Dawn swept through the forest, illuminating the dewdrops on the ferns like minute, glittering diamonds, creeping into my eyes and barring me from the bliss of sleep.  Too bad I couldn’t block it out the way I could block the ghosts.

//Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun, get the hell away from me!//

With a groan, I pushed myself up into a sitting position, wincing as my back strained and protested the movement.  How was it that falling asleep on the ground was so much more uncomfortable than a rough, hard tree-

I paused, stretching again.  My shoulders flared with hot pain, my spine twisting as muscle pulled around it, easing itself out of the tight knot it had somehow worked itself into.

Muscle.  Bone.

My heart hammered in my chest -//really// hammered, not just the feeling of it.  I took a break and choked it down, shakily pressing my fingers against my throat.

//Thump.  Thump.//

My chest.

//Thump.  Thump.//

My wrist.  The pulse was weaker, but unmistakably there.

//Thump.  Thump.//

//I was alive.//

I jumped to my feet gasping at the sheer, solid feel of my protesting joints and muscles, lightheaded from the sheer thrill of //living// again.  I breathed deeply, the air swirling around the roof of my mouth, the back of my throat, filling my lungs and leaving.  //I// did that.  //I// made the air move.

I sighed, closing my eyes and //feeling//.  The soft breeze tickling my cheek.  The cool chill of the morning.  The fog swirling around my ankles, dissipating as the sun rose higher.  Endless, perfect life.  Bittersweet in its beauty now that I knew it could be surpassed.

The angel swam to the front of my mind, her smiling face filling me with warmth and light and hope.  I felt like I could overflow with it just to remember what she looked like, how desperated I had wanted to go with her.

Grimacing, I forced my eyes open and breathed deeply, willing the cool, wet air to smother the ache that throbbed in my chest.  I hadn't gone with her.  That was that.  Time to form a new game plan.

First step, find my car.  I reached into the pockets of my khaki capris.  My keys jingled in response, still thankfully present.  Now to choose a direction.

//Eeny Meeny Miney...//

As the morning fog faded, I caught sight of a worn path snaking through the trees.

//Go.//

Relief flooded through me to the tips of my very real fingertips and, feeling more brazen than I had in a long time, I began to walk toward the path.  And stopped.

If I had learned anything during my tenure as a ghost, it was the sound ghosts didn't make as they walked through a forest.  That was exactly the sound I wasn't making right now.

I didn't need to glance down to see the fern fronds ghosting straight through my calves.  I had seen enough of it, and I was very familiar with the cause of the hot, frantic anger welling up inside of me.

"What the //hell//!?"  I screeched, throwing my chin back and looking up, as though someone was actually up there, listening, waiting for me to react to this stupid prank. "What do I have to //do//?"

I stormed through the ferns, teeth gritting and fists clenching.  This wasn't right.  This wasn't //fair//!  I had been a good person, a good student, friend, daughter, sister.  What had I done to deserve this?  It was bad enough to be a ghost, but to //feel// the world, doomed to know it but never again be a part of it!

"If you're going to punish me then let's have at it!"  My voice grew shrill. "Why not //tell// me what I did?  Why are you doing this?"

There was no response but the singing of the birds and frogs as they woke to another friggin' //glorious// day.

"Answer me!"

With a yell, I kicked at the ferns again and again, hot tears blurring my vision as my foot passed harmlessly through.

"Godammit!" I cried. "//Godammit//!"

A loud tearing sound accompanied my kick, followed by another and another.  I barely registered it, but I did feel my fury beginning to subside.  I was still angry.  Lord, was I angry.  But it had now boiled down to a low simmer.

With trembling hands, I wiped at my tears, taking deep breaths and willed my heart to slow its frantic pace.  no use freaking out anymore.  Damn angels.  Why would God send them if this was how they were going to screw up?

God.  I stiffened.  Suppose God //wanted// this to happen to me.

If that was the case, then there really was no  way out of this.

"Oh no," I moaned, covering my face with my hands and sinking down to my knees.  I was screwed.  Really freaking fabulously and monumentally screwed if it was the Big Guy's Will.  I mean, He was going to kill //Moses// for neglecting to circumcise his son, if the Bible was anything to go by.  All of this could have come from wearing pants or eating shellfish or, hell, forgetting to //floss//.

"Dammit," The curse came out as more of a deeble, desperate whine now, and even I was starting to hate it.  Whatever.  Time to stop freaking out and start acting.  Besides, the angel had mentioned 'home' last night.  Even if I was stuck like this, I knew it would all be okay if I could at least be around my family.

I took a deep breath and dropped my hands into my lap.  Time to go.

I blinked, suddenly noticing the ferns.  Leafy fronds had been ripped and torn and crushed, scattered all around like a stange sort of botanical slaughterhouse.  Hesitantly, I rached out to touch one, recalling what it felt like to be solid.  My fingers brushed against it, now able to detect the fragile, waxy texture of the double-compound leaves.  But, try as I might, I couldn't make it budge.

One more item for the Could Not list.  I //could not// figure out what the hell was going on.

"Fine," I muttered, pushing myself to my feet. "Whatever."

I had a path to follow and a car to find, anyway.