me back to the pillow.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” she questioned.

“Kevin, he… he said he’d be back. He promised… promised he was coming back…..” I stuttered.

I saw Leighanne shake her head sadly.

“You were having a bad dream, baby. Please, just go back to sleep. You’re tired.” She begged.

I calmed down, knowing that she’d say I was clinging onto the past if I swore blind Kevin had spoken to me in that dream. I didn’t get any more sleep that night. It was real, though. It was as if my cousin was right here whispering that promise into my ear.

I let silent tears fall onto the pillow as I held Leighanne and hoped I wasn’t going mad with grief.

***

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