In-Between

Chapter 3

Wendy couldn't believe what this woman had just told her. She was dead? No way. This woman had been confused or sick or something. How could someone who was dead be walking and talking? But then again it would explain all the floating.

"I'm sorry but did I hear correctly?" Wendy asked. "Did you just say you were dead?"

"Yes I did." She said. 

"But if you're dead shouldn't you be um...Motionless?"

"Not exactly. My old body is motionless but my soul not so much."

"Wait a minute your soul? So if you're dead and your soul is roaming around wouldn't that make you a gha-gha-gha..." Wendy stuttered as she started to get scared. "A gha-gha-gha."

"A ghost?" She guessed.

"Yes!" She shrieked.

"Now, now, now don't panic! I'm not a ghost!"

"You're not?"

"No."

"Oh thank goodness."

"I'm a ghoul."

"Ahh! That's even worse!" Wendy screamed.

"Whoa! Whoa! Easy now! You don't have to be scared of me."

"What do you mean I don't have to be scared?! You're a ghoul! You're a demon-like being that consumes human flesh!"

"Oh no dear that's just one definition of what ghoul is. But points for being so informed on them, a lot of people nowadays have never even heard of a ghoul."

"So you're not going to eat me?"

"First of all I don't need to eat and second no I'm not going to eat you. I'm not that kind of ghoul."

"Then what kind are you?"

"Well sometimes ghosts will inhabit an artificial body made from whatever is near by. For example my body is sewn together from bits of cloth from an old dress and some leftover human skin."

"Human skin!"

"My human skin! The leftover human skin from my old body that died! This isn't anyone elses! I swear! Bottom line is I won't hurt you. I promise."

"Alright that makes me feel a little better though I'm still creeped out. If you're dead why are you here? Shouldn't you be in heaven or something?"

"I suppose but the thing is when I died I had unfinished business and when someone dies with unfinished business they can't move on to heaven until that business is dealt with. So in the mean time we stay in the In-Between."

"What's that?"

"It's a place that resides somewhere between the three worlds: Heaven, Earth, and Hell."

"So it's limbo?"

"Yes you could call it that and no ghost or ghoul can leave the In-Between until their business is resolved but there's one problem."

"What?"

"Funny thing about ghosts and ghouls, none of them remember what happened before they died. They don't remember who they were in life, how they lived, or what their unfinished business was."

"You mean you don't remember being alive?"

"No. I don't remember what I looked like, what I acted like, I don't even remember my real name."

"So what do you call yourself?"

"Juvia."

"Never heard a name like that before."