章節 2: Land of The Dead

I have a lot to say, but I'll start with the most important point.

I fucking died

I had no idea where am I right now, but the memory of my death was clear.

My computer explode after I finish answering a fucking ad and then bam I'm in this shithole were darkness is the only thing I can see. Since I lived on my own and was independent, no one could help me.

Well, it wasn't a shame or anything.

In the first place, I'm an orphan with no friends and girlfriend, leaving me alone. In a way, it was a lonely death.

What bothered me was the fact that I don't know where am I

I had been walking for what felt like an eternity in this dark, aimless space.

"So... what now?" I muttered to myself.

~Whoosh

Then, finally, something changed. Grey shadows began to form all around me, their shapes solidifying into people. These were... souls, their expressions blank and hollow as they marched forward.

"Souls huh... well, that totally confirms my death," I thought, observing their ethereal forms as they moved in a single direction, all seemingly drawn to the same destination. I didn't see anyone behaving differently. Just a sea of grey faces.

After what felt like an eternity, a light appeared in the distance.

"That should be the exit... right?" I muttered, squinting at the glow. It was the first sign of anything other than this dismal darkness.

When I opened my eyes, I wasn't in darkness anymore. I stood at the entrance of a sprawling city that stretched as far as I could see. The air smelled faintly of marigolds, and towering bridges covered in vibrant petals connected the city to the land I stood on.

The city was alive with light and color—so vivid, it was almost too much. The houses rose in every direction, stacked and curving like coral reaching up into the sky. This place defied logic, bending reality in every direction.

It was beautiful. And terrifying.

"Where… am I?" I whispered, taking in the spectacle before me. This wasn't what I expected death to look like. I noticed the path I was on. It was made of marigold petals.

I knelt down and gently touched them their velvety softness surprising me.

As I touched the petals, I heard something—an excited bark, followed by a distant shout.

"Dante, wait up!" A boy's voice boom, young and energetic.

A dog ran past me, wagging its tail and scattering the marigold petals as it dashed across the bridge. A moment later, the boy ran after it—a human boy, not a skeleton like the others. He caught up to the dog and knelt beside it, ruffling its fur.

"You gotta stay with me, boy," the kid said, laughing as the dog—Dante, apparently—happily rolled in the petals.

I watched them for a moment, something nagging at me.

"He feels familiar," I muttered to myself, narrowing my eyes as I tried to make sense of it. The boy felt…familiar. I couldn't place it, but there was something about him. Something I should recognize.

The boy stood, looking around at the city. His expression shifted from wonder to something more serious, like he was trying to process everything. "This isn't a dream, huh? This is... real," he muttered.

A family of skeletons approached him—a group of five, clearly together. The tallest one, a woman, chuckled softly. "You thought we weren't?" she asked, teasing him.

The boy, scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Well, I don't know. I thought it might have been one of those made-up things adults tell kids. You know, like vitamins."

The woman laughed, her bony fingers resting on her hips. "Miguel, we 'are' a real thing."

Miguel shrugged. "Well, maybe vitamins 'could' be real too."

I couldn't help but smirk at their conversation.

I decided to follow them, staying a bit behind so as not to intrude. As I did, a booming voice filled the air, echoing throughout the place.

[ Welcome back to the Land of the Dead! Please have all offerings ready for re-entry. ]

I stopped and watched as the skeleton family walked toward what looked like a large reception area. Families lined up at desks, chatting and preparing for something, I wasn't sure what was happening, but it felt significant.

As I hesitated, unsure of what to do, I noticed another line. Above it, a sign read *DEPARTURE.* People, or rather skeletons, were lining up, posing in front of machines. They moved toward various desks where skeletons in uniforms greeted them, processing each family. I watched as one family approached a receptionist, the skeleton behind the desk smiling warmly.

"Next family, please!" the receptionist called out.

A couple stepped forward and stood before a large machine. The receptionist pressed a button, and a scanner projected over their faces. Moments later, a photo of them in their human forms appeared on a screen above.

"Oh, your photos are on your son's ofrenda. Have a great visit! And remember to return before sunrise!" the receptionist said cheerfully.

The couple smiled and waved as they walked off toward the bridge made of marigold petals, which glowed faintly in the twilight.

"Next!" the receptionist called again.

This time, a skeleton dressed extravagantly in bright, colorful clothes strode up to the scanner.

"Yes, it is I, Frida Kahlo," the skeleton declared dramatically. "Shall we skip the scanner? I have so many ofrendas, it'll just overwhelm your little blinky thingy."

The receptionist, unimpressed, pressed the button anyway. A large red X appeared on the screen above.

"Well, shoot," the receptionist said, dripping with sarcasm. "Looks like no one put up your photo, Friii-da."

The skeleton, who was clearly not Frida, fidgeted awkwardly, pulling off a wig and revealing himself to be a man in a dress.

"Okay, when I said I was Frida… that was a lie, and I apologize for that," he said sheepishly.

The receptionist shook her head. "No photo on an ofrenda, no crossing the bridge," she said firmly.

But the man wasn't giving up. "You know what? I'm just gonna zip right over, and you won't even know I'm gone!" He bolted for the bridge, sprinting as fast as his skeletal legs could carry him.

A security guard dashed after him, shouting, "Stop! Hey! You can't do that!"

The man weaved around the officer, managing to evade him and making it halfway onto the marigold bridge. But just as he tried to run across, his feet sank into the flowers. His legs began to wobble as he struggled to move forward.

"Almost… there… just a little further…" he grunted, trying to drag himself across the bridge. But it was no use. He sank deeper into the marigolds, finally giving up with a groan.

"Fine. Okay. Fine. Who cares? Dumb flower bridge," he muttered, collapsing in defeat as two officers hauled him off the bridge, each grabbing one of his arms.

Watching all of this unfold, I muttered to myself, "This all seems very familiar… like I've seen it before. How strange."

Shaking my head, I walked up to one of the receptionists, unsure of what to do. "Uh, hello?" I said awkwardly, waving a hand.

Her head popped up, her cheerful voice ringing out. "Welcome, sir! How can I—" She stopped mid-sentence, her voice dropping into disbelief as she stared at me. "—help you?"

I stammered, unsure of how to explain myself. "I... uh..."

The receptionist raised a brow, tapping her fingers on the desk. "Sir, by any chance… do you live on Earth?"

I blinked. "Uh, yes?"

Her face lit up with realization. "Oh, then sir, you should head over there." She pointed toward a different bridge—one made of black vines, glowing with tiny lights in the distance.

I gulped. That didn't look like the cheerful marigold bridge. But I nodded, muttering a quick "thank you" as I turned toward it.

'That bridge is creepy'