Ashes: An Immortali Story

Chapter 3

It starts with just a flicker, a single flash of light. A buzzing fills me, but where am I? I see nothing, and I feel as though... as though I'm nowhere but scattered everywhere at the same time. Is this my journey to heaven? Or... the other place?

With this thought, worry grips me. I mean, I might not have been the most religious person (or the kindest), but I wasn't necessarily bad either (though, that may depend on your point of view). Still, did that mean that I really deserved to go there, of all places?

As I think, I start to feel less... spread out, as though I were a Lego building being put together. After a while, I can sense my legs. Then my arms, body and head follow, and with my head comes my sight.

I'm not exactly sure what I'd been expecting. White fluffy clouds? Golden Gates? The raging fires of hell? Well, needless to say, it wasn't the same old bathroom. Or, at least, it was mostly the same; I'm pretty sure the large char marks on the floor were new.

The next thing I notice is that I'm dry. Not one part of me is even slightly damp. My clothes, my hair, and my skin are all as dry as a bone in the desert. The third thing I notice? I'm alive. Or, maybe I'm a really lively ghost, but I'm pretty sure ghosts don't hyperventilate. And I'm pretty sure they don't run into people as they escape smelly bathrooms. And can you guess who that person is? Why, it's none other than our school's beloved principal; Mr Esk.

"Pyra?" Mr Esk asks, giving me a curious look. Well, I guess anyone who's sprawled on the floor like I am would receive the same look. I stare up at him, shaking, like I'm cold, when, really, I'm scared out of my mind.

"You can see me?" I blurt out.

He just stares at me like I'm an idiot, which, I'll admit is only sometimes true. "Of course I can see you, Pyra. And I can also see that you ran straight out of the boys' bathroom."

Shoot.

"Uh... S-Sir, I can explain..."

"And skipping class," he interrupts. What?!

"Skipping class? It's lunchtime!"

He looks at me strangely. "Pyra, lunch ended half an hour ago."

So, wait a minute, either I passed out, or died, or whatever, and stayed that way for about half an hour? And no one saw? No one pulled me out of the toilet?

A stone drops in my stomach, pulling my confidence down with it.

"Pyra?"

I look up at him.

"Are you feeling alright?" He places a hand on my forehead, but immediately pulls it away. "My God! It's like... it's like your head's on fire!" he cries out in alarm. "Come on, I need to get you to the office where we can call an ambulance, I don't think you're feeling very well." He reaches out a hand to pull me up, but I back away from him. I don't want to go to the hospital. If somebody wants me to go to hospital, they're a bit late. About half an hour late if you want to be exact.

"Pyra? What are you doing? We need to get you to the hospital!" Mr Esk shouts in annoyance. I frown.

Why the hell is he annoyed? Was he the one who'd just nearly died in a toilet? Why does he get to tell me what to do?

A familiar rage rushes through me, eating away at my confusion until it's all just sizzling anger.

"No, Sir. I'm not going to the hospital. I'm absolutely fine," I tell him through gritted teeth. I get up to walk away, but he pulls out his phone, clearly trying to get someone to help him subdue me. Well that's not going to happen. I'm not sure why, but I walk up to him and grab a hold of his phone.