Free Touchdown by Yael Levy

nodded and looked around the room. “On second thought, it’s kind of nice here—are you sure we’re in hell?”
    Goldie stood up and shook her head. “I’m not sure about anything, I just got here recently myself, Mr., uh . . . ?”
    “Harper—Clayton Harper from Atlanta, Georgia.”
    “The South? How nice. So what do you do outside of New York? Are you a farmer?”
    Clay blanched. “Okay, this must be hell.”
    “Why? I’ve watched re-runs of
Dukes of Hazard
. And I’ve sat through
The Walking Dead
with my dad. I can do all those accents like so cool. Especially the Southern zombies. Do you want to hear me try?”
    “God, no,” he said and stared at Goldie. “I hope I don’t have to spend eternity with you—that would be terrifying.”
    Just then Goldie’s mother reappeared. “They say it’s time to go, Goldie.”
    Clay’s eyes widened. “Will anyone be coming for me?” he asked.
    Judy stared at him, a quizzical expression on her face. “I’ll have to look into that,” she said.
    Goldie tapped her foot impatiently, clearly bored. “Where do ‘they’ want us to go?”
    Judy shrugged. “To see the loved ones left behind.”
    “And then?”
    “The tribunal.”
    When Goldie gave her a blank stare, Judy explained. “You’ll be judged there, sweetie. It’s different for everybody. The choices you made below affect what happens to you for eternity. The tribunal will decide whether you will get placed in heaven or hell.”
    Clay shook his head. “Even here you got to worry about where you rank?”
    Goldie sighed. “Uh huh, right. Okay, let’s do this crazy dream,” she said, and felt herself fall through the sky and into her living room on Long Island.

CHAPTER NINE
    Goldie noticed at once that all the mirrors in the house were covered. Could this be true? She suddenly panicked. She knew that, traditionally, mirrors in the home of the newly dead were covered for the first week, so that the visiting soul wouldn’t feel the pain of not seeing themselves in the mirror. She couldn’t imagine any other reason Mindy would’ve had their mirrors covered with sheets.
    Oh, no. Goldie was filled with dread.
    She walked through the kitchen where she saw boxes of cake on the table and bit her lip when she saw the packaging on two cakes were from Goldstein’s Bakery. Her family only ordered from Chantilly so somebody else must’ve brought the tasteless babka cakes that graced her kitchen table. She knew there were only a number of reasons someone would bring them a cake. Like an engagement party . . . a new baby . . . or a death—
    “I can’t believe she’s gone,” Mindy cried. Goldie watched as Mindy sat beside their father and Avner on low stools in their living room. Neighbors came by to pay their respects by visiting Goldie’s family, sitting back and giving them time and space to talk, and responding only when spoken to, as was their custom for comforting mourners.
    Avner shook his head and turned to Mindy’s dad. “I don’t know, Allen, do you think it was something I said?”
    Goldie stared at Avner. “Huh? What did you say? I ran away from dogs and have been having crazy dreams about a guy in a white suit, a football player, and Mom.”
    Allen shrugged. “Maybe I should’ve given her more attention?”
    “Daddy, please!” Goldie pooh-poohed her father’s suggestion. “Of course you always gave me enough attention.”
    Mindy sighed. “I can’t imagine what she was thinking!”
    “Mindy? I always told you what I was thinking! You always said I had no filter. Why are you all ignoring me? Hello?”
    Mindy stared straight through Goldie toward Avner. “I can’t believe she’s gone.”
    Goldie swallowed and tried to hold back her tears. “Mindy, why are you talking to me like I’m dead?”
    Goldie’s mom appeared beside her. “Because you are, Goldie. I’m sorry. I tried to tell you.”
    “No!” Goldie yelled.
    Judy gently held Goldie’s shoulders. “It gets easier if