The Way Station || Life after death isn't so easy...

Status
Not open for further replies.
The old bus shuttered as the driver turned the key in the ignition. Exhaust spewed from the tailpipe as they departed. Maria wished that there was something more interesting to look at through the window as they drove, but a stretch of flat nothingness was all she saw --- just dirt, and a dismal gray sky. Even the sunset looks gray, Maria thought absently. With another twinge of regret, she remembered the last sunset she saw before she'd died. It had been full of purples and oranges, bright colors that caused the clouds to catch fire. She wished that she hadn't been so angry that night, maybe she would've enjoyed it more.


They drove for a long time, and after a while, the scenery started to change slightly. There were more hills and craggy ridges. Maria welcomed the change, because at least it gave her some more interesting shapes and textures to look at. And then she saw it. A massive rock protruded from the earth in front of them, and upon it was a massive city.

She felt her jaw drop in awe. This was the city? It was larger than she had been expecting --- in fact, it looked like whoever designed it, had tried to cram all of New York City onto a single rock with buildings that threatened to teeter over the side.

Maria stood up, moving toward the front of the bus to get a better look.
"So... what do we do when we get to The City?" Maria asked the driver, sliding into the seat behind him.
"Don't know. Don't care."


Within fifteen minutes, the bus entered the dirty city. Everything about it reminded Maria of what she imagined the most slummy parts of New York City to look like. There was graffiti everywhere and litter in the street. Homeless people shivered against dumpsters and on door steps. Everything about it was appalling to Maria. She didn't want to spend eternity in a place like this.

"So... uh... how do you convince them to let you go back to the living?"
"If I knew, do you think I'd still be here?" The bus driver was visibly annoyed, but Maria didn't really care.
"You don't know anyone who's done it?"
"To hell if I know. When people get out, they just vanish. They can't exactly tell you where they went now, can they?"


Maria was determined to get back. She wasn't going to spend eternity here.
 
Logan


Logan sat on the bus in complete silence, the rules of this place circling around in his head. They couldn't smile? Couldn't show any sign of happiness? Not that he was planning to, but what sort of rule was that? He slumped in his seat and huffed out a breath, the boring landscape passing by as they continued on down the dusty road. It was the same thing from earlier, flat lands and grey skys with almost no sign of life. No pun intended. He was quickly growing bored from overthinking his death and how he even got here, when all of a sudden the scenery changed and a few people let out a gasp. What were they looking at? He sat up and strained his neck to see over the seats, frowning when he couldn't make out the sight. With a sigh he got up and moved to sit beside the girl he'd talked to earlier, looking out of the window at The City. Frankly, it was a bit gross. Homeless people were everywhere, and gusts of dusty wind blew around debris and trash, and the buildings were way too place to one another. This was it? They were going to have to stay there until further notice? Logan bit his bottom lip and looked over at the female beside him. "This doesn't look like a very inviting place." @CelestialCellar
 
"Not really..." Maria replied, scooting over to make room for the boy. She observed the streets nervously --- but then, what was the worst thing could happen to her? It's not like she'd die again. "I'm Maria," she stated, her eyes still focused on the window.

"This is it. Everyone out." The bus driver slammed on the breaks, sending Maria face-first into the seat directly in front of her.

@Tart
 
Who knew how long her body laid on sand. Hours, Days, maybe even Weeks. All she knew her eyes finally fluttered open, was that she was somewhere unknown.

A massive headache hit Emily like a tidal wave. Sand flew past her and she used her arms to shield her eyes from it. Her whole body ached, pleading for her to move like a little girl. The thought of a little girl remained in Emily's head like a long forgotten soda one had drank years ago. She held onto it for some reason though but eventually allowed it to go. Emily slowly sat up, feeling pain and relief at the same time. She stretched her arms over her head and carefully stood up, doing her best to regain her balance. Emily's eye sight was slightly blurry but with a few blinks she could see clearly. Emily stood up straight and looked around. She noticed a little shop up ahead and instinct told her to head in that direction. It was close, but yet still far. Emily judged her condition and how far the shop was. I can make it. She thought and put one numb foot in front of the other, over and over again. She kept her hands up to keep sand from getting in her eyes. She gradually got closer and closer until she was just a few feet away from her destination. Determination flooded through Emily like the blood in her veins and she sped up, getting closer.

When Emily reached the shop she walked to the front and stood in a decent line of other people. She noticed that this was the only place for miles and became uneasy. Why place something like this in the middle of nowhere? She heard shuffling feet as the line moved forward a little and Emily did the same. After a while it was Emily who reached the desk. She noticed a man and opened her mouth to speak but he didn't allow her to. She listened to what he said then grabbed the nearest thing to write with. A pen. She read the contract but stop when it said 'Accept his/her death'. He eyes widened and she forgot to breath. I'm... dead? She asked herself. Emily hesitated before sighing. Just do it. A voice in her head said. "Emily Swift." She replied to the man's question then signed. She quickly read the rules on the second page then put the pen down and slid the contract to him. Almost as soon as she did Emily froze, lost in a world where she was witnessing her death like a ghost.

~Death Scene~

Emily ran up the steel steps that led up to the roof, the shouts of a few teachers behind her. Tears slid down her cheeks and hit the ground with soft noises. She stumbled a lot and sometimes even fell but she got up right away and kept climbing the stairs. She eventually saw the door that led out to the roof and could already feel her freedom. Bruised, scratched, and bleeding, Emily turned the silver knob of the door and swung it open. A strong breeze hit her and she shielded herself from it with her arms. She could hear the footsteps getting closer and panic slowly climbed up through her, starting at her feet. She ran onto the roof and didn't stop until she reached the edge. Below her a group had formed and were watching with fear, worry, and regret. She heard the distant shouts of them telling her to stop then heard the footsteps behind her stop.

Emily turned around, the heels of her feet off the edge of the roof. She faced five teachers, all panting.
"Don't do this Emily, step away from the edge. Please!"
Her homeroom teacher begged.
"You don't know what your doing!"
The gym teacher added on, taking a step closer. Emily shook her head, her hands becoming fists.
"You don't know what I've been through! Leave me at peace!"
She screamed, facing the ground. Emily looked up at them and smiled softly. She leaned back and watched all the teachers run to her. Gasps came from below and Emily felt the wind rush past her. Some people cried, some screamed, others watched in silent horror.
"Just let me be in peace."
She whispered. Emily saw her younger sister crying and regret immediately took hold of her as she realized what she was doing.

No wait, I don't want to die! I need to say sorry to her! No! Someone, please catch me!
She pleaded silently. Emily knew it wouldn't happen though. She smiled at her sister then looked up at the sky and closed her eyes. The last thing she felt was a horrid pain in her head, then... nothing.
Emily's soul left her hollow body to bleed on the ground.


~End of Death Scene~

Tears slid down Emily's cheeks and hit the desk. She squatted down and put her hands to her eyes and sobbed. She had never gotten to say sorry to her sister. She wished it hadn't ended the way it did. Emily heard the shouts of the people in line behind her and stood up. She took the contract, figuring she'd need it and silently walked over to a random bus. Tears hit the ground and she cried silently. She wanted to say sorry to her sister, her father, her best friends, the teachers. But now she couldn't. Emily boarded the bus and took a seat. She put her head on her legs and cried. She felt the bus start to move and clenched the contract in her hands gently. I must go back! No matter what! She thought and stopped crying. Emily wiped her eyes and looked out the window, watching the scenery pass by quickly. Sand, sand, and more sand.
 
  • Love
Reactions: CelestialCellar
Seeing what The City was like, Alexis was scared of staying here for the rest of her life. The thought of raising her child here scared her even more...If that was even possible. Its not like she was frozen in time while pregnant, right? Because that would really suck...Forever having to deal with a bulge in her belly, heartburn, backache. Alexis wanted to get back to her Life. She really regretted committing suicide. If she had thought about it more, maybe she would have chosen to live on for the sake of the baby. She rested one hand on her top of her stomach as she continued to watch the scenery go by.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CelestialCellar
Alex continued to look out her window in silence. She couldn't explain why, but car rides always seemed to distance her from her thoughts, usually because she would focus on the passing scenery. There wasn't much to look at now, though. Eventually the sun went down, but even that seemed dismal and gray. She hoped that the nights weren't like that, too.

The City itself was just as sad. Alex gazed out her window at the homeless, sitting around doorsteps and dumpsters along with the litter, and she turned her back to the window and pulled her feet up on the seat beside her. She hugged her legs and rested her chin on her knees as she returned to her thoughts. Seeing those people made her remember that she wasn't even sure what to do at this point. She had no where to go, no one to go to.... Well, she had hoped there would be someone, but he was dead, just not in the same way she was. Dad...

The bus stopped, and Alex fumbled for a moment before she popped her head up over the seat in front of her to look to the front of the bus as the driver basically told them to get going.

"That's it? We just get off and leave? No tips? Pointers?" They couldn't just throw them out into this city and expect them to know what to do... Could they? Despite her complaints, she did stand up and make her way to the front of the bus. She noticed the two people who she and Flynn- wherever he was- were talking to earlier were at the very front, but she didn't say anything to them and instead reluctantly followed some other people off the bus. She shoved her hands in her pockets and looked around, trying to take in as many details as she could.
 
When the bus driver slammed on the breaks, Alexis jolted a bit. After everyone was ordered off the Bus, Alexis looked in disbelief. Being thrown into a City with no pointers or anything. Who in their right mind would leave a pregnant woman to fend for herself like that? Then again, its not like she is in the real world anymore. Alexis could've sworn she was in purgatory or wherever people go whenever they commit suicide like she has as well as everyone else on the bus. She then followed everyone off the bus, quietly. Whether everyone wanted to get back to the real world or accept their death and move onto Heaven...Or Hell...Alexis figured that they'd be together until then. Unless everyone was planning to split after disembarking. She held her belly as she looked around. Where were they going to stay? Sleep? Eat? What'll they do?
 
___________________________________________________________
Flynn Ryder™
LMuqciMm.jpg

___________________________________________________________
Flynn had woken up just in time to catch himself. The bus halted to an abrupt stop. People fell to the front. Flynn saw the girl with the contract smack in the chair in front of her. His persona, Marco, started to laugh. "Ha! Idiot." Flynn didn't feel his face turn up into a smile, it was a more flat laugh.

Flynn grunted. "I'm sorry about that. No I'm not! Yes I am!" Flynn just shut up and walked off the bus. Seeing the bus driver stare at him, made Flynn feel uneasy. This place made it super damn hard for him to control his split personalty disorder. Flynn walked off and saw Alex. He was about to walk over to her, when he saw a...Pregnant Woman?!

Flynn shook his head, he had to check twice. Yup, she was pregnant. Flynn slowly walked over to her. "Hey, I'm Flynn. Your belly is gigantic. Shut up! Your glowing beautifully...really!" Flynn grabbed his arm, scratching it awkwardly. "Sorry about that...anyway, do you want to stick together. This place is probably better traveled in numbers."
___________________________________________________________
 
  • Bucket of Rainbows
Reactions: Blood Lightning
For a few minutes, Alexis was holding her back and her stomach. Who knew pregnancy would take its toll on her in the afterlife, but then again, she was in Purgatory, not heaven or hell. She continued to stare at The City while there were still people getting off the bus, figuring out what to do next. As she took a deep breath to relieve herself of pain, both in her back and her stomach, she was suddenly approached by a young man. First he introduced himself, then commented on the size of her belly and after that complimented her. At first glance, she could only guess that he had a Personality Disorder. Alexis then proceeded answer his question as her fingers interlocked underneath her belly. "You're right, we should stick together. I don't think this is really a place you want to wonder through all alone." Sometimes she held it that way to get some of the strain off her back due to the enlarged belly changing her center of gravity.

@Shattered♦Secrets™
 
  • Love
Reactions: Justin
Status
Not open for further replies.