Xinye's view

"Wake up, Karen," a voice spoke to me. I recognised it as the voice I had heard when I was younger. It was the voice of my God.

"Yes, master," I said and sat up in my bed to look upon the face of my God.

"Karen, you are on the cusp of dying again, and I am here to give you a choice."

I nodded; the last time I made a choice, it was to either die and be a witness for Jesus. Many people would be saved by my death or live and have four children with my husband at that time and my life would not be easy. He had not told me about this time then. I could understand that; who would imagine such a thing?

"What are my choices this time?" I asked.

Jesus took me and showed me Xin's soul. It was a pool of deep despair with a Band-Aid of light on it. "What is that Band-Aid?" I asked him, "That is your influence on his life."

He then took me to my son Bryce; his soul was the same, and I felt my tears fall down my face, grieving that my son was such a mess, "Lord, please heal him." I said, facing only what was before me.

Jesus nodded, "The choice you have to make is this. Die now, and Xin will fall apart, killing everyone and everything that had ever hurt you. He remains here at this estate and fixes its root of darkness. Your son will be saved because of him, or you live, and you will be in pain for ten years. Xin never falls into that darkness, but there is a chance your son will not be saved."

"What sort of pain?" I asked, and I was shown. It was a bone crippling pain, one I had felt whenever I forgot to take my herbal concoction, except it could not be cured. "What about my other children? Will they be alright?"

"They are fine. Their hearts lie firmly with me," he said.

"Then I choose to die," I said, "I need to know all my children will be saved."

He nodded, "Time to say goodbye then."

It felt like I was split into several pieces at once, and I got to say "Goodbye" to everyone.

I will say it in order as it happened.

First, I went to Xin and stood there observing him for what seemed an eternity before I hugged him for the last time in this life, except it was my spirit embracing his. "Goodbye, my love. Forgive them because they do not know what they do."

"Xinye?" he said, tearing back to the room that now held my soulless body.

Then I went to Bryce, "Goodbye, son. I hope you can forgive me and have a happy and blessed life. I am sorry for letting you down. Turn to Jesus, and he will help you overcome my mistakes."

I do not know if he heard me, as he did not show any signs of it. I kissed him goodbye one last time on his forehead and ruffled his hair.

Then it was Maelgwyn. I was shown his upright and just soul. "He will stay like that throughout his life," Jesus said beside me.

"Thanks," I said before turning to my son, "Goodbye, Maelgwyn. Take care and have fun."

"Always Mum," he said, before looking alarmed as there was no-one in the room with him.

I chuckled, "He heard me!" I hugged him and left.

I then went to Bao and Shen, "Goodbye and thank you for being my friends here." I said, taking their hand and squeezing it. They looked confused for a minute and went on with their day.

Fergus was next, "Goodbye, Fergus. I loved having you for my son. Thank you for being such a wonderful child to me. Seek after God, and he will give you the desires of your heart."

"Mum?" he said and followed after Xin in his race to me.

Sari and Ying were together with my two miracle children, "Thank you, Sari and Ying, for your friendship and service. It is time for me to go now. My life is at an end. Please look after my two miracles and bring them up to know my God as I have taught you on Sabbaths."

I then turned to my youngest children, "Goodbye, my darlings. I will always love you. Seek after God and etch his word into your hearts. Treat others as you want to be treated regardless of their behaviour toward you. It won't be easy. Look after your father as his heart is fragile and, with my passing, will fall into darkness for a time. See him through it, and he will be the man he was meant to be. Forgive him in the meantime." 

I was then pulled back together and taken to my mother's bed. 

"She is fighting going," Jesus said to me, "Welcome her this side."

"Come on, Mum, it is time to go home with Jesus," I said.

"Karen? What are you doing here? Were you not beside me just now? How is it you are here?"

"It's complicated," and I saw my Aunt and Nanny then, "Look, here is Aunty and Nanny here for you, let's go." and I hugged her warmly.

Jesus said, "There is one more place you need to go."

I nodded. It was to my first husband and children who had been left behind.

Tears fell down my face as I saw them huddled beside each other, crying. All that remained of our home was a pile of broken rubble surrounding a concrete slab. 

"What do we do now, Dad?" Carmen asked, "We do not even have a tent."

"I guess we will have to buy a tent then," my ever practical husband said, "And set up an outdoor shower."

"Tippy is gone," wailed my daughter Venus.

"And Sammy," Carmen said, "Don't forget the dog and chickens."

Just then, the chickens came back. I did not know how they survived, but Jesus told me, "I could not take everything from them." 

"Thanks, even if it is just the chickens, it is a small mercy," I looked at him and said seriously, "Thank you so much for this."

I then embraced my family and said, "Goodbye, my loves. Take care and always look to God; he will guide your path. Do not turn from him." I then looked at my husband and his soul. It was the same as Xin's and Bryce's. "How Lord? How did this happen? He was always so good to me."

"You helped him for so long. It is not as bad for him as Xin as should he go to church; they will look after him in this time of need."

So, I knelt down, put my hands on his face, and kissed him, "Thomas, seek out Jean and ask for her help. I love you, and God loves you. Remember to follow his guidance and not wallow in your problems."

I stood up for the last time, looking at my first family, "Will they be alright?"

"Yes," Jesus nodded, "Better than alright, as your children have passed onto their children to come here on this day and look after your husband and children."

"They did?" I asked, astonished by what I was hearing.

"They did," he affirmed, "And your letters and Dudo's will will also arrive today."

"What happened to Dudo?" I asked Jesus.

"Although he did the wrong thing by you, he had repented to me. He is in heaven," Jesus said sadly, "Unfortunately, he is the only one of his family to be here. The rest chose to the very end to have no God."

"What about Harjol?"

"She is here, with her child. It would be best not to see her, though," Jesus warned me.

I understood seeing me would only remind her of Taiji, and as Dudo was the only one in heaven, it meant she was alone. Her love was gone forever, the only evidence being her baby.  

I left the mortal realm then, a chorus heard to all, "From the rising of the sun, to the going down of the same, The Lord's name, is to be praised." I followed my Lord into the heavens leaving behind the earthly mess.

A/N If you enjoyed this chapter, please take the time to vote by pressing the star. Please let me know if you see any errors, as this is unedited.