Infinite 01 - Infinite Sacrifice

But you can relax and move at your own pace.”
    “Are you saying Ellie is already dead?”
    “Yes, your sister’s here.”
    The moments I’ve spent here with Zachariah must have been years on earth if Ellie had died. I feel terrible not being there for her, I wish I could’ve been there to welcome her but then again, Zachariah was the only one there for me.
    “Is she going through this stage right now too?” I can just imagine her yelling at her spirit guide somewhere near here, even more frustrated at being delayed than I am.
    He nods. “But all the others are waiting.”
    “All?”
    “Everyone you’ve been waiting to see.”
    “Can I just see them first?” I scan the empty sand dunes blowing behind me.
    “No, I’m sorry.”
    I close my eyes and bend into the lotus position in my chair. “Well, let’s start, then, and get this over with.”
    He notices my assumed position. “Patience is definitely not one of your virtues. I think we should make a note of that for your next incarnation,” he says, yet quickly adds, “That is, if you need another one, of course.”
    “You mean I might have to go back?” Panic flashes hot under my skin; I’d assumed once I reached heaven, I would get to stay. I can’t go through it all again.
    He places his hand on top of mine. “It’s a very long journey, and it is possible you must live more lives.”
    “Does that mean everyone important to me might be done with their incarnating? Will I have to go back alone if I’m not done?”
    He closes his eyes, and I witness the intense light flare from his hand clutching mine crawl up my arm and push out all worry from my tense body. I take a deep breath and relax again.
    He withdraws his smooth hand. “Now, I have to tell you, once you start viewing, you can’t stop until that life is done. Even if you are watching something difficult, I can only try to calm you, but it will still be unpleasant.”
    “Is that what you’re doing when you touch me—some sort of mood control?”
    His eyes twinkle. “One of my many talents.”
    I just want to get this over with. “Let’s begin, then, before I change my mind.”
    “I must also warn you, we will be starting with your very first life. When a soul is in its early stages of evolution, it’s raw. Everyone begins with much more negativity than positivity, but through difficulty and love, a soul steadily increases its vibration.”
    “Okay, you lost me. I think I need my full consciousness just to absorb this conversation.” I squint. “Evolution… like Darwin?”
    “We call it evolution here because it’s the best way to explain the process. Similar to evolution, the soul is perpetually changing, and it takes many generations for evolution to occur. You have to look at many lives to see its progress.”
    He pauses and studies my expression to see if I absorbed that before continuing. “The speed of evolution can be different for different souls. Isolation of a population hastens this process, which is why so many souls reincarnate in the same groups.”
    “Groups?” I ask, but he keeps with his line of thought as if reading some sort of invisible manual.
    “The greater the selective pressure is on a soul, the quicker the evolution. This is why many souls choose such tragic events but run the risk of suicide not being able to withstand the despair that ensues. Some cautious souls choose steadier lives at the risk of gradual change, while some may actually regress. Not all evolution serves a purpose. There is no formula for it.”
    “Have you been in any of my lives?” I don’t think I absorbed half of what he said.
    He looks away, gaze pensive on the waves. “I choose not to incarnate anymore.” He draws one side of his closed mouth up and raises his eyebrows. “The evolution is slower, but I can still learn from you—vicariously, of course.”
    “Why do people even do this at all?”
    “It is the only way we can become part of the light.” He holds his slender hands up to the sky, where the light is shining down all around, unlike the sun I was used to—originating from one spot.
    I hadn’t even realized I was holding the arms of my chair so tight; I loosen my grip and wiggle my fingers to ease their tension.
    Zachariah continues, “When you begin to reincarnate with some of the same people, there will be things you subconsciously recognize—certain identifying features they carry in every life.”
    “Which features?”
    “To start,