Is this Heaven?

PRESENT DAY

There was a loud, grinding mechanical noise as a massive field of energy erupted and began to form above her, shaping itself into a cylinder funnelling upwards. The darkness of the room liquefied as the volume of energy curled up like an ocean wave and formed a perfect tunnel that stretched into the heavens.

Nevaeh felt a tug, a gentle pull, and she floated effortlessly upward into the cloud-like tunnel. There was a pinpoint of light in the distance. She flew through the dark tunnel at an incredible speed, rushing toward the small circle of bright light while the walls of deep black whirred past like video footage on fast forward.

For some strange reason, she wasn't scared; rather, she experienced an overwhelming sense of warmth and peace. Drifting upward, the bright circle expanded in front of her until she was buried in it. The cloudy white light was so bright no other light could compare but it didn't hurt or blind her. She bathed in the light, and it filled her with unconditional love, acceptance, and kindness like she never felt in her entire existence. Soon, the brightness faded, and she found herself standing under a tree of her favourite fruit.

Under mango trees are usually dirty, smelly, filled with dead leaves, and littered with rotten mangoes left for flies to devour and toy with. This one, however, was different; beneath the tree, it was cleaner than she could have imagined. Soft yellow grasses kissed her legs. Not even a single fruit was on the floor; they all hung on the branches, heavy and ripe.

Where is this place? What is happening? She marvelled as a warm breeze rushed through the branches and grasses, unsettling her hair, pushing some into her face and rustling the leaves; one fruit fell to her feet.

Her gaze gradually followed the fallen mango to uncover she was dressed in a shining white gown. Confused, she wondered when she had bought a white gown. She doesn't own anything white. She hates the colour; it is easily spotted, which she doesn't like. Nevaeh is quiet, dislikes attention, and prefers to work in the background.

Where am I? She asked as her eyes scanned the environment in search of an answer. In front of her, an ocean stretched as far as her eyes could see. The ocean breathed, her surface rising and falling with rhythmic ease. The sunset, which was beyond the enchanted waves, was a smudge of coral, lavender, turquoise, and a fiery orange that merged to create a sight so magnificent that it took away all of her concerns.

Suddenly, the figure of a man emerged from the body of blue water like Venus making its way to her. The wind caused his white shirt to flutter with each step, revealing his bare chest. Nevaeh zeroed her gaze on him, keenly watching to see who he was.

A few feet away, it became clear who the prince charming was and this filled her with more questions than joy. What is he doing here? He is dead, that's for sure; she shot him twice. How is he still alive? Her heart skipped a beat when he gave her a polished smile. Strange warmth filtered through her body and blush coloured her cheeks. With water trickling down his toned chest and his hair damp, he looked incredibly attractive.

"Hey, goddess," he shouted in an angelic voice. The words arrived straight at her heart.

"Hey, handsome." She gave him a lopsided grin.

"Where is that kiss you owe me?" he asked, the smile still lingering on his lips. He opened his arms, and she didn't hesitate to go into them. In his embrace, the world stood still. There was no time, no wind, and no rain. Nevaeh's mind was suddenly at peace. A kind of completeness she had never experienced before overcame her. Her skin radiated light like everything around her. She felt her body press in, soft and warm.

How could she have failed to recognise the sexual, selfless, undemanding, pure, and completely unrestricted nature of David's love? This was the love she had, the love she blew away, and the love she put two bullets through. Gently, remorse and regret crawled to the surface of her heart. She pulled away from the comfort of his hug and was about to seek forgiveness.

"Shhhh..." he placed his index finger across her lips. His finger felt like the angel wings.

"Don't say it. It doesn't matter." He whispered as his lips cut into another sexy smile, exposing little of his white teeth. "Here, the past is left in the past. We only worry about the future."

"Really?" Her eyes lit up.

He concurred.

"So you have forgiven me?"

"You did nothing to me…" she didn't allow him to complete the sentence before jumping back into the solace of his arms. His body was so familiar, the way it moved, the smell of his perfume and even the sound of his heartbeat.

In his arms, she went through a past-life review. Important events of her life played in fast flashes right in front of her with her reliving every moment. She experienced the joy that filled her father's heart when she was born. The pain of her being raped. The pleasures from the first time David made love to her. She saw him rewash her body with so much care and concern. She experienced the agony and regret of shooting him. All she can do now is wish she could go back in time and alter those memories, but it is too late.

Like he sensed her pain, he gently released her from the hug. She gazed at him, feeling her face heat up as he moved his face closer. She shut her eyes in anticipation. Nevaeh wanted nothing more than to taste him on her lips, to rekindle their long-distance love, and to run her hand through her short, dark hair that was dripping wet.