Our Place In Time

This book is a work of fiction. Names, Characters, Places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. This book is for entertainment purposes only.

Copyright © 2014 by J.L. Miller

Original and modified cover art by Kasia and CoverDesignStudio.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

This book was edited to the best of my ability... bare with the error's.

This book has not been picked up by a publishing company as of yet. Any and all interested inquiries can be emailed to:OurPlaceInTime2014@yahoo.com

Any question's or concerns pertaining to this book can be sent toOurPlaceInTime2014@Yahoo.com.

You can follow my personal blog at The Ramblings Of A Settled Soul on Facebook.

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, I would like to take the time to acknowledge my family. If not for you all putting up with my focus being on the pages of this book for as long as it was... this book would not be here. Thank you all for that.

Thank you to Valerie R.F. And Lisa V. for taking the time out of your busy schedules to answer some really personal questions that helped with the writing of this book.

Thank you to Lisa V. for all the input and extra hard work you put into these pages. I can't thank you enough.

Thank you to Laura P. Lisa V. and Christina G. for being the first to read the book and give me excellent feedback.

Last but not least, thank you to my wonderful husband, as well as my beautiful mother... for being the muse of the story.

Our Place In Time

J.L. Miller

Copyright 2014 by J.L. Miller

Smashwords Edition

This book is dedicated not only

to my beloved Husband, Best friend and

Soul mate... Rich,

Without you, the idea for the

book, or the book itself

would not have been possible

Thank you for your love,

understanding and

support... I love you,

now and forever.

&

Also to my wonderful Mother.

All the theories and stories you have

bestowed upon me... lead to this story.

You are missed and loved more than

you know.

~Jackie

An invisible thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle but it will never break. May you be open to each thread that comes into your life- the golden ones and the coarse ones - and may you weave them into a brilliant and beautiful life.

-Ancient Chinese Proverb

Table of Content's

1.) Sara

2.) Mabel

3.) Samuel

4.) Steven

5.) The After World

6.) The Office

7.) The Gabe's

8.) Mabel

9.) Life Trip #1

10.) Home

11.) Andrew

12.) The Gabe's

13.) Mabel

14.) The After world

15.) Mabel

16.) Life Trip #2

17.) The After World

18.) The Gabe's

19.) Questions

20.) Alice Ann

21.) Gabe

22) Life Trip #3

Sara

Prelude

It was only when I stood up and smoothed out my dress, trying to put my disheveled self back together, that I noticed her laying on the ground. I was standing on the top side of a deep trench, over looking the horrific scene. I didn't know right away what it was, well... I take that back, I knew what it was that my eyes saw, but it didn't register right away that it was myself I was looking at. I'm such a vain person, for the very first thing I thought was, Well, shit... and I just bought this damn dress, see what what happens when I try to be a lady.

As I start walking down the grassy ravine, I see my reaper, or guardian angel... either/or title will work, as they are both one of the same, out of the corner of my eye. I see her standing to the right of me, she was leaning on the guard rail with her arms folded, staring at me with an apologetic look on her beautiful face. I recognize her... but I ignore her. She stands back and gives me my space. Smart woman I think to my self. Under different circumstances, I would have ran to her, arms open and threw myself on her small frame. But under these ones, she will have to wait. She knows how things will work out in the end. She knows that once I walk toward her, that I wont look back at this life time. She will give me all the time I need. Without even talking to her, I know this. She knows I know this. She waits patiently, with a hint of sympathy in her deep blue eyes.

I look away from her. I should be happy to see her, she has been my saving grace though this life. She was there the day I stepped foot into this body, she has watched over me, keeping me from harms way... when she could, and now she was here to bring me home. She has done her part, and done it well. I am thankful for all she has done for me. But in this instant, I’m not happy to see her at all. I want her to fix this... fix me, rewind time, then go back to the other side until I'm ready for her, until I am ready to leave this life. Actually, as I make my way down the gully, I think to myself that I want to punch her... clean her clock, or wallop her a good one at the very least. I think of a hundred different ways to scare her into doing what I want her to do, even if I really won't do any of it. I also know that she cant do any of those things, and getting angry at her when none of this is her doing, only leaves me to feel worse.

Reality is deflected by destiny, and by the time I reach the bottom of the small incline, I know that this isn't her choice anymore then it is mine. She's just doing what it is that she has to do... which is nothing short of simply fetching me. My time here, in this world, in this life, is done. A short life, finally on the right track... taken too soon. I can feel the anger that I felt just a few minutes ago is already starting to subside, only to be replenished by sorrow. My heart starts to except the cards it was dealt. It only takes a few minutes for the change of heart to come over me. It never takes long, the serenity of it hits almost at lighting speed, once its accepted. I think the more times you find your untimely demise, the quicker the process goes... maybe, oh hell... I don't know, maybe it just feels that way this time.

That’s the funny thing about dying. Once the realization of it hits that its out of your hands, its pretty instantaneous that the peace starts over your body. Well, not your body literately. in my case, I am standing at the bottom of a ravine, overlooking my body. I must admit, under no circumstance does that body look at peace. Oh, its in piece all right... a piece over there, and a piece over here, but... not at peace. I have to smile at myself. Even in death, I can still find the humor in a situation. Finding the humor feels so good. Its been a long time since I felt it.

I walk over to the girl I once was... just fifteen minutes ago. Her name was Sara. She had long red hair, she was a touch pudgy, and she had a few freckles where the sun had kissed her face. When she smiled, her top lip folded in, but none the less, she had a lovely smile... and she showed it as much as possible over the past few months. She was thirty years old... just turned. She had seen a lot of hurt in this life, too much. A lot of unwantedness, a few goodbye she wasn't ready for, and... a lot of sad... maybe more self pity then anything. However, She had also felt love. The good love... the kind of love that some spend a millennia of life times trying to find. She was lucky enough to find it in thirty short years. But, just as fast as she had found it, it seems it was gone. This makes me sad, actually... heartbroken is a better word. Even in spirit, my body is a broken puzzle.

I bend down and push the blood soaked hair back from her forehead. The color is drained from her face. I'm sad for her, actually... I am sad for me, for I am her. I sit down, crossed legged on the ground next to her. As I pick up her hand to hold in mine, I can see the tree's blowing with a gentle evening breeze, I can not feel the breeze on my own body, but I can see it blowing Sara's hair softly around her face. I think of all the things she still has yet to do. I feel like I failed her, even more so, I feel she has failed me. Even though neither of us had much to work with the fate at hand. The sorrow fills my half soul, and a single tear fell down my face. I really don't want this life to be over. I try to will all this to just be a dream. I sat there, next to Sara's body, with my eyes squeezed as tight as I could, hoping that when I opened them, none of this would still be there. Once I felt I had begged enough, and hoped enough for this to not be real, I opened my eyes and looked down. Sara still lay there, lifeless in the grass. I looked around hopelessly.

I look at our two hands. Mine has a soft glow about it, like glassy satin. Her hand is dull and lifeless... coarse, like unfinished porcelain. I can tell the warmth that should be in her hand is already started to subside, even though I wouldn't be able to feel it regardless. Her hand may have rested in mine, but really... mine is hers, and I say out loud, Sara, I really did do my best. We found him... you and I, we did that together. And we loved him, and he loved us... even if just for a little minute in a short life.

The thing is, when a person dies, and leaves this world behind... most morn their own death. Death is like that. Not only do your loved ones mourn you, but you mourn yourself. Your body and your spirit are connected. When your body dies, your spirit will linger with its body for awhile. Too bad the body isn't as durable as the spirit, I think to myself. The spirit will make it though many a lifetimes, but... sadly, the body... only one. Its not a long morning. Usually it only last a few minutes. A reaper will stand back, and give a soul a few minutes to say goodbye, maybe longer... depending on the soul going home. Maybe he or she is happy to leave this life trip behind, or... maybe they linger a bit longer then normal. Nothing is set in stone. It is completely up to the spirit leaving. They can take as long as they need to say goodbye to their body... and the life they lived. Its bittersweet.

Some spirits have made so many life trips that they just get up, head on over to their guardian, and head on back to the after life... no questions asked. My spirit always seems to linger longer then it should... always. Goodbyes never seem to sit well with me, no matter the circumstance. I never seem to get done what it is that I set off to do. I never seem to have enough time. But then again... I do have a terrible tendency to procrastinate at an extremely high level. This probably plays a part of the problem at hand. None the less, it makes me mad, actually... it breaks my spirit a little bit more and more each and every time.

Really, the only goal I have set for myself on the past two life trips, is to just simply find him. Him, referring to my soul mate. I finally found him in this life. Finally. I have been looking for him for what seems forever... but really, is only been two short life times.

Two lonely lifetimes, but hey, who's counting... right? I guess I shouldn't complain if I have only been looking for him for two life times. Some souls search for a sea of forever's and would be elated to have found what they were looking for in such a short time. Not that I didn't have a helping hand in the process. I should give credit where credit is due. Gabriela and Gabe gave me more help then I think they do most severed souls. Then, of course there was Mabel... who coincidentally is standing at the top of the trench right this very minute... looking down at me. Their plight to help me find my Samuel hasn't been easy on any of us.

Once in my human body, I didn't know he was my soul mate right from the get go, but what I did know that he was something special to me. His touch unlocked something inside Sara's body the minute she felt it. No, the minute she laid eyes on him. It was her half occupied soul, opening up for the other half to come in, and make it complete. In other words... it was me, who had spent what felt like an eternity... searching for my other half, and finally finding it. Finally.

As I look from Sara’s empty eyes, to her torn dress, to the car that was torn in two, sitting half on top of her, to the sun starting to set in the background, to the guardian... sitting on a guard rail on top of the trench, who was looking back at me, then back to Sara.

I was thinking, and thinking fast... taking one last try to make this right. Trying to figure out how I could rewind time, maybe drive a little slower, or checked the tires before setting off for the long drive back home. If I, or I should say Sara, would have done that... either of us would be in this predicament right now.... maybe. Always with the would have's, could have's, and should have's... and of course, always when its too late. The more I think, the more I realize that it wouldn't have mattered what we would have done, it was just simply our time to go home. There was no stopping the inevitable. We don't possess the power to stop fate, neither in body nor spirit.

Once I accept that I can not change any of the destiny sitting before my eyes, I look up at my reaper, again. She is still looking back and forth from the soul, and its dead body. What a damn mess the three of us are in. Then I hear it. In the still and quiet. I hear the cell ring, and my heartless soul's heart skips a beat. I know its him. I started to get up and look for the phone. It was only when I was on my knee's that I realized that even if I did find it, I wouldn't be able to answer it. I sat back down on the ground, took Sara's hand back into mine and watched the sun set one last time.

The colors of the sky took my breath away. Well, it would have taken my breath away had I been breathing. A naked soul really doesn't breath like a human. We do pull in air, out of habit, but it's not necessary. Then again, nothing we do is necessary. We just seem to do it because we are habitual creatures by nature. I wanted to take a mental picture of the sky, and take it with me. I told myself that once the sun was completely gone I would cross over. The purples, blues, pinks and oranges intertwining above me set me at ease. They swirled around and around each other. I tried to think of a time when the sunset was so beautiful, but nothing came to mind. Come to think of it, I couldn't recall the last time I really paid attention to the sky at dusk. Sara's life had been a constant balance of sad and mediocre. Some of the time, I was too busy feeling sorry for myself, and the rest of it, she spent with an unsettled feeling. As much as she tried to see the beauty in the little things, it was much too often overlooked.

Breathtaking I whispered aloud, as I watched the colors slowly disappear into darkness. Once it was completely dark, I got to my knees and decided it was time to go. Mabel, my reaper still sat on the railing. She too, looked lost in thought... contemplating something, as she stare at the sky. Following her glance, I looked up to find a surprising view of the stars. There must have been millions of them. I looked around again, and decided maybe I would wait a little longer... I had nothing but time from here on out, anyway. It wasn't long before I was laying on the grass, picking out the constellations and counting.

Lost in thought, I counted seven hundred and forty six of them, when I remembered Sara. I was laying next to her, still holding her hand. I had decided that I would wait until a car came driving up to the accident. I knew that I was just prolonging, but I didn't want to just leave her here... alone. This was a remote road, but it had been hours since the accident. How long would she lie here before someone happened upon her? My guardian still waited by the guardrail, still looking apologetic and understanding, and still looking like she was battling her own thoughts. I would look up at her from time to time, as I lay next to my body, and wonder if she was getting agitated. If she did, she never showed it.

Sara and I lay on the ground, head to head, both on our backs. Our hands, still together, came to rest where our heads met. I decided that if a car never came to find her, I would leave once I counted every star in the sky, and started counting them all over again. I just laid there, thinking about him, thinking about what I could have done differently in this life, and mostly... thinking of what I was going to do now, and what direction I needed to go to find him again... in another life.

For a small moment, I thought about just ignoring my reaper and staying with him. I could muddle through, and stay in between worlds until he got his calling home. Who knows when and where that will be though. The more thought I put into the idea, the more I decided that it wasn't really the best plan I had ever come up with. Really, it would have been both unfair to him, as well as myself. Not to mention my Guardian, who was waiting patiently for me to cross over. If I waited here for him, he would be able to feel me, or my spirit. He would have a hard time carrying on with his life. That being said, his beautiful smile would probably never find his lips again. The thought devastated me. Also, if I stayed behind with him, it would only be a matter of time before my light would dim. Souls aren't meant to be in the in between for that long of a time. If I were to stay, it would only hurt both of us. I needed to move on, for his sake and my own. If we were ever to be together again, down the line... I would have to walk away from him now. Even though I knew that what I had to do, it didn't make it any more easier.

I laid there for a little longer. The stars that lit up the sky were so lovely, I just wanted to look at them for a bit longer. A bit longer turned into day break, and just as the sun started coming up, and the moon starting to leave, I saw headlights in the distance. I knew that Sara would soon be found. This put me at peace, and I stood up. I bid her goodbye one last time, let go of her hand and let the memory of Sara fade into me. Once every detail of her was instilled within me, I left her and started to walk back up the gully.

Mable

2

My guardian and I have been a team for both lifetimes that I have been searching for my Samuel. She is my friend... if you want to relate our relationship to something, friendship would be the closest label to what you are accustomed to. In the afterlife, emotions are much stronger then those experienced in the earthly body. The earthly body has limitations. Its not strong enough, physically or mentally to feel emotions like a naked soul in the afterlife.

When a soul is bottled up in a body, it only works at a small fraction of it potential. Its not that a human cant feel emotions, or that they cant be overwhelmed by them, but... when your soul is naked, and free as its meant to be, emotions have the room to run at full capacity. This means that you feel with every part of you. A soul is really just energy. A lot of energy. Much, much more then a human body can harness. In soul form, you feel like if you were a thousand people, all feeling the same feeling. Make sense? For example, I have loved in past lifetimes. I have had mothers, fathers, siblings, lovers and children who I loved with all of my human heart, every inch of it. I would have died for them, and in one instance... I have. They were my everything in that certain lifetime, but to measure it in a viewable unit, would be comparable to a teaspoon of water, versus an entire ocean of the love I have for Mabel in the afterlife. Do I love Mabel more then the human children that I have physically birthed? No. However, the amount of love I was limited to in a human body could be nowhere near the unlimited amount of love that I am able to produce in the afterlife. Hard to follow, I know.

I have also known Mabel during a life trip. We have been human sisters, and spirit lovers, as well as friends. Her and I crossed paths a long, long time ago by chance in the after world. Both lost... both alone. We clung to each other desperately... although I have to admit, I needed her more then she needed me. Both of us separated from our other half, and both of us with a kindred need to feel whole. She has become my surrogate other half, and I... hers. She is beautiful, kind, awkward, strong, smart, witty and bull headed. All wrapped up in an angelic package. She was everything that I clung to for so long.

I can feel myself getting a little sadder by the minute... sad for her, and myself as I start to walk back up the gully to her. She knows that I found my other half. She and I both know what this means. It will mean that I will focus on him, and she will be left to feel unwhole again. This is something that we both knew would happen sooner of later. One of us would find our mate, and the other would be left mate-less once again. I am embarrassed to admit it, but I secretly hoped it would be me that found Samuel before she found her Damian. As selfish as it sounds, I am so weak, I would never be able to make it alone. She is so strong and level headed. Mabel has been alone for so long, and she still carries herself with an unprecedented amount of poise and grace. She makes being a half soul look