Assessment [1]

I usually don't let my emotions get the better of me, but seeing that bronze transfer slip in Anbel hand really hit me hard. There was a small voice screaming in my heart, that it should have been me holding that transfer slip.

Anbel and I came from the same batch of new souls "birthed" by the Soul Tree. There were twenty-five of us released by the Soul Tree at the same time, and we were all placed in the same class. I was a pretty average student didn't really stick out of the group, but Anbel and I had been competing against each other right from the beginning, and while I never reached the top ten in our class I normally did manage to score higher than Anbel.

Seeing that transfer slip, and hearing that most of my classmates had already made the transition to Cerulea was a really bitter pill for me to swallow. Most of them had already passed the first hurdle to becoming an immortal, and I hadn't even reached the starting line yet.

Pulling myself together, I walked down the narrow stairwell, the infant soul division was on the second floor of the basement. Coming up to a wooden door which had a small plague nailed into the door with Infant Soul Division written in a golden script, opening the door I entered the room, the Infant Soul Division was not as busy as the other divisions, there were about twenty people standing in queues in front of the three counters opened.

I quickly found the shortest queue and took my place in the queue. There were five people ahead of me, looking around I could see that everyone around me were new souls, and had just experienced their first life and death. They were all wearing dazed looks to various degrees.

Poor bastards, I thought to my myself, before you reincarnated you had to drink from the River of Forgetfulness, so you live your whole life ignorant of the universe and the bigger picture. Once you die and you transition over to one of the Soul worlds, you remember everything, from the time you first awoke as a soul to the time you drank from the river, these guys were pretty lucky as they only remembered their time here in Purgatory. Once you have lived a couple of lifetimes or like me you have lived ninety-nine lifespans it is quite a mindf*ck when you transition over.

The queue moved quickly, bored out of my mind, I watched the new souls at the counter, as each of them filled in their paperwork, in triplicate, of course, snickering to myself at the bemused look on each of their faces when they saw the stack of paperwork in front of them. They most likely (just like I did) think that now that they were dead, they had escaped the world of bureaucracy.

Of course some of the braver souls complained and were given that cold and indifferent look that I am sure bureaucrats must attend some sort of class to learn, and then the speech about regulations and rules and if they didn't like it they could take it up with the Oversee of Purgatory all delivered in the same monotonous voice. Just the mention of the Oversee and the complainers were easily cowered, most of them mumbling some sort of apology, and quickly filling in the stack of papers in front of them.

Yeah same old, same old, I thought it never changes.

Finally, it was my turn, as I stepped up to the counter, recognizing the old woman behind the counter, after returning so many times to this division, I knew all the officials in the division.

"Afternoon Ms. Juith," I said, smiling sweetly.

I have learned from past experience it was best to be sweet and kind, it made the whole process a lot easier. What was that saying again, you attract more bees with honey than vinegar. Well in my case it wasn't bees it was more like pity, but what the hell I will take whatever I can get.

"Oh Brae, it's you... back again so soon," Ms. Juith said sympathetically.

Shrugging I replied "Ah Ms. Juith, you know how it is" showing a pitiful look on my face.

Leaning over the counter Ms. Juith patted my hand, "Oh my dear it really is so unfair on you" then leaning closer to me she whispered "It really is time that man grew a pair of balls, I remember when the previous Oversee was in charge, now that man, my dear, he had a big pair" she had her hands cupped in half moon shapes as to emphasize the size of the previous Oversee balls "If he was still in charge, he would have sorted that woman out a long time ago" she carried on her voice showing the disdain she had for the current Oversee. "He wouldn't have been cowered by her, no siree, he would have marched directly into the immortal realm, and pulled that woman out by her hair, and forced her to lift your curse, and he would have made her pay compensation for the wrong she had done, knowing him he most likely would have demanded her godhood."