20 YEARS LATER....LOCATION: Veridia
In the vast expanse of the inbetween, where billions of white souls danced in a circular pattern, Erika found herself amid the celestial choreography. It was a hauntingly beautiful sight, reminiscent of a dark night adorned with fireflies, creating a constellation of ethereal grace. Yet, despite the apparent beauty, a profound emptiness pervaded the inbetween.
These souls moved in a rhythmic dance, caught between realms. No joy, no sadness—just a surreal void. Those lost in the inbetween teetered on the edge of unconsciousness. The fortunate ones, if they woke, might seize the chance to inhabit a new body and begin life anew. But should a soul remain awake for too long, a ghastly fate awaited—dissipation into nothingness.
Erika, a soul lost in this cosmic dance, awoke but lingered in wakefulness for an extended period. In that time, she witnessed the dreadful cries of souls dissipating into nothingness after prolonged wakefulness. The terror of this fate gripped her, prompting relentless pleas for a different destiny.
Desperation enveloped her as she begged for a miracle. With each plea, her light intensified, but paradoxically, she felt herself fading away. Tears manifested, leaving her soul as an eerie testament to her distress.
On the precipice of succumbing to her perceived cruel fate, Erika's light reached an unprecedented brilliance. In that fleeting moment, she vanished, leaving only the echoes of her plea and the lingering question of what awaited souls in the enigmatic dance of the inbetween.
At a ball room party
An elegant woman descended the stairs, bathed in the spotlight's glow. Her ball gown cascaded gracefully, sweeping the steps as she walked with poise and elegance. Every step she took made the room quieter giving her all the attention. Her face was one of ethereal beauty captivating all who beheld her. With coffee black tresses cascading gracefully on her shoulders matching her umber mesmerising eyes framed by her small soft face with rosy alluring lips.However, the softness of her face contradicted the intensity of her dark, enigmatic eyes looking down on all who stood beneath her. Her name was Arabella Thorn. The second daughter of Oliver Thorn.
She reached the bottom of the stairs taking the outstretched hand of a man dressed in black without sparing him a glance.
The man had a tall figure with unique facial features that put many to shame and just like Arabella, his eyes and face were stoic but his was darker. His eyes were stone cold, devoid of warmth or emotion. They held a piercing and unwavering gaze, conveying an unyielding and unemotional demeanor that gave him an unusual sexiness and attraction. He was Benjamin Vanderbilt who is now in line to inherit his families fortune.
" Nice for you to save the first dance for your fiancee, my lady." He said but his voice wasn't ecstatic at all. "You mean this pathetic show I was forced to perform, you are welcome." The lady smiled but it did not reach her eyes.
They walked gracefully to the dancefloor under the spotlight, grabbing everyone's attention and leaving the dancefloor for them alone. The music began and they moved in rhythm. 1.2.3..1.2.3 they danced back and forth then around the dance floor. The couple looked into eachothers eyes as they moved. To on lookers they looked like passionate lovers but unbeknowist to them the couple were not comfortable hand in hand with eachother not to mention breath the same air as eachother. They could not wait for this to end.
When the music stopped, the crowd gave them a set of applause as they gave a slight bow at eachother.
"One more dance and its over." They both comforted themselves in their thoughts.
The music started and they began their next dance but this time they would be surrounded by other couples dancing on the dancefloor as well.
At the same time Erica's soul made her way to Arabella's body who started to lose her composure.
Arabella's legs grew weak and she fell to the ground disrupting the atmosphere. The music stopped and everyone quickly moved their gazes towards her. The servants rushed towards their lady but Benjamin stopped them from approaching her.
"Are you alright?" Benjamin knelt down to ask with his hands extended to help her up. " Yes, I am fine." She replied and took his hands to get back up but she fell again only this time Benjamin was quick to catch her. He looked into her eyes. He saw it glitch from black to white and his brows furrowed like he was familiar with what's happening .
Arabella's breathing became heavy and she felt her head pound heavily. Her body became numb like she has lost control over it and her lashes started to flutter slowly. She became aware of what was happening to her. "Its like...it finally got me." She said in a whisper only Benjamin could hear then closed her eyes allowing herself to be lost in her obscure fate.
Erika's eyes snapped open, and she was met with a hauntingly dark sight unlike anything she had experienced before. Her heart pounded ferociously with fear as she desperately searched for a source of light, her newfound phobia of the dark intensified by the scars left by the in-between. When she finally spotted it, a spotlight illuminated a puppet, hanging lifeless by threads. With cautious steps, she approached it.
As she drew nearer, she noticed blood dripping down the threads into the puppet, a sight that shocked her into silence. Her attempts to scream were stifled by the realization that her mouth was sealed shut—her lips were inexplicably gone. Panic surged through her, her eyes wide with horror and disbelief.
"What is happening to me?!" Her thoughts were chaotic, mirroring her tumultuous emotions. Her breathing grew heavy, her frustration worsening. "What kind of torment is this?" she wondered, sinking into despair as tears streamed down her face.
The drip, drip of blood echoed ominously in the darkness, adding to the haunting atmosphere. "Come closer," a faint whisper emanated from the puppet. "Please... come closer." The doll's voice was crackly and unsettling.
Erika hesitated, rooted to the spot with apprehension. "Trust no one or you'll end up like... Me!" the doll warned, revealing its faceless countenance oozing blood from every opening.
Erika finally found her voice and screamed in horror, snapping back to reality from this nightmarish ordeal.
Snapping back to reality, her visioned was blurred. Blinking a few more times to see clearly,she found herself in a bedroom. She looked at her surroundings and her eyes landed on the pair of hands sitting on her lap. She brought it up to feel her lips. "Ahh." Shock was replaced swiftly with relief when she heard a sound. She removed the covers from her leg and got down the bed. This place was unfamiliar but atleast it wasn't hauntingly strange compared to the other circumstances. She walked to the standing mirror feeling her toes in the softness of the rug. She saw herself but it wasn't her, it was an unfamiliar face. A smile slowly appeared on her face but tears slowly streamed down her cheeks. "What on earth is going on now?" Erika wondered if her nightmare still continued.
The opening of the door interrupted her thoughts and a boy walked in. He rushed towards her as soon as he caught sight of her. Erika just stared at him while he continued closing the distance between them.
The boy, upon reaching her, gave her a warm hug. Erika wasn't familiar with him and should probably reject this but the warmth from human touch left her longing for more. She slowly brought up her hands to reciprocate his hug but he suddenly pushed her away surprising her. The boy cleared his throat in awkwardness, "I just came to check up on you. It's nice to see you are okay." He clarified. But Erika caught the relief in his voice and just stared at him like a lost child.
"Are you real?" Erika asked him. The boy confused by her question replied,
"Yes. Are you okay?" He touched her forehead to check if she had a fever.
"Do you know who I am?" She asked another question.
"Ofcourse I do. Seems like your coma gave you amnesia." He said worriedly.
"Coma?" She asked again.
"Yes, you've been in a coma for almost a week now. I'll go get a doctor." He quickly walked out of the room to get the doctor.
Erika doesn't understand what was happening but hope was reignited in her. Could this be a chance at life after she met an uncertain end? If this was another chance to live then she'd embrace it
From the sudden darkness and finding oneself in the cold, haunting spaces of the in-between truly transformed her perspective on life. It was as if her previous existence had faded into shadow, leaving her to grapple with the unknown. Yet, emerging from that harrowing experience, she discovered a newfound appreciation for life—a determination to embrace each moment and seize control of her own destiny.
Now, she embraces this body with a sense of ownership and reverence. This body, once a vessel adrift in uncertainty, is now firmly under her command. She vows to cherish it with utmost care and love, adorning it with splendor as a testament to her resilience and newfound resolve. Each breath is a reminder of her strength and the beauty inherent in simply being alive. She has reclaimed her identity and embarked on a journey of self-discovery, determined not to let go of the precious gift of life that she now holds dear.
'I'll play you...Bella.'