It was a loud ringing sound that awakened her. Disoriented from where she is, she tried to open her eyes. Long silken curtains draped around the large windows of her room. She heard the birds chirped from a nearby tree. These all did nothing but add to her curiosity.

She stood up and was greeted by a strong breeze coming from an open window. The curtains hollered in rage like fighting a storm on a bright sunny morning. She hurried and closed it almost tripping on her way. Baffled as she is, she looked around the room. It was a studio-type flat that screamed minimalism and Japanese theme interior. In one corner of the room were a skirt and white long sleeves, which she assumed is a uniform.

"Where am I?" It was all she can say after reaching out to a red alarm clock that had been blasting on. Slowly, she sat down on her bed and gathered her long wavy brown hair.

She tried to stop her upcoming breakdown. It can be just a dream, but all textures and smells gave her the evidence of solid reality.

Moments later, she peeked out of her windows and found colorful houses grazing a long narrow street. People were doing normal chores, some were jogging, walking their pets, and some were just standing still. All of these screams no familiarity, but surprisingly it feels like home.

Somehow, looking outside the window made her calm. It must be what she used to do before.

With no plans in hand, she tore her very familiar rabbit pajamas and changed into the uniform she found lying at the corner. The brown pleated skirt started on her high waist and stopped just before her knees. She tucked the white long sleeves in and wore the only pair of shoes she can find. It was a brown low-heeled Oxford. A nameplate was settling right on her upper left chest. It was in a gold color.

"Auden," she read with much amusement. It was a big realization. A bulb just lit up above her head. That's her name. Auden is her name. She remembered it.

She passed another look around the place, before heading to the door. All was in good condition—no clutter in any corner. It was the epitome of a magazine home, except for the fact that her pajamas pooled on the floor.

A small pathway greeted her. She walked past the garden; she tried to digest all the scenes in front of her. Scents from roses and jasmine, plus a fresh cut grass welcomed her presence entirely. She treaded the cobblestone path towards the sidewalk.

Upon seeing the exterior of the house, it was decided that it exudes a cozy feeling. The dark lumber used in paneling just gave the vibes of a house in the forest.

"Good morning, Aud. Take this cookie on your way to work," an old lady called from her front porch. The lady was sitting in an outside settee facing a beautiful garden. She was wearing a bright-colored dress while she rocked herself back and forth.

Auden is certainly bothered by how the lady knew her name, yet she still took the bag of fresh-baked cookies.

"Would you mind me asking, which way do I take for work?" The old lady smiled sweetly without bothering how stupid her question might be; and right after, pointed towards the northern path. She bid goodbye and walked.

Thoughts came rushing through her mind. The lady seemed confident that she was working somewhere else. It was a mystery for Auden, but she followed the path.

Auden suddenly felt the urge to fit in. These people seem to know her, so should she. She wouldn't want to be in trouble for being weird and not remembering everything. Maybe she was born here, grew up here, lived here.

People nodded, smiled, and waved at her. They even knew her name. All Auden did was smile back and return the courtesy. Everybody was gleaming with positive aura. All were smiling and others were even whistling a hymn.

The sun was shining bright, while the birds were chirping extra loudly. Fazed by the happenings surrounding her, she still managed to find a busy bakery at the center of the market. It was a French bakery with lots of plants. The view from afar was enticing enough for locals to pile up.

The place instantly caught her attention. It was a humble bakery but with tons of waiting customers. Her eyes targeted the workers who somehow was wearing the same uniform as her. This could be the work that the old lady was referring to.

"Auden!" She peeked through the crowd and saw someone waving at her. She can't come up with any familiarization. She was still confused, yet at ease. "I've been waiting for you. Our shift starts now. You better hurry." The stranger was smiling widely from ear to ear as if meeting an old friend.

"Who are you?" She was dragged through the thick crowd towards the bakery's gaping door. "Where am I?" She shouted, trying to top the crowd's indistinct chatters. It took a few more moments before they both landed their feet safely inside the bakery. "Why am I in this uniform?" She asked after looking around. Everyone was at their tiptoes while hastily serving every customer the best they can.

"Let me check," the stranger took a glance at his watch before smiling knowingly. "You died yesterday."

She instantly felt her knees wobbled as she took a step back. This can't be true. She can't be dead. "No. You're lying. I'm right here talking to you; I can't be dead." Auden was torn between laughing and letting her tears gush out. She shouldn't believe a stranger.

"You can talk to me because you're dead. You already died, Auden. This is where you live now. Welcome to Middel."

"You are lying to me. I don't have time to joke with you. I can't remember anything, but I know I'm not crazy. Dead? Can dead people talk and shout like this?" Auden has grown hysterical. Frustration overtook her senses. She felt her blood boiling.

"Who are you really? Why does everybody know me, while I can't remember a single thing?" Frustration was clearly written on her face. Fortunately, people were way too busy talking about their breakfast that nobody bothered looking at them.

"If this is not life after death, then what is?" The stranger told her calmly. His voice was like waves crashing in the ocean, cool, and relaxing. Somehow, it managed to calm her nerves. "We really need to work now; it's the peak hours and they would need our help."

Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes turned to hours. It was almost the end of her shift. The sun was slowly closing, but her mind was still full of questions. She can't remember anything before waking up in a very familiar house. But everything she did in this place feels real and normal as if she had been doing it all her life.

Questions poured down as she wiped and mopped tile after tile. She welcomed all questions with a possibility. If she's dead, what was her life like? How did she die? How about her family, or does she have one? Right now, she can't even distinguish lies from reality.

Thoughts filled Auden's head, which just added to her confusion. She couldn't wait to ask that stranger her questions again. She felt that he's the only one who can enlighten her, well, apart from being the only person she had a real conversation with.

She quickly fixed herself after putting back the bucket and mop. She craned her neck and spotted the stranger who dragged her this morning. She was even appalled that she let him do that. He came from the kitchen, wearing a white apron and hat. He might be the baker.

"Hey," she called while waving her hand towards his direction. Unlike this morning, people are fewer in number since it was almost closing. The long line of people was gone, but the tables are full enough to keep them busy even at the last hour.

She took a glance at his name tag the moment she came near him. "Noah, how did I die?" Noah looked around, assessing if someone was listening. "Let me walk you home. Wait for me at the front."

Auden did as she was told. She waited patiently at the front side. Her hands grew cold and her breathing fogs up the sky. She never thought that it would be this cold in the evening, unlike the warm breezy daytime. Crickets started to sing, and trees waved left and right. The moon was full, and stars were twinkling high and bright. If her thoughts could be as calm as the heavens, she would be grateful.

Few clock turns had passed before Noah joined her. In his hand was an envelope. "This is your document." She took it with cold shaking hands. Inside was a thin stash of paper. She heaved a deep breath before she took it out and shuffled through it.