A Second Chance

There was a blinding white light all around him. He squinted into it, trying to make out something. He shielded his eyes with his hands.

"Hello?" He called. "Is there someone out there?" Then, a figure advanced toward him out of the light. It was a woman. She was wearing a flowing white gown that was off her shoulders. The sleeves extended past her hands. The skirt fell well past her feet, but as she walked he could see sandals, woven from pure gold rope. She had silken blonde hair that fell below her shoulders, lying on her bosom gracefully. She had pure blue irises, and her lips were like pink pillows, and slightly pouted. He looked at himself, and back to her. He was wearing a long-sleeved red shirt with a long neckline that showed his muscular chest, and laced up with yellow string, and blue jeans.

"I am here," She said in a voice that sounded like church bells.

"Are....are you an angel?" He asked quietly. She smiled.

"Yes. I am an angel."

"What's your name?"

"Lorena."

"So....if you're an angel, that means this is heaven?" He asked as he glanced around. A room had now taken form. The walls were sterile white. There was a bed in the corner, covered with a white quilt and a white fluffy pillow was at the head. There was a table in the center of the room, made of red wood, with a glass top, and a white vase containing daisies sat on top. A couch was along one wall, made of white leather. On the opposite wall was a brick fireplace, containing a blazing fire that provided warmth for the huge room. There was a bathroom, once again, with all white furnishings. Underneath his black boots, the only thing that really stood out from everything in the room, was white plush carpeting. A white Persian cat had found it's way over, and was busy rubbing against his legs. There was a bay window that looked out over beautiful green gardens. Next to the window was a wardrobe, make of beautiful rosewood, containing replicas of his favorite outfits and shoes. There was no overhead light or lamp, but the room was well lit and sunlight streamed in through the window. Lorena smiled at the bewildered adolescent, who was presently holding and stroking the white persion, sitting cross-legged on the ground.

"It's close," She said. "You haven't quite passed on yet."

"Did I die?" He asked, a lump forming in his stomach. Lorena's smile faded.

"How...how did I die?" He did his best to contain tears of fright, confusion, and a sudden panging loneliness for his family. Lorena sighed and joined him on the ground.

"Don't you remember?" The boy shook his head no.

"You....I can't," She said softly. "I just can't. Forgive me," She glanced at the ceiling, addressing the Father. "I can't tell him. I'm sorry." The light in the room dimmed for a second, and the soft tinkling of bells was heard. Lorena bowed her head in thanks. "Thank you for your forgiveness, Father. You always understand." She turned to her companion. "Perhaps I'd better show you. Close your eyes, and give me your hands." He released the cat, and obeyed. Lorena's hands were soft, warm, and inviting. Truly and angel's hands. An image flickered before his eyes. He was walking with his brothers, happily joking and laughing as they walked along the sidewalk. He could feel the warm breeze blowing his blonde hair, the sunlight warming his angelic face, and the happiness that they had been feeling as he relived the memory.

"...and so the bartender said 'You know superman, you're a real jerk when you're drunk!'" His younger brother had said, finishing the joke. A round of laughter erupted from the three brothers.

"Where'd you hear that one, Zac? That's so great!" He had said, giving his brother a special high-five/handshake combination.

"Ashley taught it to me," Zac had answered. "He's pretty good with a camera, but I'll tell you, he's got a great sense of humor!"

"You've got to stop hanging out with that guy," Isaac had laughed, rolling his eyes. "He's gonna be teaching you dirty jokes soon."

Zac laughed. "Boy are YOU slow! I bet I already know more than you two suckers combined know!" Isaac slowly shook his head.

"Somehow I doubt that, Short Change." He ruffled his brother's hair, who promptly turned and did the same to Isaac.

"I bet I could prove you wrong, Chewbacca!"

"Oh yea, well, we'll see about that. We'll talk when we get back home," Taylor challenged, poking his brother in the back.

All of a sudden, a figure clad in black had run up to the teenage trio. The person pulled out a .33 caliber pistol.

"Give me all you money!" The person had shouted. "Now!" Two of the three surprised boys pulled out their wallets, but one remained frozen in position with fright and surprised. The person noticed, and waved the gun at him. "I said NOW!!" Taylor couldn't move. He tried to reach for his wallet, but he was too scared to move. The mugger was so nervous himself, that he made a fatal mistake. His shaking hands fumbled with the gun, and it dropped to the ground. The sound of the fire seemed to echo through his head. Taylor felt the great pain spread through his chest like wildfire. His own scream ripped through his ears. He clasped his chest with his hands. The mugger looked terrified underneath the ski mask. He looked around, and took off into the underbrush like frightened rabbit. Taylor pulled his hands away and looked at them, and saw they were covered in blood. He looked at his chest, and there was a bleeding gunshot wound just beneath the left nipple. The blood was making his shirt stick to his chest. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. He looked to his brothers for reassurance. They reflected himself; scared to death and frozen in place. Taylor slumped to the ground. He heard ac scream and heard Isaac yell out his name and drop beside Taylor. He took hold of his fallen brother's hand.

"Help! Somebody help us!" Zac and Ike screamed. Zac screamed the loudest. "Help! Please help us! My brother's been shot! Help, please!" two people ran from across the street over to them.

"We're paramedics," One said. A bystander rushed up to help. A man ran from his house over to where the scene was taking place, asking if he could be of assistance. Zac pointed to the man.

"You, dial 9-1-1! Go!" The man pulled a cell phone from his pocket and, stepping away a bit, dialed the three numbers. Zac then pointed at the bystander. "You, go get my parents and bring them here. Here's my address." He pulled a pen from his pocket and wrote down the home address on a piece of paper, and shoved it in the woman's hand. "Go now!" She took off at a run in the direction of the household. A pool of blood was slowly forming underneath Taylor, spreading on the hot pavement. Isaac clasped his brother's hand, which was slowly going limp. He repeated over and over: "Hang on, Taylor. Help is on the way. Hold on. You've got to hold on."

"Isaac," Taylor gasped. Isaac scooted closer.

"I'm right here, Tay. I'm right here."

"He...he didn't get you or Zac, did he?"

Ike shook his head.

"No." Taylor nodded his head weakly as the two paramedics worked on them with their limited resources, tearing his shirt off him and applying pressure to the gunshot wound.

"Zac," He called as loudly as he could. Zac's ears perked up and he ran over.

"What is it, Tay? Whatever you need, I'll get it." He took hold of Taylor's hand desperately, as if trying to keep the life back in his brother.

"B...Be sure to tell the little ones that their Tay-Tay loves them and i-is always with them, and tell Mom and Dad that I'll be watching them always." Zac shook his head.

"I can't do that, Taylor. I can't."

"Wh-why not?"

"Because you're going to live. You have to. Think of the band. Hanson can't exist unless you're there. Think of our fans, all those girls and guys who love us and shot us to stardom. Think of Alison. You know she loves you so much. You love her too. You have to live so that you can ask her to be your girlfriend. Then you can get married, and have lots of little babies, and grow old together, just like you always dream of. And...and then I'll have lots of nieces and nephews to look after when you and Alison go out for second and third honeymoons in Hawaii, and....and....you have to live, Taylor! You've got to. We can't go on without you! I don't know what I'd do without you. You've kept me out of trouble so many times, telling me when I'm about to do something stupid and keeping me from blowing us all up. You've kept me going, you know. I really look up to you, Taylor, because you're so strong. You can get through anything. Like...like that time you broke your arm. You thought you were going to die then, right? Or the time you fell through the sliding glass door? You seriously believed that you were going to die."

"A...a broken arm is a a lot different than...than a gun...gunshot wound, Zac," Taylor gasped.

"Listen to me, and listen to me good, Taylor. You will live. You will live. You must live. You have to. Think of everything you have to live for! Our music, our fame, our fans, Alison, the family. We have a tour coming up, Taylor. Without you, it will be like....boring. Dull. Lifeless. And we're recording the album. We can't record an album without our keyboardist....or our main singer. We can't play without you. We can't do anything without you. Can't you be strong one last time? Just this once. Be strong again, like all the other times you've been strong. Be strong. Live. You have to. I love you, Taylor, and I can't imagine life without my role model, without someone to look up to.

"Think of Mackie, who always loves to play Trucks with you. Or Avery. You're her favorite tea-party guest, you know. And Jessie. She loves you most of all. Who else will she play soccer with? Who else will help her with her math when everyone else is busy or not around? Who else can tuck her into bed at night, and sing her to sleep? Or Zoë. She can't grow up not knowing her big brother, Taylor. You make a wonderful big brother, and she needs you there for her, like you were there for the rest of us. Mom would go crazy without you there to help out around the house, or with Mackie and Zoe. She loves her little Tayles. You're her baby, her little Angel. Her sunshine. She needs her Sunshine. Who else will help Dad when he's having one of his catastrophes trying to do a fix-it-yourself project? Who else will take over when his hands start to hurt? Who will offer to cut the grass so he can take a nap, even if you've got the flu and need to sleep? Nobody. We need you." Zac was nearly in hysterics now, crying hard and sobbing between words.

"You can p-play trucks just as...as well a-as m-me. A-Avery likes t-to hear y-you tell jokes t-to her bears. You can take over with Jessie for me. Y-You've always been b-better at math. Zoë needs a g-good b-brother to look after her. You can d-do that for m-me. You c-can help M-Mom and D-Dad. T-the music comes l-last. Y-you can m-manage w-without m-me. I-I've al-always said that th-there's no lead s-singer. G-go out there and p-prove me right. G-Get another p-pianist. Someone g-good."

"Tay, it wouldn't be Hanson without you," Ike said, holding his hand tight. "We couldn't be a band without you. We couldn't be a family without you! Zac's right. We need you. The family needs you."

In the distance, he could see his mother and father approaching, and an ambulance's sirens blared. He squeezed his brothers' hands, for he felt his life draining out of him along with the blood.

"Tell everyone I love them, a-and I'll al-al-always watch over them," He said desperately. "I'll al-always be with you, w-watching and t-traveling with y-you. I'll-I'll be there for e-every c-c-concert you d-do, singing w-with you. I love you. Remember me." He closed his eyes, and took his dying breath.

"Taylor!" Zac screamed, crying hysterically.

"Taylor!" Isaac echoed Zac, and Taylor could hear them crying.

The last thing he heard before his life slipped from him completely was the intertwined voices of his two brothers, crying "We love you too, Taylor!!"

The memory faded out. Taylor opened his eyes, and looked at Lorena.

"Oh, Lorena," He said, and burst into tears. Lorena held him close, rocking him back and forth.

"Shh," She cooed softly. "It's okay, baby. Calm down. Everything's okay." She wiped a diamond tear that moved it's way down her cheek. She looked at the ceiling. "Can't You do something for him? Something to ease the pain? Please, in all Your wisdom and glory, can't You do anything for this boy? Anything at all?" Bells could be heard once more, and the idea came to her. "Taylor, would you like to see your family? Would you like to see what they'll be doing four days in the future?" Taylor looked up at the angel, and wiped his face.

"More than anything," He said. "Can I, Lorena? May I go to them?" Lorena nodded. She stood up, and pulled Taylor to his feet.

"We shall." She took Taylor's hand, and closed her eyes. Taylor closed his, and he felt them lift up off the ground. He heard the faint sounds of his family, and they were getting louder.

"I hear them, Lorena! I can hear them!" He said excitedly.

"So can I," She answered. He felt his feet touch the ground, he opened his eyes, and saw a comforting sight.

"Lorena! We....we're really here! This is my home!" He smiled and ran off. Lorena looked up.

"Thank you. Thank you so much." She said to the ceiling, then followed Taylor. He had run down a hallway. He was going to open the door, but his hand went right through the doorknob. He looked at the angel, bewildered. "You're a ghost. You can't hold anything." Taylor nodded.

"Right. I knew that." He passed through the door. It was his bedroom. "I'm really here. This is really it. I'm really home." He whispered. The bedroom was messy. Clothes were on the floor, Legos were scattered amongst the clothes, and everything was dirty. The desk was covered in sheet music and pencils, as usual. Even the computer was barely visible because of the clutter. The closets were open, their contents visible. The dresser drawers were open, and clothes were hanging out. The beds were unmade; all except one. His bed. His bed hadn't been touched. He had made it the morning before he had died, and it hadn't been touched since then. The blanket, pulled up over the pillow, was still smooth and soft, not a single wrinkle in it that hadn't been there before. His pillow hadn't been used. The sheets hadn't been slept in. The last occupant of that bed was himself. Isaac and Zac's beds were a different story. Both were completely unmade and messy. The TV with the Nintendo was silent; quite a change. "I'm really here." He turned to Lorena. "You wouldn't believe how good it feels to be home again." Lorena smiled. "Can...can I lie on the bed?"

"I'm afraid not. This is just an image, like a hologram. You can't touch anything." Taylor frowned, but stayed by his angel. Zac was writing something on a piece of paper. He was scribbling away furiously. Then, he threw his pen across the room, which went flying directly through Taylor's middle. He jumped a bit, but shook it off, and kept watching.

"Man!" Zac yelled, completely frustrated. "I wish Taylor was here. I suck at songwriting. If he was here, he could help me. Taylor walked over, passing through his bed, and read what was on the piece of paper over Zac's shoulder. He had been writing a song he called 'Forever Blue,' no doubt with Taylor in mind.

We used to be the best of friends

We swore we'd always be friends

We'd play together forever

If we could, play like there was no end

We used to be enemies

And fight time and again

But no matter how brutal the war,

We'd always make up in the end

We used to be roommates

And what roommates we were

I got sick of your dirty clothes

Like you got sick of mine

But when asked, 'who's your best friend'

You'd always come to mind

But now you're not here anymore

And I still can't accept it's true

I miss you so much, I hope you know that

And I'm forever blue

There's no one for me to play with, now

Until the sun is gone

Now there are no wars to be won

And no make-ups to be made

There are no more dirty clothes

But how I'd love to see them again

Because you were everything that I ever needed,

My roommate, my enemy, and then,

Most important of all, of course

You were my best friend

But you are not here anymore

For me to talk to

And without you around

I'm forever blue

"That's so good, Zac," Taylor whispered. "That's the best you've ever written. I wish you knew that."

Lorena put her hand on Taylor's shoulder.

"There's more to see. Come." They walked together through the door and down the hallway. They arrived in the kitchen. It was busy. Mrs. Hanson and Isaac were rushing around, trying to get dinner started and all the kids settled. Mrs. Hanson was stirring three pots at one time, while trying to keep something in the oven from burning. Isaac was setting baby Zoe in her high chair, trying to keep little Mackenzie to sit still, and was supervising Jessica and Avery, who were setting the table.

"I wish Taylor were here," Mrs. Hanson muttered sadly. "He would be such a help right now." Ike looked over his shoulder as he picked up the pieces of a glass Avery had dropped.

"It would be nice to have him here. I miss him, Mom." Mrs. Hanson did her best to hold back tears.

"I miss him too, sweetie." Ike swept the glass shards into the dustpan, then instructed the little ones to go and put on shoes, while he slid on sneakers himself. As the three younger siblings walked from the room, Avery said, "Mommy's making Tay's favorite dinner: meat loaf and mashed p'tatoes."

"Yea," Jessie agreed. "I wish he were here. I miss him."

Mackenzie tugged at Jessica's pants leg.

"Where's Tay-Tay? Isn't he hungry?" Jessie forced a smile and knelt down.

"Tay-Tay's gone away for a long time."

"Where'd he go?" Mackenzie stuck a pudgy little finger in his mouth and sucked on it.

"He's with Grandma and Grandpa. They're taking good care of him. Now come on, let's go get our shoes." A tear rolled down Taylor's cheek as he watched his siblings walk away. He swallowed it, taking a deep breath. He'd cried enough.

"Where's Dad?" Taylor asked, noticing that there was yet another family member missing. "He should be helping."

"He's keeping the reporters at bay outside," Lorena said. She took his hand, and led him out of the kitchen and out the front door. Mr. Hanson was standing on the doorstep, a swarm of reporters with cameras, pads of paper, microphones shoved in his face, and everyone talking at once.

"Mr. Hanson, would you care to comment?" A woman from Channel 3 news asked.

"No comment," He answered.

"Mr. Hanson, is it true that your son Taylor was murdered in his bedroom while he was asleep?" Asked a man from ABC news.

"No comment," He repeated.

"Mr. Hanson, I heard that he was mugged. Which story is true?"

"Mr. Hanson, now that you're one son short, what will become of the band?"

"Will Isaac and Zachary be a twosome for the rest of the career, now that Taylor isn't around?"

"Mr. Hanson..."

"Mr. Hanson...."

"Mr. Hanson...."

Mr. Hanson was outraged.

"Can't we grieve over the loss in peace? Let my son rest in peace, and leave us the hell alone!" He walked inside, and slammed the front door, with the reporters whining and begging for more. Taylor turned away from the scene. "What's going on here?" He asked himself. "My dad is never that angry. He's never yelled at anyone before. This is so weird. It's like my family is falling apart." Lorena put her arm around his shoulder.

"They all miss you, Taylor. You were the glue that kept them together. Without the glue, everything is falling apart slowly." The scene faded from sight, and another one replaced it. Taylor looked around. They were standing on top of a large hill. It was late November, and the grass was dry and yellow. A tree stood bare over by the side of the hill. Taylor walked to the tree, running his ghostly hand just over the soft bark, knowing he couldn't actually touch it.

"This was my favorite place to go," He explained, not turning away from the tree. "I'd run away here when I needed to get away from everything. Even before I was famous, my life was total pandemonium. Everything was always hectic. When I needed to get away from the craziness, I'd come here. Isn't it so peaceful here, Lorena?" He asked, but didn't wait for an answer. "It is, isn't it? That's why I'd come. I'd climb into the tree, and just sit. I'd just sit, and think, sometimes I'd fall asleep. When I...we...became famous, I came here less and less. I was always busy, or on the road. But I did come here every so often to escape the pressure and stress. But then we went on tour, and I forgot about it completely." He shoved his hands into his pockets, and went to walk back over towards Lorena, when he noticed something protruding from the ground. He walked over to the front of it, and knelt down. Engraved upon it, were some words. These, he read aloud:

Jordan Taylor Hanson

Beloved friend, brother, and boyfriend

1983 - 1999

Rest In Peace

'I'm not sleeping and endless sleep, 'cause in your heart you have all of our good times.'

He looked up at Lorena in shock.

"This is my.....it's my.....tombstone." He stood up in shock. He looked at it again. Down in front of it, was a single, solitary copy of Middle Of Nowhere. It was faded from the sun, and battered from the wind, rain, and snow, but it was there, strapped to the ground by an invisible force.

Then he heard footsteps. He flipped around, and saw Ike and Zac walking up the hill. They were wearing black, and were carrying backpacks. Taylor moved aside, and watched them. They knelt down in front of the tombstone.

"Hi Tay," Ike said. Taylor's eyes widened.

"Ike? You can see me? Isaac!" He ran over, but stopped when his brother continued.

"I'm sorry we haven't visited you in so long. We have been so busy. Well, we wrapped up the recording. Thank goodness we had those demo tapes. We used your voice and your instrumentals from the demo tapes to fill in the gaps in the songs. It sounds just like you're there with us, Tay, singing with us. It brought tears to our eyes just hearing you. It felt so good to hear your voice again."

"We brought you a copy of the new CD, Taylor," Zac said, unzipping his backpack. He withdrew a copy of the newly finished CD, and placed it next to the Middle of Nowhere CD. "It's great. I'm sure it will sell great.

"We're still trying to keep the damned paparazzi out of our business. You should have seen those headlines in the tabloids. They were terrible. We bought them all from every store in Tulsa and burned them. I wish you could have seen it. The blaze was as big as the house." With this, Zac cracked a slight smile. Ike looked surprised, and began to talk again furiously.

"Taylor, I wish you were here to see this. This is the first time Zac has smiled since you died." He sighed. "I wish you were here, period. I miss you so much, Tay, you couldn't begin to imagine. We haven't let anybody touch your bed. Your journal is still untouched, you'll be happy to know. We miss you so much that we have taped your picture to your pillow, your usual chair at the kitchen table, even your usual spot on the couch. Your favorite shows are playing all the time. I have to admit that we've even listened to those private tapes you made just so we can hear your voice. I hope you're not mad at us for that. We just miss you so much that we're doing everything we can to make it seem like you're still with us."

"We wrote a song for you, Tay," Zac said, withdrawing a Boom Box from his backpack. He put a CD in it, and turned it to the right track, and poised his finger over the play button, yet didn't press it. "We've been working on it, and now it's finished. I wrote it, Taylor, and Ike wrote the music to it. It sounds awful without you singing, but we know that you can hear us, and want to sing with us. It's not as good as the ones you used to write, but I hope you like it anyway. It's called 'Forever Blue'." With that, he pressed play, and the song Taylor had seen Zac writing began to pour from the speakers. It was a beautiful song, with well thought-out harmonies. The beat was soft and slow, with the guitar sounds mixing gently with the sounds of the piano. "I brushed up on my piano, Tay," Zac said over the music. "I hope it sounds okay to you." The piano was beautiful, sounding just like it was Ike or Taylor playing it. The song reduced the two brothers and the spirit of the third to tears. There was a period of silence.

"I turned 19 today, Taylor," Isaac said, not smiling. "We rented out Laser Quest and played a few games. God, how I miss you kicking my butt. I really miss getting hit, then looking down at my gun and seeing the name 'Laser Boy' pop up. I thought I'd never hear myself say that, you know? But I truly miss it. And I miss you. The whole family played, even Mackie. Taylor, you should have seen him! He looked just like a miniature you running around in that get-up. He was so funny, too, shooting at anything that moved! He did well, though. He got one of the highest scores. But Zac won. You taught him well." He paused. "And I saw Alison today." Taylor's ghostly heart jumped up in his throat. "Taylor, I know she loved you so much, and she was so pale and thin, she didn't look anyone in the eye, and she hadn't left her room since you died. She.....she told me she couldn't take the pain anymore. She said that life was painful without you around. She couldn't take it any longer. Taylor......." There was a long silence as Isaac struggled to get the words out. Tears poured from his eyes. "Taylor....while I was there....she cut her throat. She was in my arms, Taylor!" Isaac wailed. "She was in my arms, literally, and she just.....she....just....Taylor, it was terrible!! I can't close my eyes without seeing you die, and then her! Life is so hard, Tay." Zac, who had been silent, spoke up as Isaac wiped his eyes and blew his nose.

"I have a confession, Taylor," Zac said, looking at the ground. Taylor now had tears streaming down his pale face, and his stomach was tied in knots. He was hardly listening. "Tay, I thought I couldn't handle it. Remember what I said as you were dying? I said that I looked up to you, and you kept me going. You'd saved my butt so many times. You kept me honest with myself, and everyone else, Taylor. I needed you so much, and I think you needed me too. I remember how I could always make you laugh, and make you feel better no matter how glum times seemed. And you....well, I finally realized that all those lectures, all those reprimands, and everything that you did to me that I hated....I really needed them. Taylor, I felt how Alison felt. I.....I tried to kill myself." He rolled up his sleeve to reveal long scars on either wrists, climbing nearly all the way to his elbows. Taylor had hardly been listening, but when Zac revealed his secret, Taylor nearly collapsed.

"Zac, no...." He gasped.

"Ike saved me," Zac continued. "I had locked everyone out, and I had finished my left wrist when he broke through the bathroom door. He took one look at me, picked me up as I fell, and called 911. The ambulance came, and they stitched me up, and gave me a blood transfusion because I had cut a major vein. We kept this from the public, and I just wear make up over my scars. Nobody sees them, and nothing has leaked out."

"Oh, Zac....if the public found out about this..."

"I know what you're saying, Taylor. 'If the public had found out about this...' but the public didn't, and the public won't. I just couldn't take it, Tay! I couldn't take it! When you were alive, everything was great. The family was like a car, and you were the oil and gas that kept it running. But the oil and the gas got taken away suddenly, and the car stopped working. I won't tell you how things are now, but we need you. We really need you." There was a long silence.

"We've got to go now, Tay," Ike said.

"Yeah. Mom will be looking for us. I'm sorry," Zac put in, putting away his Boom Box. He zipped it up, and stood. But before they walked away, they kissed the cold cement tombstone tenderly.

"Rest in peace, Taylor," Isaac said, running his hand along the tombstone.

"Yeah, Taylor. We'll meet again in the next life. Until then, we love you, and we miss you so very much. Rest in peace," Zac said, kissing the tombstone again, and then wrapping his arms around it. Tears were streaming down both of their faces, as they looked at it for a moment. Then they turned and, without looking back, walked down the hill back towards the Hanson home for dinner. Taylor collapsed onto the ground and buried his face in his hands, sobbing hysterically.

"Isaac! Zac!" He called out to the two figures walking away. "Wait! Come back! I love you too! Come back, please! Come back!" He reached out for them as they disappeared over the curve of the hill, Zac in Isaac's arms, crying hysterically. Lorena, who had watched the whole scene, fell to the ground and cradled Taylor in her arms, pulling him into her lap. She rocked him back and forth, like she had seen his mother do throughout his lifetime. Taylor snuggled closer to her, burying his wet face in her bosom, letting his tears fall. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and just cried. They must have sat there for twenty minutes, neither feeling the cold mourning wind that whistled through the lone tree, making it sway with agony and sorrow and creak with grief. It seemed that all of nature was mourning the loss of this boy, who had been brutally murdered in the prime of his life.

Soon, the tears stopped coming, and the sobs lessened. It was only then that Taylor lifted his head, and looked his guardian angel in her soft aqua eyes.

"Lorry, my family is falling apart. Zac tried to commit suicide! He loved life, and was always ready for what may come next. He wanted to kill himself. And Ike. Wow. Did you see his eyes? There used to be a sparkle to them. His eyes used to sparkle. They would shimmer and glitter and shine, but they don't. They were dull and lifeless, as if he'd sold his soul trying to keep the family together. His eyes were empty! Empty. And Alison....my dear Alison....she really did kill herself. She was my life, and I was hers. It's like a yin-yang. When yin goes away, yang can't live. Lorena, this is my fault! I did this to everyone. It's my fault that my family's falling apart. It's my fault that Alison committed suicide. I just want to die all over again. Lorry, I can't stand it. Isn't there something that I can do to change it? To re-write history? To change my past? Don't I at least get a second chance?" Lorena looked down upon this desperate boy, his blue eyes pleading with her. She could see directly into his soul, which had once been filled with happiness, passion, and love. But there was no happiness, and no passion. There was a sorrow, now, that hadn't been there before. A terrible longing sorrow, and a desperate love for his family that made him so absolutely desperate to change the past.

The scene around them faded, and they were brought back to The White Room. Taylor didn't seem to notice, and Lorena took a breath, preparing to speak the words that would bring the sorrow down to a minimum, and his desperateness fully to the surface.

"Yes," She said. "There is a way for you to get a second chance." His eyes widened, and darted back and forth with anxiety, eagerly awaiting the answer. "All souls get one last chance to go on with their lives. But if they make the same mistake that they made in the last life, there is no third chance." She put her hands on his shoulders and looked directly into his blue eyes. "You have one last chance to get it right. One last chance to live. If you make the same mistake, then you shall get no third chance. If you die again, make the same mistake, then you shall pass on, without this opportunity. There is a big risk that you shall die again. Are you willing to take that risk?"

"Yes. I can't put my family through this, Lorry. I have to go back." She nodded.

"Close your eyes. Relax. Let the feeling surround you. Goodbye, Taylor. Good luck." Lorena's voice faded out completely. As his soul was put back into his body again, he heard another voice calling his name, and it was getting louder and louder.

"Taylor!" It yelled. Taylor's eyes popped open. He looked down at himself. He was wearing the same red shirt, blue jeans, and black boots, but there was no blood stain, and no shooting pain. He was standing on a sunny sidewalk. He was back in his body. The bright sun beat down upon him, and a warm breeze blew through his light blonde hair. Zac had been calling his name. He looked to his right; Zac was standing there with his hands on his hips, looking at Taylor.

"Yea, Zac?" He asked, shaking his head.

"Where have you been? I just asked you if you'd like to hear the joke I heard, and then you stopped walking and shut your eyes. I've been calling your name for the past five minutes, and you haven't been hearing me."

Taylor smiled. "Sorry, I guess I just went away for a minute. As to where I went, you'd think I was crazy."

"I already think your crazy." Zac laughed.

"Let's hear that joke," He said, resuming his former walking pace.

"Okay, so these two guys were at a bar right..." Zac began happily. As he listened, the whole memory of the white room, his family in what could have been the future, Lorena, his own death, his gravesite on the hill, and the song 'Forever Blue' faded from his mind like the sun dipping below the horizon to let the moon take over the graveyard shift. He listened intently to his brother's joke, happy to be amongst people he loved. "...and then the bartender said 'you know superman, you're a real jerk when you're drunk!'" Taylor and Isaac laughed.

"Did you hear that from Ashley?" Taylor asked.

"Yea, how'd you guess?" Zac said.

"Lucky guess."

"You've got to stop hanging out with him, Zac. He'll start telling you dirty jokes," Ike said, laughing and rolling his eyes playfully.

"I already know tons, thanks to our co-cameraman. I bet I know more than you two suckers," Zac challenged.

"You've got a big mouth for such a small guy," Taylor answered. Before Zac could answer, the mugger appeared. He pulled the gun from his pocket.

"Give me all your money! Now!" Three surprised hands reached for their wallets. Taylor was alert and listening as he pulled all the money from his wallet. The mugger, who was obviously new at this robber thing, shoved the gun back in his pocket and pulled off his ski mask, holding it in front of him. The three boys dumped their money into it, staring at the mugger, who was beaming with pride at his first successful mugging. They got a good look at the mugger as he looked at the money, at the brothers, and then ran off. Ike, Zac, and Taylor looked at each other.

"We've got to report that guy," Ike said.

"Ah, let's give the guy a head start. We might as well give him a fair chance. Besides, I want to tell you some of those dirty jokes," Zac said, smiling broadly.

"Let's hear it, Short Change. I bet we know more than you," Ike challenged.

"Oh yea?"

"Yea!" Ike said. Taylor looked at Ike and Zac.

"You know, I love you guys," He said, draping his arms over their shoulders.

"We love you too, man," Zac answered, as he and Ike draped their arms around his shoulders too. They looked at each other, and laughed as they walked down the street, arm in arm.

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