Happy Easter everybody!
I got bored so I decided to post another chapter. I hope you enjoy it!
I wanted to ask Sakari where we were going, but I knew she wouldn’t answer. She liked surprises, unlike me.
After about 10 minutes we came across a gate. Sakari slid through a hole in the gate. “Um, Sakari? I can’t fit in there,” I said. Sakari turned and realized this. Seriously, sometimes she forgets I’m not a snake like her.
She slithered over to the lock and picked it with ease. It may be hard to believe, but snakes are excellent at picking locks. I walked through the gate. As soon as I did, Sakari was on the move again.
We were in a factory area. The walls were metal with dents and dirt all over them. So much you couldn’t see your reflection. The ground was littered with debris like there had been an explosion. I had never been here before. That scared me. 45 years, and I had never seen a factory. Lena and Nick probably didn’t know if this place either. Not only that, but smoke came from the top of the towers. But this place was abandoned. How was this possible?
Eventually, we came upon a house. It was strange to see a house in an area like this, but it looked like it was meant to be there. The walls were metal, like the factory. The windows were so dirty you couldn’t see inside. Sakari knocked on the door gently. We heard a few crashes and curses. Then the door opened.
The person who opened the door was a woman. She looked like a mother. Her hair was crazy and her dress was made up of hundreds of different fabrics. She smiled at us and opened the door wider, beckoning us to come inside. Before I could object, Sakari went inside.
The house was cluttered, to say the least. Towers of boxes reached the ceiling, creating walls that were not there when this woman moved in. You had to climb over tables and chairs to get around. I followed the woman to a table. She cleaned off the dirty plates and glasses and put them in the sink. Then she sat down in the one seat without stuff on it. I grabbed some baby toys and took them off one of the seats. Then I sat down myself.
“So what brings you two here,” the woman asked. “We’re looking for a way to the Alive World,” I said. The woman’s smile became a frown. She shook her head. “I can’t. Last time it didn’t end well,” she said.
Sakari looked at her with frustration. The woman sighed and shook her head again. Sakari squinted her eyes and the woman sighed. “Fine,” she said. “But only because you're my friend.”
We went back outside. “So how do you know this woman,” I asked Sakari. “She’s a Guider,” was Sakari’s response. I knew what she meant. Guiders were underestimated, but they held extraordinary power. They could make spirit animals. This woman must’ve made Sakari.
The woman led us outside. “Sit, criss-cross-apple-sauce,” she said. I nodded and moved some debris. I had learned not to question Guiders. They knew way more than me.
Guider's job was to help people who just died get used to their new life here. It was the only job you couldn’t get at the sorting.
“So, how do you want to do this,” the woman asked. I cocked my head to the side. She chuckled. “There is more than one way to get to the Alive world. You may become a ghost, but you can’t interfere with anything if you do. You may possess a body, but only for 3 days. If longer, the person’s soul will be destroyed.”
“Any other option,” I asked. Becoming a ghost would be useless. And I was doing this to save somebody's life, not end another.
“The last option is to go back into your own body. It is the most difficult, but the only one without consequences,” the woman explained. I nodded. The woman closed her eyes and began to mutter words I couldn’t understand. The debris around me lifted into the air. My skin felt tingly all over. The woman’s eyes opened and turned milky white. I looked at my hand and it began to glow. Soon, my whole body was glowing. Then there was a flash, and I couldn’t see a thing.
When I opened my eyes, I was in a graveyard. I knew for a fact there were no graveyards in the Afterlife. I looked around. It was nighttime. “Hey, kid! What are you doing here,” a man asked. He was digging a hole. He had a bunch of scars and one of his eyes was covered by an eyepatch. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t move. The man walked over to me.
“Kid, answer my question,” he said, leaning over me. “I-I-I got lost,” I stuttered. The man sighed and looked around. “Came from the Afterlife didn’t you?” I nodded slightly. The man shook his head. “I’m Bob. What do you need?”
I had to admit, I was shocked to learn he knew about the Afterlife. I didn’t think anyone knew about it. “I need to find Jordan Pensie. She’s in danger,” I said. Bob laughed. “Jordan Pensie is one of the most famous actresses of the age. Do you think you can get into her house and protect her? She has security for that.” I looked down. Bob sighed. “Follow me.”
I followed Bob through the graveyard and to Jordan’s house. I was lucky it wasn’t too far. Bob pointed to a mansion. “That’s her house.” It looked like a castle. I’m serious. For a minute, I wondered if she was royalty. “She’s asleep now. I’d suggest waiting until morning before telling her her life is in danger,” Bob said. I nodded and saw an alleyway. Bob left with a wave. I went into the alleyway and leaned my head against one of the houses and closed my eyes.
Tomorrow.
So he's in the Alive World now. You'll get to meet Jordan (I guess you met her in her dream, but whatever) next chapter. For now, have a good Easter!