The Witch of Storn

Chapter 1

   Rey had been a lot of things in her short lifetime. Jealous, happy, confused, even scared. But she could not, as hard as she tried, remember any instance where she had been lost for words. She always had something to say. There was a first time for everything though, and it seemed this would be her first time.

"Well? Nothing to say for yourself?" The (man? woman?) being before her demanded. Getting no response, they sighed and shifted in their - what could she call it? A throne? A recliner? It looked imposing but it must have been very comfortable from the way said being groaned as they shifted in it. In their hand was a sort of clipboard which they consulted as they looked over the top of their glasses at her. The silence was stifling, but no one spoke. The being just lounged indolently in its throne-chair, looking as if they would rather be anywhere but there.

Finally Rey got her voice back.

"Where am I?"

The words had hardly left her mouth when the being groaned rather loudly and flung its clipboard onto the floor in front of it.

"Really? Where am I?" It mocked in an annoying high-pitched squeal that reminded Rey of nails dragged down a chalkboard. She was very sure she did not sound like that, but she held her mouth.

They didn't seem to get the reaction they wanted, so they just huffed and shifted back into the throne-chair. Glaring at her, they complained (very obnoxiously), "Why can't you Earthlings be more entertaining? You all ask the same questions: where am I, who are you, am I dead, blah blah BLAH."

Rey frowned at them. It didn't seem like they were going to do anything bad to her, so she asked, "If you hate it so much surely there's something better for you to do...?"  She trailed off at the look they were giving her. It was part disdain and part disbelief.

The being snorted. "I wish! But I'm stuck for another five eons, so I'll just have to suck it up, won't I?" The rest of their words were lost in mumbles and fiddling with the clipboard (which had somehow magically returned to their hands).

She cleared her throat.

"Um, I'm really, truly, very sorry to disturb you, but if you could please tell me why--"

The being sat up, consulting their clipboard and finally looking professional.

"Ah, yes, Rey Brien." They hummed, cutting her off. "27 years old, nothing really remarkable done in those twenty seven years except for rescuing a teenager from a burning house..."

"Hey!" Rey protested, but the being kept on talking.

"Verdict: it was a very boring life." The being sighed, throwing her a glance soaked in pity from over their spectacles. Rey bristled at that, but they ignored her.

"Well, to answer your question, you're dead. And this is your afterlife. This is where your soul gets reassigned to a new life. Hmm, let's see, your soul is not that old...it's been through a few lives...most of them on Earth...oh, what's this? This wasn't Earth...rather a young death. So sad, if you ask me. Yes?" They raised an eyebrow at Rey, who had an arm in the air, like an elementary school pupil asking for permission to speak in class.

"Er...I'm pretty sure I'm not dead? The last thing I remember was running towards Helene, that's my friend-"

"I know." They rolled their eyes at her. "It's all here in your file," they said, pointing at the clipboard.

"-um, yeah, so, everything kinda went white and then I open my eyes here. I didn't die, so if you could please send me back I'd appreciate it very much. I really, really need to get back."

Rey stared at the being with a plea on her face, her hands clasped as if in prayer. The being stared back with a stoic face. They looked at their clipboard and tapped on it with a beautiful ivory quill that Rey didn't remember seeing earlier. Then they looked up at her.

"Please walk through the door behind you."

Their voice was so cold, Rey shivered. Where had the whiny, indolent being from before gone? She looked over her shoulder curiously and stared at the door. It was more of a doorway than a door, bright light shining from somewhere beyond the door and casting an otherworldly glow upon the room. She turned back to the being and jumped in fright. When did they get behind her?

"Go." The being ordered in that same icy voice. Rey wanted to protest but the look in the other's eyes stopped her. She didn't want to disobey, but the thought of willingly leaving her own life behind just because some overpowered being with a clipboard demanded it didn't sit right with her. She knew she wasn't dead -- there hadn't even been guns at the abandoned factory! She had to go back, Helene was still in danger and she was the only one who could help her! Even still, she took a step back as the being floated closer. Another step back, and another, and another, until finally she stood just inside the door. The light was comforting, and warm, but Rey didn't want it.

"Please," she started to say, before the being reached out and shoved her into the space beyond the door. Everything went white around her, and then it was pure darkness.

******

Rey awoke like a diver returning to the sea's surface, going higher and higher until finally consciousness broke over her mind like waves of salty water. She waited, breathing in the fragrance that surrounded her (nothing she remembered having smelt before, a light and flowery scent) and feeling the soft sheets against her skin. It was quiet, so she assumed a few things. One, she was alone. Two, she was in a bed. Three, she didn't seem to be a hostage. Everything was fine, so far. She turned her awareness to the rest of her body and found that her limbs felt heavy and uncoordinated. They itched, the kind of itch that was so uncomfortable simply because it existed where you couldn't reach, behind skin. Also she couldn't move them like she would normally. A small thread of panic arose in the back of her mind. She wondered if she'd been drugged, and frantically willed her limbs to move. After a few moments she began to feel better, and experimentally curled her toes. They did as she wanted, and she sighed in relief as the itch subsided.

Rey decided to finally open her eyes. Then she snapped them shut immediately after. Where was she?!