2 Encounter with Death. A New Chance.
Chapter 1 - Encounter with Death. A New Chance.
Carlos felt his body floating in nothingness, a sensation of peace and serenity he had never felt before. He felt like he should open his eyes and see what was around him, but he was afraid. The feeling of floating was so good, what if when he opened his eyes he was faced with hell?
Carlos was a Christian man, or at least he was raised as one. He grew up and lived his life under the rules and laws of the Catholic Church, or at least he tried to. Carlos was no saint, far from it.
During his time as a police officer, he killed people, they were criminals, but they were people, they had families just like him. To say that a police officer doesn't carry the weight of taking a life is a lie.
During his time as a politician, although he didn't steal or engage in corruption, he still lied and manipulated the population and those who trusted him in order to reach a higher position. Even if he told himself it was for a good cause, in the end, he still lied to the people.
Carlos also failed as a husband and as a father. He missed the birth of his daughter and wasn't there when his wife needed him the most. His attachment and desperation to make the world a better place for others were so great that he didn't see his own little world crumbling until it was too late.
In the end... he didn't do anything right.
"However, you did a good job. Be proud."
"Who?"
"Are you curious? Open your eyes and see me."
"..."
"Come on, there's no need to be afraid. Just... open your eyes."
Although still afraid, Carlos obeyed the strange voice and opened his eyes only to find himself in a strange and empty place. There was nothing around him but darkness and some small lights shining in the distance. He tried to look at his body, but all he saw was a small point of light.
"AM I A STAR NOW?"
"No, you're still human. Well, at least partly."
Carlos looked around for the voice, at first he couldn't find anything, until, in the end, when he was about to give up, he saw her. A young woman was floating in front of him, looking at him with a serene and compassionate gaze.
Carlos felt all apprehension leave his body at that moment and without realizing it found a peace he had never seen in his life.
"Are you calmer now?" she asked, to which Carlos nodded, but because he didn't have a body, he felt a little stupid, but it seemed like the young woman understood and just smiled.
Both remained silent, staring at each other. Carlos observed her with a certain curiosity and suspicion. He felt like he had seen her before, but couldn't remember where.
'Black hair, wearing a black gothic dress. An Ankh pendant...'
"We've met before?" Carlos asked a little apprehensively. The girl smiled slightly before nodding.
"We've met a few times, Carlos. However, you didn't realize I was there."
"Really? I believe it would be hard not to notice a beautiful girl like you."
"Hahaha, thank you for the compliment."
Carlos watched the strange girl laugh, and for some reason, he felt calm. Then at some point, something seemed to click inside him.
"Death... that's you... isn't it?"
The girl stopped laughing and calmly nodded to Carlos.
"Yes. Now that you know I am death, are you afraid?"
She asked, this time with a expressionless face, to which Carlos responded with a simple and resounding "No."
Both fell silent again before they began to laugh. Carlos had been in confrontations before and it wasn't uncommon for him to almost die. It wasn't uncommon for him to be shot at by criminals. The constant exchange of gunfire and stress affected him in a way that he came to see 'death' as a close friend.
After that, he stopped fearing death and came to accept it as something natural. Of course, he still wanted to live longer, but being afraid of death was something that for some reason became impossible for him.
After laughing a bit with Death, Carlos finally calmed down. He felt like he was meeting an old school friend, it was strange, but that's how he felt.
"Well, I acknowledge that I've lived a life full of sins and mistakes, and I fear that my destiny now is a one-way trip to hell. However, if possible, would you allow me to see my daughter?"
Death looked at Carlos with those calm eyes, but denied his request.
"Unfortunately. That's impossible, Carlos. You must know that."
"I understand."
"Carlos, you don't understand."
"Hm?"
"I can't take you to Amelia because for some unknown reason your soul is beyond my reach."
"How so?"
Death then looked around, gesturing to the small lights stretching out into the dark space.
"See these souls, Carlos. Each of them is a being that has died and for whom I am responsible. My job is to guide them to their respective destinations. However, you are different. Something prevents me from guiding you on your journey."
Carlos furrowed his brow for a moment and began to try to reflect on Death's words. If there was something, or rather someone, who could keep him away from the realm of death, that person had to be...
"Did Jesus save me?"
"Puff, hahahaha. You're funny, Carlos. I had forgotten about your strange sense of humor."
Seeing Death laugh at him made Carlos blush a little with anger.
"If it's not Jesus, then who would be capable of circumventing your domain?"
Death stopped laughing for a moment before returning to her calm expression and explaining some things to Carlos.
"Let me explain. Although Jesus really can 'circumvent' the realm of death, he's not the only one. There are other beings capable of that."
"So..."
"Yes, one of these beings, for some unknown reason, is keeping your soul trapped here. I don't know their purpose, and I can't interfere directly because that would go against my mission, which is to guide souls to their respective resting places."
Carlos fell silent as he absorbed Death's words. It wasn't that Carlos wanted to die, it was just that he felt like he didn't have much to live for at the moment. Without family, and betrayed by a close friend, whom Carlos literally trusted with his life, he was tired, and all he wished for was to see his daughter one more time.
Suddenly Carlos was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt a strong tug.
"What was that?"
"It seems he's here to take you."
"Who?"
"Don't worry, Carlos. Everything will be alright."
"How do you know?"
Death smiled slightly before answering.
"Because you're my friend. Until our next meeting, Carlos. I hope it takes a long time."
With the end of those words, Carlos disappeared from the place. Death stood still, looking into the emptiness in front of her when suddenly a man appeared by her side. He was thin and tall, wearing a gray tunic. His black hair was messy, and he had a pale and tired face.
"He's gone."
"Yes."
"Why didn't you take him, Death? I know you could have interfered against that entity and taken him to meet his daughter."
Death remained silent at the question. Throughout her existence, she had learned and accepted her role in the complex natural order. Many feared her, tried to plead, or made vain threats when she came to take them. She understood their fear, their anguish, and accepted them nonetheless.
There were also those who saw her coming as a long-awaited relief. People who lived lives of pain and suffering found in Death the long-awaited peace.
However, there was a small group of people who saw her as a friend. They saw her as someone close, they didn't fear her or seek her to relieve their pain, they just accepted her among them, as just another one. Carlos was one of these few people who saw her as a close friend, even if unconsciously, and although it was her job to guide him, when that being interfered with her work, she allowed it.
She wanted to see what else her friend was capable of. If he could change something, and if his dream of a better world could come true. After all, wasn't that the job of a friend? To support each other's dreams and encourage them? Death would allow this strange existence to interfere this time, but it was only this time. Next time, she would take her friend to his resting place.
And so, two perpetuities stood in silence amidst the void, each with their thoughts, and after an unknown amount of time, each went their separate ways.
<><><><><>
In a small room, a boy slept comfortably dreaming of nothing when suddenly his door was violently opened, waking him up.
"CARLOS, I TOLD YOU TO GET OUT OF BED AND GO TAKE A SHOWER. COME ON, IT'S 6 AM ALREADY."
Hearing the shouts, the boy quickly sat up with his hand on his chest, looking at the door, where a woman in her 40s wearing a nightgown turned away after waking him up with all the love in the world.
"What the hell? Is my personal hell having my mom waking me up for school?"
Carlos took a deep breath and touched his chest a few more times while looking around the small room. The bed he was on was small, measuring 150cmx60cm.
There was no dresser or anything like that, just a small wardrobe and a mirror in the corner of the room. The whole space of the room couldn't measure more than 3m². Still confused, Carlos got out of bed and stepped on the cement floor before going to a small bathroom to take a shower.
Feeling the water falling over him, and not waking up, Carlos noticed that it wasn't a dream. In the kitchen, his mother was listening to the local radio playing 'Evidências' by Chitãozinho and Xororó, while preparing breakfast.
Carlos left the bathroom refreshed and upon returning to the room briefly looked at himself in the mirror. He saw himself in his 12-year-old body, something he had been ignoring until then because he was too focused on not getting a beating from his mother. After a while, he put on his school uniform and went to eat his breakfast.
At the table, he saw that his mother had gone all out for his first day of school. She made a good couscous and boiled eggs, good black coffee, and regular milk. Carlos helped himself and started eating while his mother went to take a shower and get ready to go out together. Looking at the calendar of Our Lady that was stuck to the wall, Carlos saw that the year was 1990, more precisely, it was February 17, 1990.
"Reincarnation? Time travel? What the hell is going on here?"
While eating, Carlos tried to organize his thoughts. His last memories are of being killed in the back seat of the car and then waking up in his old house in his 12-year-old body. He felt like something was wrong and that he was forgetting something, but couldn't remember.
While thinking, his mother, wearing jeans and a simple blouse, sat in front of him and started eating. Carlos watched her for a moment, silently, while she served herself some milk and ate an egg.
His mother was a strict and kind woman who raised him alone after his sperm donor abandoned her when he was 5 years old. Carlos could never really say how much he loved her because for some reason they were both terrible at showing affection.
After eating, he got up and hugged his mother, who froze for a second.
"What's wrong, Carlos? Do you want money for lunch again? I already told you to take an apple."
"Mom, thank you."
"Hm? Thank you for what, boy?"
"For everything."
Carlos hugged her for another moment before letting her finish her breakfast and went to brush his teeth. At the table, his mother was a little stunned before smiling gently at her son and then finishing breakfast.
In the bathroom, Carlos wiped away the few tears that began to form in his eyes. He thought about what might have happened to his old mother after his death. Would she be okay alone? She was already an old lady of almost 90 years at that time.
Looking at his reflection, Carlos hardened his determination. Before, he failed, even using everything at his disposal, he couldn't change anything. However, now, he would do differently. Allies, knowledge, and mainly power to keep himself safe and protect those he loves. This time, he would be prepared.
'System initiated'
