The Only

A Question

"What's going on here, Tom?" the former actor asked her new acquaintance. "It's like... not a damn thing's happening. Everyone's just waiting around; more showing up every minute."

The man fidgeted with his fingertips on both hands, alternating between fingers in a cyclical pattern like a recovering drug addict seeking stimulation. "Yeah, it's been that way for a long time."

Rachel looked up towards the shadowed gloom and couldn't see a ceiling. It was as if there was no end to the darkened void above them. "Where is this place?" she asked, still getting a feel for her new situation. "Purgatory or some shit?"

"Nah," Tom responded. "Purgatory is where you go to get punished, I think. This is more like... what's the word?" He ran his slightly trembling fingers through short, dark hair before continuing. "Limbo. That's it. Just waiting around for... I don't know, whatever comes next."

The pair had pushed the others out of the way and created their own circle-like space where they could chat free from being crowded or bumped into.

"Well," Rachel began, attempting to gather every piece of information she could, "how did it happen for you? Ya know, how did you die?"

"Feels a wee bit too personal, Rachel. We just met."

"Ah, come on! Too personal? What the hell does that even mean here?" She cocked an impish eyebrow to let the man know she wasn't trying to upset him.

"I don't know," Tom responded, eyelids lowering as he stared in the girl's direction. "You go first. Maybe I'll feel more comfortable hearing about you. Mine is pretty... dark." The muscles in his face briefly twitched.

Rachel nodded. "Sounds fair. Brace yourself, though, because this might sound batshit crazy to you. So, I kinda died twice. Once was fucked up because of a damn drug overdose from a shithead. The other was after Max, a friend of mine, sorta reversed time and I sacrificed myself to save her and my other friend." She stopped as she noticed the man take a step back, jaw slacked in apparent disbelief or shock. "Yeah, I know it's strange..."

"Whoa, you know M-Max?" His eyes were darting back and forth as if trying to solve an impossible riddle.

"Uhhh, yes? Wait, how do you know her?"

"Holy shit," Tom spun around, palms landing on the back of his head. He slowly rubbed his upper neck as Rachel watched him work through his thoughts. He psychotically giggled to himself once and spoke under his breath at such a lowered level that the girl couldn't make out his words.

"You okay, dude?" Normally, she would have approached the man and maybe laid a hand on his shoulder so he could feel more at ease. But she noticed his mannerisms, and she didn't really know how he would respond to her touch. Instead, she waited for him to gather himself enough to continue their conversation.

After a couple of minutes, Tom turned back around with an oddly disproportionate grin broadening on his face.

"You... suddenly seem... happy, I think," the blonde confusingly stated, speaking her words slowly not to rattle the man.

"Rachel, the entire time I've been here, I've felt this weird connection to the power. It's just out of reach but definitely there... or maybe here in this place. When I close my eyes and concentrate, I can feel its presence around me."

"Power? You mean Max's rewind?"

"Yes!" His volume increased and his voice seemed to thunder through the vast area of quietly waiting souls. "I can feel it!" He clapped his hands in excitement.

Rachel took a step back, readying herself if she and Tom were headed for confrontation.

"The power," he began, "I had it before Max did. Then I fulfilled my purpose and it found its way to her." He paused. His smile faded and was quickly replaced by a look of desperation and sorrow. "I-I felt so empty without it and... without Vera. I had to sacrifice the love of my life to save those people at the mall; all those damn kids!" He lowered his head as if realizing he'd been defeated. "At least I thought I did. It didn't matter for me, though. I found life was too painful without her." Rachel noticed the man's eyes filling with liquid. A couple of tears escaped and he wiped his face.