Seven Minutes in Heaven

Chapter Five

The happiness that Jeremy felt was replaced by the same indifference that his brother had shown him all these years. Being three years older, it was understandable that Joshua and him weren't joined at the hip, but Joshua barely even spoke to Jeremy. The two didn't even fight. Jeremy was positive that Joshua didn't hate him, but he knew that Joshua didn't like him very much either. Whenever Jeremy would try and get brotherly advice, Joshua would turned him away. So, it made sense that Joshua would end up here.

"Let's get this over with. Best not to talk to each other like normal, right?" Jeremy said, rather bitterly. There was still an urge for people to feel guilty about the way they treated him.

"If that is what you want." Angel-Joshua replied passively. The two brothers stared each other down for a few moments before Angel-Joshua ran forward and engulfed Jeremy in a hug. The hug caught Jeremy so off guard that he almost reflexed punched the angel in the face. This was the first time Joshua had hugged him and it wasn't even Joshua doing it.

"What was that for?" Jeremy asked, quite suprised.

"I missed you. I missed having family." Angel-Joshua replied, letting go of Jeremy. Just then Jeremy remembered his mother's painful death, and realized that with both him and his mother gone, Joshua was truly alone.

"I've missed being brothers. We never really got to be true brothers when I was alive."

"Well, technically you are still alive. Three minutes until you get pronounced dead." Angel-Joshua reminded him. Jeremy had forgotten about that.

"Okay, well before we do this, tell me. Is your future as bad as everyone elses? Because so far I've seen my girlfriend become a shell of herself, my best friend get shanked in prison, my mother commit suicide, and my bully be tortured to death in a hate crime." Jeremy said warily, praying that it wasn't anything too terrible.

"Don't worry, my death is painless and quick. Let's get into it." For the fifth time, Jeremy placed his hand on the screen.

A dark green overwhelmed his mind, and strangely, the smell of pine filled his nostrils. This was the first thing he had smelt, and the pine felt especially pungent. Soon the black clad figures emerged, revealing yet another funeral.

"Are you serious? I am not seeing my funeral again!" Jeremy shouted at Angel-Joshua, who merely chuckled.

"Don't worry, it's not yours." Just then, Jeremy noticed that it was sunny at this funeral, whereas it had been raining at his. His heart sank when he considered the next most likely person who this funeral was for.

"No. I'm not looking at her again. No way." Jeremy repeated determinedly, backing away from the crowd. "Seriously, I don't need this."

"You won't be able to move on until you see everything Jeremy. Now man up and look in the coffin!" Angel-Joshua said harshly, causing Jeremy to snap.

"Don't you dare tell me to man up! You have no idea what I've been forced to see before this. Hell, I saw a little girl get her fingers ripped off while she was still alive! Not to mention all the crap I went through before I died. Oh wait, you wouldn't know about that, because you didn't care enough to find out!" Jeremy screamed, panting as Angel-Joshua watched.

"Look at us. Two brother brawling over our mother's coffin. Real classy." Jeremy immediately felt calm again. He approached the coffin slowly and silently, before peering into the coffin. He felt like he had been punched in the gut again. His mother was rest there, artistically surrounded by flowers, flowers that cleverly hid the jagged scars. She looked beautiful and peaceful, except that her eyes were open, revealing them looking glassy and dead.