Ever wondered what life after death would be like?
I have. And sometimes, it makes me anxious. Other times, I'm absolutely terrified because there are so many interpretations of this one-way trip.

That's why the fear of death haunts almost every human being on this tiny planet. Not because of the act itself, but what comes afterward. Every religion teaches a different perspective, but the most well-known is from Christianity—where the fate of your soul depends entirely on your actions here on Earth.

If they're bad, eternal suffering in hell awaits. If they're good, eternal life in paradise is yours.

This time, the word to keep in mind is fear.

------------------------///----------------------------"

I can't believe this is happening. Do you see it? Those things leaving people's bodies and rising into the sky—they're souls."

"Yeah, so why the hell aren't we going up too? Don't we deserve it?"

"If we're still here, it's because he lied to us. People like us are just tools—used and then thrown away."

"After all that dirty work? No way. He wouldn't dare. I think we've still got unfinished business. I read about this in that sacred book... this isn't the end."

"If you say so. But where the hell is he? He should've shown up by now."

"It's just a matter of time before he comes for us. But until then... we'll have to deal with the trash that got left behind."

-------------------------///----------------------------

"I just keep wondering, when is this going to stop?"

I muttered after coming out of a vision. It used to be just dreams... Could something happen tonight?

At that moment, I was standing in front of my mirror, putting on makeup. It was finally Saturday—the long-awaited night of the big party.

"Tonight's going to be unforgettable."

After getting everything ready, I rushed downstairs to find my parents sitting together on the couch.

"So, how do I look?" I asked, twirling around. I'd gone shopping with my friends yesterday and picked out this vibrant red dress that matched my high heels and lipstick. It stopped just above my knees. Now, I was fishing for their approval.

"Wow, Yumi, you look stunning!" my mom exclaimed dramatically, as always.
"I'm sure all the girls there will be green with envy."

My dad, ever the silent type, simply stood up, patted my head, and gave me a rare smile.
"You look beautiful, sweetheart."

I couldn't contain my excitement and hugged him tightly.

"Now go and have fun," he said.

Just then, the doorbell rang. I opened it to find my prince charming standing there, right on time.

"Good evening, my lady," David greeted, kissing my hand. I had to fight the urge to swoon.
"Shall we?"

"Good evening, David," my mom said, walking over. She tried to look happy, but her fake smile was painfully obvious.
"Take care of my daughter, and if she comes back pregnant, I swear you won't live to see the sunrise. Understood?"

Like magic, a condom appeared in her hand, and she slipped it into his blazer pocket.

"Mom!" I yelled, absolutely mortified.

"Better safe than sorry," she said, completely unbothered. Then she turned to me, holding my hands and looking straight into my eyes.
"Remember what I always tell you. Say it back to me."

"No matter the place, under the sun or the moonlight, we'll always be together in body and soul, even if the sunlight fades away."

"That's right. Never forget it," she said, kissing my forehead. Then she glared at David again.
"Now go, before I change my mind."

"Yes, ma'am!" David replied, looking like he was in boot camp, trying to hide his embarrassment. Then he linked his arm with mine and led me to the car.

"Don't mind her; she's always like this when she sees me with a guy," I said, trying to play it off.

"It's fine. I get it. After all, you're their only daughter, right?"

"I have an older brother. He got signed by a talent agency and moved to Europe. It's been two years, and we haven't heard a word from him since he landed."

"Do you guys know why he never got in touch?"

"No. My parents never gave me a solid explanation, but... I just hope he's okay."

"Let's hope so," David replied as the car stopped.
"And here we are."

"Oh, Rebeca didn't mention the party would be at her place."

"Yeah, it was kind of a last-minute change, and she offered since there's plenty of space here."

The entrance was packed, but that wasn't surprising. Rebeca's mansion was massive, sitting on a property the size of a football field.

Rebeca was waiting for us at the door, still in her pajamas. She looked like she'd been running around organizing the party since the crack of dawn, with no time to change.

"Finally, you guys are here! I wasn't sure I could keep supervising everything just to pass the time."

When she opened the door, I almost didn't recognize the place. Where there had been statues, massive vases, and classic paintings, there were now party decorations and huge columns. It was like a completely different house.

The entire school seemed to be there. Rebeca grabbed a microphone and shouted,
"Everyone, the queen of the school is here!"

Cheers erupted from the crowd as people raised their glasses to me. For a moment, I felt like I ruled the world.

"Now let's head upstairs. I need to change out of these filthy clothes," Rebeca said, gesturing for us to follow her.

"Where's Alicia?" I asked.

"Here!"

I turned and saw Alicia... dressed as an angel. It would've been cool if the dress wasn't so short that I could clearly see her butt. And the neckline? Let's just say it left nothing to the imagination.

"What's wrong, Yumi?" she asked, noticing my expression.

"Let's go with Rebeca to her room," I said, grabbing both of them by the ears. Then I looked at David, who seemed completely confused.
"Enjoy the party—we won't be long."

"I'll be waiting for you," he replied with a smile as we headed upstairs.

Thankfully, Rebeca's room was soundproofed because of her late-night gaming streams, which meant I could scream as much as I wanted.

"But why did you do this? I didn't do anything..." Alicia started, but I cut her off by spinning her to face the mirror.

She fell to the floor, covering herself in embarrassment.
"Oh my God, I'm naked!"

"Calm down, Yumi, I can explain!" Rebeca knelt unnecessarily beside Alicia.
"It's not that bad, right?"

"You're sure about that?" I snapped, hands on my face in frustration.
"You might as well have hung a sign around her neck that says, 'Open for Business!' Seriously, you know how much I hate when you expose Alicia like this!"

I stormed toward the door, glaring at Rebeca.
"For your own good, make sure she comes downstairs dressed decently, or we're going to have a very friendly conversation after the party."

I delivered my ultimatum and left the room. As I descended the stairs, I scanned the crowd for my prince charming. I found him being harassed by Joseph and his buddies.

Together, they made up the school's football team. Joseph had a thing for me and had tried countless times to win me over—but without success. He wasn't bad-looking or outright awful, but I already had my eyes on David. When Joseph found out, his personality took a nasty turn. Ever since, he'd made it his mission to humiliate David at every opportunity.

"Is there a problem here, gentlemen?" I said, wrapping my arms around David from behind.

"Yumi? Everything okay?" Joseph asked, reaching out to touch me. I swatted his hand away.

"Still defensive as ever, I see."

"If you're still salty about me rejecting you, just know that not even in your next life would I give you a chance."

"Ouch. Even my soul felt that one," Joseph said with a smirk before turning and walking away.
"Enjoy the party."

"Thanks for showing up," David said, relieved.
"Want to dance?"

"With pleasure," I said, taking his hand as he led me to the dance floor. A romantic song was playing, and we swayed close together.

Those were the best 30 seconds of my life—until Joseph cut the music and grabbed David. One of his friends grabbed me.

"What the hell are you doing? Let him go!" I screamed, panic setting in.

"This is for stealing what should've been mine," Joseph sneered. He yanked David's belt, making his pants fall, and one of his friends dumped a bucket of fish guts over him.

"Perfect."

"No!" I tried to reach David, but the stench was overwhelming. Every step closer made it harder to breathe.
"I can't... I can't..."

"It's okay, Yumi. This isn't your fault."

"So, what now, huh?" Joseph taunted, spitting on David's shoes.

David didn't say a word. He just ran toward the exit, humiliated.

"That's right, run, you little—"

I punched Joseph square in the face.
"You bastard! You're going to pay for this!"

I ran after David.
"Wait! David!"

"Leave me alone, Yumi. Just go back to your friends." He was already in his car, about to drive away.

"But I want to be with you!" I cried, standing in front of his car. I let my feelings pour out.
"I've always loved you so much, and—"

Suddenly, I heard a gunshot and felt a sharp pain in my stomach. I didn't look down, but when I touched the area, my hand came away covered in blood.
What... happened?

"Yumi, watch out!" David's voice was the last thing I heard before a large van sped toward me.

And then... everything went dark.

When I woke up, I was in a small, pitch-black room, sitting at a table with an old lamp and a retro TV—like something from the '90s.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" I shouted.
"Rebeca, if this is your doing, I swear you'll regret it!"

The TV flickered to life, showing David sitting in a pool of blood, clutching my mutilated body. My head was cracked open, and he was sobbing uncontrollably as people gathered around, horrified.

That's when it hit me.

"I'm... dead."

End of Chapter.