CHAPTER 15
1643 Words
I reminisced, recreated, and felt those memories once more. I thought it would help me, but to be honest, it just made me feel more miserable. Still, I don't have any choice but to move forward like what the grim reaper said. I will cease to exist if I refused to do those things. I wanna see her one more time for the last time.
I was about to go back to the grim reaper, but I turned again to see her for the last time. I waited until she woke up, examining her beautiful face while I was at her door.
I saw her waking up and sat on her bed facing her side to me. I walked towards her. I saw the clock ticking, and it's about to be six o'clock. I only have few minutes left to cherish this moment. I could feel the tears falling from my eyes. My legs are trembling. I want to touch and kiss her before I cross to the afterlife.
I was about to approach her. But suddenly, I heard a voice behind me.
"It's about time, Zachary," he said. I know it was him. The man with that damn black hat. The grim reaper.
I still continued to walk towards Vielka, and I ignored what he just said. He then held my hand. It feels like he really wanted me to go with him now.
With all my might, I took his hands off me. I want to see Vielka!
"I'm sorry, but I need to do this," I aggressively said, but he just firmly grabbed my hand again.
"No! Let me go!" I exclaimed.
"Vielkaaaaaa!" I screamed.
Vielka was about to turn, but before I totally left her room, my eyes widened when our eyes just met. I saw how beautiful her eyes were, but it confused me. I wasn't sure if I really saw her or it was just my tears that caused everything to be blurred.
I was shocked when I noticed that we were not in Vielka's bedroom anymore. We are at the place where I died. I wish I had the chance to tell her my farewell.
This place didn't change. The car is still here. No one noticed what happened here. I am still confused. There's still something that bothers me.
"What caused my death? Mister?" I asked him directly. I just remembered the car following me before I accidentally fell to the cliff.
"I can't answer your question, but a deity will. While you were on your way, you were being examined if you deserve to be put in paradise or in the underworld," he answered, and it was obviously far from what I have asked.
"I need to know the reason of my death! Please, I can't leave this world without knowing it," I raised my voice.
"That's what all souls always ask," he said. I didn't answer.
"We need to move on. If you lost me on our way, you'll go to the underworld, but if you don't, then you're going to the paradise. We will reach the golden giant gate. The almighty will do the rest," he said.
Those words changed everything in my mind earlier. I am not sure if I would be qualified to go to heaven, so I didn't argue anymore. I just nodded, and we started walking towards the woods.
While we were walking, we saw the tribe where the person we have saved yesterday belongs to. Alexis certainly made me happy. At least I've forgotten all the things Vielka has told me that night.
"Why are you smiling?"
I startled when I heard the grim reaper asked me.
"I just remembered someone," I answered, smiling. I can't help but to smile.
"I know who the reason of your smile is," he seriously said. I was taken aback. I even stopped from walking.
"What!?" I exclaimed.
"You played the little instrument, and she sang, right?" he said, and he even imitated Alexis' voice while singing that time. I didn't know that someone like him has the time to tease.
He stopped from walking and laughed at me, seeing how pissed I was for what he just did.
"Actually, I thought you would kiss her," he said, and my eyebrows just furrowed. What the hell is he thinking?
"I don't like her. Why would I kiss a girl I just met from nowhere?"
"Hmm... she got a beautiful voice," he said and, it was true.
"Why are you acting like you care?" I asked. I am just curious. He just told me anything about life, about living. It's unusual.
"There are two types of the grim reaper. A grim reaper made by heaven and a grim reaper who has been made from being sinful," he said, enumerating them on his fingers.
"And you are?" I asked.
"I belong to the second type of grim reapers," he said and smiled. I should not ask anymore, for it's just making me more confused.
While still walking, I saw those people in their tribe. We haven't gone away from them. They were in panic. What are they doing? I was about to check them, but the grim reaper suddenly opened a portal. It's real! A portal like those things appearing in the movies I have watched before.
"We will continue walking here," he said.
We entered the portal. I couldn't see anything. It's just pure darkness. I don't know, but I could hear screams from nowhere. I feared those sounds.
"Those screams you are hearing came from the underworld. They are being punished by La'ern, the deity of punishment," he said.
"Are there angels and devils too?" I asked. I just want to feed my curiosity just now.
"Yes, and do you wanna know everything about Satan?"
"Of course, I wanna know. There are weird things on my mind. Maybe you could educate me," I amusingly said.
"Satan is also a punisher. Others also call him Lucifer, like what we deities prefer calling him. Sometimes he goes to the spiritual realm and heaven to take his vacation," he enthusiastically said while we were still walking inside the portal he opened.
"You see? Satan has vacation too," he followed, chuckling.
I stopped asking questions to concentrate on walking. I could still hear the screams. Maybe they were sinful like what the grim reaper said, but why didn't they turn into grim reapers?
"Um... one more question. You said other grim reapers are made from being sinful, but why are those souls screaming right now didn't become like you?" I asked.
"Before we became grim reapers, the almighty will ask us if we want to continue our life to the paradise or to the underworld. Upon choosing, you'll go to the counterpart of the place you have chosen."
"I chose underworld because I wasn't sure if I deserve to live in the paradise. You'll get the logic afterwards,"
I stopped for a moment to process what he just said. Wonderful, but it caused me to wander.
"So those people were shameless, right? After committing sins, they even had the courage to choose paradise. Almighty is such a genius," I said.
We continued to walk, and the vibe slowly changed. I could see light and a golden giant gate, just like what the grim reaper was talking about earlier.
Am I going to paradise? I would bless myself enough if that will happen.
The gate automatically opened as we got nearer, but I was shocked again upon hearing screams.
"Don't talk too much. This is the spiritual realm. You will see the deities, angels, and the devil himself,” he warned.
"Who was that shouting?" I whispered when I heard someone shouting.
"He is Oxymo, the strongest deity. The powers he has are equal to all the powers of deities, angels, and the devils. That's how powerful Oxymo is," he said. I was just nodding while listening.
"Next to him is La'ern. There was a rumor before, saying that they have fought each other, and that duel almost caused the world to be destroyed," he said.
"That's the reason why La'ern was put into the underworld while Oxymo has been locked at the forest," he followed.
"Why is he still here if he has been locked there?" I asked.
"They said that there would be a girl who would set him free and will take the punishment."
I just nodded at him.
"Did Oxymo teleported, so he got there immediately?" I asked.
"Yes, he did but others can't teleport, but not me. I can teleport. Oxymo has the best teleportation. He can leave like a fire, wind, and even rocks depending on his mood," he said, and he was still amazed about all that deity named Oxymo can do.
"We should get going, there's the portal through the paradise," he said.
While walking, I saw many people, some deities and angels who were smiling at me. I don't know who they are. I even saw someone entered the portal. I wanna meet him in paradise.
"I can't come with you," the grim reaper said and smiled at me. He can't go to paradise, for he's a sinful grim reaper, as he said.
I walked and got myself ready to approach the paradise. I slowly walked towards the portal until...
"What's happening?" I wandered. I can't. I kept on trying, but I didn't make it. As I looked at the grim reaper, I could see him being surprised too. I couldn't figure out what happened.
"This is my first time. Let me find a deity. I don't know how to explain this," he said and asked me to stay.
He disappeared like a speck of dust. That's cool.
I'm a bit uncomfortable because everyone is looking at me. Am I that handsome? I was used to being an attraction of the people around me at school, but I didn't expect that even angels and deities would do the same.
"We have a problem, Zachary," he said, and I saw how worried his face was. He was with someone.
"About me crossing to heaven?" I asked to be sure.
"Yes," he shortly answered. I am clueless about what he's talking about.
"Why?" I confusedly asked.
"It seems like your body is still fighting on somewhere."
- Writer
