Annaise is very confused, like a newborn baby being introduced to the outside world. Go to her school? What's there, she ponders.

Despite this, she follows the hooded figure obediently, like she had done all her life. Not a word was uttered during the walk. "Nearly there," Annaise pipes as the pair pass by Billy Joan's shop.

"I know dear."

When they reach the school, the bell rings. Students pour out of the classrooms like the rapids, hurrying to their next period class. "Mister, why are they still in school? Isn't it supposed to be nighttime by now?"

"Time passes by quickly in death," the Grim Reaper answers, "it's actually surprising. Oh, and please don't call me mister; I hate being identified by gender."

"Do you have one? A gender?" Annaise asks, letting the question slip out of her mouth before she could stop them. She bites her tongue instinctively.

"Not . . . no, not really. I suppose you could put it like that."

Annaise decides to just keep her lips pressed together for the rest of the time.

"So Annaise, what class do you have right now? We should start somewhere familiar."

She opens her mouth just this once to reply, "English, with Mr. Riling. It's in Room 12B." The figure nods once and takes off to Annaise's English classroom at once. This makes Annaise run just to keep up.

"I'm sorry for the rush child; we just don't have time to loiter and dawdle around." She nods in understanding and enters the classroom.

"-and maybe Isabella Truman can answer this question? Isabella?"

"The sentence is redundant, so no Mr. Riling."

"Correct. That's one point for Ms. Truman's team."

Isabella grins victoriously in her seat as the people around her cheer in glee.

"Seems like they're playing a game," the figure says observantly. "That's strange. I am sure tha-"

"Students, may I have your attention please," booms the loudspeaker in a womanly voice. It's Mrs. Mowry, the principal.

"Ah, here it is," the figure sighs contently.

"Last night, one of our pupils have been reported to have passed away in the form of suicide." Several shocked gasps interrupted the announcement. "The police have found her body hanging from a tree in the forest and they were very surprised to have found out that it was, indeed, the dead body of Annaise Walker." More gasps, but Annaise only grits her teeth. They'd never cared when she was alive; why are they acting with sympathy now that she was dead and gone?

In this moment, Annaise was ashamed of society and humanity.

"The parents were in such a wreck when they'd found out, and as a town, we must help them as they try to work themselves through this terrible event. Let us have a moment of silence for the girl and her poor mother and father."

For my parents? Annaise thought bitterly, They're not the one's who've died.

"If I could let you have a word, I would," says the figure, "but we've already broken a rule too many." She mumbles in apprehension and continues to listen to the announcement.

"Okay. This announcement is over. Please pray for Annaise Walker's soul." There's a click, and then silence.

"It's my fault," says Isabella guiltily, "I called her face pudgy a few times while walking down the hall." She buries her face in her hands. "Why did I do that? I'm such a stupid mess."

"No, it's my fault," says Jovan firmly. When Annaise sees him stand up as if he were some hero, she doesn't feel what she felt before. Her heart didn't beat faster, and the butterflies in her stomach had disappeared. Now, she feels nothing to the boy she loved. "I rejected her when I knew she liked me; it's my fault."

"No; I kept tripping her."

"It's me; I dumped my yogurt on her new haircut. It was really nice too."

"I did it; I almost pushed her into traffic."

"It's me."

"No it's me."

"I did it."

The classroom started up in restless shouting and yelling. Little Annaise stood still, drinking in their guilt with malicious joy. The figure beckons her to follow them to another classroom. Each was the same. There were students in every room that blamed themselves for the death of Annaise Walker.

Yet, there was one class that caught Annaise's attention more than the others.

"I for one am glad that disgusting creature is dead," sneered Valentine Lee. He was the most handsome boy in the school, and most popular at that too. Apparently, the female population of the school liked how "unique" his name was. They thought it was attractive, as was he.

"Yeah!" chimed in a girl that had been drooling over Valentine since class had started. Annaise recognized her as Aaliyah Marks. Her and Valentine were the stars; him with his beautifully tanned skin, blue eyes, and colored hair that kept changing and her with her warm, dark skin and wavy, midnight hair.

At first the class was quiet. Annaise already knew what was going to happen; they'd all agree with their pathetic icons and everything would be the same as it was before.

"Just wait," the figure encouraged.

Annaise impatiently awaited the answer.

"You two are disgusting," shouted a girl in the back of the room. She was hidden from the people in front of her, so Valentine and Aaliyah couldn't see her.

"Annaise is dead, you sickos. You are probably the larger cause of it," said another voice from another part of the room.

"She was ten times the person you two combined will ever be," yelled someone else.

All hell rained down onto Valentine and Aaliya.

Annaise smiled happily.

"Alright," says the figure, "now we break more rules." They grab Annaise's hand firmly, then all Annaise could see was black.