Chapter 3: The Journey Begins
"Okay, so how does this work?" I figured that the sooner I get through this the better.
"You'll be put into different realms and into different situations in order to learn the lessons you need to learn," Stellan said.
"Will I go by myself? How will I know what to do?" I yelled, stomping off, trying to imagine this. "How am I supposed to know what to do?"
"Stop freaking out." He let out a deep breath as he headed toward me. "Look. You're not going to be alone. I'm your spiritual guide, remember? What kind of guide would I be if I left you alone?"
"I..... have no idea." This was all completely new to me. "But I have zero social skills! How in the world am I supposed to accomplish anything when I can't even talk to people?"
"You'll learn," Stellan replied.
"How?" I practically screamed, flailing my arms. "I can't—"
"Stop talking about what you can't do and let's start thinking of what you can do." Stellan ran his fingers through his dark brown hair, as I stared at him in disbelief. He bit his lower lip in an effort to calm himself. "Okay," he said, his voice calm. "I'm going to be honest with you. The journey isn't going to be easy. But I'll be with you every step of the way."
"How will I know it's you?" I asked, realizing how stupid it sounded after I said it.
He gave me a small smile. "I'll look like myself. No one else will be able to see me but you."
I nodded as a sense of calm washed over me. I had no idea who this guy was, but I trusted him... and I hadn't trusted anyone besides Shay in a very long time. "Okay. What's going to happen? How's it going to work?"
"I'll take you to the first realm and will give you a situation," Stellan said. "Then when you learned the lesson, I'll move you to another realm."
"How will I know what I'm supposed to do?" I asked, still wondering how this was going to work.
He shrugged. "You'll figure it out."
I scoffed, my eyebrows raising. "I'll figure it out?" I rubbed my hand over my lips, and then remembered my lipstick. But when I pulled my hand back, it didn't smear. "What's this?" I asked, holding up my hand.
Stellan smiled. "Do you think this is really your body? That this is the physical world?"
I nodded, finally understanding, remembering what Stellan had said before. "This is the Inbetween... the place between the physical and the spiritual."
Stellan nodded. "Yes."
"Then what are the realms?" I asked, wanting to understand as much as I could before all hell broke loose… literally.
Stellan sighed. "In the realms, you will jump into other bodies and will help them get their life back on track, while learning the important lessons you need in order to move on."
I scoffed, shaking my head. "So, I'll be helping others at the same time as I'm learning my lessons?"
He nodded, placing his hand on the side of my face. "When you help others, you essentially help yourself. Believe it or not, you will learn more by helping others." He let his hand drop and then smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Besides. You're the one who wanted to learn empathy, right?"
I nodded, remembering. "Yeah... I guess."
"Well, the best way to do that is to actually do it. Don't you think?"
"What?"
He shrugged. "Help others. Put yourself in their situation. Get out of your own head and learn to put the past where it belongs... in the past."
I shook my head. "You have no idea what I've been through."
He nodded. "Yes, I do. But tell me this: How can you ever move on when you're holding so tightly to the past? You can't take a step forward when your feet are firmly rooted in the past. Through this journey, you have the opportunity to move forward. But it's up to you. Either you move on—"
"Or I die," I finished.
He shrugged. "No, what I was going to say is that you either move on or your soul will remain frozen, unable to love, or to even know what love is, unable to live a full and healthy life."
For the first time in a very long time, I was filled with hope. "You mean, there's hope? I'm not dead?"
"There's always hope... whether you're alive or not," he replied.
"Okay...." I said, thinking quickly. As a broker myself, I had negotiated many deals. "So, if I do this, then I can live again?"
He smirked, shaking his head. "Tasha, this isn't 'Let's Make a Deal'."
"What?" I asked, having no clue as to his reference.
He shook his head, placing his hand on his forehead. "It was a television show—"
"I know what it is!" I yelled. Then I let out a deep breath, trying to regain my composure. "I'm not trying to make a deal—"
He raised an eyebrow, giving me a knowing look.
I sighed. "Okay, okay... I guess I was. Sorry."
"Part of learning empathy is doing things for others without asking for anything in return," he replied.
"Well, I'm not perfect," I replied. "You said so yourself. If I were perfect, I wouldn't be here."
"No one's perfect. Perfectionism is an illusion." He let out a deep breath, and then took a step closer, looking into my eyes. "I'll tell you what. If you accomplish everything you need to and learn everything you need to learn, then I'll see what I can do."
"You'll 'see what you can do'?" I scoffed.
He shrugged. "It's the best I can do."
I folded my arms across my chest and glared at him.
He mimicked my expression and raised an eyebrow expectantly, not backing down.
I sighed, letting my hands drop. "Alright." I stomped my foot. "Let's do this. Is there a contract I need to sign or something?"
He laughed. "No, no contract. I'm not going to make you sign anything in blood either."
I shrugged. "Well, it's a good thing because I don't have any."
He laughed aloud. "So, you do have a sense of humor!"
"You must bring it out of me." Then I thought of something. "Can you give me a hint what I should expect in these realms? I won't be on another planet. Will I?"
Stellan sighed. "Suffice it to say that you will be familiar with the realms. Realms are places and times in the Time Space Continuum."
"So, it's time travel?" I asked, trying to understand.
"Nearly." He tilted his head to the side. "But you will be in the body of another, living their lives, taking over their bodies, solving their problems."
"Seriously?" I asked, my eyes wide. "But what if I mess it up? What if their lives are worse after I've become this other person?"
He shrugged. "How do you feel about that?"
I scoffed. "Okay. Now you sound like a shrink."
"No, I'm your spiritual—"
"I know, I know," I cut him off. "You're my spiritual guide. So, when do we leave? Is there anything else I need to know?"
He nodded. "While you're there, you will have the brain of that person, so you will have the knowledge of that person, but you will also have your own memories."
I nodded. "Will I maintain my own consciousness? Will I still be me?"
"Yes, but you will have the same knowledge as the other person." He sighed. "You will know their feelings, understanding their joys and their pain."
I scoffed. "I should have studied physics," I mumbled under my breath.
"You don't need knowledge of physics." He laughed. "Don't worry. I'll give you the information you need when you need it."
I smirked. "So, I'm on a need-to-know basis?"
He nodded, giving me a sexy smile. "I'm afraid so."
"So, shall we get started, or do I need to... I don't know... dress differently?" I asked.
He chuckled. "You really aren't wearing those clothes."
"Excuse me?" I looked down at my body, "As far as I can see, I'm still dressed like a Flapper from the 1920s."
He smiled, obviously a bit more amused than he should be. "That's not what I meant. Your soul appears to wear what you wore when you... died."
"So, I am dead," I said flatly.
He took a step toward me, but I stepped back. So he folded his hands across his chest again. "It's best if you don't know... right now."
"But you'll tell me eventually?" I asked.
He nodded, taking my hands, "Tasha, trust me. In time, I will reveal all. But it's best if you don't know right now."
I nodded. "Trust is hard for me, you know."
"I know," he said, smiling.
But at that moment, holding his hands, I didn't feel the urge to pull away, as I usually did. Then it dawned on me. I trusted him more than I had trusted anyone in a very long time... except for Shay.
"What about Shay?" Tears came to my eyes, threatening to spill over. "I left her and didn't get to say goodbye."
His perpetual smile faded, giving me a sympathetic look. "She will come to understand... in time."
I nodded. Even though I was still holding his hands, I didn't feel the urge to pull away.
"Now," he said, looking into my eyes. "Close your eyes."
Panic suddenly rushed through me. "You promise you won't leave me?"
"Never." He raised his hand and placed it slowly on my cheek, his blue eyes piercing mine.
I did as he said and then wind blew past me, through my hair and all around me, and when it stopped, I no longer felt his hands. I took a deep breath, letting air fill my lungs. And then... I opened my eyes.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone