It was a bathroom.
I was in… a bathroom.
But that’s not the weirdest part of the dream.
I had just shot myself and I remember it clearly.
I know I wrote a note to my dad, and I know he would see it in the morning, as he would see me, but how can I think this while I’m dead?
There’s someone here!
My senses became more aware as I shouted at the intruder as I forgot that I was dead.
“Who are you? And what are you doing here? Go away! How did you get in my house! DAAD!”
I glared furiously at her.
She moved closer to me, and I sat on the floor unable to move.
That was when it hit me.
That’s me, coming towards me with my arm out ready to take my soul.
I am Alice Privet and I am dead because of… me.
I stopped. No, the real me stopped, while Alice, me, stayed motionless. We stared at each other in silence.
“I’m sorry, Alice, I’m so sorry. I would have been your friend if I knew you. I would have tried to help, you didn’t need to do this.” I said to Alice, but I was still in Alice’s point of view.
“I know that, and I see that now,” The words were not mine, I wasn’t saying them, this was Alice. “Sometimes I wish I had a second chance, but you see, I was destined for this death. I would have died this way whether you were my friend or not. The universe or whatever force did this would have found another way to make me commit suicide. Everyone’s death is planned, Ms. Death. Didn’t you know?”
“I couldn’t have. You were the first one.”
“Oh, it makes sense then. Well, thank you for your friendship after death. I need to leave now.”
“Leave?”
The scene changed and I was in a car crash. Emily still fresh in my mind.
I stepped out through the car, knowing where I was immediately. Time was frozen, the police that were outside of the department were looking in this direction, still in shock.
“So this is life after death.” I spoke aloud, needing to hear the sound of my voice in the silence.
There was an out of place girl. She looked hurt as she was holding her arm with a grimance on her
face.
“Did I cause that, too?”
She moved. She moved in the frozen time.
“Well! Who are you? Are you dead as well?”
I realized who I was. I was in Anthony Berdo’s body now.
“In a way, I am.” My body said.
Anthony’s words spoke without me. “I wish I could have met you while I was alive. Maybe it would have been better, but… maybe not.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, I am sorry. I shouldn’t have thrown myself away like that. Emily… she’ll think it’s her fault. But it isn’t.” I felt a tear fall down my cheek.
My body walked to me, hugging me in a comforting way. It was just what I needed. My body was smaller than Anthony, but his body felt as if someone was taking care of him instead of the other way around.
“Thank you.” Anthony spoke as his body pulled away. “I must go. Maybe we will meet again.”
My body didn’t speak.
The scene changed again.
“Alec!” I shouted as I leaped toward him. This was my chance to take the weapon away before he used it. But something was wrong. It was too quiet. Alec wasn’t moving. And a girl was near us. I stopped going after Alec and stared at the girl in surprise.
“Who the hell are you?”
I knew who I was. I was Emma in Joe’s body. And my body was standing in front of me.
“Emma,” Joe spoke, “I can’t thank you enough for letting me see my parents again. One last time.”
“I had to.”
“Why?”
“I just did, something inside tells me what’s right, and I have to do it.”
“I couldn’t thank you enough for that.”
“But I have to thank you too.”
“Me?”
“You figured out things that I couldn’t get in a longer amount of time.”
“What?”
“You showed me things I didn’t know I could do. You pushed to the boundaries of the rules of this spiritual sort of frozen place while I didn’t know them. You taught me I could touch only things I thought were dead, but if I thought them alive or didn’t think of them at all, I would go through them. You taught me how compassionate and pure someone can be right after death. You showed me there was nothing to fear after I start the process. Pain is nothing. However, I still didn’t want you to go…”
“But I had to.”
I hesitated but continued to speak, “You taught me I could change how I looked. I haven’t tried it yet, but I will soon.”
“You look fine the way you are.”
My body ignored this, but Joe’s could tell that I thought about it.
“But,” My body continued, “I have one question to ask you, now that you’re here.”
“Yes, Emma?”
“What were you thinking?”