Afterlife

Carol

None of them seemed to react to my response. But what else was expected? I still have no accurate remembrance of anything from before; so if there was anything to be sad or get angry about, it was all forgotten to begin with. But...that also begs the question. What if...I lost something? Something...or someone important...and now they may be able to remember me...but-

But I don't. And isn't forgetting someone, without the knowledge that you did, is worse than...death? Maybe...this was the reason for anger and sadness?

I pondered over this, wondering if I would know for sure...if I would have this feeling of...emptiness maybe? But there was no feeling of this so called emptiness or a sort of abandonment anywhere.

I looked at the main three back and forth, awaiting their answer. The woman in white was fidgeting with her fingers, the other two looking at the ground while Jerk-face had a somewhat concerned expression on him. It was a while before the white dressed woman spoke.

"Well, dear, technically you've been in a car accident and that's the main reason for your being here. Although-" she continued, "it's uncertain if it was also due to a...suicide."

"How...how can you determine that, exactly?"

"Well, what we did before, when you saw those...images pass by, we were seeing your life. From the beginning to the unfortunate end. And in the process of doing that, we were able to also feel your emotions and know your thoughts..."

They all stood quiet. But there was still a question that hadn't been answered...well, one of the many that seem the most critical.

"Why do I have those..."out of body experiences", like what just happened a while ago?"

"Because you're still not completely dead yet." The man in black spoke.

"You are still in a state of 'living' back in the 'mortal realm' if you'd like to call it. This happens at times when your body is either still, or is in the process, of being brought back. So, your conscious mind is struggling between this world and the mortal one. Once your body is no longer capable of holding you, you move here."

"Think of it like a shell," the woman in green added. "There's this animal, a hermit crab, that has a house, a shell, on it's back. Once it out grows the house and it can no longer protect them from dangers, they move out of it and enter another house."

Hermit crabs...small little creatures with little legs and bugging eyes...

"So," she continued,"this is like your second shell."

"Is there anything beyond this?" Is there a way...where that could happen?

"Oh, no! There is nothing else beyond this 'life'."

I burrowed my eyebrows to concentrate on the information given on me.

"Don't try to take it all in just yet, dear...we should probably give you a name. Oh, late introductions, I'm Sue. I represent and help those who took their own lives, back in the mortal world, as much as I can in this one," the female in white explained. "She's Nat-" Sue eyed the woman in green, "-and she helps those who were taken from a natural cause, such as a disease. And that handsome gentleman there-" said 'gentleman' bowed "-is Occi. He represents and helps those who lives where ended by another's help."

"Murder, darling. Call it how it is," Occi corrected, with a wink I may add, towards me; I gave a glare back.

"Anyway, we'll need to get back to you on who shall be looking over you," Sue continued. "As for now, Evan, the one who brought you here, will look after you." Great. Just fantastic. "For your 'experiences', as you describe, well..." She paused. "That's for you to decide. You may still feel your body when you go back so, it'll be painful." Her face contorted into a worry expression, and one of her hands went to her heart, the sleeves on her overflown dress went down a bit, and showed a