In a white space that looked as if there was no end to it.
I stood in silence and started to look around me. Around me, there were a lot of people, some were old while others look like teenagers. I was studying the people around me when a voice suddenly says.
The voice said "Welcome, the souls of those who died first before the end of the world came"
The voice then began to explain where they were and what will happen to them.
At this place, the sinners got tormented "mildly" based on what it says. Before all the sinners will be put in hell, they will be tormented here first. One of us (the newcomers) asks
"When will the sinners be put in hell then?" he asked
Then 'It' answers
"The day the world end is the time the gate of heaven and hell are open"
"By the way, around a thousand or so of you newcomers are pretty rude, I'm not just 'It' or 'Something' although it is true that I have no names you can just call me 'The Guide'"
'The Guide' itself looks just like a human with an androgynous face. The guide's hair is so long that it should've touched the ground but for some reason, it just doesn't. It's like there's something that separates the hair from the ground.
(If that's all then people should've called 'The Guide' as he or she but why does those thousand calls 'The Guide' it or something? Well I will just think of it as he) I thought.
Then suddenly while pointing at me and a few others it said
"You, you, you, and you are pretty perceptive huh? It is true that to some of you I look just like how a human would look like though there would be some difference depending on how you view either angels, demons, or the grim reaper. On that note, some of you sure do have quite the imagination. Seeing me as some kind of ball with all those disgusting eyeballs…. I'm hurt you know."
Maybe because of what he said, one of the people asked
"Then why don't you just show your real form so that no one has to imagine you as what they believe in? I mean from my view you look just like an angel with wings and a really pretty face."
"Since I was created, my job is just to guide you humans that did a lot of good things to the place where they can just rest and wait for the end to come that is after they got punished for a few minor sins they did. Well, even the kindest of the saint will have to get a few months of punishment though."
*shrugs* The Guide says as he shrugs. He then continues.
"I mean every single human will have sin if they live their lives. Only babies don't get any punishment though. And for those who committed so many sins that their hands are drenched in blood either figuratively or literally…. Well, you know what will happen. And after I finished all of that I would pretty much never meet you, humans, again. Then why should I show my form?" –The Guide
"Wait, doesn't that just mean every single one here will have to be punished first before they get to rest properly and go to heaven? I mean I don't think I ever did something bad and I always helped others. Heck, I even donated so much to the orphanage! Why do I have to get punished too?"
"yeahh!! I never did anything bad in my whole life! Why do I have to get punished too?!"
"This is not fair!!!" the crowd around me began to protest The Guide one after another.
Suddenly, he raise his hands and clapped. His clap didn't produce any sound but all of the people who were protesting are restricted and can't speak anymore.
"Alright, that's it. It's always like this every time I explain this part. Do you hear me?! EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. All of you are confused, right? Why do you have to be punished even though you didn't do anything bad? Well just by having that thought itself is already a sin though? Are you familiar with the word the seven deadly sins? If I'm not wrong arrogance falls under pride right?? Just by you having the thought that you didn't do anything wrong that is already counted as your arrogance. So now do tell me are you really free from all sins or not?"
After that, he undo the restriction and the people who were protesting didn't say anything anymore.
"I will be honest with everyone here though. I am just a guide here and how you were judged was already decided by those responsible for judging. They just give me the list for the time and place of punishment for every single person here."
"Well then, let me take you to your place of punishment"
After he said that he began to walk away.
"Ah, I almost forgot to tell you guys this. Welcome to the place where the dead gathers
'Buffer Zone'
A bit of info though, the one who give this place that name is me. How about it? A good one right? It's a good one if I do say so myself."
He says as he patted my shoulder.
"Uhhh it's a bit…."-me
"What?! Even though I did my best to give this place a name…"
"Oh well whatever. Here's the place of your punishment for you, you, you, and you."
After he called me and another 3 people, he pointed at a door that suddenly show up in the middle of this white space.
"What's in there?" I asked
"It depends on your punishment. Though usually, we would have some talk first before we get into torturing you as punishment for all your sins. The sins that can be redeemed here at the very least."
"Now go in and have fun with your chat and punishment~" said The guide as he wave his hand with a smile on his face.
As we walked to the door, something weird happened. Even though all 4 of us reached for the door at the same time, it feels as if we were touching different doors at a different places. When I opened the door all I can see is black. Everything is black, and when I hesitated to go in I was suddenly pulled by an unknown force.
*plop*
As I fell in my butt, the whole scenery started to change from pitch-black darkness into a bedroom with a bed, sofa, and other daily necessities. The room feels so familiar, and soon I realized that this room is my bedroom. Before I finished processing what just happened someone spoke.
"A pretty good room if I do say so myself. You sure have good taste in furniture. A bit outdated though."
Suddenly, a figure with black eyes and grey hair with the same face as mine spoke while sitting on a fluffy black sofa.
(And here comes another shapeshifter….) I thought
"Ahahahah come on, you don't have to feel so bad like that. I'm just using your appearance because it will make you feel more comfortable" He commented as an answer to the statement in my mind.
"Which part of your brain makes you think that someone will feel comfortable speaking to their own doppelganger with a 180˚ difference in personality?! Huh?!" I snapped.
"Now now, relax…. Take a deep breath~~ Inhale~exhale~ come on you are already an old man why are you so excited like that?" he answered as he tried to make me calm down.
huuuuuffff haaaaahhhhhhh*
"Hold up! I'm already f*cking dead why do I have to take a deep breath??!!! And no! I'm not old, I'm only 67! In the first place, I only put on the old man in front of my disciple and adopted daughter Alice!" I answered while feeling indignant.
(Wait! Now that I think about age, how the f*ck did I die? If I remember correctly I just get back to my home after I finished a few jobs overseas after that I went to sleep… don't tell me that I died in my sleep? Shit, I didn't even get to say my will directly to Alice. Oh well, she's already old enough to take care of herself and make use of my inheritance correctly. Luckily I already left a letter in the drawer beside my bed. Even until the end I didn't get to have a child of my own huh…)
Feeling both relieved and gloomy, I started to look at the man in front of me. A black suit, loafers, grey hair, and black eyes. A face that looks like in his forties. As I focused my attention on his face suddenly he smiled, and then
"haha, hahahahahahahahaha" he laughed. He laughed so hard that his face is looking upwards.
"What's so funny?" I asked
"No, nothing it's just after I looked at you again I can't help but remember your cause of death and started to laugh."
Surprised, I started to ask him
"What do you mean you laughed because of how I die?! You shouldn't laugh at other's misfortune-"
"Says the one who always brings misfortune to his enemies."
Before I finished what I was saying he interrupted me and said that.
"Well, it is true that I always bring misfortune to my enemies, but I do bring so much fortune to those close to me. Well, enough about that and tell me how I died." I asked curiously.
"Are you sure you want to know how you die? It's not exactly a pleasant memory you know.
Wait, if you think about it that is pretty much a pleasant memory though.." he answered while speaking to himself a bit at the end, obviously letting me hear that.
"Whatever just tell me how I die."
"Well if you insist. By the way, do you want to hear it or do you want to see it?" he asked while smiling mischievously.
I thought that there are not many differences and I just say
"I will see it then."
"Don't blame me later okay, I already warned you~" he said that, and then he snapped his finger.
The scenery suddenly changed. No, it doesn't change there are just two silhouettes on my bed, and as it becomes clearer and clearer. I can make out the body of a woman and a man. Obviously, the man was me. What surprised me was the woman was Alice, my adopted daughter.
As it gets even clearer I can hear moaning, and the squeaking of the bed as the bed rocked so hard that it even makes one wonder why the foot of the bed didn't snap yet. Yes, right there on my bed where I slept every night. There is Alice, raping the unconscious me.
What makes me speechless isn't the fact that I died because of Alice, it's the fact that I died while Alice is doing me. Dumbfounded, I fell to the floor. My vision goes blank and I stopped thinking. It's like everything suddenly started crumbling and falling.