"I want to grow flowers", I said with a pout.
Mat smiled.
"You can't grow flowers here, they grow naturally", he whispered.
Was he trying to do ASMR?, because his voice was definitely putting me to sleep.
I tried to laugh it off as I still went ahead and put the flower seeds in the pot.
"so?", he suddenly asked.
"so what?", I turned confused eyes to him.
"Are you completely in love with me?", he asked.
and I laughed.
"YAH!, of course dummy...why else would I say yes to being your girlfriend?", I asked making him smile cutely.
I finished planting my abalone seeds and immediately watered them, I wasn't allowing his statement earlier stop me from planting them.
"I was actually wondering if you were okay with rescheduling our date. I have some night duty so I wanted to know if you'd be okay with having lunch instead"
It wasn't a bad idea so I quickly agreed.
"just give me a minute, I want to wash my hands and change into a prettier dress", I smiled at him.
"Take your time princess", he whispered and I shook my head.
"don't flirt with me boyfriend ", I warned but he only winked.
Two minutes later, I walked out in a navy green dress and some slippers making him whistle lowly.
"Don't fake it", I said immediately
"but I'm not, you look like take out"
That had me cracking up with laughter.
"I look like fast food?",
He let out a laugh, "No...i "
A sudden frown etched itself on his face as he pressed his finger behind his ear.
"What?", he exclaimed, making me alarmed. I turned with a frown directed at him.
"Okay, keep an eye on them. I'm on my way"
He took his hand from his ear and turned with sad eyes towards me.
"I'm so sorry baby but I've got to go", he said.
I only nodded in understanding.
"its okay, don't worry Mat"
His jaw ticked and I gave him a small smile, "its really okay", I whispered.
He leaned in landing a short kiss on my lips and smiled
"I promise I'll make it up to you Niv"
I nodded and then he was gone.
Mat did not appear until the following day. he had some icecream (Vampire Semen, Werewolf Piss, Unicorn Sweat, Devil's Tears, Mermaid Slime, and even Reaper Blood. Plus a new one called Banshee's Wail, that i was abruptly deciding to ever try) and something else, are those Rose flowers?
"actually, these are Rosettes, what you call roses in the human world"
okay, it appears he read my mind again. I smiled.
"You didn't come back last night"
"I know", he answered "something else happened.
"what?",
"well two souls came in late yesterday. at night to be precise"
I nodded.
"I don't know how to tell you this. maybe you need to see them for yourselves"
"why, am I related to them?. Is it my parents or some distant relation?", I pestered him for answers but he grimly shook his head.
I frowned.
Hours later, we were walking towards the Soul Building, precisely towards the soul manager's office. We had to wait for the new souls as they got their AIDs. And I was already getting impatient. I had thought my parents had already died and transitioned to the afterlife. however after however long I've been here, I hadn't caught even a glimpse of them.
So maybe they hadn't died until now. But where had they been all this time?, I asked myself.
The door to the office suddenly opened, lifting my eyes in shock, I stared at the two individuals stuck in the doorway. Their eyes were glued to mine, one in hate and the other in remorse and staring back at me.
They didn't seem to have aged at all.
"Janice?",
"its Shanti now!", she replied sternly.
The male walked over to me, pulling me into a tight hug in which Mat immediately pushed him away from me.
"Hands off buddy, she's my girlfriend"
oh God, way to announce it Mat. I turned to glance at my boyfriend unbelievably.
"I'm Samsara now..", his eyes filled with tears as he continued, "it means an endless cycle of death and rebirth. I can't stay here. I have to go back and die a hundred times before I get a pass to the afterlife. Please forgive me. I'm so sorry, Shayda"
"Oh, its Nirvana now...and it means enlightenment. Guess I needed it", I laughed sarcastically.
He smiled tearfully.
"I didn't realise how much you meant to me until now"
One glance at Mat and I found him glaring at Asher, now Samsara. Maybe we should call him Sam, Samsara is. seriously too long.
"Goodluck", I whispered before he pecked me on the cheeks and headed out of the building, Mat glaring daggers into his head.
My boyfriend was seriously ready to commit murder.
"Do you feel happy?", Janice, now Shanti asked me while I furrowed my brows at her.
"Why would I be happy?", I asked her
"Aren't you happy that we're being punished. That your death is being avenged by nature?", she asked sarcastically
"look here bitch, I don't know what your deal is or what your name means....but you definitely need to find some inner peace", I quickly shut her up and dragged Mat by the arm, pulling him out of the building while she stared at us in a stunned manner.
"how the hell did she know that Shanti means Peace?", Janice muttered to herself even though we were already headed out and couldn't possibly hear her.
"By the way...that was pretty feisty back there", Mat spoke and I giggled fully unaware of my behaviour back then. I only acted that way beacuse I was blinded by my anger, she definitely had it coming because I was so done with her bitchiness.
"Yeah, remind me never to get you angry", he added and I lightly punched his arm.
"Also Shanti means Peace", he added.
"Oh I see..."
"she's probably acting like that because she's too scared. I've being here for a long time, and I've only ever heard of one other person named Shanti. It means you need to find peace, and that technically means you're sort of like on probation in the afterlife", he explained.
"wow...Karma is a badass bitch!", I commented, feeling bad for her and Sam.