Too Broke For Afterlife

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'Please, you have to get me to Austin!'

Isabella rolls her eyes, flipping through the pages of the magazine.

'I need to wake up, don't you understand?'

"I do but the conference is tomorrow, I can't leave right now. Plus, with what money am I supposed to pay for the train ticket? I don't have any cash and no access to my bank account. So unless you want me to walk all the way to Austin, I'm afraid we are stuck here."

She takes a sip from her water and closes her eyes so the afternoon sun can shine on her face.

"I've got a card and some cash in my wallet. It's in my room so you can just go get it."

"You want me to break into your room after I was almost thrown out yesterday?" She huffs.

"Besides, if you already have the money, why didn't you go back when you had the chance?"

'I wasn't ready.'

Thinking of my family and how distraught they looked in the hospital a few weeks ago still feels awful. They had hope. They were counting on me to wake up again. I can't let them go.

Being stuck in her body, unable to do anything made me realize what I truly want.

A life that I am in control of.

'I don't want to die anymore. I want to start over. I thought I was done with this planet but I've realized that it was my mind who trapped me. Not the world."

Isabella gets up and walks to the edge of the balcony, leaning on the railing so I get a clear view of the hotel complex down below. I am forced to watch all the people lying by the pool or walking around laughing.

She is provoking me, fueling my desire to be a part of it and for a second I wonder if she is evil.

"Okay Parker, even if I drive you to Austin and stand next to your hospital bed, what do you expect to happen? Do you think your soul is just going to jump over like a magnet? Last time you were there that wasn't the case, right?"

'No but maybe…'

I don't know what to say.

"Look, you don't have a plan. You just want to get there and hope everything magically gets fixed. Let me tell you: It won't. I don't have the time for that, I've got my own shit to deal with. So how about you make an actual plan first and then bother me again? I have to get ready for dinner now."

She lets go of the railing and turns around, walking back to her room. But suddenly I get an idea.

'Wait, I can help you with that!'

She stops. "Oh?"

'Here's the deal: You help me make a plan and drive me to Austin after the conference tomorrow. And in exchange...I'll teach you some cool moves that you can apply later tonight.'

Isabella hesitates, she stays quiet for a few seconds.

Then she pulls out her phone and opens the front camera so I can see her face.

She is grinning.

"Deal."