Portal - part 2

NOTE: Please read part 1 so this makes more sense As soon as her words enter my brain I feel the force of a million gees pressing against my body, but only for a nanosecond, then nothing. Absolute stillness and quiet, yet an awareness of travelling at great speed. My companion is in and out of phase, body parts appearing then disappearing. I look at my hands and feet. Same. No stars, only blackness and then... Arrival. But where? I am standing on a sandy beach, but the sky and ocean are different, more colorful. I am suddenly aware of others. Staring at me. Staring at her. Rainbow tinted people with silver wings, hovering a few feet off the ground. Feeling faint, I drop to my knees and ask, "Is this heaven?" fish out of water houston we have a problem radio silence My celestial guide now addresses me, "Welcome to Elan, Paul. But your name really isn't Paul, is it Thomas? Thomas Woodward? Or shall I call you Winky? Elwood T. Cockroach? Sam Dumpty? Norman? You are a complicated soul, Thomas, with many manifestations." "I, I don't understand. What is this all about? Why am I here?" I reply. "We are Elanites, Thomas. We travel the universe through portals in time and space. We are empaths and can sense a soul in distress. When one is on the brink of death we traverse great distances in an attempt to rescue such one. Often, we are too late..." her voice trails off. The others who had shown such keen interest in my arrival now go about their business, though I can't help but notice there is an eclectic group assembled. Quite obviously, not all present are Elanites. I ask, "Are some of these people aliens you have rescued from other worlds?" "Yes, Thomas. You may be wondering why you are here, why we went to such great lengths to bring you to Elan. In your former life you lamented that you were unloved, that no one cherished you or even remembered your name. Here you will be adored more than you can imagine. Thomas, we have not had war on Elan for over a hundred centuries. No crime, no hatred, no injustice. Only love, kindness and empathy. And Thomas, I have been selected to be your mate for life. Do you find me attractive? Desirable? We are meta-morphs, which means I can transform into any kind of woman you wish. Or I can remain as I am. Whatever your dreams are, I can help make them a reality for you. This is your new home, your destiny. Do you understand?" I gaze around at the marvelous gift that has been bestowed upon me and all I can think of is, why me? What did I do to deserve this new start? One thing is for certain, I will never devalue myself again. My life is precious and has meaning, a purpose. She takes my hand and whispers, "Come." The adventure begins. living in the now accepting the undeserved universal bliss * This story incorporates character and story references that I have created in the past, including my eight part epic - Elan World