Archion stared at me wide-eyed and breathless, then stepped back and I felt the blade slide free of my stomach. My legs gave way and I collapsed to the floor - a motionless pile of inanimate muscle and bone. How had it come to this? What had I done?

And then I remembered - Abernathy. But Abernathy hadn't been my fault. There was nothing I could have done. He had been killed before I could get to him and his shadowy murderer had long since departed. Yet here I was, paying for his death as if I had been the killer myself. Ironic.

Staring out unblinking eyes, I watched Archion's black boots leave the room. So that was it? I'm killed for something I didn't do and I don't even get a burial? I was really beginning to lose my faith in justice. Faith - speaking of...where was the white light I was supposed to see? The Heavenly Host. choirs of angels and all that?

The door opened again and Archion's black boots returned. "Glad to see you didn't wander off, dear sister."

Dear sister ho ho! If I could have been able to move...

"You see, with you dead for Abernathy's murder - I'm off the hook." I felt Archion pulling me up to a sitting position, braced against the wall, and folding my hand around the hilt the blade so recently removed from my torso. "Suicide - you just couldn't live with yourself after killing your lover in a jealous rage. See?" She waved a piece of paper in front of my dead eyes. "It's all here, in heart-breaking detail. Of course with Abernathy pushing up petunias his betrothed, that would be me, is left well off and free to marry who she chooses. Oh, don't look so down, Sis, I've been planning this from the day I met him."

Had I still been alive, I would have thrown up. Don't get me wrong, Abernathy had been an attractive guy, but a tad nerdy for my taste.

So...Archion had been the real murderer - twice! And no one would ever know! She was was still prattling to herself as she went about erasing evidence of her presence in the room. I don't know what she was saying - I was too lost in my thoughts to pay attention. That tends to happen when you no longer have use of your vocal chords.

I couldn't believe it; my own sister capable of such evil! Planning it from the very beginning! Anger welled up within me. How could she betray me? And Abernathy? He had truly loved her! I was beyond angry, I was furious! I wanted revenge for the lives Archion had taken so selfishly. Vengeance! It was all I wanted, it was all my sister deserved and I could not deal it to her! Being helpless only served to make me more angry, and my wrath grew.

I clenched my fists...Clenched my hands?

I had! I could feel the hilt of the knife in my hand, though I still couldn't control the movement of my eyes; Archion was across the room her back to me. Fighting to feel my legs I jerked and jolted to my feet. When my sister turned to find me lurching towards her across the room, she let out such an ear-splitting scream that had I been able to go deaf - I would have.

Archion kept screaming as she scrambled backwards against the far wall, but there was no place for her to go. The only door out was behind me. I raised the knife she had so thoughtfully placed in my hand and...well, Archion never screamed again.

I collapsed to the floor, inanimate once more - my vengeance having been served. There was a moment of silence, I don't think I have the mention it was breath-less, and then it appeared - the white tunnel opened before my blank eyes and I saw them, the Heavenly Host and choirs of angels...