Mission Failed

Mission Failed

TW: Christianity, Death/Afterlife, Transphobia

Adora sets his body down gently standing, “Marlo! Marlo, I’m so sorry,”

“How do you know that name? Who are you?” Marlo looks around, seeing his body on the floor, “what am I? I thought I was dead?”

“You are dead. You’re a spirit now. I’m your guardian angel Adora I can show you to heaven now if you want. Or we can say goodbye to your family and friends?”

“Heaven? But, I’ve sinned. I thought I was going to hell. I was bad,” Marlo says confused and voice shaking. Death is hard for many to understand.

“Oh no, most people go to heaven, it’s only really bad people that go to hell that would inhibit the peace of Heaven and the afterlife. You will be judged but you haven’t done anything nearly bad enough to go there. Maybe a class or two before you’re free,” Adora explains rushing to assure Marlo he’s not damned. “We can say goodbye to your family and friends before we leave if you want,”

Marlo looks down at his body bleeding out and paling before shaking his head. “No thanks, I don’t think I can,”. Adora nods holding out her hand and Marlo and her head to heaven. 

Adora was upset about failing her mission, about Marlo dying and having to bring him here. She knew she had a heavy price to pay and it loomed over her head. She tried pushing it down wiping the tears coming out of her eyes.

“This place is crazy… it’s so nice. Am I allowed here? I was told I was wrong though. Will I get wings like you?” Marlo asks looking around and following Adora through the afterlife process.

“Of course, you’re allowed here. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to reassure you that you were worthy. You weren’t being tested, you didn’t fail,” she responds, “I’m the one who failed,” Adora mumbles under her breath sadly.

“You did fail. Macey, I will be filling out your paperwork, Adora has reports to finish,” Alice says walking over to the two.

Marlo looks like he was shot in the heart looking between Adora and Alice. “His name is Marlo. I know I failed but please don’t harm him more.” Adora speaks up her eye blazing down

“Marlo…yes. Well, come follow me, Marlo,” Alice says coldly walking away as Marlo follows his hope seemingly fading.

Adora watches hiding her tears before going back to her dorms. She sits at her desk and grabs her journal to start her reports beginning to cry. The tears stain her cheeks and the pages as her body racks. Why did it not work, why did it not help? What could Adora have done to help him?

A knock on her door forms and Adora wipes her eyes looking up. “Come in,” she says trying to keep her voice stable and from cracking. The door cracks open and one of her roommates Ariel poked her head in. “I heard you crying, I just wanted to check on you,” She says softly.

Adora forced a smile nodding, “I’m alright I guess, I took a difficult job and I failed. I feel so bad for him,”

“The first job you flunk is always the worst. But bringing someone to the afterlife, and seeing them experience coming to heaven for the first time is nice too. Try looking towards the positive,” Ariel hums smiling before waving and leaving the room.

Adora wipes her eyes nodding. Think of the positive, she can do that. Marlo seemed happier to be here. He seemed reassured that he wasn’t bad. He seemed better after coming to the afterlife.

Adora sighs softly smiling to herself and picking up her pen to begin her reports. She begins with the mission report, stating the facts of his past, his state, his family, friends, and being, even his death and passage. It took a couple of hours to write down everything. What she learned, what she tried, and where she went wrong. It was difficult, and heartbreaking at times, but Adora finished the mission report with full detail and accuracy.

Next was the failed report. The report goes into detail about why she shouldn’t have haggled this job, why she failed, and why she should have taken Alice’s offer to just push to priority. Adora takes a stretch before beginning knowing that this report will hurt her more; worst of all though will be waiting a whole year before helping more people.

In the morning Adora dresses getting ready for the day like any other and leaves the dorm to hand in her reports.

“Adora!” she hears someone call out. Looking over she sees Marlo running over in his new white attire.

“Hi Marlo, how was your first night?” she asks smiling. Marlo’s hair had changed shorter and his chest had flattened.

“The paperwork was difficult but I woke up like this! I look… I look like a boy. I got enrolled into a class about sin too but Alice said I lived a good life,” Marlo says smiling brightly.

“That’s wonderful Marlo. I’m going to Alice right now to turn in my reports,”

“I’m going to look around more before my class. I’ll see you around Adora,” Marlo says before leaving.

Adora smiles softly walking to Alice’s office. She knocks softly before opening the door. “Alice, I brought the reports from the last mission, both of them,”

“Thank you. You can leave them on my desk. Your correction classes start in a week for you to grieve,” Alice responds barely looking up from her task. Adora nods walking in and setting the reports down. “The schedule will be sent to your dorm in a couple of days,”

“Thank you, Alice,” Adora mumbles before leaving.

A week to grieve? Adora has a lot to think about, sure, but she doesn’t feel as bad as she did before. Marlo feels at peace now and he feels happy in his body. 

Marlo runs up to her, “I’m out of class Adora, and I was wondering, can you bring me back to say goodbye now? I’m ready now if I can,”

“Hm, I’m sure we can, let me double-check with Alice first,” Adora responds kindly, heading off to the head guardian angel's office.

Adora knocks with Marlo right behind her. “Come in,” the cold voice answers. Adora and Marlo open the door stepping inside.

Bowing her head slightly Adora begins, “Alice, we were wondering if we could go down so Marlo could say goodbye to his family and friends now,”

Alice watches and stands from her desk. “Yes that’s fine, but I’ll be accompanying you two,”

“Thank you miss,” Adora responds smiling looking over to Marlo.

Marlo smiles nervously nodding. Alice walks over and they leave towards Marlo’s home.

Walking in first Marlo goes to find his dad, he isn’t in the living room or his room. Marlo takes a deep breath before walking into his room. Marlo sees his dad on the phone shaking. His body is gone but the blood is still stained there, and the hair that was chopped off layed on the floor. “Yeah, I’d appreciate you coming down Mom. I should have seen the signs,” He says his voice shaking.

“He…he’s sad? He cared about me?” Marlo said tearing up watching.

“Of course he did, you were his child, the only thing he had left after his wife passed, but he was still dealing with that loss,” Alice explains.

“He never showed any care. I never noticed, anything,”

“I was blind Mom I know. I shouldn’t have been so harsh. I should have listened. I need you,” Marlo’s dad continues on the phone, tears welling in his eyes, his voice quivering.

“Would you like to say anything to him?”

“Can I? Will he hear it?”

“He won’t hear it per se, but he’ll feel you here,”

Marlo nods softly walking over to his dad. He places a hand on his dad’s shoulder.

“Bella will watch over her now, I know she will,” He says softly into the phone.

Marlo tenses slightly before nodding, “I’m okay now Dad, I’m okay now,” he turns back to us and nods.

“Anyone else to visit?” Adora asks tilting her head softly.

“Lynne and Oliver, I want them to know it’s not their fault,” Marlo says hiding his face, tears falling.

“Very well, they’re at school,” Alice says walking over to Marlo’s old school. Lynne and Oliver were in a hallway, skipping class. It’s understandable after the news the school probably told them. Suicide awareness was always big at school.

Lynne was crying in her brother's arms. Oliver was holding her tight tear stains on his face. “We should have listened, it’s our fault,” Lynne cries holding on tighter.

“We should have listened. But he’s at peace now… he’s with God now,” Oliver responds.

Marlo is taken aback by his friends calling him that but smiles sitting in front of them. Marlo embraces the two in a hug tightly. “I don’t blame you two. It’s okay, don’t blame yourself please,” he whispers. The three embrace for a while before Marlo backs away nodding. “I’m ready to go back,”.

“Let’s go then,” Alice says. Marlo nods as Adora watches the twins cry holding each other. The three return to heaven. “Bella, she’s your mother, yes?”

“Yes,” Marlo responds wiping his eyes.

“If you want I can see if I can find her for you. It’s easier to process the grieving with someone else,” Alice responds giving one of her rare soft smiles.

Marlo smiles back sadly nodding, “I haven’t seen her in so long, I’d love that,”