Wow. This is very, very hard. There’s a reveal at the end of this segment, making it hurt even more, to watch, helplessly, a grandchild die. I do not understand why I am told to tell this story. And we’re only a few hours into the night.

As I mentioned last time, this is something of an emotional trainwreck. Bypass at your choice.

Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!

The first human child of my mother, Caillie thought, trying to ignore the… sprite?  Spirit?  Just a few feet away from her.  Liz was first and Les second with Ed third, demi-human, like my mother.  She talked to them in her womb.  She seemed exasperated that it took me so long to find words, at which point she was pregnant with Robert, after our father died hiking to his favorite fishing hole, north of Huntsville.

Never once, by word or look, did she slight me, but I could tell there was a disquiet, a lack of patience for the slow human.  I studied hard, traveled much, and met my now – or is it then? – husband at a bar in Vicksburg.  Senior centurion, so allowed to marry.  He had no idea who I was and I certainly didn’t want to tell him.  Five days later, back in Knoxville, mom stopped me in the hall.  Sniffing.

“You’re pregnant,” she said.  “I suggest you get married in less than five days.”

Dave was a little surprised when I called him with the news.  More, when he found out who I am.  Still, he took the next MAGLEV east and proposed; we presented ourselves to the Empress who approved.  But didn’t seem happy.  Again.

She looked back up to the starry sky.  Her vision seemed a bit blurry.

“Do you not have any water, dead man?” she asked.

“No.”

“That is your go-to answer and I am tired of it.  Can you not summon help?” she demanded.

“Crown Princess?  You are already dead.  It is written.  I’m just here to put you at ease,” he replied with a slow blink of his blue eyes.

I swear I know this guy from somewhere…

“You are doing a shitty job at it!” she shouted to the night.  “I have a family…!”

“Yes.  They will miss you.  Although your son is so young to not know you.  I assume your husband will remarry.”

“Damn you to fucking hell,” she seethed.  Caillie tried to push herself up onto her good leg and immediately fell.  The man did nothing, could do nothing, to help her.

“Step by step,” he volunteered for once, “you led yourself here.  Your brief from your mother, the Empress, was to assess the uranium mines on the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains.  You commandeered an SUV and drove here, illegally, as this is Deseret Republic territory, and hiked up here with too little water.”

He tilted his head at her, just a little clearer as the half moon rose.

“Why?”

“I…” Caillie blinked at her tears and looked away.  Why does he look so familiar?  “I felt I had to be here.  Breaking my ankle was an accident.  And I do not understand why my mother has not started SAR for me.”

“We are out of signal.  Her last report of you was a flash from Grand Junction,” the man clarified.  “I think there is an S-2 there, now.”

“If you really are dead,” she spat again, furious, “then appear before them.  Guide them here.”

“To your body?  I suppose that’s allowed.  But,” he let go a huge sigh, “I did want to talk, to ease your passage.”

“I’m not dead yet!” she shouted.

A shrug.

After several deep breaths – so I am still breathing! – Caillie tried again.

“So, just who the hell are you?”

“Clive Barrett.  I am your grandfather.  I am in Purgatory via the grace of God and help of your cousin Henge.  I was told to be here, now, for you.”

Too much, Caillie started screaming at the night sky.