The Afterlife (Chapter 16)

in #hive-1992752 years ago

Hello there! I hope you enjoy this! I really don't know what else to put here, so I guess let's just start!

I finally stopped running. I couldn't see the killer, so we must've lost whoever it was in the maze of New York. Nick chuckled. "That was fun. Reminded me of old times," he said. I clenched my fist and slammed Nick into the wall. "You didn't let me save her! She's dead because you wouldn't let me save her! This is your fault," I yelled at him.

Nick shook his head. "Alex, if you tried the killer would've caught up to us. He would've killed you," Nick said, his voice filled with surprising sympathy. He spoke to me as if I was a child who didn't understand anything about the world. I let Nick go and sat down, leaning against the wall. Nick sat next to me.

"Why did you help me," I asked. He shrugged. "Don't know. It just felt right."

I chuckled. "That's bogue," I said. "You did it because you know I'm right, didn't you? You know that Jordan isn't supposed to die."

"That's not true," Nick said, clenching his fists.

"Oh yes it is," I said. "Why else would you help me? Why else would you be here? Why else-"

"Because I don't want you to die!" Nick shouted at me. We both sat in awkward silence for a few minutes. I had to admit, I was kind of shocked. Sure, Nick had been one of my only friends in the Afterlife, but I never thought he considered me his. He was a tough nut to crack and to understand. Plus, with everything happening now, it seemed unlikely he cared.

"I need to get back to the Reapers," Nick said, getting up. He left without saying another word. He was far away before I could muster two words.

"Thank you."

I walked towards Jordan's house. The rain was beginning to lighten up. When I reached the house however, I wasn't the only one. In front of it stood a group of paparazzi. I pushed myself to the front to see what was happening.

Jordan was with her parents outside the house in coats. "Miss Pensie, what do you think happened the night you got in that traumatic accident? Do you think it was on purpose," some interviewer asked. Jordan fidgeted with her zipper and breathed heavily.

"Okay, that's enough," her dad said, but he wasn't heard over the wind and paparazzi. Her mother held Jordan close. "Please, we just need to go," she said.

"Wait, where are you going," I asked, pushing to the front. They all looked at me. Jordan avoided eye contact with me. Her parents looked at me sympathetically. "Alex, we're moving. We feel Jordan is in danger here. We're going to go tell Coraline and her family."

This couldn't be happening. "No! Sure she was in a car crash, but that was just an accident! The driver said it himself," I exclaimed. Jordan's parents shook their heads. "There was another incident," Jordan's dad said.

Now, I never found out what happened. All I know is that a window was broken and Jordan got a black eye. Oh, and Henry was "the hero".

I shook my head. "Mrs. and Mr. Pensie, I promise, you don't have to worry. I can protect Jordan. I know I can. Please, just give me a chance."

Jordan's parents looked at me confused. I could tell they had no idea what I was talking about, which was fair. Jordan was in constant danger ever since she met me.

"Can we take this inside, you know, talk about it alone," I asked. They nodded and we all ran inside with paparazzi running after us, but not getting inside.

"Alex, how could you protect our daughter," Jordan's mom asked. I tried to think if an understandable answer. They wouldn't believe me if I said I was dead or that I had seen in a dream someone was trying to kill her. Why would they? So I thought of a better answer.

"I'm a secret agent."

...I know, I'm a genius.

"My job is too protect famous people, like your daughter. I'm a kid, which is why no one expects anything from me. So far, these monsters attacking Jordan here have caught me by surprise, but I promise I will never let that happen again."

At first, Jordan's parents looked very suspicious, and I couldn't blame them. What I said was crazy. They looked at me as if asking if I could prove it. I nodded and grabbed a kitchen knife. They flinched at the sound of me picking it up.

I took a deep breath. I could do this. I had done it a million times as a way to pass time with Lena and Nick. People in the living world used darts, but when you live in the Afterlife you aren't afraid of death.

I threw the knife right at a bullseye where nerf gun bullets (still don't understand why a kid would want to shoot fake bullets at their friends, but who cares) had been shot. I hit the target, right in the center. I smiled to myself and looked back at Jordan's parents, who had a look of both fear and understanding in their eyes.

Surprisingly, they believed me after that. I guess throwing a knife proved to them that I was a trained agent that worked for the government or something. Or maybe I'm just incredibly lucky. Either way, they decided to stay in their house, and they let me stay.

The next day, they left for work and me, Jordan, Henry, and Zack (who had hid here for the night) were all alone in the house. Lena and Will were here in 10 minutes, and soon we were trying to put all our ideas together. We just keep arguing. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. Lena opened it this time without hesitation and lucky for us it was just Cory.

She smiled and looked at everyone. "Are you all here everyday," she asked. We all looked at each other and shrugged. Cory chuckled.

"What are you doing here," Jordan asked. "You invited me, remember," Cory said, squinting. Jordan nodded, just remembering. She muttered a word under her breath, but I won't repeat because I want to keep this PG.

The two girls went up to Jordan's room. Everything was fine until we heard screams. We all ran up the stairs, grabbing an array of weapons, from slingshots to guns to rolling pins.

When we reached the top, we found Cory with a hard cover book swinging at a Reaper, who just chuckled and lifted his scythe. Jordan watched wide eyed and tried to push Cory out of the way, but the girl wouldn't be budge.

We all grabbed books and threw them at the Reaper, who covered his face with his hands. "Monsters," he exclaimed. He swung his scythe to block the books. Lena shot at him, and he fell through the window. Cory looked at us.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?"

Cory knows! Do you think she will face the same fate as Ann or she'll survive? Read on to find out!

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Gracey! We've missed you! 🤤

EDIT: I asked a really dumb question. 😅 Which I have now promptly deleted! Yay!

PS: We really do miss you though.