“I’m here to make it easier, just to guide you. It always takes a while before you realize it.”

Guides to the other side…Sometimes they appear as lovers or friends from the past, sometimes as new ones. Depends what the person needs. Near death experiences means people will recognize them later on when it’s time to go, but they’ve been given a second chance. This is one such story:

She was tending the counter like every other day, it was quiet but it always was. When another girl around her age came in, wearing a pale blue summer dress that stopped right above her knees with strappy sandals, and the girl at the counter gave the newcomer a welcoming smile. “Cute sandals”

“Thank you, do you mind if I look around? It’s been a long trip and I don’t want to hang around while they change the tire”

“Sure thing, there’s not too much here but you’re welcome to wait while they finish up.” She didn’t get to see too many people around her age anymore, at least not since she left school.  The two chatted amicably and the girl in the sundress seemed to radiate such calm friendliness that the girl at the counter was slightly annoyed when someone else came to interrupt them. 

She couldn’t be sure if it was a man or a woman, they dressed in layers, which was strange enough in the heat, they covered their face, and all she could see were angry, dull, brown eyes.

“I don’t have any money here! Don’t hurt us!” She pulled back from the counter with a panicked scream, she wasn’t sure if anyone would hear her, they were usually all working around the other side on cars or buggies, whatever work they had that day. 

“Shut up girl, you’re the only one here! Keep quiet and no one has to get hurt” the voice didn’t make sense and pointing a gun at her didn’t make her feel like it was being honest anyway. 

“Run! You can still get away!” The girl in the sundress didn’t move, though this sudden yell caused the attacker to turn around hastily, looking around madly.

“Shut up I told you ain’t no one there,  you–” there was a sudden crackle in the air as the jumpy attacker pressed the trigger while turning back to the frightened girl at the counter. 

Her stomach felt wrong, like the time she got too close the branding rod and burned her shirt only ten times worse, the pain was eating her and only got worse as she fell back from the force. 

The jumpy gun made a dash out the door sure someone would come running now and not wanting to get caught.

The girl in the sundress got behind the counter and came to hold her hand, “Guess he didn’t have very good sight, couldn’t see you and couldn’t shoot straight enough.”

“You scared him off Rosemary” There was a pause as commotion was heard from where her father and brother had been working, they had heard shooting. 

"How did you know my name? Why couldn’t he see you?” Rosemary hurt everywhere but couldn’t help but try and focus on the girl in the sundress.

"I’ve always known your name, I came here for you…” the girl’s voice had changed, it had seemed to age suddenly but Rosemary found comfort there. For the first time Rosemary actually looked at this girl, the warmth in her myrtle green eyes; the sprinkle of freckles across her petite nose, the way her peach colored lips were upturned at the corners and her cupid bow  and lower lip seemed to beg for bites, her hair was in soft curls and the color of warm honey with almost random silver streaks which Rosemary wasn’t sure could be a natural hair color. 

“Rosie!” Before Rosemary could answer her brother and father burst into the room, rushing to her side even as the girl in the sundress shifted so that Rosemary’s head rested against her lap. 

“Papa…it’s okay, I’m not alone.” Rosemary focused on her father’s face, the worry etched into those wrinkles around the warm blue eyes. She didn’t want him to worry anymore, not about her. 

“No! Not my daughter. Rosie don’t you dare, you hold on. It can’t be your time yet…Dalton get the car…” Rosemary wanted to soothe her father, to tell him it was okay, that she wasn’t scared of the girl in the sundress, it comforted her to know that he could see her too, but he wouldn’t listen he was busy tearing at the bottom of his shirt and wrapping it tight around her wound to stop the bleeding. 

Dalton ran for the door, to get the car ready as their father carried Rosemary out to get her to the hospital, the girl in the sundress watched but did not follow them. 

Rosemary reached her twenty-fifth birthday, she hadn’t seen the girl in the sundress since that grey day when the rascals tried to rob her family, but she could not forget her even after eleven years. She lived with Dalton, his wife and their two children now, their father had died two years before and the little side waiting area that she had tended had grown into a small store. She mostly sold snacks, comic books and coloring books there, and her only customers that weren’t actually there to wait while her brother fixed their cars were some of the neighborhood kids. The kids favored Rosemary, and many of them asked why she didn’t marry; she was pretty and kind and they didn’t understand why she hadn’t left the little town, she would always just smile and tell them she was happy there and that she’d miss them if she left. 

She hadn’t been feeling right though, ever since the doctor’s saved her life by taking out the bullet that ripped through her abdomen and missed her spine by a few inches, Rosemary had been sensitive to a lot of things. She watched her weight and kept herself healthy, she even learned to ride a bicycle which is how she got around town, but there was always a dull pain in her that the doctors said was normal. 

A few days after her birthday, Rosemary wasn’t feeling strong enough to leave her room and she saw her again; there standing outside of Rosemary’s open window was the girl in the pale blue sundress. 

“Dalton…” Rosemary’s voice was not alarmed as she called her brother, he didn’t hear her though and instead her niece came to ask if she was okay. 

“I’m fine Hannah, can you go tell your Daddy to come here when he has a moment, I’d like to talk to him, but he doesn’t have to rush.” Rosemary wondered if her niece could see the girl outside of the window, but thought better than to draw attention for fear of concerning the seven year old. 

As if she had been waiting for Hannah to leave, the girl in the sundress moved to the window ledge, sitting on it before swinging her legs over and facing Rosemary. 

“You haven’t changed…” Rosemary blinked as the girl arched an eyebrow in response, but even as the words left Rosemary’s mouth she knew it wasn’t entirely true. 

“Haven’t I?” the girl looked calm, but as Rosemary actually took her in, sitting up in her bed to get a better look at her she realized why her words were wrong. The girl had changed, she was now a young woman, much like Rosemary herself, but her face, her myrtle green eyes and the warmth therein, her peach colored lips were all the same, and Rosemary was almost sure to bet that she would still have that sprinkle of freckles across her petite nose. 

“Will you tell me your name now?” Rosemary, who had yet to change out of her pajamas, but felt entirely at ease with the young woman, curled up and leaned back against the headboard of her bed. 

“Are you sure you do not already know?” She had not moved from the window, and Rosemary went quiet again as she studied the young woman. The dress hadn’t changed, it was a simple pale blue sundress with lace covering the top, the young woman’s arms and legs were bare and sun kissed, she was not pale, but had a healthy glow about her which seemed odd that Rosemary would notice. 

The silence was comfortable and Rosemary found she was breathing a bit better, eventually the young woman walked over to the side of Rosemary’s bed and took her hand as Dalton finally came in with Hannah at his side. 

“Rosie…you, what are you doing here?” Dalton’s eyes flickered to the young woman holding his sister’s hand gently. 

“You know well why, child.” Rosemary’s eyebrows rose slightly as she had never seen anyone other than herself or her father acknowledge the young woman at all. 

“You can’t…she’s my sister. You can’t just…take her…” Dalton’s voice broke; he was clearly welling up with emotion as he realized what was happening. 

“Dalton, you don’t have to worry about me anymore. I had my second chance, and a good life for twenty five years…it’s okay.” Rosemary smiled gently at her brother, her thumb rubbing along the young woman’s hand, it was cool and warm all at once. Dalton couldn’t hold back the tears, as he moved to kiss Rosemary’s forehead. 

“Please don’t cry, Dalton…I’m going to be fine. Don’t teach them to be afraid, it’s all I ask of you now.” Rosemary’s voice was getting softer as she shifted and got into a more comfortable position on her bed. Dalton seemed to understand as he moved back, kneeling to answer his daughter’s questions of what was going on, it was clear in his face he was unsure if he should be relieved or concerned that Hannah, even at seven years old, could see the woman comforting his sister. 

“There is nothing to plea, child. No revenge being fulfilled here. It is just my job to guide her.” The young woman sat on the edge of Rosemary’s bed now, running her fingers gently along her soft hair, soothing Rosemary as her breathing slowed and her voice was softer still. 

“Did they always call you Kore…?” Rosemary’s eyes fluttered closed as she asked this of her companion, and her breathing slowly stilled before she received an answer. 

“They have called me many things over the years, little one. You may follow suit and call me as you wish.” The kind face was the first thing Rosemary saw again when her eyes opened, she didn’t remember moving but the room they were in, while it resembled her bedroom was bathed in a soft ethereal glow. Emboldened now, and realizing nothing hurt anymore Rosemary sat up in the bed, and brought her lips to the peach colored cupid bow of her companion’s, it was soft and chaste and did not linger. 

Kore arched an eyebrow and offered Rosemary a smile before moving away and offering her hand to help Rosemary stand. 

“Thank you…” Rosemary’s hand fit perfectly in her Kore’s, and she trusted her to lead the way out of the room. 

“Where are we going?” Rosemary looked around what looked to be a corridor bathed in the same warm ethereal light. 

“Why…to a ball of course.” Kore smiled and motioned to the open room that they walked into, it was beautiful and filled with content people, some were dancing, others were lingering in small groups speaking. 

“Did you guide my father as well?” Though the sight before her was beautiful, Rosemary was much more intrigued by her companion. 

“Why not ask him yourself, little one?” Kore smiled and motioned ahead where Rosemary’s father stood speaking with old friends Rosemary vaguely remembered from her childhood. 

“Will I see you again?” Rosemary looked down feeling childish for asking only to realize she was now wearing a simple gown, she had so many questions now. 

“I’m always around little one, you may seek me out as you wish. Though you should not linger on thoughts of me.” Kore squeezed Rosemary’s hand gently, her sundress had lengthened and taken on a more Greek appearance, which Rosemary thought suited her as much as the sundress she had come to know. 

Rosemary’s eyes looked into those myrtle green eyes as Kore kissed the back of her hand, over her knuckles, and she was surprised to feel herself blush. 

Rosemary walked over to reunite with her father, and laughed as he picked her up to twirl her around in a hug. They caught up and took a walk around the seemingly endless room, Rosemary settling into her new surroundings.

“Did she guide you here too, Papa?” Rosemary tilted her head at her father, who chuckled as he always did. 

“Azrael has many forms, and my guide was slightly different from yours though I did speak to her before making the journey here.” There was silence again as they found a comfortable spot to sit and watch the rest of the room. 

“Maybe people should see her instead, maybe then they’d stop being so afraid of letting go and realize everything must end.” Rosemary’s eyes caught a flyaway strand of honey colored hair with a silver streak disappear down a corridor across the room.

Next Chapter: Unseen