Strange Case

Warning: mature themes

I closed the book with a snap and dropped it on the floor next to the couch. "I just finished Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."

Adrian had been on his side on his bed. He raised up on one elbow and looked at me. He remarked casually, "The name of the doctor should actually be pronounced to rhyme with treacle. I found that out when I came across an old black-and-white movie version."

I should have known. He'd gone to France without any knowledge of the language and came home having memorized the French national anthem. Of course he'd know how to pronounce the name Jekyll properly. That's Adrian Donner for you. Knows all too well he's always the smartest person in the room.

"Brittany, can't you ever listen to any music or read any books from the last five years?"

"I'm just a misfit living in the past."

"I don't think you're living in the past, "Adrian said, sitting up, leaning back against the headboard. "You just went to Fay's birthday party and saw that guy there, Tim, that she tried to set you up with. You aren't still hung up on him."

"What good would it do to be hung up on him? At the party, he looked right at me and never recognized me!"

"Dear, it was almost a year ago. Fay and Noah wanted to pair you off with someone. Their friend Tim came over and helped them move furniture in their new home." Adrian rolled his eyes. "They just happened to invite you over that day and they just happened to suggest going out to eat after the furniture had been moved."

"You remember more about my date than I do," I said, growing suspicious.

Adrian shrugged. "You said Tim was a bodybuilder. So naturally, I was interested. But I don't think he's into tall men with blond hair and blue eyes." He added kindly, "I'm sure he was looking at your blonde hair and blue eyes."

I gestured at my novel. "I read this book because it's about a man who is not who people think he is. Just like me."

"The doctor was an evil hypocrite," Adrian explained patiently. "You're just selective about sharing your authentic self. Not the same thing." He waved a hand. "Darling, everyone is a hypocrite at times. It's part of being human."

Adrian came over to my couch, picked up the book, and returned to his bed, switching on the light over the bed. Stretching out to his full six-four, he began reading. I took out a wooden paddle brush from the storage space under my couch. I began brushing my waist-length hair, humming softly. He frowned at me. "If you'd sung your siren song and brushed your hair in front of that Tim guy, he would have gone for you."

"We were at a steakhouse. Come to think of it, no one ordered steak. How am I supposed to whip out a brush and start doing my hair?"

"Are you going out tonight?" he asked.

Adrian was the only one who knew my secret. My gay male best friend, my roommate who let me live on his houseboat with him, the only person I could really be honest with. I nodded. "In a few hours. It's duty, not pleasure."

"What's the name?"

"Colin Thornton. His wife's name is Nancy. His daughter's name is Elizabeth."

"Be gentle with him, Brittany."

"I will. He's going to die around 5 AM."

"Where am I?" Mr. Thornton said.

I stopped rowing, letting the small boat drift in the dark water. There were lamps hung up in the boat so we could see each other. "The river Styx."

"Huh?"

Not up on his mythology. Adrian would have understood my meaning. "Mr. Thornton, my name is Brittany Korrigan. I'm sorry to tell you that you had a heart attack early this morning, and you didn't make it."

"WHAT?!"

"You passed away in a motel room after having a heart attack while making love to your mistress," I said bluntly. A handsome man, I thought. Fifty-eight, short dark hair flecked with gray. Not as tall as Adrian, but tall with broad shoulders, in a navy business suit and red tie.

He sat up in the boat, rubbing his hands over his face. I continued, "It's my job to ferry you on this river until we get to the place where you land."

Mr. Thornton checked his pulse and felt his chest for his heartbeat, of course without finding either one. He studied me for a moment and said, "You're dressed all in white with golden hair. Does that mean you're an angel?"

"No, not that important. I'm a Siren. I look the way I do so you won't be startled by my appearance. According to the old stories, Sirens are supposed to lure sailors to their deaths. But we can also take people to the afterlife."

"What happened to my girlfriend?" he asked.

"Melissa didn't panic. She arranged your body with the covers over you and called for an ambulance before leaving."

"That was quick thinking."

I knew why Melissa had done things that way. Slowly I put the images into Colin Thornton's mind. His wife Nancy thinking he'd stopped at a motel and gotten a room just because he was tired and needed to sleep before driving another eighty miles home. His daughter Elizabeth wondering if he'd been staying with someone at the motel, but trying to dismiss the thought because her dad just wasn't like that. Melissa crying all the way while driving home to her apartment because she'd been in love with her boss who was twenty years older than she was. Colin's next door neighbor in shock at the realization that they'd never have any more cookouts together. Colin's work colleagues setting aside time from their busy schedules to go to his funeral.

Colin was silent for several minutes as I rowed, then said, "I'm seeing everyone's reactions."

"I gave them to you. You can also go to your church and attend your own visitation and funeral."

"Am I going to be punished for committing adultery?"

"You get to decide if you want to punish yourself. No, not like some BDSM thing."

"Now I know for sure you're not an angel."

I smiled. "I know this is all strange to you. After a while we'll get to a sandy shore where you get out of the boat. There's a cave with a tunnel in it you walk through. It's softly lit, you won't be in the dark. You'll come out the other side and be greeted by whoever you most want to see who has passed. Your relatives, old friends, whoever. You get to choose if you want to do a life review and see how your actions affected your life and the lives of others."

"What about God? What about Jesus?"

"Your relationship with your Creator is up to you. I know from reading your file that you were a member of a Presbyterian church. A welcoming congregation, LGBTQ+ folks could get married there."

"Going to church didn't keep me from breaking my marriage vows." He sighed. "Nancy was my high school sweetheart. Neither one of us ever dated anyone else. I fell for Melissa before I knew what I was doing. We were careful, I don't think Nancy suspected, but it had just been a little over a month since I started seeing Melissa. I'll never know what would've happened."

"I know you cared for both of them. You"ll be able to see what your loved ones are doing."

"So I get to go to Heaven?"

"Well, about that. There is no chosen and left behind. Everyone makes it to a better place. Some people choose to reincarnate after a while, some people choose to go to sleep and not wake up, some people watch over their loved ones, some help those who have passed over."

"Like you."

"I'm not dead. I've been around a long time. I do this instead of luring sailors to their deaths. To be honest, as a Siren, I can usually get any guy I want." I felt myself blushing and was glad the lighting was dim. "I almost forgot. Some people do what they wanted to do during their lifetime, and couldn't. Like eat whatever they want. Read all the books they never found time to read. Meet famous people who have died and express their admiration for them."

We had arrived at the sandy shore. I stood up after the boat nestled gently against the soft earth. "Go ahead. You won't fall."

He stood up and reached over to shake my hand. His grasp was firm and dry. "I wish I'd had more time," Colin said with a rueful half-smile. "I wish I'd used my time more wisely. But I'm glad you were the one chosen to take me to the other side. Thanks, Brittany."

"It was just your time to go. You're welcome, Colin."

I watched him trudge up the path to the cave and step inside. He paused a moment, as if gathering his courage for his next big adventure, and started walking briskly through the tunnel. I watched him until I couldn't see him anymore. Then I turned to row the boat away. Time to go home.