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electronic devices. Nothing to explain what he’d just seen. “I don’t believe you. Give me one good reason why I should believe you.”
        “What’s the last thing you remember? I mean . . . all those years ago, before everything started going crazy. Do you remember?”
        Mitch tried to think back. He ran a hand through his hair. “I . . . uh . . . I was going to pick up Linda. My girlfriend. I was going to pick her up from work. I was going to propose. Had a ring and everything.”
        “It was a big night.”
        “I had my bike. I just got my Harley running. I wanted to surprise her.”
        “And then?”
        Mitch paused. It was all hazy after so many years. He had ridden north and then … He shrugged. “Then I saw the storm.”
        “You never made it to see your girlfriend,” Nathan said.
        “Because of the storm.”
        “No, because a Dodge pickup truck crossed into your lane and sent you flying into a ditch.”
        Mitch’s lips tightened. “No, it didn’t.”
        “You broke three ribs, fractured your pelvis, and sustained severe head injuries. Someone called an ambulance.”
        “Shut up!”
        “They brought you to the hospital, but you had lost a lot of blood. They put you on a ventilator. They’ve been monitoring your brain scans, looking for the slightest glimmer of hope. Any sign that you might still be in there.”
        “I said shut up!”
        Nathan grabbed Mitch by the collar. “That was two months ago! You’ve been here only two months!”
        Mitch shook himself free and shoved Nathan aside. He stumbled to the front of the store, his chest heaving. The room seemed to sway beneath him. This was crazy. He couldn’t listen to any more of this nonsense. He wouldn’t.
        Nathan drew up beside him. “This place . . . this isn’t Indiana. It’s like a movie set. It’s all just a facade. Your body is lying in a hospital room in Illinois. In a coma. But your soul has gotten trapped here. In this place.”
        “I can’t believe it.”
        Nathan continued. “Think about it. All the weird stuff you’ve seen here? This place does that to you. You see what you want to see. It even shows you stuff you don’t want to see. Old memories. Dreams, nightmares. All of that can take on what seems like real form.”
        “Are you saying I’m dead?”
        “No. Not yet. This place is just like a doorway. When someone dies, they usually pass right through to the other side. But sometimes people get stuck in between. Trapped here. Not dead but not really alive, either.” He pointed at the hole in the wall. “You’re being kept alive—barely. But there’s still some hope. That’s why you need to get back into your body. The longer you stay here, the harder that’s going to be. The less chance you’ll have of surviving at all.”
        Mitch turned away. This conversation was beyond bizarre. He had been here for five years. He could remember every day. Every book he’d read. How was that possible? “There’s no way it’s only been two months.”
        Nathan’s voice softened. “Time doesn’t have any meaning in this place. Not like it does in the material world. I know you think it’s been years, but it’s only been two months since your accident.”
        “How do you know all this?”
        Nathan paused. “I’ve been sent to help you. To help you find your way back.”
        “Sent by who?”
        “God.”
        Mitch laughed. “Dude, God doesn’t care what happens to me.”
        “Yeah, I know that line. I’ve heard it all before. The fact is He does care, Mitch. More than you know. I’ve got to help you get out before it’s too late.”
        “Too late for what?”
        “Survival,” Nathan said. “The longer a spirit remains separated from its body, the less chance there is for the body to heal.