'Till the day I die

chapter 1

"Welcome everyone"

A soft but cheerful voice sounded, almost as a breeze, gentle and kind, if not for the fact that I was dead I could even find it calming.

But I was dead.

Therefore, the only effect that it gave me was goosebumps all over my skin.

Looking around it was not a room, certainly not hell or heaven would look close to this in my imagination, but maybe after a few shots of vodka and a very long time thinking, it would look like that.

The limbo.

It looked like the sky and the earth at the same time, as if we were walking on glass, but it felt firm, not slippery at all, soft, just like the white carpet on my closet, but transparent and looking as if it had no bottom.

The sky had no moons, maybe some clouds if you imagine hard enough, but overall it was blue, kind of bright at some spots and kind of not at some others.

No walls at all, but a very vast horizon, as if it had no end and no parameters.

Freedom, that was the feeling I was having.

I looked around noticing the people around me, no children, maybe a couple of 20's and 40's, but mostly elderly people.

A blinding light suddenly came on top of a person.

She had dark tan skin, green eyes and a very short brown hair. Her clothes looked rough, and her face looked plain, but still held a sparkle of mischief.

"Marta Franchesca Revez" the voice pronounced with a heavy accent "you fought the Aspargan revolution until the day you died on a double suicide with the dictator".

She smiled with a proud look.

"Promise completed – Yo prometo que voy a luchar hasta mi último suspiro y libertar a nosotros de las manos del desgraciado Rodriguez, a la revolución" he announced with a perfect accent"20 promises in your life, one achieved. Overall promise worth: 20 points. You are forgiven on the other 19".

Suddenly the light went to another man; he wore thin glasses that made his gentle face look even gentler. He had dark brown hair and soft brown eyes, his body was overall thin and his legs were incredibly long, only adding to the illusion of an even thinner body.

"William Grace" the system said, "you saved the white Carimboo whales from instinction and finished the advanced phase on the video game "Just sing 3" William looked embarrassed with the last achievement but still kept a smile on his face "We will not say the promise out loud as it contains a too big level of embarrassment that we do not want you to suffer. You made 26 promises in your life, two achieved. Promise 1:22 points. Promise 2: 4 points. Overall promise worth: 26 points. You are forgiven on the other 24 .

We all looked shocked at the amount of points for completing a game, but overall he looked happy, and it didn't seem as if common sense was a thing in this realm, as it was not earth, so earthly thinking did not apply.

And there was I, looking as lost as I possible could, since, well...

I don't make promises.

Maybe the disappointment on others never allowed me to, maybe it was just because I hated the word "promise".

And just as another Korean doctor that discovered a cure for a disease that killed his father, and another French nun that saved thousands of children from hunger, there was I, on the magical spotlight, and as the cliché made me guess, the last one to be announced.

"Fleur Marie Airleigh, you..." I rolled my eyes at the long pause, waiting for it to finish "your points are positive".

I looked at the sky feeling the need to curse, but found myself unable to speak back at it, or better yet, speak at all.

"Meaning" the robotic voice kept going as the drama queen that it was "you succeeded on never kissing anyone until the day you died".

I look around at the shocked face on the other people, not knowing if it was because of the fact that I only made 1 promise my entire life or the fact that I had never exchanged salivas with anyone.

"Promise completed – I will never kiss someone until the day that I die, that is disgusting." A childish voice resonated, sounding like a 4 years old child. "You made 1 promise in your life, one achieved. Overall promise worth: 9 points. You have 8 more points left".

I looked around at everyone, expecting shocking faces for the amounts of points from such a stupid promise. But after all that we had seen an all the stupid promises that we had witnessed, the points from mine were nothing shocking anymore.

"If any of you got any questions from you points, you may speak".

I raised my hands as high as I could, and finally felt the tight knot on my throat untie.
What are these points? What do we do with them?" I asked with a cracking voice that could only show the strain on my throat. "What is the criteria for it? Where do we go now? Are we really dead?"

I look at the figure as if expecting for a nod, a confirmation, anything at all, but I was ignored, as expected, and the knot came back on my throat.

"We will not give you an answer as it will be explained shortly in my prepared speech".

I looked at the figure with a frown.

"If that is all, we are going to proceed." How I wanted to curse again." Congratulations players, you are all the chosen ones, the best of the best, the crème de la crème, the heroes of nations. But now you are all dead, so it doesn't matter. "I cringed at the change of tone" Anyway, we prepared a gift for all of you". Another suspense" A chance of gaining 3 death wishes".

As if the room had gotten lighter that the already blue skyish atmosphere, I saw everyone face's lightening up.

"To win it, you will all join a game, a game called "till I die" system."

Suddenly a paper appeared in front of us, it was almost like a contract but not actually one.

No place to sign.

No date or company.

Just a big "rules" on top.

And three topics.

1-help the chosen one to keep a promise.

2-stay alive throughout the entire game.

3-break your promise.

"I know what you are all thinking, how can I break my promise?" the dramatic voice acted out" but remember, you are dead. And that was the deadline".

Despair suddenly surged as panic started to raise inside the limbo.

"So basically, all you have to do is keep all these rules in mind and help others to achieve their promises. Of course, not in your spiritual form but an actual body". The voice giggled "Now off you go. Good luck to all of you."

And as I felt as if my entire body was reintegrating, I felt the small knot on my throat undoing itself.

And I finally cursed.