After-Life Journey Chapter I

Chapter 1
“What’s the report on Janet, Chris – the boss needs to know,” A heavy-set woman in a large gray robe floated in. The smell of burning tobacco filled the room as the man puffed a pipe; the smoke produced a thick fog.
“Er…according to the clock she’s almost running out of sand,” A blond-haired man in an ill-fitted brown cloak answered. The desks were cluttered, the floor had spots of ash and the walls were smothered in clocks. “All right –” the heavy-set woman sighed “I’ll let her know.” She pushed up her glasses and pivoted the opposite direction.
The woman waddled toward a large gold-covered escalator where she was carried up to yet another floor of offices. As she gingerly stepped onto the third floor - her shoes clacking against the reflective tiled-surface, she hurriedly headed toward a pair of large oak doors. The doors had two plaques on them; on the left it said “Michael” in Hebrew and on the right plaque it said “Mother” in Spanish. The silver plaques were firmly nailed against the wood above two knockers on either side. The large woman pushed up her glasses again and reached up and picked up the knocker and let it fall to make a loud and dull “bang” sound against the door on the right. The door immediately opened and the heavy-set woman immediately scurried in. The door slammed shut right behind her and the booming sound reverberated off of every corner of the room.
“Bethany is that you?” a deep and tired voice called from behind the back of a large office chair.
“Yes ma’am, it’s me, I just visited from Chris and he reported to me that the sand –”

“Ah, so I see Janet is on her way…” The voice drifted off and there was a pause. Bethany looked out the window of where the office chair was turned toward and she smiled at the view; the whole universe below them, while on the walls left and right - covered in photos of smiling people and the floor was crystal-clear glass. Bethany snapped out of her sense of awe and started to fidget nervously, “What should we do now ma’am? Should we call out the special ops group?” The chair started to squeak and rotate to the left, and there before her was a long-haired black woman of clear complexion, mahogany eyes blinking with long lashes, a full mouth and wearing an almost blindingly-white robe that hung off of her shoulder and fit around her body. She closed her eyes and nodded slowly and Bethany turned to scurry away to another department. As Bethany exited the office the door quietly clicked behind her and a black folder appeared in her hands. As she marched passed all of the doorways eyes were looking away from monitors, buttons and microphones to peer out at Bethany. She tossed her curly hair out of her face and through a long corridor she reached a set of four elevators that read Birth, Death, Destiny and Miscellaneous which had plush-couches placed between them. She checked the Birth elevator to see if the pacifier and rattle were in the right places. The Birth elevator giggled as Bethany cooed at it. Bethany walked toward the elevator which said Death in heavily-tarnished silver calligraphic letters and pushed the button on the wall to her left. She stood waiting and glanced at her watch; after five minutes she sat on the couch relieving her knees of the pain. A young and red-haired woman appeared next to her in a similar gray robe and sat down next to Bethany. “Oh! A black file folder? You must be going right to deployment then, right? Or is it registration first?” She twisted her short hair with her index finger and looked around confusedly.
“I’m going to registration first – where are you headed?” Bethany looked up from the paperwork she was busily filling out.
“The Sacrifice floor,” she pulled out a gray folder, “I hate this elevator - they really mean it here when they say ‘Death waits for no one’” she sighed and crossed her legs, “one time I waited a total of fifty-five hours and twenty seconds for this stupid elevator to finally reach this floor.” The young woman looked down at her paperwork as well and took out the contents to make sure they were in the right order while she folded the cover backward.
. “I’ve never been to this elevator before, but there’s word around the office that the people there are really up-tight. I’ve heard that once you’re on a floor you’re out of there in a jiffy.”
“I hate these forms, if you don’t do it right the first time you have to go through the whole process all over again. I’ve been through that elevator a hundred times and not once have I been shoved out,” she smiled proudly, stuffing her papers back in without leaving the gaze of Bethany.
“You get shoved out of the elevator? In this building?” she lowered her glasses at her.
“Oh yeah, if you don’t get out fast enough the guy in the elevator shoves you right out I’ve seen it with the new recruits,” she and Bethany giggled like two little girls.
There was a loud clock-tower gong that came from the vintage-looking elevator. The floor of the office vibrated and the door opened up quickly.
“Oh! I guess the bell tolls for us,” they both chuckled. Bethany heaved herself up from the cushy couch and she slowly walked toward the door until a New Jersey accent was barked out from the doors, “Hurry it up lady!” The red-headed woman followed behind her closely.
Bethany was startled and picked up the pace to rush into the elevator. A guy in a black robe snatched the folder out of her hands and took a glance at the cover. “What’s this for?”
“It’s for Registrar’s office,” Bethany replied.
“Registrar’s?” He jerked a large metal lever with a large and rough hand, “no one brings folders to Registrar unless it’s – oh, well say no more lady, and hey you’d better hang on.” The elevator made a large echoed “clunk” and it jutted down the chute. Bethany and the woman gasped in surprise and gripped theirs hands to a railing around the interior.
“What about you lady what do you have?” The man snatched the black folder out of her hand and glanced at it.
“It’s for Sacrifice, and could you please stop being so bossy, Stan?”
“Hey, I’ve been on this piece of shit all day, don’t you tell me anything ya got that Lisa?” he looked at her straight in the eyes and she let out a frustrated “humph”.
“Hang on ladies,” the man jerked another switch and the elevator shot back up and stopped. The red-headed woman was handed her black folder and was literally shoved out of the elevator. The elevator shut immediately and the man slammed the switch down as fast as the elevator did with a smirk on his face. Bethany held on tightly and looked down at her watch – ten seconds. The elevator stopped again suddenly and the doors opened.
“Well here you go good luck.” Bethany leapt out of the elevator to avoid being pushed out roughly. As she walked towards the door she stopped to glance at the papers one last time. The cover of the folder was folded backwards and Bethany stuck the forms back in the folder inside-out.
Bethany looked around and above her there was a yet another calligraphic set of letters that said “Registration.” She marched in with her folder and a man with square spectacles, a gaunt, wrinkled face and pursed lips scuttled to the desk.
“Yes what do you want?” He asked demandingly.
“I have a folder for you sir –”
“Give it here” he snatched it from Bethany’s hand and he opened it up to take a look at it.
“Well I see that you’ve filled out all the proper spaces, good work,” his eyes glued to the forms, “I’ll be sure to take this right to the proper department.” He slammed some stamps on the forms and then looked at the cover. He looked up at her and then scuttled off. Bethany pivoted the opposite direction and walked back the way she came. The surrounding walls in the hallway were covered in reflective steel sheets and the floor a highly polished black marble. Out of the corner of her right eye Bethany could see a blurred form of her reflection – the gray form matching the mood of the office area. She looked away to look for the words “Destiny.” The word would appear and disappear along with the button. Bethany had to give this three times before finally breaking a nail while slamming her finger on the button. She inhaled through her teeth and flicked her hand for a second before kissing her finger tip. The door flashed in an instant and Bethany hopped on the elevator to be taken up to the fourth floor. She stepped off hurriedly and started to walk toward the big corridor. She looked around the offices, she stopped after looking around, “Shit,” she mumbled to herself; she immediately turned around and started to speed-walk toward the elevator. The word above the elevator was still there but the door was gone. Bethany stamped her foot in frustration and then realized that she could have just taken the escalator. She sighed in relief and walked toward the escalator where she rode it back down to the third floor. She pushed her glasses up and she glanced up to see the big oak doors again. She reached up to the knocker and before she touched the knocker the door opened with a creak.
“So everything is set?” a voice from the chair asked after the door shut.
“Yes ma’am,” Bethany eagerly nodded.
“All right-” she waved her hand to the side and there appeared a green button – her hand dropped down and out the window Bethany saw a sea of red robes flood out of the exit.
“I’ve always hated the color red,” the voice winced as the chair rotated to the right.
“I know ma’am,” Bethany lowered her head, “I know.”