THE JOURNEY OF SHEIRA HART

5 | Try Your Best Not To Die

He chuckled. He just chuckled after I said it. It was as if it was the funniest thing he heard today. He stood straight and put his hands on his waist before he said, "Did I hear it wrong or did you just say you want me to come with you to the other side?"

"Yes," I said and looked at him, telling him that I am very serious.

And this time, he laughed. He must have thought I was joking but too bad I wasn't. My face remained serious as I watched him laugh his ass off with what I just said.

Then he looked at me and he stopped. "Wait, you're serious?"

"Why in the afterlife would I be joking about it?"

His jaw dropped as he looked at me. "You know the conditions, right?"

I nodded.

"And you still want to go?" He looked around before he held both my shoulders. "You know you won't be able to come back here once you fail, right?"

"I know."

"And that you will disappear?"

"Yes."

I heard him sigh before he straightened and patted my shoulder. "Give it up, sweetie."

He then turned and walked away.

"Wait, you're not going to go with me?"

He continued walking and waved a hand at her. "I can't do what you asked."

I didn't bother going after him. I understand. Going to the other side is suicide. Well, not that it would kill me but I would disappear without a trace once I fail. And there is a very high possibility of me not being able to find out how I died. I don't even have the slightest recollection of how it happened. I just woke up and the grim reaper dropped the news to my face. I remember kids my age would think this is so cool and so fetch but no, it's not. Definitely not.

I would never recommend this. So if I'm going to the other side, I would find a way to tell my friends and family, or anyone I know to try their best not to die.

I sat on the bench again and finished the chocolate. It was already melting. I wonder how long was I dead. Mr. Grim only told me about how he fetched me from Ardor but he never really told me about how long was I dead. I am under the impression that time here in the Afterlife flows differently than on the other side. Was I dead for days? Months? Years?

Will I be able to find out everything I want to know?

"The only thing I need right now is a companion," I mumbled as I rolled the plastic wrapper on my hands. I don't understand why I needed a companion. But the difficult thing is most of the people--souls here aren't very energetic when it comes to finding out how they died. It feels like I'm the only one who's very willing to do it.

Despite reading the conditions, it still didn't waver my will. Maybe I wasn't afraid to disappear. Or maybe there's something I needed to see. And I won't be able to die peacefully if I don't find out what it was. I need to find out, no matter what.

I marched back inside the cafe and looked for Raph. I couldn't see him. A new guy was at the counter. She marched towards where Mr. Grim was and he was still standing in front of his window, looking at whatever he was looking outside.

"Can't I go alone?" I said, not bothering to knock or greet. He turned to me slowly.

"You can't pass through if you're alone."

"Why?"

He turned his back at me and went back to watching what's outside the window. "That's just how it works, I'm afraid."

"That's unfair," I said, marching to the sofa and sat there.

"If you have any feedback about the system, you are free to write it down and I'll be sure to give it to the authorities," he answered blandly. As if he's used to getting these kinds of complaints and he was used to answering those complaints with the same answer. I munched on the cookies and it strangely tasted awfully similar to my mom's.

We stayed silent in the office and I just watched his back as he kept looking outside the window. A few hours since I woke up in the afterlife, it still felt surreal. I don't know what to do. Do I stay here forever? Maybe it was because of that fact that I'm so willing to go to the other side. To seek closure. So I can finally rest in peace. And I can't believe I'm saying that to myself.

I didn't have the heart to disturb Mr. Grim as his unusual meditation by the window and just went outside and sat on one of the tables. The cafe wasn't that packed and I liked it better. It's more peaceful and I could think of a better way to sneak into the other side without having to bring a companion.

She looked outside the glass wall. It wasn't a good idea to ask that jerk in the first place. Why did I even think he would agree to it?

I sighed I almost jumped on my seat when the guy from the counter was already standing beside my table.

"I could sense your stress from across the room," he said in his most friendly voice. I don’t know when did my stress become somebody else’s business.

"Sorry to be a bother," I said dismissively. It was meant to tell him to leave me alone but he went to sit across me, not moving an inch.

I groaned inwardly. "You can sense my stress but you can't sense the sarcasm?"

He just shrugged and pushed a tray towards me. I didn't notice he was holding that earlier. I looked at it and it contained puzzle pieces. I gave him a questioning look.

"Try solving that puzzle. That's a thousand pieces." He jerked his head towards the tray. I looked at it again and let out a laugh.

"It's blank. It's all white. How am I supposed to solve this?"

He stood up from where he was sitting and gave me a smile before he said, "I like seeing people get stressed. Enjoy the puzzle." And then he walked away leaving me dumbfounded.

"Seriously?" I said a little louder and got the attention of the people inside.

"All the newlanders have tried and solved that one. It has become a tradition. Good luck!" he said and even had the nerve to raise his fist.

I eyed the puzzle and picked up one of the pieces. The one who made this is probably some kind of torturer. I looked around and I could see the other people inside the cafe looking in my direction as if anticipating what I'd do. And after realizing I don't have much choice, I started finding the corners. There were a thousand pieces and it took me a while before I found the first corner.

I was never good at puzzles and anything related to it. And this feels more like a punishment.

I managed to find the four corners of the puzzle but I froze as I struggle to find what's next to put.

"Is there some kind of punishment if I don't finish the game?" I asked the man at the counter and he just shrugged.

"Nothing," he just said. But the dagger stares from the customers inside were enough to answer my question. Not finishing this game is considered taboo. I see.

"I didn't ask for this, you know?" I complained and he just gave me a smile much to my annoyance. I groaned inwardly and stared back at the puzzle when I felt someone sit in front of me.

When I lifted my head to see who it was, Mikhael di Angelo's grinning face was what greeted me. I rolled my eyes and looked at the puzzle. I picked a piece and placed it on the board when he said, "You're not supposed to put that there."

I gave him a sharp glare and he just grinned. "What do you want?" I asked.

"I've been thinking about it," he said and gave me a look as if I knew what he was talking about.

"What?"

He braced his arms on the table and looked at me as he said, "I will go with you to the other side." I furrowed my brows, waiting for him to say what he wanted to say next. I feel like he has something else to say after that.

"But...?"

"But you'll have to watch my game tomorrow." He picked up a puzzle piece and matched it with the other. It fit perfectly. I groaned.

"That sounds awfully convenient. There must be a catch there, somewhere."

He laughed and slapped the table gently. "I just need you to watch the game and then I will go with you to the other side. It's that easy."

"Exactly why it's suspicious. It's too easy." I narrowed my eyes at him. "Are you perhaps betting on it again?"

He clamped his lips and shook his head. I just sighed. "What is this really all about?"

He braced his arms against the table again. "Okay, it's a bet. The other team was betting that I wouldn’t be able to invite someone to watch me and I heard it. I bet them there will be one person who will cheer on me tomorrow. And you are the perfect person for it—“

"Hard pass,” I said firmly.

"Oh, come on! I mean you needed someone to go with you. I'd go there willingly if you help me win the bet."

"You suck at it, don't you? That's why nobody cheers on you."

He gave me a blank stare before he laughed, slamming the table causing the puzzle pieces to get even messier.

"Watch me tomorrow and you'll see." He stood up. "Tomorrow at the field. 9 A.M. sharp. See you, darling."

He didn't even wait for me to respond and he strode off the cafe.

Helping him win a bet by going to his game.  It was actually a pretty good offer. I have nothing to lose. But I couldn't help but feel suspicious about how one-sided it was.

But I guess there's nothing wrong if I go and watch. It's just a bet and he's going with me to the other side if he won.

But first, I have to finish this goddamn puzzle.

* * *

The field was unexpectedly huge. I didn't expect it to be that huge and I certainly didn't expect the afterlife to have soccer games. It's like they're living normally as if they were still alive. I'm not saying it's bad. It's probably something that reminds them somehow what it was like when they were still alive.

And there were a lot of people, unexpectedly. There were old people too. I wonder if they came here to watch because they actually liked soccer or they're just bored. But I guess it's the former as I saw a group of old men sitting comfortably, eating popcorn and drinking beer.

I sat behind them and watched the field. I couldn't see anyone there and I haven't watched a soccer game up close before. I chose to sit at the back just in case a ball goes flying towards the audience's direction, I wouldn't be the first one to get hit. I can't afford to get humiliated in the afterlife.

There were quite a lot of people. And there were lots of girls too. "Huh. They're surely everywhere," I mumbled and focused on the field. It was when the sound of someone very familiar caught my attention. I looked at the platform directly in front of where I was seated and saw Mr. Grim and the worker who gave me that nauseating puzzle.

The crowd cheered and the drums started playing. That's when the guy started greeting the crowd.

"Good day, ladies and gents! This is Leo, your commentator for today's game."

Mr. Grim was sitting calmly beside him, crossing his arms as he watched the crowd.

"Will the Champs last game defend their title? Or will the challengers take the crown," Leo said but then he whispered, "I sincerely hope they won't." It was loud enough for the microphone to catch and for everybody to hear.

The crowd laughed and I already have an idea the opposing team is not everybody's favorite.

It was when Leo, the commentator announced the first team that the crowd cheered loudly and the drum sounds rose to a more thunderous beat. The opposing team, however, was not everybody's favorite as I could hear even the commentator groaning as the team walked towards the field.

I roamed my eyes and saw Mikhael di Angelo wearing a white uniform, grinning. Towards my direction.

I suddenly felt my blood froze as he took the mic and pointed at me.

"I'm going to win this game for you, sweetie." 

* * *