Afterlove

**This page contains a fiction written by Minty. Enjoy! :)**

I

*"You can't stop death from coming. They will always find you."*

She opened her eyes and took a deep breath. She was standing in a bright landscape. With the sky, dark and starry above her. With the city, more than a hundred feet down below her. The city looked tiny from the sky along with the sprinkled multicoloured lights. At once, she knew she was hovering somewhere between heaven and the world.
From this distance, she could still hear the faint cries of sorrow and grief of her family and friends as they watched her heartbeat fade away. She crouched down, her hands pressing tightly at invisible barrier. "I am so sorry. I know I shouldn't have left you." She whispered, feeling a tear rolling down her cheek.

"You can't stop death from coming. They will always find you." A male voice sounded behind her, making her jump. *I am not alone?* She felt the speaker bending down and brushed the tear off her face. Out of curiosity, she turned to look sideways, and screamed when she found a dark hooded face looking at her. The figure pressed a long finger onto her lips and tugged her into the trees. He settled both of them near a fallen tree before pulling his hood back, revealing a handsome face of a young boy.

"You?" She almost screamed, her eyes widening. She backed away slowly, wondering if she's dreaming.

He was her crush when they were grade 9. They were in the same class, taught by the same teachers. Until one day, he was involved in a car incident and never made it out alive. Everyone had been shocked by that news, some even cried. She was devastated, knowing that she won't be able to confess to him.

"Yes, it's me." He smiled, twisting his arms with embarrassment.

An awkward silence hung between them. Until the girl asked, "How are you here? And...and where am I?"

"You are in the World of Ghosts, where Souls of the Dead goes if they want to meet someone that died before going to The Glows of Heaven." He explained, untwisting his arms before curling his hands.

"And you thought I want to meet...you?" She whispered as she tried to process the new words.

"Well, kind of. I want to meet you...as well." He scratched the back of his head, looking away, "But if you don't want to...."

"No!" Her voice echoed as she hurriedly cover her mouth with widened eyes, "Sorry, I mean, I want to meet you as well."

The words seemed to be lingering in the air as another silence formed between them. *Awkwardness is something you really live creating, isn't it?* She thought with an amount of sarcasm, hitting herself mentally.

"Well um..." The boy started, twisting a small item near the neck of his cloak, "Um..."

"What is that?" The girl noticed and asked sharply.

"Nothing. Really." He added as the girl eyed him suspiciously, "I don't want to upset you, just yet"

"Wait- how...what? How would it-" Words tumbled out of the girl's mouth, confused.

"Look." He interrupted, "Why don't we go for a walk? Just to make sure you know where to go when," He gulped, "The time is up?"

"I don't understand. What are you hiding from me?"

"I'll explain, later. Please. Just follow me okay?"

"Alright, I guess?" She said hesitantly and squeezed the boy's arm, afraid she might get lost.

The boy flinched and jerked away his hand.

"I'm sorry. I guess I wasn't suppose to-" the girl gasped and pulled her hand to her heart.

"No it's fine. It's just- no one really hold my hand anymore." He sighed and offered his hand, "Shall we?" He invited, his other hand pointing towards the forest.

The girl nodded before holding his hand, and together, the pair chattered away as they wandered through the forest.

II
--

*"Who...who created heaven? How long has it exist?"*

"Here is the Portal of Heaven, where you will be going later." The boy whispered, bending down and squinted a round glowing portal on the floor.
"What do they say?" she asked as he reached a finger to brush across the runes marked on the white bricks.

"I don't know. They are too....ancient." He replied, standing up and smoothing his cloak.

As they walked away from the portal, she asked quietly, "Who...who created heaven? How long has it exist?"

"I wish I did know the answer to both of the questions. I am curious myself, after all." He sighed, peering at the forest.

"What about you? Will you come with me?" She glanced at his long black cloak and smoothed her white dress.

"I..." He stammered, still gazing at the forest, "I can't come. I...don't belong there."

"Where do I belong? Where do you belong?"

"You belong to the Glows of Heaven. And I...." He gulped, "I just belong somewhere in this Afterworld." He said quietly.

They both kept quiet as they walked on for a few minutes. Until the girl pleaded, "Please, can I know where you come from? I...really want to know if...you will stay with me when I go."

The boy pulled away from the girl's hand as he reached his other hand into his neck collar, fishing out a small hourglass, "See this?" He pointed at the bottom of the hourglass, where half of the sand is, "I have to go before all the sand goes to the bottom, or else I would disappear."

"Where would you go if you disappear?"

"I don't actually have a clue." He murmured wonderingly, "Maybe somewhere better and brighter." He breathed, mostly talking to himself.

Another silence. Then...

"What are you?" She murmured, running a finger down the sleeves of his black cloak.

His head snapped towards her and putted his hand over her's, "I...I..." He stammered then whispered, "You will know. Soon."

The girl gave him a small nod and removed her hand from his arm. Looking away, she twisted her dress nervously. "How- how about we have some fun before you go?" She asked timidly.

The boy stared at her for a moment before saying, "Why haven't I thought about that before?" He smiled and pulled her playfully into the forest.

## III

*"No! Come back! What is happening?"*

They raced through the forest, playing games they have been playing since they were kids. They chattered away until the boy pulled out the hourglass again. He covered his mouth with a hand as he realised there was only a trickle of sand on the top.
"What is it?" The girl asked as she heard him gasping.

The boy got up and started dashing away, yelling something inaudible over his shoulder.

"No! Come back! What is happening?" The girl yelled, chasing after him.

He shouted something again but she couldn't hear. The girl ran quicker, just fast enough to cut the fleeing boy off.

"What is happening?" She repeated.

"The hourglass." He told her, breathing heavily. He dug out the sand-filled glass again and pointed at the sand at the bottom, sighing.

"No..." She mumbled, wishing she had something better to say. She watched as the boy's hand fell limply beside him, the hourglass tilted slightly and a trickle of sand slid upwards.

"Wait- That's it!" The girl yelled and pointed at the glass.

"What?" He blinked, looking confused.

"Flip the hourglass and the time will restart!" She said, laughing before reaching for the glass on his hand.

"Oh yeah!" He pulled the hourglass away from her reach and twisted his hand. The hourglass turned and the sand slowly gathered at the bottom.

"It worked!" They laughed at the same time. Then looking at each other, surprised, before bursting into embarrassed giggles.

After a moment, the boy stopped laughing and froze, his glazed eyes fixing on something the girl can't see.

"What's wrong?" The girl quickly stepped up to him and shook her friend by the shoulder harder, "What is it?" Then she saw it. A bigger cloaked figure walking, almost gliding towards them. She screamed and tugged at the boy. But he simply stood his ground, looking at the newcomer through blanked eyes.

## IIII

*"He cannot return to Halls of Hell, nor survive the World of Ghosts. He should've know better."*

"Come on!" She hissed through her gritted teeth as she tried to pull the boy away from the figure but he wouldn't budge. "No, you can't take him." She breathed heavily. Then, she stepped in front of him, "You. Can't. Take. Him." She repeated, louder this time.
"Why not?" The hooded person laughed in a high-pitched tone, "That boy belongs to *us*."

She quickly slapped her hand across the dazed boy's face, hoping it will wake him, "He does? Well, I don't think he wants to be though." She rambled, buying herself some time while wishing the boy would wake.

"He doesn't? Well, that's a shock. He had always worked well in my group." He said, his words laced with mock surprise.

"Who are you anyways?" She asked loudly, her voice echoing through the space.

"He will know. Get him here and I'll wake him up." The cloaked figure ordered, wagging a finger long black finger at her face.

"I'll go." A croaky yet familiar voice whispered behind her. She whipped around and found the boy walking towards the Death, pulling out a gem.

"No, what are you doing? I thought-" She was cut off as the boy pressed a finger against her lips. He held onto her other hand and dropped something onto it.

"Remember me, okay?" He said through a whispery voice and walked towards the bigger Death.

The other black-cloaked figure merely glanced at him as the boy pulled on his hood and shadowed his face.

"I am ready." His voice sounded ominous as he looked up at the bigger Death. The other figure held out a blacken hand, pointing it at the hourglass before laying it flat again. The boy shook his head and the other Death charged forward, ripping the glass off the boy's neck before skidding into a stop behind the boy.

It all happened in a second. The girl watched as the boy crumbled onto the floor and stayed motionless.

"No!" She shouted and ran towards the small ragged heap. She dropped onto the floor and crouched beside him, pleading, "Please wake up, please."

"He can't. Without this hourglass," The figure held up the glass in his hand, "He cannot return to Halls of Hell, nor survive the World of Ghosts. He should've know better." He laughed and threw the sand-filled glass onto the floor. It shattered and the brown sand poured out onto the whitened grass. I threw a glared at the figure and putted a hand on his shoulder. A tear trickled down my face as I shook him.

"I guess I am ruining a departure of a friend." The hooded person sighed mockingly, "Goodbye, useless boy." He looked beside me and started crackling. I glared at him again, almost wanting to curse at him. But I bit my tongue as I watched the black figure go.

V

*Goodbye, my friend. Please remember me.*

*No, come back! I want you here, I need you here!*

I sat beside him, crying as he stayed as still a rock, my heart ripping. I knew nothing would bring him back. I pushed him over and looked away as I saw his glassy eyes. It was a painful sight. I got up and broke a few leaves and collected withered petals before scattering them over him.

I watched as his hands slowly turned into particles, flying away in the windless air. I cried even louder, clutching the gem he gave me to my heart. As half of him slowly faded away, I held his hand and pressed a small twig onto it, reminding him of the log we leaned against when we met. I watched through tearful eyes as the remaining of him dissolved into the air.