Status: -on hold, sorry-

The Things Left Unsaid

CHAPTER VI

CHAPTER 4

Apparently the afterlife is really, really, really... really boring. After I got over the whole ‘my life is ruined’ thing Hannah explained the house rules and gave me the grand tour. Well technically it wasn’t a house, it was an underground shelter and to be honest the tour wasn’t that grand.

“This is the living room; most of your time here will be spent in this room. There are video games and movies in the television stand if you’re into media and stuff. We don’t have a bookcase so any books you get, you’ll have to keep them in your trunk.” I had a trunk...? “The computer is free reign, but Charles is usually hogging it. He’s the computer nerd around here. Though, and it’s seriously outdated so you can’t do much if you don’t know what you’re doing.”

“Do you think maybe I could check my facebook?” I asked casually, though I already knew the answer.

Hannah paused, the first time she seemed lost for words for the first time since she started going on with me. “Uh, you’ll have to ask David.” we stood in a cold silence before she perked back up again.

“So, we eat over there-” she gestured to the tables I had sat on, “-but you’re allowed to eat at the couches if you’re super-duper careful, and you clean up after any spills. Food is in the kitchen over here...” she led me quickly into the cramped kitchen. “Anything not labeled is free for all, plates and glasses are in the cupboard here, cooking pots are below the sink, dry goods are in the cupboard beside the plates and cereal is in the cabinet beside the sink. Oh, and utensils are in this drawer, beside the junk drawer.” she waved me out of the kitchen and we shuffled out.

“Across the living room is our bathroom, we only have one so if you’re really into regular showers and the same time, there is a schedule beside the sink. Now, down the little hallway over here.” she squeezed in and I followed, realizing it wasn’t a dark room like I thought, but a hallway. It was as cramped as the kitchen, I almost felt faint with the walls closing in around me (I was rather claustrophobic). There were two other archways leading into rooms, “This is David’s room, off limits at all times, and this is the spare room. If you ever need a night on your own, it’s silent in there during sleeping hours. Also, when visitors come they usually take the room, so it’s pretty good. It also stores everything that has no room out here, so it’s not the most... attractive...” she gave a giggle, “Then again, nothing round here is completely attractive. Except for maybe...” she gave a girly shrug.

“So... you and Leon....” I didn’t want to pry but...

“Yeah, we’re together.” she blushed and gave another girly shrug, “He was the one that was guarding me when I...” her face fell and winced, “...yeah. But, he was so sweet and gentle and shy. We’ve been together since then. He’s my Leon-Chameleon” she finished with a confident smile.

“Are you the only couple? Tyler seems so...”

“With his looks you mean, he has to have a girlfriend? No, he’s not like that... with most girls... We actually used to have this one guy that Cal was getting rather... close to. His name was Jason... but...” she stopped herself, “Actually, forget I said anything. She’d have my hide if she knew I spoke of him.” she shrugged, “Let’s go see the bedroom.” She hurried out and I got the feeling to take her advice and forget she said anything.

We walked into the room where I had awoken and she turned on the light. I saw more clearly that the walls were not all bare. There were a few posters around the room and laundry scattered on the dressers and I noticed a few trunks as well lying around. It looked like a cabin at a camp, except for the lack of windows and cold concrete walls. The four bunk beds were stacked neatly, though I noticed a couple of the blankets weren’t completely straightened. I had the bed at the far wall, the blanket I had used was crumpled, only half on the bed. It was dry and scratchy looking. I hoped I didn’t need to stick with it; it wasn’t very comfortable looking...

“Don’t worry, Sally. When you go into town this evening you can pick out your own bedding. I got that same look on my face when I woke up to that sheet. It’s just the spare” She shrugged, “So, I’ll show you where everyone sleeps. Across there beside you is Brittanya’s bed, above her is Calliope. I am next to Tan, in the third bed and beside me in the last bed is Charles with Leon above him. My top bed is empty, but above you is where Tyler sleeps. That’s everyone, as I said-David sleeps in the master bedroom.” she gave a final shrug and said, “Well that’s the whole place. Your trunk is above the dresser, put all your things in it and Tyler said you can take the two top drawers, and if I recall.” she paused and frowned a little, “He said if you touch his drawers you would sadly... sadly regret it.” She laughed but I could still hear a nervous edge in her voice, “Don’t worry about him, is bark is worse than his bite... as long as you’re on his side.” she gave a little nervous giggle, “But... I’d stay out of those drawers.” she went to leave the room but paused at the doorway, “Oh! And starting tomorrow you’re on with the chores. David will tell you all about it tomorrow...” she gave a friendly wave and exited the room. I sighed and opened my trunk; it was empty and smelled of dust. I sneezed. This new life, or afterlife, was just looking better and better.

---

After hanging around the bedroom for a while, or well... more like hiding out, I began to feel more and more anxious about this place. The more I paced the more I started to feel claustrophobic. It was like the walls were closing in on me, the room squeezing... smaller and smaller.

“The more you let the restlessness take you the harder it is to hold onto your sanity.” Calli’s voice made me jump and give a quick gasp. I turned to see her leaning on the door frame, her long and wavy hair glowing in the dim room. It outlined her like ghostly aura, her eyes glowed brightly and not for the first time I was in awe of her beauty. “You have to find things to pass the time. Or you will literally go crazy. You’ve probably noticed our entertainment opportunities are slim, but you’ll find little things. Little things make boring life easier.” she paused with a small smile and a wink, “Anyway I’m here to tell you that you’re leaving in a couple hours.” she turned her heel but again paused, “Have you seen your reflection yet? You may want to check it out.” she was gone in a flash.

---

I thought about what she said, about going insane, so I decided a nice hot shower would be nice. It’d also give me a chance to actually check out my reflection. I went to the washroom. Now, the whole time since I had spoken to David I felt a terrible stone dropping in the very pit of my being. The realization of what exactly was going on. My hair was dry and frizzy, brittle. My skin was pale and almost a bluish tint, like a zombie. I. I looked. I looked dead. Or at least almost dead; my eyes didn’t look the least bit dead, more super powered, supernatural. They glowed with an intensity that made me realize.

“I’m not human.” I whispered and fell down to my knees, holding myself and silent tears fell down my face. It hadn’t quite hit me yet, I’d never see my family, my friends. I’d never be myself. It all crashed down and I felt like I was buried hundreds of feet below the earth. Trapped. Alone. Doomed.

It’s impossible to count just how long I sit there sobbing like a pathetic schoolgirl. A minute... a half an hour... a century... It wasn’t until I calmed down a bit I began to play with my bare necklace, but... it wasn’t bare anymore, a small crystal in the shape of a feather shone around the leather necklace. I would say it shimmered or sparkled but it glowed. Literally, it GLOWED. My eyes widened and I felt a minty cool shiver spread about my body and I felt better, lighter. Lighter than, dare I say, a feather. I let it fall under my shirt, remembering what the angel said.

‘You’re stronger than this.’ a whisper caressed my ear like a breeze on a warm summer day.

I nodded, and stood looking at my face and gasping-my eyes no longer sunken in, my skin shining with lustre I’d never even seen before. My hair was soft and delicate, curling around my cheekbones like ivy vines against a house. I looked pretty. Not starving thin or drop dead gorgeous but... pretty. And my eyes… my eyes had increased in intensity by about a thousand times more than before. This thin, shining strand of hope floated down into my heart and I held on. The idea maybe I could make my life just a little bit... better filled me with it until I was brimming with a cool, soft liquid of... hope.

---

There was a loud rapping on my door when I stepped out of the shower, for a moment I thought I had taken too long and overlapped with someone else’s bathroom time. I called out “Just a minute!” and grabbed a towel from the rack and covered any necessary body parts and took a smaller towel and wrapped up my dripping hair. I opened the door and there stood Tyler, looming over my like a week’s worth of overdo homework. “We were supposed to leave half an hour ago!” he growled, sounding more beast than man, “Do you want to be late, I mean, I don’t WANT to take you to get clothes and blankets and whatever else you want but I am still doing it and I am not going to be on your ass all the time making sure you’re ready to go!” then he realized I was practically naked... He flashed pale white and looked away with his eyes so shut tight he had enough wrinkles to look 50 years older, “Calliope, can Sally borrow some clothes of yours or something?” At least he was a gentleman enough to look away but I god, did he have to act like I was deformed or something? I might not be the shiniest knife in the drawer, at least I’m TOLD I’m not that bad looking...

I heard Calli call back “She won’t fit in anything of mine! Ask Hannah!”

Hannah replied, “Sure, I’m already in the bedroom, send her in I have just the thing!”

I scuttled past Tyler and heard a whistle as I passed through the living room from Charles, followed quickly by an “Ow! Tanya!” I gave a little snicker. Hannah ushered me into the bedroom and already had a nice outfit that looked just my size. It was a rose pink turtleneck with bootcut jeans and a fluffy beige scarf and hat. It looked a little warm, “Um... This seems a little...” but Hannah had already left the room and I was not going to walk out of the room again with Charles, Leon and Tyler out there, even if I was wrapped in towels.

I changed quickly and found the clothes actually fit me pretty well. I used a comb I found on one of the girl’s dressers and blow dried my hair.

I stepped out and Tyler was already waiting at the door with a very annoyed look on his face, “Ready now?” he growled. I nodded and followed him out the door. I wasn’t too surprised to see a long staircase leading up to a second, iron door. It had already become apparent this was some sort of... bomb shelter or bunker of some kind.

Tyler opened the door with a loud squealing of the hinges. A blast of cool air hit me and I cried, “SNOW!”
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I hope you enjoyed it, even if it was pretty boring.