"What happened?"

"You saw the result of your choices, Vincent, the one's you made during your life."

"But I never- how could one mistake lead to all those events?"

"It wasn't a mistake, Vincent. As I've tried to tell you, life is about choices, there is no right or wrong. There is no way of knowing how they will turn out." Meditatio beckoned him to follow him and Vincent obeyed, shoulders slumped and eyes downcast.

"Up here you get to see the results of your decisions, and for a resolution of your existence on earth, you have the opportunity to adjust some of those."

"And I— messed up, didn't I?"

They stopped by a large silver door with the image of an angel as a knocker.

"You violated a contract, Vincent, and in doing so you squandered that opportunity. It didn't change things for those in your previous life but it has made advancement here much more difficult."

"How? In what way?"

Meditatio raised the knocker and let it fall once. The sound was like thunder and the door opened slowly exposing a long narrow corridor with small windows at regular intervals for as far as he could see.

"What is this?"

"You must walk down this corridor, Vincent. If you pause to look through one of the portals you will witness the passage of those in your previous life. You cannot return once you move on, Vincent, and you must continue to the very end... regardless of what you see."

"What happens at the end?"

"That will be determined by the Monitor."

"Who's that?"

"The Monitor adjudicates the Corridor of Consequence."

"Consequence?"

"You will see, Vincent. This is where we part."

"I won't see you again?"

"No."

"But—" Meditatio vanished and Vincent found himself moving along the narrow corridor. As he neared the first portal, he slowed and cautiously peered toward it, fearful of what he might behold. As he came up to it he could see, with surprise, the school dance where he first met Marie. He looked eagerly as he saw himself dancing with her and, what he'd never seen before, the reaction of his friends and other schoolmates, including Ginny McRae.

Benny and his other pals were all laughing and pointing and he could hear the mean comments they made about Marie then he heard Ginny make a nasty insult about both of them and his mouth dried as he realized the fact that he had no idea these things were going on. Vincent always thought they were all looking on with envy.

He saw the result of getting Marie home late and what happened inside her home after he left, how her father had berated her and called her all kinds of terrible names, as well as insulting Vincent to the point of embarrassment. He leaned against the portal as the images continued with Benny cornering Ginny in the school hallway and the two of them plotting the day Vincent caught them in the car together.

His friend, Benny, was telling her what he really thought of him, how he wanted to really humiliate Vincent. Ginny, for her part, was just as eager except that her motive was revenge for him taking up with Marie instead of pining after her. Vincent felt sick. Benny had been the one always wanting to hang around with him and constantly pestered Vincent to do things together. He saw the replay of finding them in the car together and how they howled with laughter when he had gone.

Ginny gave herself eagerly to Benny and Vincent could see the relationship he knew they had later, taking place right then. He moved away from the portal and continued down the corridor. The images confronting him were of his wedding day and how he and Marie spent the time wrapped up in one another. Her family sat at a separate table and watched with stoic expressions, none of them seemed happy for the couple.

Vincent couldn't believe that he hadn't noticed their displeasure at the time but it cleared up the fact that Marie's family had little to do with them afterwards. Even the birth of the grandchildren didn't encourage any closeness. He saw them drive off on their honeymoon and the week they spent enjoying their new status and one another with open hearts.

Well this isn't so bad, Vincent thought as he proceeded to the next portal. It's kind of fun, like watching home movies. He stopped and leaned on the glass and stared at the next scene. He was wrestling Lori onto the desktop at work and she was squealing with delight as they lost themselves in an act of unbridled sex. Vincent gaped. Is that what they looked like? It was embarrassing and he started to turn away when it changed and he saw Lori with an older woman, sitting in a diner.

"How did it go?" The older woman spoke with a raspy hunger.

"How else. He ate it up."

"Is he looking for more?"

"Any time I twitch my bum at him."

Vincent's mouth dropped as he saw the older woman lean back and laugh. It was Ginny McRae. He knew she was Lori's mother from what Michelle showed him but he didn't know she and Lori had planned the seduction. They continued to talk and he learned how Ginny wanted to ruin his marriage and why. She had become Benny's whore, being passed around to his friends as he saw fit. Her reputation ruined when she and Benny had humiliated Vincent that day in the car.

He quickly moved away and stumbled down to the next window, pausing and wondering if he wanted to see more. A glance ahead showed him that the end of the corridor was still a long way off and he recalled Meditatio's comment about an adjudicator. Maybe he was supposed to look at them all. If he missed any it might be another error in judgement, like the Hall of Decision. He took a breath and peered through the glass.

Benny was slouched on a couch drinking a beer and a woman came into the room carrying a tray. It was Michelle. She set the tray on the table in front of the couch and sat at one end.

"That it?" Benny sneered. "This is what I give you shopping money for?"

"It's what you asked for." She said defensively.

"Shit. I asked for a thick one, well done." He picked up the hamburger and opened it up, frowning. "Cheap bitch. Take it back and put a little meat in it."

A few more scenes of the tumultuous marriage followed and Vincent found himself empathizing with Michelle and hating his ex friend. The next scene struck home as he recognized the tale Michelle had related.

Benny slammed the door and pushed on through to the kitchen, calling Michelle, and opening the fridge for a can of beer.

"Where the hell are you?" He opened the can and let the spray soak the furniture then he swallowed half the contents.

Michelle came into the kitchen and immediately complained about the mess.

"I washed the floor in here today and look at it."

Benny tossed the empty can in the sink and grabbed her by the neck, shoving her down to her knees.

"You look at it, stupid." She pulled away and rolled to the wall. "I don't give a goddamn about your floor, I want my dinner 'cause I'm goin' out tonight."

"Get it yourself." She stood and he grabbed her hair and slammed her into the wall. Blood trickled into her eye from a split in her forehead.

"Get upstairs." He grabbed her again and shoved her into the front hall and onto the staircase. "C'mon, get goin'."

"Leave me alone," she cried, but he punched her side and forced her up the stairs.

Michelle broke away again and ran to the bathroom, slamming and locking the door.

"Bitch!" Benny screamed after her. "When I get home you'll be sorry, and you better be here, you still have a lesson coming."

Vincent watched her cry her heart out as she dabbed at the cut on her face.

******

The scene changed and he saw Benny roll off a bed and slap a woman next to him on the bottom. She made a noise and turned over, smiling and gesturing provocatively.

"Nah, gotta go. Got some business needs takin' care of. Next time try and lose some of that waist, eh, I don't need hand grips."

"Don't be mean, Benny." She sat up and covered her nakedness. "You never complained in school."

"You ever wonder why we only meet here?"

"'Cause you're married?" She offered.

He laughed and cursed. "Stupid broad. Do I look worried about being married? No, it's because you don't show well socially. You're great in here, Ginny, but not out in public, maybe next time you should bring your daughter." He leaned down and tweaked her chin then left.

Michelle was watching for the car and she grabbed butcher knife from the rack when it pulled into the drive. When she didn't answer Benny's traditional announcement, he swore aloud and threatened the empty house that she would pay if she thought she could hide. He went to the kitchen and stopped, seeing her at the counter.

Vincent heard him shout at her and watched as he went to the fridge and grabbed a beer, popping the top and letting it spray on her. She didn't move and he took a long swallow, stepping toward her. "Learned not to complain at least, eh?" He tipped the tin up again and Michelle drove the knife straight into his chest just below the ribs. Benny snorted beer all over both of them and then he coughed again, this time blood. He dropped the can and stared at his chest. The handle was tight against his chest and he tried without success to pull it out.

Michelle stepped closer and pushed on the handle, shoving him back against the refrigerator door. Benny gurgled in pain and grasped the handle of the fridge for support. The door popped open and he spun around, slipping and falling into the opening, legs splayed and his neck resting on the bottom ledge. He stared up at her and held out a hand.

She grabbed the door and slammed it against his head over and over, screaming and crying until the effort exhausted her and she collapsed beside his still body. Vincent turned away, not wanting to see any more. It had happened exactly the way she said and he felt bile rise into his throat.