… solipsubmissive …

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

***

 When Olivia opened her eyes, she knew she had died.  There was no confusion, no shocking moment of clarity, no overwhelming sense of loss or denial.  She sat up, noted with vague disinterest that she was nude, and looked around.

“Hullo.”  A young woman sat at the end of her bed, her knees drawn up under what looked like a white nightgown.  She was small, with unruly shoulder-length brown hair, which she’d gathered into two haphazard pigtails, tied just behind each ear.

“Good mor … ,” Olivia started to say, then stopped.  She had no clue about the time of day here, or even about where “here” was.  She tried to think back, to remember what she’d been doing when she died, if only to get a bearing of sorts on what time it had been.

“We follow Earth days,” the woman supplied helpfully.  “It makes for an easier transition.  You arrive at the precise moment you died, usually in the same condition, though when the death is violent, like yours, we clean you up a little.”

“I died violently?”

“Oh, gracious, yes.  You don’t remember the car accident?”

Olivia closed her eyes, saw herself in the passenger seat of Jason’s car — no!  Curled up on the floorboard, her mouth and throat wrapped around his best friend Adam’s cock, her eyes on Jason as he drove too fast, his dark, glittering eyes flicking angrily to hers on occasion.  She’d gagged a little, unable to breathe, and Adam had twisted her gathered hair with his fist, pulling her off his dick.  She’d panted, strings of saliva and phlegm drooping between her mouth and his cock.

Adam laughed.  “Look at the panic on her face, dude.  Her makeup is fucked.”  He swiveled her face toward Jason, who didn’t spare her a glance this time. 

“I’ll see it later, at home.”  He gripped the steering wheel and turned the windshield wipers to a higher speed.  “The weather’s getting really bad.  Pull her out of there and help her into the backseat.”

“But she hasn’t finished …” Adam’s voice trailed off at the look of warning in Jason’s eyes.   He reached down and hooked his hands under Olivia’s armpits and pulled her from the floorboard to his lap.  “Later, slut.  You’ll finish later.”

Olivia said nothing, suffering the indignity of being handled like a sack of potatoes in silence.  Naked, with her hands securely bound at the small of her back, she couldn’t very well help herself.  She said a silent prayer of thanks for the bad weather.  Adam sent her headfirst over the back of the seat.  Just before she slid completely into the back of the car, he gave her backside a painful pinch.

Olivia shrieked and kicked out in reaction to the pain.  She felt her foot connect with something hard, and then …

“You kicked Jason in the head, which made him jerk the steering wheel to the left.   The car skidded and started to spin, and Jason might have regained control if it hadn’t been for the truck coming toward you in the opposite lane.”

Olivia looked at the young lady in horror.  “We were hit by a truck?”

“No, the truck kept Jason from getting control of the car.  You spun, then flipped and barrel rolled down the highway a few times.”

“Oh.”  Olivia bit her lip, her eyes huge, then chose to focus on something else.  “What’s your name, please?”

The girl looked surprised.  “Nobody ever asks me that.  Sera.  With an E.  You know, S-E-R-A.”  She paused, waiting for Olivia to get it, then added helpfully.  “Short for Seraphim.  My parents had vision.  Heh.”

Olivia stared through her for a moment, her eyes distant.  Jason.  She had to know what had happened to him.  She looked back at the girl.  “Are you an angel?”

Sera tilted her head.  “Not yet.  I’m not sure I’ll ever be.  It’s not as cool as it looks.”  She glanced around the room, then up at the ceiling and leaned in toward Olivia.  “Angels are too fucking serious all the time.  Kind of stuckup, too.  And they have to talk like Quakers.  All thee this and thou that.”

“What are you, then?”

“Currently, I’m a junior Life Defense Counselor.  I represent souls stuck between Heaven and Hell and guide them through the process of defending actions in direct conflict with one or more Commandments.  My hope is always to resolve the conflict or conflicts in favor of the soul so that it may gain entry into Heaven.”  She looked proud.  “I’ve never lost a case.”

“So you’re a lawyer?”

Sera scowled.  “So literal.  Anyway, that’s mostly why you’re here.  In a few minutes, you’ll be called to explain your actions on the Commandments you’ve violated, and to give your thoughts on those you have not.”

“Mostly?”

“You’re also going to be called as a witness in another case.”

Olivia held her breath, then asked, “Jason?  He’s here, too?”

“Well,” Sera paused.  “Not exactly.  You’re being considered for entry into Heaven.  Jason is … well, was … not.”  She stood and smoothed the wrinkles from her diaphonous white gown.  “That’s all I can tell you for now.  Follow me.”

They left the room and walked down a long white corridor.  Olivia glanced around curiously.  There were no other doors or windows along the passing walls.  She glanced back over her shoulder toward the room they’d just left.  No door there, either.  She faced forward again and saw she’d fallen behind.  Heart pounding, she quickened her steps to catch up with Sera.  They reached an opening in the corridor and stopped.  Olivia peeked over Sera’s shoulder.

The chamber beyond looked exactly like any courtroom she’d ever seen in any movie during her life.  Two seating areas for spectators, divided by an aisle, a low wall separating the seating area from two long tables, all of which faced a raised platform, upon which sat four throne-like chairs.  There were no spectators in the seats, however, and nobody at the two tables.

“Your trial should be quiet and easy.  Jason’s, on the other hand.”  Sera gave a low whistle.  “That one will be a doozy.  This place will be filled when he’s called, you mark my words.”  She nodded at the table on the left.  “Come on.  Time to get started.”

Olivia followed her again, sliding behind the table to sit in one of the two leather chairs.  Sera sat next to her, and waited.  A moment later, four somber-looking men in white robes filed in and sat in the chairs on the platform.  Olivia gasped.  They had huge, beautiful wings folded neatly behind their backs.  She felt, suddenly, very small and insignificant.

Sera stood.  “Good morning,” she said briskly.  “I bring the case of Olivia, a human soul requesting entry into Heaven.  The Commandment in question today is One, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.”  She waved a hand and images popped up out of nowhere.

Olivia lifted a hand and pressed it to her mouth.  Silence descended as everyone regarded the pictures, which depicted Olivia in various worshipful poses.  One of her kneeling, staring up at Jason in abject adoration.  Another of her, bent forward, kissing his feet. 

Sera waved another hand, and one of the images began moving.  Olivia whimpered a little when she heard Jason’s voice.  “To whom do you belong?”  And her response, “To you, my lord.”  The words played over and over until Sera raised a hand and closed her fist.  The images disappeared.

One of the angels spoke.  “Do you worship this man?”

Olivia lifted her eyes.  “Yes,” she said clearly.  Her voice quivered a little, but she did not look down.

Another angel.  “And yet you hope to gain entry into Heaven?”

Sera spoke up.  “The Commandment does not forbid worship of other objects or individuals.  It specifically states that no other god shall be worshipped before Him.  Olivia has not violated this Commandment for two reasons.

“First, she does not consider this man a god.  And second, it has never occurred to her to place him before God.”

The first angel spoke again.  “Is this true, Olivia?”

Olivia bit her lip.  A loophole, to be sure, but technically true.  “It’s true,” she confirmed.

Abruptly, the pictures and the angels disappeared, and Sera and Olivia stood in the chamber alone.  “Well,” said Sera brightly.  “That went well.  Are you hungry?”

Olivia stared at her in astonishment, and Sera looked sheepish.  “Oh.  That’s right.  You’re dead.  But I’m famished.  Wanna watch me eat?”

Still stunned, Oliva shook her head.  Sera shrugged.  “Suit yourself.  Go straight down the corridor until a door opens in front of you.  I’ll come get you later for the Second Commandment.”

And she, too, disappeared.

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