Life After Death

Chapter 39

It was becoming hard to ignore the headache developing in between my eyes. I was crossed legs on some platform and trying to concentrate on controlling my thoughts and harnessing my power.

I could hear Sylvia pacing in front of me. Roman had some grim reaping to do so that left me under Sylvia's super vision. But something set me off about her - she was nice to me and all, don't get me wrong. It was just the vibes coming off her. I couldn't decipher if they were good of not.

"How would you know if I was trying to focus on guarding my thoughts if you can't hear them?" I asked, peeping up at her.

We were outside somewhere. I had no idea that the Underworld had a garden - which looked better than mine back home. I was surrounded by tall walls, covered in vines and wrapped with twinkle lights. I sat crossed legs on the lush, green grass and the air smelt leafy with a hint of... something on fire. There were drooping trees around me acting as shelter, preventing me from seeing the sky - if there even was a sky.

"I work in the control room where I am given heavy duty equipment so I can track the brain energy of the Reapers," Sylvia stated, stopping in front of me. She took out what looked like an iPad. "And this little guy tells me your brain is way too active. Try again."

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "So I'm guessing Roman told you about my soul power and about Lucifer?"

"He didn't need to," she said.

I went dead still, eyes shut tightly, awaiting her next sentence.

"I could tell you had come into your powers. It happens to the best of us in our after life," Sylvia said, giving me a kind smile. "Plus, I saw the look on your face when you touched me. I know you saw some things... What do you see anyway?"

"Its complicated," I mumbled. "I see everything." I imagined seeing all those horrid things Lucifer had done. Seeing that conversation between Roman and Sylvia about Clara Clarkson and me. I didn't know what my power was except the fact that I saw things when someone touched me or when I touched someone else.

"You have visions?" Sylvia asked. I nodded in response. "You're a seer. They're very powerful. They are very valuable to factions."

"Factions?" Please don't tell me it's a fourth installment of Divergent.

"Yeah," she said, sitting crossed-legs in front of me, "factions. It's the different ranks in the realm. You know, ghost hunters, Reapers and so forth."

Oh.

"How do you become one of those?"

"Depends on how you lived your human life," she said, pulling at the grass which just grew back again. "Or, in rare cases, how you lived your afterlife."

Sylvia looked up at me, with a knowing look. There was something about it.

Darkness, a black hole.

"Meredith," Sylvia said, placing a hand on mine.

A black hole, blood, screams, glass.

I scrambled away from her. "What the hell was that Sylvia?" My voice wavered. I was shaking.

The end was linked to Sylvia. Everything was linked. I just hadn't seen it before. It all made sense - but it made no sense at the same time.

"Meredith, are you okay?"

"Meredith?"

"Talk to me!"

"Meredith, what did you see?"

But I was too caught up in my own thoughts to take note of my surroundings. Next thing I knew I was falling. My fall was cushioned by the soft grass, tickling my face.

The end is near.

***

I woke up with a headache. As soon as I sat up a glass of water was given to me and I gulped it all. I blinked like a movie projector and saw Roman in his usual black attire. He had his arms crossed over his chest and a worried yet stern look on his.

"Did I do something wrong? Because that's the look my mother gives me when she receives my report card." I tried to ignore the stinging headache but it was unbearable. I let out a groan.

"Meredith, what happened to you?" Roman asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Sylvia said you passed out and kept on mumbling 'the end is coming' and you freaked her out. She had to call help and they dragged you here."

I looked around and noticed the familiar bedroom. "Huh," I mumbled. "Who was the muscle?"

"Danny," Roman said. "He was the..." he cleared his throat, "muscle. You had to see his face when he saw you sprawled on the grass -"

"Wait, you were there?"

"I was delivering your message when Sylvia called me -"

"You have a cellphone!" I screeched. Roman gave me a deadpan look. "Okay, continue, I'm sorry."

"Anyway, I came as soon as I heard and Danny just, y'know tagged along."

"Why didn't you help pick me up?" I grumbled.

"Because I came from a long day of driving around souls," Roman mumbled. "Danny is out getting you something to eat as we speak."

"So he's going to be back here? I'm going to meet him?"

"Havent you met him before?"

"I mean, we were in the same math class - but that's besides the point. I'm meeting him as the girl who he fucked over by sucking off my boyfriend," I waved a dismissive hand, "it's different."

"You are the weirdest person I have ever met," Roman said, laughing. "Now, let's talk about the reason why you passed out."

A shiver wracked through me. I didn't want to go back there. It was dark and cold and horrible. I wrapped my arms around my body and tried to control the gruesome thoughts that tugged at the film reels of my mind, demanding to be seen. I pushed it back, and that's when the heaving began.

"Meredith, hey, hey," Roman had his arms around me.

"I can't... Roman, I can't..." Roman rubbed up and down my arms in a comforting manner.

"It's okay," Roman said. "We can talk about it again. You need to get some rest. You're shaking."

"Roman?"

"Yea?"

"Lay with me?"

Roman let out a throaty chuckle. "Sure, Louisa." He climbed into the bed with me after removing his trench coat and held me in his big arms and I swear I saw stars.