Darkside

DK 1

There were sirens all around the neighborhood with red and blue lights flashing all around due to the presence of lots of police vehicles in the surroundings, and why? Because there had been a murder in the area, the murder wasn’t the only thing that shocked the police, but also the method and manner of the murder. The body was still warm, but lacked a pulse, as if it was still stuck between places. The eyes were left open, and the entire eye was murky white, giving it a very eerie appearance. Amidst the whole rush and urgency to get the body transported, nobody noticed someone, a woman to be precise, at the scene, because if they hadn’t noticed her, they would have noticed that she had an uncanny resemblance to the body, but the thing was that even no one could see her spirit had separated from her body. The name of the question was Ava, and she was equally confused because she was seeing herself dead.

Flashback

Ava’s day had started normally enough with her waking up around 7 am to the sound of her alarm blaring very loudly in her ear. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and swung her legs over the side of the bed. After a quick shower, she dressed in her favorite outfit — dark jeans and a white off-the-shoulder top. As she brushed her hair, she noticed a faint bruise on her cheek from the previous night’s accidental bump into the door frame. She made a mental note to cover it up with concealer before heading out for the day.

In the kitchen, she made herself a cup of coffee and checked her phone for any messages. There was a text from her best friend Rachel, asking about lunch plans, to which Ava smiled and typed a response, confirming they’d meet up at 12:30 pm, and dropped her phone on the kitchen counter, and slowly sipped her coffee while glancing outside, and noticed the gray clouds gathering. She felt a shiver run down her spine, but she shrugged it off, attributing it to the weather.

With her phone and half-drunken coffee, Ava headed out the door, grabbing her bag and keys on the way. The cool morning air hit her as she stepped out into the day, and she took a deep breath, feeling invigorated.

####

Ava walked into the office, exchanging pleasantries with her coworkers as she made her way to her desk. She spent the morning in meetings and responding to emails, feeling a sense of satisfaction washing over her. During her lunch break, she met Rachel at the nearby café. Over sandwiches and salads, they chatted about their weekends and upcoming plans.

After, Ava returned to the office, feeling a bit more energized. She worked on a report, took a few calls, and discussed an upcoming project with her team. As the day wore on, she began to feel a sense of unease, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on why she felt that way.

On her way home, Ava stopped at a convenience store to grab some groceries. As she was checking out her purchases, she noticed a peculiar-looking individual lingering near the entrance. Their eyes met briefly, and Ava felt a chill run down her spine. She quickly paid and left the store, wondering if she was just being paranoid.

As she walked home, the streets grew darker and more deserted. Ava quickened her pace, her heart beating slightly faster. She turned onto her street, noticing a figure standing under the streetlight near her apartment building. The figure didn’t seem to be doing anything, just standing there, watching.

Ava’s skin crawled as she approached her building. She fumbled for her keys, her hands shaking slightly. As she unlocked the door and stepped inside, she felt a sense of relief wash over her. She locked the door behind her and leaned against it, trying to catch her breath and calm her racing heart.

But as she turned to head to her apartment, she saw the figure standing in the lobby, its eyes fixed on her. Ava’s scream was muffled as……..

Everything went black.

Flashback Ends

The next thing Ava knew, she was standing outside her apartment building, watching as the police surrounded her own lifeless body, wondering what had happened before she had time to move towards the police. She disappeared from the spot where she had stood, and she found herself in a black void where she felt weightless and like she was floating around.

Suddenly, she saw a bright light and heard an echoing and distorted voice saying: “Ava Morgan....welcome to the darkside”

“The darkside? What do you mean? Where am I?!” Ava asked, the unknown voice sounding very terrified with her voice trembling.

And the voice calmly replied, "Between life and death. Between breath and silence. This is where lost souls stay… until they either return to the living or transition to the afterlife".

Ava, on hearing this, started frantically murmuring, “No, no, I can’t be dead—I was just at home, I was fine! This can’t be real!”

“You are not dead, Ava. But you are not alive either. Your spirit lingers here because your soul has been stolen… taken by a Rogue Soul Reaper. You are not the first. Three others before you were claimed. And like them, you are now an anomaly—neither here, nor there.” The voice spoke again, explaining the situation to her.

Ava’s heart pounded as she tried to form a protest, but before the words could leave her lips, the surrounding darkness shattered.

In the blink of an eye, she stood in a vast white hall that gleamed like polished marble. It looked disturbingly like a banking hall—long counters, tall pillars, endless lines of waiting souls. But no one wore suits. Instead, every figure was dressed in the same flowing white garments, their faces with an unusual glow almost made them look otherworldly, which was technically true.

As she was busy observing the hustle and bustle around her, she felt a tap on her shoulder and she turned to reveal a young lady.