Into The Domain

INTO

THE

DOMAIN

BECKY VERONEAU

Copyright © 2023 Becky Veroneau.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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All Bible references come from the New International Version (NIV).

ISBN: 978-1-4897-4797-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4897-4796-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4897-4819-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023911220

LifeRich Publishing rev. date:  06/19/2023

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

About the Author

Chapter 1

I drove myself to the funeral instead of riding with my parents and sisters. It had been chaotic at my house this morning, and all I wanted was some peace and quiet. Since getting my driver’s license four months ago, I prefer to drive myself places if it gets me out of the craziness of my family. They’re great but n oisy.

Now that I’m at the church, though, I don’t know what to do. I’m early, and I don’t really want to go into the sanctuary yet. I opt to sit on one of the couches in the foyer.

I check the time and decide I have enough for a video chat with my best friend, Zoe. She has only been gone for a week, but I miss having her by my side for things like this. We have been best friends since she moved in next door when we were in kindergarten.

I think back to the day we met. I was playing outside, and my big brother had taken one of my dolls from me. I was crying, and she came over from her yard to see what was going on. She picked up some rocks and started throwing them at him. I quickly caught on and started doing the same. My brother, who never backed down, dropped the doll and went back into the house. We were inseparable after that. So it only makes sense to call her and have her with me, at least by phone. She answers my video call on the first ring. It’s like she was waiting for my call, which she probably was.

Hey, she says. I almost called you, but I thought you might still be driving.

I’m here. I wish you were. I take in everything about her. She has raven-black hair, olive skin, and an infectious smile. I’ve always been jealous of her hair and skin. I have dirty-blond hair and pale skin that burns quickly in the sun.

Thanks to technology, I am there.

It’s not the same, I think, but I don’t want her to feel bad, so I keep that thought to myself. Instead I ask, So have you met any cute guys there?

She laughs. Some, but I really haven’t gotten to know any of them yet. I’m still figuring things out. I haven’t lived anywhere but our small town for as long as I can remember. This place is a lot bigger.

Tell me about it.

Well, school isn’t as fun here, but the parties are epic. I’ve been to one every night.

Are you sure that’s a good idea? As soon as I say the words, I think, I sound like my mother.

Probably not. She laughs. I just hate going home to an empty apartment. The free housing here sucks. As soon as I get a job, I will start saving up for a better apartment.

We’re quiet for a moment. Then she says, You could join me here if you want. Then we can be roommates.

I miss you, but I don’t know if I’m ready for a change like that.

Yeah, she says. That wasn’t fair of me to ask. You would be giving up a lot.

One day we’ll be roommates.

I look forward to it.

I feel a tap on my shoulder, and I hear my mom say, Evie, we should probably go in and find a seat.

I get up and head for the doors. I hold my phone out so Zoe can see how the church is decorated for the funeral. She exclaims, Ooh, show me the body! I want to see!

I laugh and walk up to the casket. I put my face close to the corpse’s face and make a peace sign.

Zoe laughs and says, Ew, the corpse looks gross!

I hear some of the older people around me muttering about how disrespectful we’re being. I’m just as annoyed with them as they are with us.

Zoe’s mom, Mrs. Shaw, approaches and says, You girls need to end the video chat so the funeral can start. Zoe, go ahead and switch to livestream so you can observe quietly until it’s your turn to speak.

Zoe groans. Do I have to speak? This whole thing is so pointless!

Mrs. Shaw answers, It’s your chance to say goodbye.

Zoe says, But why do I have to say goodbye? I’m still here.

I think, But you’re really not, not like before. How can you be? You’re dead. I don’t say any of that, though, as I don’t want to make this harder on her. Instead, I say, It’s OK. I’ll call you again after this is over.

We sign off, and I go sit with my family. The music starts to play, and I think back on that horrible day just a week ago.

Me, Zoe, and a bunch of our friends had gone to the swimming hole at the back of her property. Even though we were back in school, it was still hot in our small Texas town. We were hot and bored. Plus, we were all aware that we wouldn’t be able to swim for much longer.

There was a rope we used to swing out into the water. We’d all done this about a hundred times in our lifetime. What were the chances that this time would end differently?

We didn’t really think anything about it when Zoe didn’t come up right away because Zoe could hold her breath longer than any of us. But as time ticked by, we all started to get anxious. Bobby, who spent the summer as a lifeguard at a local pool, was the first to dive into the water to look for her. He was also the one who carried her out and started CPR.

Seeing Bobby performing CPR snapped me out of my numbness, and I ran to the house to get Zoe’s mom. Both Zoe’s parents are certified interceptors, and in school, we’re all trained to go get an interceptor in an emergency. Even if it’s not necessary, it’s better to have one on hand, just in case.

When I got to the house, I yelled something incoherent. Somehow, Mrs. Shaw understood what I was saying and grabbed her interceptor kit. As we ran back to the location, I answered her questions about how long it had been.

Once we got the scene, Mrs. Shaw immediately began the interception. From time of death, there is only seven minutes to intercept the soul; after that it’s too late, and the soul is lost to us forever.

I honestly thought we were too late because it had felt like an eternity to me, but we made it. Looking back, I think it was probably a close call. Had Bobby not acted as quickly as he did, we would have lost Zoe forever.

Everyone is calling Bobby and me heroes, but I don’t think of myself that way. We all know that if CPR is being performed, the clock is ticking. Bobby is the one who kept his cool and knew what to do. And Zoe’s mom is a hero in my mind too. I can’t imagine having to perform interception on a loved one.

The funeral starts. Zoe’s mom and dad both speak. Bobby and some other friends each speak. I have chosen not to, mainly because I’m afraid I’ll cry and make it harder on Zoe. Even though the service is being held at my family’s church, the Shaw family has decided not to have the pastor speak. They’re atheists, so there is nothing he can say that will comfort them right now. The funeral is being held at our church only because it’s big enough to hold the anticipated size of the crowd.

Finally, it’s time for Zoe to speak. I pay close attention because I know she will ask me later for details on how she did.

I want to tell all of y’all how much I’ll miss y’all and to thank y’all for coming to be with us during my time of transition. Thank you, Bobby, Evie, and Mom, for your quick action. As hard as this is right now, this really is a great place. I have a lot to explore here. It’s a new adventure for me. Even though this wasn’t the adventure I expected, I know I’ll come to love this place as much as I did our tiny town. I look forward to seeing all of y’all again one day. When each of y’all come over, I will have a welcome to the neighborhood party for y’all. No rush, though. I want y’all to enjoy a full life there.

At this point, she starts to cry, and I know she wanted a full life here as well. I cry, too, as do many others in the audience. I want to reach out to her, but I can’t. I’m sure her family feels the same way and will be scheduling trips to a café to be able to virtually hug and kiss her again. There’s a waiting list about a week out, and it’s expensive, but I bet they got on the list as soon as she died.

I long to hug my friend to comfort her, but it just isn’t possible.

Chapter 2

I wake up the next morning, and I’m amazed that I managed to fall asleep last night. My eyes feel puffy from crying. I look at the clock, and I’m surprised that nobody woke me. It’s Sunday, and my family never misses ch urch.

After a quick trip to the bathroom, where I avoid looking in the mirror, I head to the kitchen. Everyone is already there, dressed for church.

My mom says, We figured we’d let you sleep today. I didn’t expect you to be up already. If you want to stay home from church today, I can stay and keep you company.

I answer, "Thanks. I