I think I did die. For a little while, at least. After I was shot, I saw and felt otherworldly things.

I was at Solaris park. Dozens of kids were swinging from the monkey bars, tunnelling down the slide, playing like Olympians on the free-standing double bars...but nobody was on the swing set. I walked down the middle – the section between the crowded and desolate areas. 

 To the left, where the kids played, was warm and fuzzy. It filled me up with anabundance of happiness and giddy feelings. Climbing up the ladder to go down the slide was Adriano. 

"Rio!" I call. 

 "Kellin K!" he exclaims. "Kodiak Zodiac, Kellin Melon, what goes on?" AdrianoSantiago the Epic embraces me in a bear hug. I hold him tight. Wherever this is, he's real. I can even smell his cologne and feel the heat of his tan skin. 

"I don't know," I answer honestly. "Where is this place? It's so..." I try to look at the jungle gym, but I can only stare at the bright, chocolatey eyes of Rio. "Lively." 

Adriano doesn't answer me, but he cracks a smile. "You're welcome to stay here. Everyone's happy. Once you get here, no one gets hurt or dies. It's pretty nice if you askme," he explains, taking my hand. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too," I admit.

"This way," Adriano spritely says. He guides me up the ladder and to the slide. Lookinginside, I discover that there's a blinding light at the bottom of it. There's a vague scent of homemade warm cookies.

 "So what's this do?" I inquire. Really, I can figure out the purpose of the slide, but I likehearing Rio speak.

 "Once you go down, this might just...completely embellishes you. It wipes away your pain and makes you whole again. It's beautiful, really," he explains. I watch as a couple of people cheer with joy as they catapult themselves into the slide. "What're you waiting for?" Adriano inquires, laughter intoxicating. "It's your turn." 

I grab the handle above the slide and get ready to go in. Eternity with a happyAdriano? Sign me up. Turning to look back at him, something snags my attention. There'smovement on the swings. "That's odd," Adriano says as he notices the movement too."That's never happened before." 

 "What does it mean?" I inquire. One of the swings move, but I can't see who is on it –Adriano is in the way.

 Rio shakes his head. "No idea..."

I let go of the slide handle and move to see who sits on the empty, lifeless side of theplayground. Perched on the swing is Grayson. "Grayson!" I shout loud enough for him to hear. At least, he should have heard me. But it's like I'm silent to him. 

 "It's like he's here," Adriano starts. "His image, I mean. But he isn't. I don't understand." 

Giggling comes from the slide – a burst of childish laughter. The remote swings where Graysonsits are silent and empty. "I think I do," I supply. 

"What is it?" Adriano questions, studying my face.

"I'm not done yet. There's more I have to do," I explain. "People need me. Grayson is here to remind me of that."

"But...you're here," Adriano motions to the general realm. "You can't just choose whether you live or die."

"Of course you do," I counter. "You always have a choice."

"So the others who died chose to do so?"

"That was different. They had the chance to fight for their lives. But I didn't. I was shotby surprise. Now this is my choice and I have to be strong enough to choose the right path." 

"You're going back, then," Adriano concludes, pouting.

"I have to, Adriano. I'm sorry."

Rio looks to Grayson, who seems to look right through us. "He needs you more than Ido, now. I'm dead, Kellin. I'm dead and I'll be happy in the light. But Grayson is alive and he needs you. I understand your decision." 

Thank you," I gratify. "Hopefully I'll see you again."

"Not too soon, of course," he jokes.

Gripping the fireman pole, I slide down, skin squeaking on the metal. I walk to the swing set, where heavy energy falls on my shoulders. As I get closer to the swings, itbecomes physically harder to walk. It's like swimming against the high tide or runningagainst the winds of a hurricane. This is how it should be, though; the right choices areoften the hardest to make. It would've been easy to vault into the slide.

 At last, I get to the swings.

And I grab the chains.

"I didn't kill him," the Ghostface killer points out to Makai. Looking around, I take in where I am: right where I left off. "So your point is disproven." I have to get out of hereand get help. Maybe I can team up with Reyna and Maren. I prop myself up from layingdown, but the pain in the left part of my chest is too much to take. So I'll just crawl out of here with one arm.

Though it hurts like hell, I stay silent as the killer moves away from Kai and to Enzo, turning his back on me. The door to the theatre is already open and I couldn't be moregrateful. Enzo turns and notices my dead body is missing. I see Makai breaking the ropesaround his wrist with Reyna's hairclip. Inwardly, I chuckle. Of course, Reyna would figure out an escape plan. 

Now, I'm finally in the theatre. I go behind the first row so if one of the killers enter orleave the theatre, they won't see the lethargically moving body crawling on the ground.

There's talking still going on in the small room that I died in. By the time I get to themiddle of this row, there's a shout from Enzo. "Get out of here!"

And stampeding out of the theatre are Grayson and Makai. My hopes are to uplift theirescape. I don't make any noises to alert them of my existence because I don't want to hold them back from freedom. I chose to come back to this life, so it's my own destiny to get myself through tonight. 

I reach the end of the row when a horrific scream rips from the throat of someone in the living room. Now, I try to stand. Maybe I could help if I get there fast enough...