Spinning.

Spiraling.

Being dragged. The Celestials Incantation becoming faint murmuring. At first, there is nothing to perceive. Not the sound of the Lenses. Not your sense of self. Just being poured out into the Realms like someone had knocked over a cup of murky water.

Without Eras’ Pen, I am sure the Celestials do not know what to do with the roaming Mortal Spirits. There is no guarantee this Mortal Bond can work. I have to travel through the two other Realms and I may entirely scatter to the void. So this is their hail merry until they can find some other way to retrieve the Pen. Even if I get obliterated into sky dust, never making my destination. Though I bet that is what they are hoping for. Eitherway they get rid of me as a problem.

How long is this supposed to take? Unless I have scattered. And am unaware of it. Just a conciousness somewhere-

-Slamming hard. Through the barrier, it clings to me like spiderwebs. Invisible hands grasping tightly, dragging me. Sealing me up tight. Then darkness.

At first I hear faint crying. The first thing I hear. Then the sound of a heartbeat in one of my ears. Living hurts. Breathing hurts. I cough. Fuck.

“Dad,” oh. Right. Fuck. Mortal bullshit.

“Yeah,” I find the Mortal’s Vocal Chords.

“You’re okay,” she sounds relieved, I haven’t opened my eyes yet, to feel someone weighing down my Mortal Body, “I thought you died.”

“Yeah, me too,” I remark.

Opening my eyes seeing a pink and orange sky. Clouds drifting lazily in the sky, while the sun is slowly setting. I’m back. In this Realm. The Mortal one, in a decaying body destined to rot. Trying to sit up and attempt to see the Mortal speaking to me, a young woman, striking red hair, catching the last rays of the sun peaking just above us.

“Are you okay?” she ask immediately, “Nothing broken? Are you in any pain?”

Only pain I am experiencing is the feeling of being alive. The second pain is the brightness of her Aura.

“My heads a bit fuzzy,” I tell her, “But otherwise I am fine-

-fine, you got hit by a car!” she exclaims with worry.

Who does this body belong to anyway? A minute ago, she called me Dad. Feeling the body I have been given, buttoned shirt. With a belt with many things, there is a shield on my chest. Feeling the engraving O.P.D., underneath it Troy Holland. O.P.D. O.P.D. Looking at her now, black slacks, a button-down shirt, a belt with utility tools on it. Fucking pricks! Did they put me in the body of a Mortal Enforcer? Is this a joke!? Did Eras put me in this Mortal Veil as a joke!? Did he find this funny!? Slowly, pulling the shield to look at it better, Oakside Police Department. Fuck! When I return to the cosmos. I am going to -

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

-do you know who I am?” she ask me.

I take a quick glance at her shield, Lacie Holland.

“Lacie, my daughter,” she called me Dad when I was entering his body.

“I just wanted to make sure, that jerk sped so fast down the road,” she begins, “Do you need help up?” Now she’s standing up. She’s on standby.

“No,” I say lifting myself up. She frowns with disapproval.

“You just got ran over-

-and I am living and breathing,”

“This isn’t just something you can shrug off,” she frowns.

“And, yet, I am, see nothing broken” I do a few jumps up and down to prove it, “Working legs. Working lungs. Heart.”

“I called Florian, I didn’t know what else to do, and he sent an ambulance over,” Lacie tells me. As she is explaining this, that very ambulance is rushing over. A spinning, flashing light. She gives me a concerned look. Fuck. More Mortals to deal with. Fooling her was easy.

“Lacie, I thought you said he was unconscious!” a man is rushing out of the driver's side of the vehicle.

“He was,” Lacie looks up at me.

“And now I am walking,” I state.

The Mortal Man with the dark hair looks me over, and then at Lacie, “Can I check you over Troy?”

“I’m fine,” Mortals are always a worrisome bunch.

“Come on old man, don’t be stubborn you got ran over,” he tells me.

Old man!? How old is this body? This just keeps getting shittier and shittier. Doesn’t it? They gave me nothing to work with when it came to finding the Pen. Then again, I don’t think these pricks think I can find the Pen. And even then, I don’t think they trust me to return it. Because I won’t. Once I find it, I’ll kill the Mortal who has the Pen, then use it for myself. Find my way out of this Mortal Bond.

“It’s a miracle. How many laps around the sidewalk do I have to do to prove that? Want me to do a fucking curtsy,” I grumble.

“Daad, play nice,” that look. I don’t need to know much about her, to know that look. I am very good at picking Mortals apart. This man and her are together. She wants to impress him and I am embarrassing her. I say nothing, instead I am looking around for the Mortal’s vehicle.

Finding the Enforcer’s vehicle. Quickly turning to one of its side mirror. Celestial bastards. I am staring back at my reflection. Some graying haired mortal man. Who is wrinkling. If I had to guess, mid-forties. I thought being stuck in a Mortal Bond was bad enough. Now they have put me in a body with a quicker expiration date. I wonder when I find the Pen and use it on Eras. Will he beg for mercy after the bullshit he’s already put me through?

“Dad,” Lacie is trailing after me.

“Going back to the department, “ that sounds like a reasonable thing to say.

“You just got ran over?!” why does she insist whining about this? Yes, Troy got ran over! But he’s living, has a fucking heartbeat, talking to her. Could she put that point to fucking rest already? I just want to tear apart her mind and get to the Pen as quickly as I can. Not deal with miss sunshine.

“Can we just be glad I am alive, and put the whole running thing over to rest already,”

What’s with her face?! Am I supposed to attend to her emotions now, “That is a terrible joke.” she tells me with sadness in her eyes.

I didn’t make any jokes!

“Hey Lacie,” the ambulance driver is now walking over. Celestials! Can we move the fuck on?

“Sorry about him,” Lacie smiles, “He says he is fine.”

“Yeah, okay,” he gives me one more look, before looking at Lacie, “If anything happens, call me.” he tells her softly. She smiles. She brightens up just a little.

“Thank you Reese,” she says, “And I will.”

Ignoring the two of them and entering the vehicle. Do I have to wait for her? I suppose it would be out of character for her Dad to drive off. But we didn’t need to stand around this long. Why can’t Mortals be grateful when another person is alive and well.