In the final moments of Simon's coma, his soul was transcended into the spirit world. However, his brain still functioning, interpreted the world around him as a series of dreams. He would whoosh with each new scene and it would look as if his soul was being transported from one unfamiliar territory to another.
He saw a dark skinned lady who sat idly on a rock. She wore a creamy silk nightwear. She seemed entirely lost in the view of the turquoise blue ocean underneath the silvery moon and starry skies. Firewoods burned brightly in different parts of the beach that assisted with the glow of the night. The crackling sound of burning woods; the sounds of water patting the rocks, and the ringing of windchimes filled the air. There was a guy with blue hair, approaching the lady from behind. He was cladded in a casual light blue tee shirt that accentuated his hair. He wore a pair of white shorts with a black and white croc slippers. His steps were orderly and light.
"Hello Steph," called out the guy softly. His voice was unexpected! She jerked, almost lost her balance, but then she steadied herself and turned.
"Oh! My love! You startled me," she said. She made adjustments for him on the rock, creating a space for him to sit besides her. "Baby, what are you doing here?"
"I couldn't get some rest," he said, taking the space offered. "But I guess we're both here for the same reason."
"Which is?" she curled her arm around his waist. "I'm not feeling restless."
"Not that," he remarked softly. He placed his arm over her shoulder. "To appreciate nature. I bet neither of us wanted a distraction."
She smiled a gay smile, "You know me all too well!"
"But you see, you're a work of art! Nature doesn't even begin to compare with your beauty."
"That's a really huge compliment coming from you. You know I adore nature so much," she said.
Simon was watching the both of them talk. He circled around them but they did not notice his presence. He tried to touch them but an invincible force repelled his hands. He was surprised and watched them with a new found curiosity. Who were they? He wondered. Where in the world was he? He called out hello severally but they did not hear him. He saw a rock next to them and sat down on it as he continued watching the duos converse.
"I haven't even started," Simon said, as he pulled her closer. "You've no idea what a compliment sounds like."
"Then you should start," she said, giggling.
Shane's tone dropped as he spoke, "The day I first saw you, I was restless just thinking about you. I felt hopeless. I thought about how, yet again I'll be the rejected one who has fallen in love. I never knew you would become the angel I have dreamed of all my life. I felt perhaps, like every other girl, you would see me as the guy who was too nice. You wouldn't want to hurt my feelings by saying yes to me.
"You remember that first day? I wished we could spend more time together, where the view wasn't as important as the person. Well the view isn't important now. Nature doesn't begin to qualify when placed side by side with you. You are the only view that matters in my world. My wish has been granted, as I can now interrupt your view, but unfortunately time has betrayed me."
He smiled a sad smile.
"For a guy who is on a clock walk you sure waste plenty of time talking," she said,heaving a sigh. "So are you going to talk all night or do you want to kiss me?"
"I've never kissed a girl before I'm not sure you'll like-"
She brought her palm to his face, cupped his chin and said, "You don't need to always feel embarrassed when admitting something to me. I love your honesty. Kissing is not rocket science you know."
She brought her lips to his, allowing hers to brush his slowly and teasingly. She planted soft pecks on his lips. She used her lips to part with his. His mouth opened for hers. She placed her other palm on his other cheek. She directed his head to tilt left sideways just a bit. She tilted her own head slightly to the right. She caught his upper lips with her teeth and held it softly before releasing it.
She pulled away momentarily and said, "Just go with the flow. If I kiss your upper lips, you'll kiss my lower lips and then we switch positions. Just follow my pace, capish?"
She did not care if he understood. She began kissing him right away and he was responding equally well. Before either of them realized it they were already locked in a french kiss. To Simon it felt like he was watching a telenovela. Then suddenly, like someone had skipped the scene, he felt himself whoosh into another day. The night with starry skies had metamorphosed into an early morning. The rocks were now somewhere behind him and he found himself standing on the shores of the ocean. The guy with the blue hair was standing there too. He pulled his sneakers, set them aside and glanced around. Hypnotically, the guy began to walk into the ocean. He was going too deep. Simon realized what was about to happen. He was watching a moment of suicide. His instincts to help kicked in. Simon ran toward the boy and suddenly a cortex swallowed him up! He felt himself traveling light-years ahead.
Simon stood transfixed on the island he had now found himself in. He looked around him and for a while all he saw were tall trees then he saw some ancient looking men cladded in leaves. They were seated as though meditating on something. Although terrified, Simon's legs seemed to consider it best to move towards the strangers. He could now see what the men had been staring at. In their midst a body lay frozen on the floor. At this point Simon could feel himself wanting to wake up. Then all of a sudden he collapsed again. The oldest looking person amongst the men spun his head around!
"You there!" he said, his voice surprisingly filled with tremendous power for an old man. "Come and sit down for a while."
Like a character in a game, once again Simon moved like he was being controlled.
As he sat he said, "So you mean you can see me?"
"We all can see you, Simon Solomon," the older man replied.
"Wait! How do you know my name? Where am I? What is happening?"
They all pointed their fingers towards a signpost.
Simon read it, "The terra firma of no return? What the hell does that mean?"
The older man heaved a sigh, "It means you are in the spirit world."
"Bullshit!" Simon got up.
He started walking but before he could take his eight steps he felt himself whoosh right back and was seated amongst the men again.
"What type of magic is this?" Simon demanded angrily.
"Magic?" The older man grinned. "Not magic. This is the periphery between physicality and spirituality. You are simply transcending from one astral plane to another."
"So am, am I dead then?"
"Dead," the man seemed to consider the word. "Technically, you're unconscious. Your body is functioning at an all time low. Every organ in your body is failing as your soul is here."
"Then, then send me back please," Simon knelt down and grabbed the old man's hand.
"So here's the thing!" said the old man. He snapped his thumb and middle fingers and Simon once again found himself looping back in time as he seated. "This boy's spirit is not yet ready for the spirit world. His karma is so good that he has earned the right to resurrection or re-embodiment. He can't be resurrected. His body is cancerous and as you saw earlier it drowned. Oh I forgot this is his natural look."
"Isn't my karma good enough? Why can't I resurrect?" Simon asked, sensing a foul play.
The old man responded patiently, "No, your soul is just not qualified. You have no strong reason to go back. Here is the deal Simon, this soul needs a body and your body needs a soul. Your soul can not make it back to your body. Your body however matches the weight of this soul. The merge will be perfect.
"However, you can not tell anyone about it, the reincarnation process I mean. If you do, there will be grave consequences not just the fact that you will surely die and that time it will not be a matter of technicality but finality."
"So," Simon swallowed hard. "It's already decided then, and what if I refuse?"
"You will die and the opportunity will simply be passed on to someone else."
"Do it! I'm in. Anything but death please," Simon said. The man snapped his fingers and there was darkness.
There were scrambled lights, soft footsteps, things clattering and voices. He felt disoriented. He tried to lift his head up but a force resisted him. No! I accepted the deal! Let me back into reality you bastards! He could hear himself say but the words simply did not escape his mind.
"Just relax," a man said and it was not the voice of the old man.
"Simon," he heard a familiar lady's voice. "Simon it's me Simone your sister can you open your eyes? It's okay to look again."
Simon's eyes opened and he saw for a moment only shapes hung over him. The man in white was telling the others to give space so he could breathe. Then the shapes formed faces, the man in white was unfamiliar. However he saw three familiar faces.
"Mom, dad, Simone?" he said, feeling surprised he knew these people.
"Oh my gosh!" Simone shrieked, giving him a hug. "You remember us, that's a good thing!"
At the doctor's request, Simon had spent some extra three days in the hospital. He had to complete some final examinations before being allowed out of the hospital. The doctor was awed. Coma patients' recovery was almost always considered a miracle. Simon's recovery was just perfect according to his test results. The three days had passed and the day had come when Simon would finally reunite with his family.It was a couple of minutes past six PM. A black Rolls-Royce was pulling out of the gate of Solomon's mansion. Simone and her mother sat in the backseat with their seats reclining. Mrs Solomon was fifty but she looked thirty. She was beautiful and immaculate from head to toe. People often mistook her to be Simone's older sister. Mr Solomon was seated in the back seat too, but his seat was not reclined. He held a glass of wine in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Mrs Solomon and Simone were smoking too. 
Who he was, where he was and what he was doing had not fully dawned on him. For a moment, he thought perhaps he was dead again, for inside Solomon's mansion looked like heaven. The stars shimmered above them, the moon shone brightly too and although they were all artificial, its effects had been quite startling. They were having grilled chicken, potato fries and green salad for dinner. Simon licked his spoon savoring the tastiness of the food. For so long he had not tasted anything this good. The table was made of glossy ceramic which was shimmering with golden glitters scattered all around it like tiny grains of sand. Simone watched in awe as her brother ate ravishingly. "That's unlike you," Simone said. "You don't eat meat!" Simon paused, assimilating the information and then said, "Why?" "You're a vegetarian," Simone replied in shock.
The grim reaper had spared their lives. Instead of death they were given a choice. The gatekeeper to the afterlife had given them another chance. Perhaps it was a chance to say goodbye or a chance to start over. Shane had died in order to feel alive that very morning. So instead of waiting for the grim reaper to come for him he had taken the bold step to the gates of the afterlife.Death had been unwilling to claim Shane's soul and in exchange she took that of another. At first Simon had been unwilling to participate, but then he thought what the hell? Rather than die, if it was only his soul, the seat of his emotion, that was going to be exchanged to keep those his priceless memories then why not?However, memories were not just formed from experience of the mind alone. The soul, the centre of emotions, also stores
Stephanie was driving down the road from her new apartment to the Breakfast and Bed restaurant. Tiffany rode with her in the front seat. "Come on, look alive!" Stephanie said, eyeing Tiffany from the corner of her eyes. "You always tell me to go out with Kane. Today I've decided we will all go out on a friendship date and you look gloomy as hell." "I don't think he would appreciate me coming along," Tiffany said, not hiding her frustration. "Look at the bright side," Stephanie said, finally entering the street where the restaurant was situated. She could see its facade. "With you by my side I'll be more confident in playing along with his demands." "Just accept his marriage proposal already," Tiffany groaned. "Shane is gone, you should live on." "Honestly," Stephanie said, turning off the ignition as the car stood still in the parking lot. "I've considered d
"Great news Simon!" Simone said, eyes wide open. They were sitting on the soft grass in the beautiful orchard that surrounded the driveway of the mansion."What news? Come on, tell me!" Simon said, sounding desperate for it."Dad has decided that we all will go to California for the summer," Simone said."Woah!" Simon said, enthusiastically. "That would be awesome!""Yea of course it'll be," she replied. They both fell silent for a while.Simon forced his eidetic memory to remember if he had been to California but there was no record of it. He was familiar with California. It was one of the coolest resort centres in the world filled with beautiful beaches and it was the perfect place for a summer vacation. A slight breeze blew, the grass swayed gracefully beneath the spectrum of the descending sun. Looking at the horizon, Simon saw the blazing clouds. His
Kane had driven past the B and B restaurant and continued on his way down to the construction site. He was slowly starting to resent the restaurant. Over the past few hours he had struggled with himself not to go and check in on Stephanie. She was a tough nut to crack. One minute he thought he had her, and the next she was turning down his marriage proposal.He breathed the air of the city deep into his lungs and there was a warm feeling accompanied with it. He noticed the changes in the leaves of the trees and grasses on the lawns. They had started to dry up, making them turn shades of brown or yellow. He spotted a woman watering her flowers in her garden near her front porch. It indeed felt like summer was approaching. Part of the sky looked remarkably orange in color as the sun went down.As he rounded up a corner entering Pearls Street, he saw the construction site come into sight. He just wanted to have a view of it, he told
Kane and Stephanie were still sitting on the window pavement. His phone was buzzing.He answered, "Hello, who's on the line?""Hello Kane, it's me Simone," she said. Kane looked at Stephanie but she was smiling softly at him. She was sitting close enough to hear both of their conversations."Simone Solomon?" Kane asked, looking astonished."Yes. I know you're wondering how I got your number," Simone said, pausing for his response."Well, it's my business line, I mean you could literally just get it off my company's website. But hey I never told you what job I worked, so yeah I'm wondering.""I'm not contacting you for business Mr Kane. Far from it," Simone said, pausing for three seconds. "Where are you now? I'm at the B and B. Could you make it there? I really want to see you please.""Well I'm really busy," Kane said. Stephanie ga
The Joker Grand hotel was legally owned by the Solomon's. Tonight its beautiful event hall was used as the venue for the book launch of Try Again. Try Again was written by New York bestselling author Erik Wilson. He had written three successful books on reincarnation stories and this was the fourth. It never got boring.Journalists, reporters, sponsors, and other famous writers gathered here. Stephanie and Tiffany were dressed in long embroidered gowns that made them look like princesses. They strided through the long red carpeted floor moving towards Peter Brooklyn and his friend. They both had their backs against the ladies and were talking and laughing at the same time. Peter had gotten them their invites.As they closed in on Peter, they saw who he had been talking animatedly with from a distance. It was none other than Erik Wilson the author. Erik was an average human with a clean shaven head and light brown eyes. He wore a transp