The cracks of thunder had awoken me from a slumber I didn’t know I was in. “Where am I?” As I sat up I felt my hands wet from the floor and I was startled by the sight around me. I was sitting on top of water. No really I was actually sitting on what looked to be the ocean or a lake. “Ok this is a dream. A really strange dream and I’ll wake up soon.” BOOM— The sound of thunder scared me as lightning struck the surface of the water about 100 yards away from where I sat. “Oh shxt! I really need to wake up.” I said voice trembling. “ThIs iS nO dReAm..” a voice came out of nowhere. The voice was a mixture of a gentle but powerful presence that made me tremble even more with fear but also calmed me down. It was not just the voice of a man but of a woman as well. “My cHiLd…” the voice continued “ThIs Is No MeRe DrEaM I’m AfRaId.” “Where are you? Who are you? Why am I…” “HeRe?” The voice finished my sentence before appearing in front of me in almost the exact same spot the lightning had hit as if this entity had came from the strike itself. “I aM WhAt mOrTaLs CalL “GoD.” The voice said as it instantly appeared in front of my sight as I blinked startling me. “God? But why am I seeing god? You don’t look like god.” The person known as god reached out his hand to me. For a moment I hesitated but eventually reached for his hand as he helped me stand. “My cHiLd YoU HaVe pAsSeD oN.” God said as it held onto my hand guiding me to take a step forward. “Passed on… I… I can’t believe it. I swear I was on my way home from work. I was driving carefully I swear I don’t… I don’t believe it..” I said knees almost buckling as tears blinded my sight. Now in a females voice the entity known as god responded “I’m so sorry my child but fate had different plans. Yes you were careful but the person on the other side of you wasn’t.” She grabbed my face wiping away the tears. As the blurry vision left with the tears that had been wiped away I looked at the female in front of me but soon were filled back with tears as I realized why this voice felt familiar to me. “Mom… how are you here?” As my mother who had passed almost a decade before stood in front of me she held me in a warm embrace. “I am one with the guide. What you know as god is what we here in the afterlife know as the guide. The guide not man nor woman, he even has forms of animals, shows us the ways of living in the spiritual helping loved ones move on. We closely watch over them through small presences of life as animals.” As I continued to hug my mother a hand landed on my shoulder. “We have a job here. And it’s one of greater importance.” As I turned I looked at a tall man with gentle eyes. “Dad!!” I instantly turned to hug him. “Woah there little one.” He said chuckling while giving me a huge hug. “Our job here is to guide the ones we love in making a choice.” Letting me go he then looks at the guide. “The guide brings the family members or dear friends who had passed to guide the newcomers who either have a fighting chance to survive or who deserve a second chance at a new life in the spirtual world with them.” I look at both my parents. “So I have a fighting chance to go back. To see my wife and kids.” “Yes You can still see them.” My mother said nodding. “But….but will I get to see you guys again? What if I stay here with you guys?” I said sheepishly looking at them. My parents reached out and grabbed my hands which were now small like a child. “No you can’t.” My mother said hugging me “we won’t let you because it is not your time my son.” Then my father hugged me as well hold both me and my mother. “We shall see you when it is time.” Letting me go my parents looked at me smiling but they weren’t smiling at me. “You have grown up to be such a fine man and father crybaby!” Stopping I turned and seen my friend. “Ty!!” I ran hugging my best friend. “Woah woah… for a grown man you’re still the same crybaby as when we were kids.” Ty said laughing. “Look before you say anything I’m sorry…. I didn’t mean to put you and my parents through that kind of hell. I regretted doing what I did. I ended my life so young that I wish I could take it back but I can’t. At first I was devasted but then the guide came to me. He reunited me with your parents, of course they did give me an earful because of what I did, but they still loved me like I was their son just as they used to do. Listen crybaby go back to your family, fight to be with them again and watch them grow up for our sake. We’ll be watching over you guys.” As Ty finished saying what he said I hugged him. “You were always and will forever be my brother. I forgive you. I just wished I could’ve been there to help you more. I love you brother.” As I said this I heared him sniffle. Pulling back I laughed and said “who’s the crybaby now.” Punching me in the arm he laughed and joined my parents. “Go back, and live your life to the fullest. Remember what the elders used to say “wolves are stronger in packs not alone” so go meet dear friends and keep as many loved ones with you in your heart.” As I stared at them my parents walked to the guide and Ty followed behind stopping “oh yea thanks for sticking with my parents I’m glad you kept them with you all this time. It’s great that your kids call them grandma and grandpa.” As he walked with my parent lightning struck where they had walked and they disappeared. Waving even when they were gone I turned to the guide smiling showing I was ready to go back. As I stood waiting the guide nodded and I felt like it was smiling then the guide turned to a wolf. Howling lightning struck between the two of us flashing a bright in my eyes. “We got a pulse…” hearing a whole bunch of voices I adjusted my eyes to the bright light. “He’s responding. Get him on the stretcher now.” Opening my eyes a bit I notice a paramedic flashing his flashlight in my eyes. As I looked around I seen the wreackage of both cars and that the other person was being tended to by another paramedic team. As they loaded me into the ambulance a big black wolf came out of the woods and stood at the edge of the forest followed by two medium sized wolves and young pup. As I stared at them the three big wolves left but the pup stayed staring at me. With tear welling up in my eyes I nodded at the pup as it happily ran back to join the others.