Even in our Afterlife

Chapter 3

Alex's POV

I still can't stop thinking about what Willie had said early. Did he really wish we never meet? I thought we were having fun together, but I guess it was all a lie.

We had just a garage party that Julie's dad filmed for YouTube, whatever that is. Now Luke, Reggie, and I are playing with the basket ball outside.

"I feel like we should be like celebrating or something." Reggie says holding the ball. "What do you guys want to do?"

Just as he said that another jolt strikes us. We have been experiencing them ever since we went to Caleb's club and ate or own deadly weight in pizza and sliders. The jolt sends Luke and Reggie to the floor, and I hunch over clutching my chest. It feels like my undead organs are on fire.

"Not that." Luke says getting up.

"Why does this keep happening to us?" I ask because I'm starting to doubt it's the pizza.

"Because you guys are in serious trouble." Willie says appearing out of nowhere. "We need to talk."

The four of us walk down Hollywood Boulevard while Willie explains to us what's happening to us. It's not because of the pizza.

"So you're saying this is all happening to us because Caleb put a stamp on us!?" Luke says.

"He's threatened by you." Willie says. "He wants you under his control. I mean you're the only ghosts that can be seen by lifers without his help."

"And you let him do this to us!?" I say.

"I can't stop him!" Willie says. "He owns my soul! He owns everyone's soul at that club. If he even knew I was here talking to you guys... he would destroy me."

"So, if we don't join his club the weird power outage thing happens until there's no power left at all?" Reggie says. A gentle way to put we will die all over again.

"Yes." Willie says looking down. He knows this is all his fault, that this is happening because of him.

"What exactly happens when the power goes out?" Reggie asks.

"That's it. You're done." Willie says.

Reggie, still not getting this means double death asks, "huh huh? And what exactly do you mean by we're done?"

"You just, you don't exist anymore. Not here not anywhere." Willie says.

"So we have no choice?" Luke says. "We have to say goodbye to Julie, give up everything we've built together and work for Caleb?" It's obvious he's pretty upset. Reggie who was next to him wraps his arms around him giving him a hug. "That's some club you got going on." Luke says.

"But there is another option, that's why I'm here." Willie says.

"Another option?" I ask. What could possibly fix all this?

"No please, just hear my out." Willie begs with tears in his eyes.  "Alright, if you guys can figure out what your unfinished business is, you'd do it in time, you can cross over. You'd be free from all of this."

"Okay so what's our unfinished business?" Luke asks.

"I don't know." Willie says. "But since you all died at the same time, ya know, it might be something you need to do together."

"And why should we listen to a word you say?" I ask.

"Because I care about you Alex!" Willie says. Wow. Hearing that aloud...it's a lot. I know he must have not meant to hurt us. He's trying to help and I'm being hostile him. "And I hate that I brought you and your friends into this mess." He says. He looks back behind him and back at us. "I can't be away much longer. I'm so sorry, for everything." He says and poofs away.

"This is all my fault." I say. "I met Willie, Willie introduced us to Caleb, and now...now we're screwed."

"We all wanted to go see Caleb." Luke says. It doesn't make it any less my fault.

"We have to tell Julie." Reggie says.

"No, we can't do that. That just means more loss in her life." Luke says. But I don't see how not telling her is gonna prevent her from losing us either way. "But if we don't want Caleb to own our souls we have to figure out what our unfinished business is."

"Alright and how are we supposed to do that?" I ask. "There was so much we wanted to do." Something catches Luke's eyes and he stares at it like it means something. "What is it?" I ask.

"Yeah but the night we died...there was on thing we all wanted to do together." Luke says. I turn around and see the glowing Orpheum sign behind us. Of course.

"Play the Orpheum?" I ask. "Getting that gig was literally impossible. Even after people knew who we were we had to hustle, call in every favor we had. It took us years."

Another jolt strikes us and we all hunch over and cough and groan in pain. Luke grabs Reggie's hand, as if he was afraid of losing him. They're cute, I wish I had that with Willie, but we're gonna get destroyed by these jolts.

"We don't have years." Luke says.

"Sounds like you need help then." Says an unfamiliar voice. We turn around to see a girl standing there. If she could see us she must be a ghost.

"Hadley?" Reggie says. Hadley like his sister Hadley?

"Good to see you again bro." She says.