February 16, 2000, 10am Penthouse, Manhattan:
Lucky paced nervously in the Living room checking the clock for the one hundredth time that morning. He had woken at 7am to the sound of Leo fussing, ready to start his day.
Getting Leo changed and fed had proved a wonderful distraction that lasted all morning, but now with Leo off to the park with Mrs. Worthington, Lucky could think of nothing but the uncertainty of the road ahead.
"Mrs. Diamond and Mr. Thomas Clarke are here to see you sir," announced Mr. Worthington, stepping aside to allow the two to step into the room.
Mrs. Diamond was a tall elegant woman about forty years old and her companion, Mr. Clarke, was scraggy with long blond hair and appeared to be in his mid twenties. After shaking hands Lucky offered them a seat on the sofa while he sat in the loveseat across from them.
"Obviously I don't know how to begin,' said Lucky looking at Thomas suspiciously. Mrs. Diamond noticed the look Lucky gave Thomas and quickly explained who he was.
"Mr. Scott, Thomas is my assistant and has helped me on other cases, so please feel free to speak in his presence,' said Mrs. Diamond reassuringly.
Mrs. Diamond continued when she saw that Lucky had relaxed a little. "Now at this point I usually just listen to your story of how you came to feel that you are having an experience such as the ones highlighted in my book.'
"I don't know where to begin,' said Lucky, getting up and wandering over to the window, where he looked out for a second before returning to his guests. "I guess I should start from the beginning.' Mrs. Diamond nodded and watched Lucky intently as he took a moment to sort his thoughts.
"Ten months ago I was killed in a fire, I watched as my body burned to the point of being unrecognizable. I remember standing there, just staring at myself through the flames unable to do anything but watch. Afterwards, for the next ten months I was just there watching, waiting, hoping that I would wake up and find it was all just a dream. It wasn't a dream though. It happened, I died and I watched as my family buried me. I watched as the people I love grieved for me and then I watched as they tried to move on with their lives without me.
I remember being in so much pain, unspeakable pain, like I was dying slowly from the inside out. But I couldn't stop it or go on. I was just stuck watching, stuck in the pain.
Then yesterday, out of nowhere, I felt myself being pulled hard backwards and then darkness. I don't know how long the darkness lasted or what happened to me, except I woke up here in Manhattan, on Wall Street in an extremely luxurious office. I have everyone calling me Mr. Scott and treating me like I am suppose to know them.
Then I was dropped off here in this Penthouse, where I've had the same reactions from the people who live in this house. I have a son that looks exactly like me and seems to know exactly who I am.
Then of course there is my body, which last I checked was only five feet eight inches, but now it's at least six feet. Not to mention I look older.'
"Excuse me,' said Mrs. Diamond stopping Lucky's recanting of his experience. "Did you say your body is taller and you seem older.' "Yea,' said Lucky. "Well, it's a different body, Mr. Scott. So surely being older and taller would be the least of your concerns. Why do you think your son look like you.'
"Well forgive me if it's a little disconcerting staring back at a older, taller, larger clone of myself, not to mention a child that looks like me,' said Lucky standing up and walking over to the window annoyance evident in his posture.
Mrs. Diamond and Mr. Clarke exchanged puzzled glances with each other. "Mr. Scott, are you saying that you recognize the body you are in?' asked Mrs. Diamond. Lucky turned to frown at her, noting the puzzled look on both Mrs. Diamond and Mr. Clarke's face.
"Of course I recognized the body I'm in,' said Lucky exasperatedly, "didn't I tell you that I was dragged here backwards encased in darkness then I was in a older, larger clone of myself."
"You mean this body is similar to your last body,' said Mrs. Diamond still puzzled. "No, I mean this is my back from the dead body only it's taller and older,' stressed Lucky becoming impatient thinking that it was perhaps a mistake to talk to Mrs. Diamond after all.
Mrs. Diamond got up and walked over to where Lucky was standing. "Mr. Scott, why don't you continue with your story? Lucky sighed, "There really isn't anything else to tell.' "Nothing, are you sure you are not leaving anything out?" Mrs. Diamond asked.
"No, I don't think so, well except the light isn't beckoning me to walk into it anymore like before.' "What did you say?' Asked Mrs. Diamond eyes widening. "What?' "Say what you just said about the light," insisted Mrs. Diamond excited.
Above:
"Wow this is really starting to pick up now, come on kid help out the old dame," said Bill gleefully. "Shhh, Bill," said Ruby giving him her most practiced annoyed expression. Bill nodded but maintained a gleeful smile on his face.
Penthouse, Manhattan:
"I said that I haven't noticed the light beckoning me into it since I was dragged here.' "The light, you've seen the light?" Asked Mrs. Diamond throwing Mr. Clarke a surprised look. "Is that important to why I am here in Manhattan instead of dead?"
"Yes, yes Mr. Scott. That's an extremely important bit of information that puts a different, more exciting spin on things. "See we had just thought you were lingering in this realm because you were murdered and you were being given the opportunity to seek justice, but the light is available to you."
"I was murdered, I was murdered by someone who has hated my family since before I was born. I know I should feel more anger about Helena, but all I can feel is the pain of not being with Elizabeth."
Tears filled Lucky's eyes and he was unable to stop them spilling over and running down his cheeks. Lucky turned to stare out the window through his tears, feeling overwhelmed with the pain of losing Elizabeth.
He was shocked and confused a minute later when he heard the squeal of laughter coming from both Mrs. Diamond and Mr. Clarke. "Lucky turned furious eyes on the pair, but his fury turned to confusion a second later when Mrs. Diamond threw her arms around him, tears of joy in her eyes.
Lucky waited a minute for Mrs. Diamond to collect herself and tell him what was going on. "Mr. Scott, you picked out the wrong book. You should have been reading my book entitled "Love Me" not "Second Chances."
At Lucky's continued look of confusion, Mrs. Diamond took his hand and walked him over to the loveseat indicating that he sit down.
"Mr. Scott, we were under the assumption based on the book you said you read, that you were experiencing the phenomenon where you are given the opportunity to set things right. But we were wrong. You are not here to get justice for your death. Instead you have been given a new life.
Do you have any idea how rare this is? I only know of one other occurrence of what you are experiencing. O my goodness you are one half of a soul mate, aren't you?" Lucky looked at Mrs. Diamond, still not comprehending the impact of what she was telling him.
Mrs. Diamond, realizing that Lucky was still lost, smiled at him patiently. "Mr. Scott, I am going to ask you some questions and afterwards I will be able to explain to you exactly what you are experiencing," said Mrs. Diamond.
Lucky nodded trying to ignore the hope that was growing slowly inside him. "First, tell me about Elizabeth," said Mrs. Diamond.
A tender expression appeared on Lucky's face as he began. "Elizabeth is my girlfriend, well she was before I die that is. She's the most amazing, the most wonderful person I have ever known. I carry her around in my heart everyday since I loved her, sometimes I think I have been carrying her around inside me all my life. It's like she's the other half of me and I was walking around incomplete until she came into my life.
When I died, I felt the pull to walk into the light. Somehow, I knew that walking into the light would end all the pain and I would be free, but I also knew that as soon as I walked into the light, I would have to let go of Elizabeth and I just couldn't. I couldn't let go of her, so I just kept looking at Elizabeth and that's what I have been doing for the last ten months."
Lucky finished and looked at Mrs. Diamond, tears clouding his eyes. "Are you a virgin?" Asked Mrs. Diamond gently. Lucky blushed but nodded his head as Mrs. Diamond smiled and looked over at Mr. Clarke before taking a deep breath. "One more thing, Mr. Scott. You said that this body is a older, taller clone of yourself. Is the resemblance that startling?"
"Yes," said Lucky. "At first I thought I was having a nightmare and the last ten months never happened. I thought it was years later and I just had time confused, but then I called Port Charles, that's where I am from and after talking to a few people, I realized that the last ten months did happen and I am not dreaming.
This body is a replica of my other body, except now I am older, taller and larger than I was before," finished Lucky.
Mrs. Diamond turned to Mr. Clarke, a speculative look on her face. "Well, they say everyone has a double, could it be that they found his double?" Asked Mrs. Diamond. "That would make sense, I mean they would want him to be comfortable and more convincing."
Lucky interrupted them. "Can someone tell me what's going on please? I am, after all, the one in need of help here," said Lucky annoyance written all over his face. "We are sorry, you are right. You need answers and since you died ten months ago, you don't have too much time so we need to get you started."
Mr. Scott, at first I thought you were experiencing a second chance to change what happened to you like the stories mentioned in my book. You see sometimes when someone has been murdered the angel of death intercedes on their behalf.
The angel of death can sometimes cause time to be reversed which allows the person to change the outcome of their death, hence the title of my book."
"I read that in your book and wondered if I was experiencing that, but if that were the case I would still be in Port Charles and the last ten months wouldn't have happened right?" Questioned Lucky.
"That's correct, Mr. Scott. I also thought that you could perhaps be experiencing a chance to gain justice for you death. Again the angel of death sometimes allows the opportunity for wronged souls to borrow another body for a short period so that soul can get justice, but I am sure you are not experiencing that either."
"Why not, I mean that seems like the only thing that make any sense. I was after all murdered by someone, I'd call that being wronged, wouldn't you?"
"Yes, but the light was welcoming you and until yesterday you have been lingering in another realm and that's not how second chances work. If you were being given the opportunity to get justice your soul would have immediately been placed in a borrowed body and you wouldn't have seen the light.
You wouldn't have seen the angel of death either, but you did, didn't you?" "Yes, I did," whispered Lucky reverently, but I turned away from him."
"That's right you did and normally when a soul does that they either eventually take the hands of the angel of death and walk into the light or they remain trapped in the realm between here and there forever."
Lucky frowned, "ok, so I am not still here to get justice and I am not being given a second chance to change what happened to me," reasoned Lucky. "No you are not," said Mrs. Diamond smiling brightly. "Then what is happening to me? Why am I here in this older body, alive and healthy with everyone thinking I am someone else."
Mrs. Diamond smiled warmly at Lucky before continuing. "Someone up there interceded for you, Mr. Scott. Someone who loves you very much asked that your life continue." "Someone up there?" Lucky asked looking gingerly upwards.
Mrs. Diamond and Mr. Scott both laughed. "Do you know how rare this is, Mr. Scott? I only know of one other case like yours," said Mrs. Diamond. "I am still not sure what you are talking about and you can't be sure if I am experiencing what you think I am experiencing. For all you know it could be something else, something that even you are not aware of."
Mrs. Diamond frowned for a second. "I agree, so let's test my theory then, Mr. Scott." "Test your theory? How are we going to test your theory?" Asked Lucky confused.
"Very simple. See Mr. Scott you are dead, even though you are in this body breathing and alive that's only temporary. Right now you are on borrowed time and hence still just a spirit."
Lucky's heart sank. "So I am not here to stay?" "God yes, you are here to stay, but until the anniversary of your death you are still essentially a spirit. Everyone can see you and touch you and feel you, but you are still a spirit and therefore operates differently for the next several weeks."
When Lucky continued to look puzzled Mrs. Diamond got up pulling Lucky with her. "I am really not doing this very well, but that's because your situation is so unique."
Taking Lucky's hand she led him over to the closed door. "Walk through it," said Mrs. Diamond looking Lucky in the eyes. "Walk through it?" Echoed Lucky staring at the woman in shock. "Yes, I want you to walk through the door."
When Lucky continued to hesitate she gave him a firm push towards the door. "You are a spirit right now Mr. Scott. Doors are no barriers to you, so Just walk right through."
Lucky took a deep breath and preparing himself for the headache he was going to nurse later as he walked into the door.
Lucky gasped when he found himself on the other side of the door into the foyer. Turning back to the door he walked into it again finding himself on the other side once more. Lucky looked down in amazement at himself, touching himself all over.
"How was that possible?" Asked Lucky bewildered. "Like I said, you are still a spirit only you are operating in the physical which is what you are working towards."
Lucky walked over to the loveseat and sat down dazed. Mrs. Diamond returned to her position on the sofa facing Lucky. "You can also leave the physical realm at will just by thinking it." "I don't understand," said Lucky. "Think of it as disappearing, all you have to do is think you no longer want to be seen and you will leave the physical. Try it," said Mrs. Diamond encouragingly.
Lucky sighed and closed his eyes opening them a second later to look at Mrs. Diamond. "There you have it," said Mrs. Diamond beaming across at Lucky.
Looking quickly down at himself Lucky realized that he was no longer there. Shocked Lucky leaped up from the sofa and began walking around in shock, almost knocking over a table. Both Mrs. Diamond and Mr. Clarke snickered from their positions on the sofa.
"Now how do I get back to normal?" Asked Lucky returning to the loveseat. "All you have to do is think it and it will happen," said Mrs. Diamond.
A second later Lucky looked down and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his form again. "Man, am I glad to see myself," breathed Lucky touching his chest.
"So you've proved your point. I am a spirit. Now please explain to me what exactly is happening to me," said Lucky calmly.
"It's actually not very complicated Mr. Scott and except for the replicated body I have seen this phenomenon before.
You're what's called a pure soul, meaning you are a virgin, you are untouched. That's one of the reasons this is possible. Another reason is that you were taken before your time, you were wronged. Also you lingered around by refusing to go into the light, which would have taken you from this life into the next. Finally and the most important reason of all, you are one half of a soul mate. I guess the other half is Elizabeth."
Lucky remained silent while Mrs. Diamond continued. "Because Elizabeth is your soul mate your ties to her was more overwhelming than your need for the comfort of the light. Instead of walking into the light you lingered behind to be near her, not wanting to break the connection the two of you share.
Someone up there, someone who loves you, interceded to the creator and asked that you get your life back. Ancient Egyptians believed that in such a case a body is chosen to house your soul and that body will eventually become your permanent physical being, provided you are able to gain the love of your soul mate.
I don't want you to worry too much about that, because she is your soul mate, so loving you will be easy. It's the fear of what's happening that will be the difficult part. You have to get her passed the fear to trust, then she will be able to give you her heart freely and without reservations.
As for this body you are now occupying, I can only guess that whoever it was that interceded for you found you a body similar to your own. They most likely felt it would be easier for you that way, and I agree. Did you really look that similar to this body?"
"Let's put it this way if anyone who knew me saw me like this they would probably think they're seeing a ghost," answered Lucky. "I not only looked exactly like this save the added height, maturity and built, but I also sound exactly like this. "Well they would be," laughed Mrs. Diamond nervously. Lucky smiled and encouraged Mrs. Diamond to continue.
"The ancient Egyptians believe that the bodies that are chosen in cases of these are those bodies who's previous owners, for lack of a better word, have taken their own life."
Lucky sat up in shock realization dawning on him. "When I first woke up after the darkness that I told you about," Mrs. Diamond nodded. "I saw about eight or ten empty pill bottles on the desk I was sitting behind. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but now that you mention suicide I think that's what must have happened to him."
"Everything I know about your situation tells me that you are right Mr. Scott. You are only allowed to take over a body who's previous soul took his own life. Have you considered what would make him do something like that."
"I don't have all the information about him, but I do know that his wife died about a year ago and from the way everyone has been treating me, I think that perhaps he didn't take it so well and has not gotten past it," said Lucky recalling the secretary, the driver and Mr. & Mrs. Worthington's treatment of him.
"Well this is where Mr. Clarke comes in. He's an investigator, as well as my assistant. He's been with me on numerous cases, so I am certain that he will have a profile of the previous Mr. Scott for you in no time. I would like for him to get started immediately, so if will give him whatever information you have on Mr. Scott he can get to it."
"I really know very little about him," said Lucky. "Actually it was just pure luck that got me to this Penthouse yesterday. His secretary called downstairs from the office and got his car and driver, then I was dropped off directly in front of this building. Then inside the building I found a private elevator with the name Scott on it. Finally in his briefcase I found the key to the elevator and another to the Penthouse door. Like I said pure luck."
"We'll start with the briefcase then," said Mr. Clarke. "I am certain there will be enough inside there to get me started. Also do you have any identification on you that will give me information such as Social Security number, birth date etc," continued Mr. Clarke.
"Yes actually, I found a wallet in the pocket of the suit I was wearing yesterday," said Lucky extracting the wallet and handing it to Mr. Clarke.
After removing the necessary documents Mr. Clarke handed the wallet back to Lucky before asking for the briefcase. Lucky directed the man to the study two doors down before returning to sit with Mrs. Diamond.
"I feel terrible that he had to die so that I can live," said Lucky sadly. "No, stop that. I don't want you to feel that way. Don't even think that, stop it right now," replied Mrs. Diamond sternly. "He didn't die so that you could live.
He choose to die, it was his choice and that's why only bodies of suicide candidates are used according to what I know. He would have died whether you were given his body or not. This way, at least his son will have a father and you can have your life back."
"Why don't I have any of his memories, only mine?" "His memories were apart of him, apart of what made him who he was. Your memories are apart of what makes you who you are. When he died he got to take his memories with him."
Lucky looked at Mrs. Diamond thoughtfully. "I know things though, things I didn't know before and yesterday I was able to read your book in minutes with complete understanding. I was never stupid, but I used to have to sit down and more than glance at a page to read a book."
Mrs. Diamond smiled. "Well I guess Mr. Scott must have been a genius, so now you are a genius." "I thought you just said all of that went with him and my stuff came with me." "Memories went with him, memories and feelings. His knowledge is something that is physical so that remains with the body. It's part of the brain."
Lucky nodded understanding dawning. "I guess that makes sense, also if I am going to assume his identity I am going to need his knowledge to do the things he did."
Mrs. Diamond nodded still clearly in awe of Lucky and what was happening. "Once Mr. Clarke is through with his investigation you will need to return to your other home and face Elizabeth," said Mrs. Diamond.
A big smile spread across Lucky's face, his body physically relaxing. "Now before you get too excited let me tell you what you are up against. First you are working against time," said Mrs. Diamond soberly.
"Yea you mentioned that before, something about the anniversary of my death," said Lucky. "That's right you must get Elizabeth to trust and love you before the anniversary of your death."
"And if I don't?" "You will. I am confident, but if you don't you will be trapped in the realm between here and there forever. You will lose this body and you will never find peace and the comfort of the creator.
You shouldn't worry though. That won't happen. This is about love and Elizabeth is your soul mate so loving you is like breathing to her. The time restraint is mainly because of the light and free will. Remember this is your choice, Mr. Scott. You can leave this realm at any time, but after a year the light goes away forever."
"I haven't seen the light since I took over this body," said Lucky. "It's there you just have to look up and welcome it in your heart anytime you want and you will leave this realm," said Mrs. Diamond.
Lucky sat back thoughtfully, letting all Mrs. Diamond had told him to sink in. "This is so weird and wonderful and scary. I always knew that God existed, but there is nothing like this to really drive it home is there?" "No, I would say this is what's called the ultimate proof of his existence."
"Have you considered who up there could have interceded on your behalf like this?" "Aunt Ruby," smiled Lucky without hesitation.
Above:
"Well, what are we chop liver?" cried Bill glaring at Ruby who was beaming at the intuitiveness of her nephew. "Lucky just knows who is looking out for him," remarked Ruby smiling. Bill groaned and returned his attention to the events unfolding below.