Time: Present Day

Location: HereAfter

Father Dan picked up the persistently ringing phone. It had rung ten times, stopped, rung three times, stopped then rang again. The voice said "It's on Alitalia flight AZ 3925 via Abu Dhabi departs Sydney 9.45 am on Monday arrives Rome 1.10pm Tuesday. You are both booked . . . do not miss this flight . . . timing is crucial, do you understand."

"Understood," said Father Dan.

"Repeat flight number," the voice ordered.

"AZ 3925," said Dan.

"Confirmed." The phone went dead.

He raced out of his office, down the pathway to the seminary. Carter watched slightly amused as Father Dan ran down the pathway his cassock flapping in the breeze.

"Petros, Petros, we have to start to get things in order for our departure. We have to let your parents know that you are, er, I mean we are off to Rome. We need to pack this weekend," he started yelling before Peter would have had any chance of hearing him at all.

Carter watched as the movie changed again. He looked around for his Mum but Amelia was nowhere to be seen except on the big screen. He was horrified to see her lifeless body slumped against the toilet cubicle wall. Then his other "Mum" appeared in the entrance to the VIP area.

She and Collette did a couple of circuits of the room separately and then met up.

"No sign of her?" asked Collette.

"No," Amanda said, "Maybe she's in the toilet. I'll go check , , , why don't you go looking for Andre . . . she's probably somewhere with him. They might be dancing, if not at least he might know where she is," Collette suggested.

"Good idea, I'll try the Rock and Roll room. Meet you back here in a few minutes, okay?" she asked rhetorically. Collette waved indicating she had heard her above the music, she sang along to the music as she went, love this song, she thought to herself, 'I just died in your arms tonight...it must have been something you said....I just died in your arms tonight....should have walked away ay . . . ' as she headed for the toilets.

Amanda headed for the Rock and Roll room and as she passed a stairway she noticed a security guard looking at her, his jaw dropped, he looked shocked. She started over towards him and he started shuffling nervously.

"Hi there, have you seen a girl that looks a lot like me, my twin sister actually, she might be with a tall dark stranger, handsome guy late twenties?" she asked.

"Non, pardon Mademoiselle, je n'ais parlez Anglaise tres bien, mais non, No see," he replied.

"Forget it!" Amanda said impatiently.

Collette entered the ladies toilet. There were two girls at the mirror, all the cubicles at the end were vacant except the first one had the red "engaged" sign showing.

She said, "Amelia, is that you? There was no answer. She knocked loudly on the door. "Come out and stop playing games you little tart!" she laughed menacingly. She thought she heard whispered giggling."You are in there...with someone aren't you, shit you're in there with Andre aren't you? You really are a little tart. I always knew it, you and your goody two shoes act. It was an act." Her attempted tirade was met with more giggling. The other girls in the toilet laughed, a few were shocked. Collette realised she was making a scene so backed off. "Okay, have fun in there whatever you two are doing. Amanda and I are waiting outside. We need to go soon, big day tomorrow you know!"

When she eventually returned to the VIP room she was relieved to find that Amanda had already returned.

"Any luck?" Amanda asked as she reached her. Collette shook her head. "She wasn't in the loo then?" Amanda asked. Collette knew immediately what she meant, and laughed, "Amelia calls it that too. No, I thought she was, one of the cubicles was locked, but no-one answered when I called out . . ."

"But did you check, she might be ill, she might have even passed out, she isn't used to mixing drugs and alcohol. Wish I hadn't talked her into trying it," Amanda interjected with a worried look on her face. I've got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, she thought then said, "I know something's wrong. She wouldn't disappear on us like this. I know her. I am her!" Amanda could feel tears welling up inside her.

"Calm down Amanda, we'll find her, and in answer to your question I looked under the door. There were two sets of legs in there, both female. God knows what they were doing. I don't want to know, but neither of them was Amelia. I could tell from the shoes."

Carter thought to himself, Why is it showing me all this? Jumping around like my life is some sort of movie, I am just a baby, can't I stop this, I don't like seeing people I love hurting."

Teacher appeared as if summoned, "And so you learn Carter Cheval, you are learning how things you do or do not can hurt others, especially the ones who love you the most," Teacher said. "Not again," Carter said, "I am hearing this again, for the umpteenth time. Yeah, I know there is no time!"

Teacher laughed. "I will explain a little for you to move on a little Carter Cheval. You have at your disposal the All. The All includes All Knowledge, remember on earth, you, not you per se, but earthlings invented, or thought they did, the internet, Google, etcetera., etcetera. Think of the All as your Google, and like most things here, it kind of works just like on earth. You have free will, to advance, to retard, to stay the same. The holy trilogy if you will."

"Now, stop right there, are you saying Google is God?" Carter said with a puzzled expression.

"The All invented Google to help you earthlings advance. But here, as there the real secret is in asking the right questions, all questions are answered so long as they do you no real and lasting harm," Teacher explained.

"You mean I can know anything I like?" Carter said amazed.

"You already know everything, you are part of the All, you just don't know it yet. It's complicated, but simple, it's Truth but a Lie, it's Love but it's also Hate, it's Ecstasy but Agony, and in the middle of it all is Indifference, it's your choice Carter Cheval, you're choice. You do not yet know how important you are to the All and yet how insignificant you are to the All. But as you say don't beat yourself up over it. It doesn't matter, nothing really matters, except that you are part of it, part of the whole, you choose whether that be through Love, through Hate, or through Indifference. Now watch your movie with the knowledge that it is Your movie, what is on the screen is necessary for your advancing. It is up to you when you see it, and in what state you see it, in Love, Hate, or Indifference, as it always has been even on your Earth.

Carter thought for awhile. I want to know who killed me and why..I want to know why I was lied to. I also want to know why my Mum had to die such a horrible death?

"Then watch your movie, Carter Cheval. Your. . . movie!"

Chapter 34 - Rome Awaits.

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