Transspiritualassimilation

"Three times and the judge bought it, Amy was so depressed, remember? She killed herself."

"But, but, this...."

"Shhh, I'm getting to that. It seems my grandmother and one of my aunts have some history with Chad's grandfather and Dad. I won't go into the details, but that whole family has been responsible for a lot of pain, suffering, and even deaths over the years, and they have kept getting away with it, up until now."

I was shaking my head, she kissed my cheek, and she kissed my hands.

"When he killed Todd in the hit and run, my family, for the first time, started to say out loud that we needed to do something to protect the people, and this town, from the next generation of assholes."

"We were sitting around when my grandmother said one word, 'Transpiritualassimilation,' then we all said the same thing at once "John."

She continued,

"You'll know most of this, but let me explain it my way....

We are all three parts in one; body, soul, and mind. To have a good and whole life, all three must be healthy. Using science, we can keep the body alive without a soul, or even a mind, but the person who that once was, stops living when either the soul, the mind, or both, leave the body: The timing has to be perfect. We monitor the body weight, and the transpiritualassimilation takes place when the weight drops by 21 grams. Then we know the soul has left, but we have a few moments to make the transfer since the body takes longer to shut down. If we don't, then without a soul, there's a void, and the person dies.

In Chad's case, he was found guilty of terrible crimes and sentenced to death. We did that by moving his soul and mind into your body an instant before we induced a heart attack. To do that, we had to move your soul and mind into his body."

"But how?..."

"Okay, so don't freak out, but, my family, well the ones you know, are witches, real witches, I am too... We help people with spells and herbs; most of it is the small stuff that no one notices, helping women with cramps, or helping with early dementia symptoms, things like that. Transpiritualassimilation is a big deal; it needs five blood relatives, adult witches to make it work, so we planned for this on my 18th birthday. I let Chad believe he had a chance at the 'Ice Queen'... Did you know the guys called me that?... Anyway, I couldn't tell you what we were planning, but you know I have loved you, well, for..., well, forever, and always knew I would marry you, even if it were just a childhood dream and joke between us. With transpiritualassimilation it is possible."

"But, but..."

"It's okay; it's okay, this, all this, is now really you. It will take some getting used to, and you'll have to finish your senior year of high school, but now we get to go to college and begin our lives together. I think we should do "it" tomorrow, but mom talked me into waiting until we, I mean you, get... well, you... until you have enough time to 'adjust' to this whole thing and your new body.

You'll have to get to know Chad's family; we have video, pictures, and family history; when you are ready, you'll study. It's okay if you act a little weird because your old body will have a heart attack and hit this one while he's crossing the street. You'll be in, what the doctors will think is, a comma for a couple of days, and of course, be a little out of it when you finally come to."

"But, but..."

"I know, just let me finish... of course, as your girlfriend, I'll be at your side every minute of your recovery and help you with details and names until we go to college. It's going to be so much fun."

I thought before I spoke;

"It's going to take a little while for me not to think of you as my best, and very young, pal. But you know I love you like a daughter, love who you are and who you've become, and have always been there for you."

I took a deep breath,

"All that said, if you can be patient with me, once I get used to the idea of being 18 again, and we get to know each other, as boyfriend and girlfriend, if you still love me then, I would be honored if you'd be my wife."

With that, there was what best could best be described as a "clamour" from the hallway; the door burst open, Abby's family poured into the room with big smiles. There was lots of hugging, and I even got kisses from Abby's usually reserved relatives.

Epilogue:

They slept together that night, not for sex, although they would both later admitted to thinking about it. They simply couldn't let go of each other for so many reasons.

It was the first time either one of them was truly relaxed. Abby finally had the man she had loved from the first time she saw him and asked what he was doing, well before she even knew what love was. John, oops, I mean Chad, was anxious and dealing with obviously mixed feelings but knew everything would work out with her in his arms.

In the early morning, the "accident" was staged and reported. Chad was struck by coach John's car just a block from his home. The examiner determined that John had had a massive heart attack that killed him in seconds. He had somehow seen and mostly avoided Chad, who was crossing the street against a red light. While only a glancing blow, Chad had hit his head on the curb. He also had a bruised hip and thigh. He was in the hospital for a couple of days. Everyone knew that Abby wouldn't leave his side and helped him 'remember' the names of family members and friends who came by.

There were some awkward moments in Chad's house as he, very slowly, got used to being Chad on the outside. Fortunately, any missteps were chalked up to 'the accident' and injuries suffered.

Once back at school, his classmates were surprised to see a very different Chad. He was kinder and even consoled fellow students who missed their favorite neighbor and coach. He and Abby set an example that became the new normal, and it spread throughout the school.

They became the power couple. Their upbeat and friendly attitude toward everyone made a huge difference. Bullying all but stopped, shaming, and put-downs became jokes among friends instead of making people feel bad or less important.

The previously 'unseen' students were spoken to and welcomed into groups and conversations. He was more serious but silly at the same time. Overheard, more than once, someone quietly commenting "that's something coach would have said." It made him happy to think they remembered him.

By graduation, Chad had brought his grade point average way up. He and Abby insisted on being together to receive their diplomas so they'd get them simultaneously as they walked arm in arm across the auditorium stage. Students and teaches stood to applaud them and didn't stop clapping until they kissed and bowed, which got an even bigger cheer.

Their first time making love was with body, soul, and mind, was more of a religious, life-changing experience than only sex. It was as if they were a single body, moving and breathing as one, pleasure given and received seamlessly.

Out of breath, Chad said,

"if that's our first 'awkward' attempt, I think we're in trouble."

"Trouble?" Abby giggled.

"Yes," He said smiling, "How are we going to have time for anything else?"

At college, Chad and Abby grew closer, as if that was possible. They lived together the three years it took them both to finish and graduate. Predictably, Chad's family never understood or condoned their relationship.

At his family's insistence, they were presented with a prenuptial agreement that needed to be amended to be fair to Abby. Everyone was shocked when they laughed while they signed it. Over time they had less and less to do with Chad's family but continued to try their best to love them and show them a better way.

They were fully committed to each other from the start but waited until graduating from college to get married. The wedding was a significant, but small in size, social event, as the couple only wanted their closest friends and family there. Per his grandfather's will, Chad's substantial trust fund was signed over to him after the wedding.

In a quiet moment, looking at their portfolio and bank balance, they kissed and wondered out loud, "How many people do you think we can help with all we have?"

They would live happily ever after.

It didn't take long for them to realize they needed a break from his family pressures. Wanting something well away from Chad's family that was also different than Florida in every way. They found and enrolled in the Biomedical Engineering program at Cornell University's grad school in New York's Finger Lake Region, and ended up staying.

Over the next 78 years, they became respected teachers in the community. They had five daughters, all as beautiful and intelligent as their mother and almost as silly as their father. They all had the desire and capability to enter various medical fields. While they remained very close, they each followed their path into medicine. Their oldest was the head of the pediatric intensive care unit at the university hospital. Among the others were:

A cardiac specialist.

A prominent pediatric oncologist.

A leading geriatric and dementia research physician

A professor and physician specializing in prenatal surgery

Each was taught kindness and the importance of sharing in everything as the leading principle in their lives. They, in turn, showed their children the same 'secrets' for a happy life.

In 2098 Cornell was having the coldest October on record; many of the lakes were frozen over by the end of the month. It was Halloween, and it also marked the anniversary of their 79th year together. They were, because of the cold, warming themselves by the fire in their family room, waiting for the next round of Trick or Treaters to ring the bell, when suddenly three of their daughters rushed in;

"Come on, let's go. We don't have any time to waste."

"What are you girls up to."

"We'll explain on the way."

They were stuffed into their winter coats and hustled out the door and into a car.

"Two families were ice fishing...."

"What?"

"They drove their truck out onto the lake."

"Who?"

"They drilled through the ice."

"What?"

"Let me finish; two families, friends, and neighbors; they drove out onto the lake and set up an ice fishing hut. They each have a child, a 13-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl. They sent the girl to get something from her mother's car onshore; right after leaving the hut, they heard a loud cracking sound. The boy, Jonathan, jumped up and said; Molly, and ran out just in time to see Molly slipping into the water. He didn't hesitate; he continued running and dove into the freezing water."

"All this was witnessed by two park rangers who were just going to tell them the lake ice wasn't safe for their truck. They had their ice rescue gear and went to work to go after the kids. Meanwhile, the two sets of parents jumped into the truck and raced to help, but as they got closer, the ice gave way, and the truck did a nose dive into the lake with only the truck bed sticking out."

"Those poor people, are they alright?"

"The children were pulled from the water without heartbeats and not breathing, but the ice-cold water could have saved them; they were rushed to Bella's pediatric ICU. Cindy was on call and went to help Bella. They put them on warm respirators and temperature-controlled profusion to circulate warmed blood."

"The parents that were in the front seats are not doing well; the two in the back are in better shape but are still pretty bad."

"Why are we rushing to get there?"

"Bella called 6 minutes ago saying the children are not expected to make it; she thinks they have lost their will to live and seem to be giving up their spirits. We only have a little time to save their bodies."

There was a few moments of silence, then Abby said, "OHHH, I see."

At the ICU, they all went in and looked at those lovely children. Chad noticed the pentagon laser projections on the floor and walls...

Chad asked,

"He was so brave, isn't there anything you can do?"

"No, dad, their bodies have technically died and are only still working because of this equipment, which has delayed their souls' departure. We only have a few moments to transport your souls and memories once they let go, so please quickly lay down here, mom; you're over there.

As they climbed onto their gurneys, the lights were dimmed; the last thing Chad heard began as a chant in a language he vaguely remembered, then it turned into something more like a song, his head started to spin, and things went black.

The parents who had been in the back seat of the truck, Molly's parents, didn't have the physical trauma of those in the front and were able to get out of the pickup truck before passing out from hypothermia. They were too weak to help their friends but were alive due to the efforts of the rangers.

As for the others, although technically drowning, they were brought back for a few minutes at the scene; however, in the end, the couple in the front seats, Johnathan's parents, didn't survive.

As he woke, Mrs. Michaels was stroking his head, saying,

"thank you, thank you, Johnathan, thank you so much... doctor, doctor, he's awake."

"Abby, is Abby alright?"

Molly's mother had been by his side, while her dad stayed close to his precious little girl."Molly... Molly's great, you saved my baby, thank you, thank you."

Molly and Johnathan were reunited when they insisted they needed to be close during recovery. Knowing they shared a near-death experience, the doctors and Mr. and Mrs. Michaels agreed.

After a few days, the kids were doing great.

Molly's mom asked,

"Johnathan, you were so brave and selfless; you saved our precious girl; we're so sorry you lost your parents... We're so, so very sorry and want you to know you can come and live with us; if you'd like, you know, to be part of our family, we'd be honored to adopt you and be proud to call you our son."

With what sounded like confidence and wisdom beyond his years,

Johnathan said,

"First, please call me John; I prefer it, and while your offer is more than kind, I can't be your son."

"Why not?"

"Simple, when we're old enough, I'm going to marry Ab.. eh, Molly".

"That's so sweet, but you can't be sure what will happen in 10 or 15 years from now; I promise we'd love you and give you a good home, family, and life, and you'd still get to be close to Molly."

"Mrs. Michaels, I dove in after Molly because I love her; that will never change. I know she may fall for someone else in the future, and that's a chance I have to take. But if you adopt me, I'll be her brother and have no chance at all."

He looked at the ICU doctor and asked,

"Doctor Bella, surely someone kind and loving would be willing to adopt a boy like me?"

The doctor, speaking for herself and her sisters, immediately said,

"Of course they will; I know that any of us would jump at a chance to help such a caring young man." She smiled warmly.

They were discharged with a clean bill of health, except it seemed they were both having trouble with their memory. The neurologist was sure it had to do with their time in the frigid water when they were in "suspended animation" (he didn't like saying "when they died").

Dr. Isabelle, the Head of the Pediatric ICU, adopted John. John and Molly stayed best of friends. The town was small, so the junior and senior high schools were on the same grounds. That meant they could walk to school together every day even though he was a year older and two grades ahead.

They were inseparable, and everyone understood.

Molly's parents always loved John, and while he was always proper, they watched them closely to make sure nothing inappropriate ever went on. While concerned their daughter wasn't exploring her options or other opportunities to date, they never objected to their relationship.

They came to know this was a bond that would last a lifetime. Once Molly turned 18, they decided not to wait until after college and got married, attended Cornell together, ...and they lived happily ever after, again.