Death is both haunting and fascinating in its mystery.
The air that filled her lungs smells heavily of jasmine and something else she was slow to process.
It lingers by your side, a shadowy presence that leaves your chest tight with unease. Whispering promises of eternal peace, it tempts you to let those heavy eyes fall shut. Just a timeless sleep, it says—a surrender so deep, you won't even know you've let go.
It lies.
Her eyes fluttered open as the view above her danced to focus. Beautiful and impressive drawings of the moon greeted her, with wolves gathered around it, their fur in different colors, arranged in a circle that represented a ritual.
The intense sleep paralysis that occurred shortly after she was able to open her eyes was numbing. But she was breathing easily.
Slowly, it felt like the weight pressing down on her chest was lifting away from her body. Her hands and toes no longer felt numb, and she could move.
Wait a second.
She raised herself into a sitting position on something that was softer than a normal bed. She blinked those eyes to see clearly, and she strangely felt so improper.
I should be dead.
Her neck moved sideways to make sense of where she was. It was a massive room and beautifully arranged like a function would take place in here soon. Scented candles were placed all around her. They were arranged beside a wall of flowers she didn't know existed. The candles also illuminated the strange patterns on the wall. The cursive writings in strange languages and of course, it cast a soft glow on the dark brown walls. The room itself was similar to a dome shape. It was not shaped like a typical four-cornered room.
Didn't I die?
If I did die, is this the afterlife?
''Oomph.''
She fell on the fall in a weak attempt to get off the strange bed that was overwhelmed with red, white flowers.
''Ahhh.'' A sharp cry rolled out of her red lips at the pain that seized her at her left rib. She turned to look at her legs and wondered why it wobbled when she wanted to stand.
What's wrong with you? Why can't you…wait a minute.
She brought those legs closer to examine it.
These are not my legs!!!! Who fucking took my legs and switched them with this straight pale ones?!!!
Her heart began to race wildly in her chest. She struggled to rise from the floor, trying to get up on her feet again.
Please don't be crippled…please don't be crippled….
She finally stood on her feet, but it felt so unlikely that she had to lean on a nearby wall. It was taking a lot of time to gain full control over them.
What is happening? What kind of afterlife is this when I can't even feel my legs?
She thought with heavy breaths and lowered her head to catch them. Extremely long white locks of hair fell all around her face like a curtain. She panicked as she grabbed them…speechless with her mind blown.
''What…what…what?''
Even her hands were not hers anymore! They were long, pale, and slender. But perfect. She ran her hands all over her body and noticed numerous major differences but couldn't really make a lot of sense out of it. Her eyes spotted a mirror near the enormous bed, and she walked toward it, using the walls for support.
The first thing that grabbed her attention was that her eyes were no longer those boring brown colors. They were blue. Icy and cold, but they sparkled like ice does when it meets with the littlest ray of sunlight. Her face leveled up from being ordinary to extraordinary. Well-structured but feminine.
What the…?
She gazed down at the rest of her body in awe. She was putting on a revealing dress that matched perfectly with her eyes. She had more curves in the right places and her breast was fuller and well-developed. She had straight legs that were also pale.
Charlotte fell back in horror. Not understanding how and why she died only to wake up in another body.
She gasped and turned on her heels to the door as she could hear the heavy sound of footsteps nearing it. Oddly enough, she could also hear the person's thumping heartbeats and stilled when something in her began to stir with pure joy.
She held her breaths when the person's footsteps paused at the door before pushing it open to step inside. Everything felt so strangely louder now.
Charlotte blinked her eyeballs rapidly when a man who was twice her height and body entered with a smirk.
He was heavily built, hairy and rugged. He was shirtless with many tattoos scattered all over his muscular body.
Charlotte stepped back when he closed the door, and he began to take predatory steps towards her. His dark brown eyes with an ugly line of scar around the left one assessing her body and seeing through the thin fabric. Charlotte grew self-conscious even though it was not her body. But still…who was this man anyway?
The grim reaper?
As he got dangerously close, she decided he looks nothing like the grim reaper they portray in her world.
Why is he coming close without stopping? Why am I here? Which way to the afterlife so I can escape here?
I don't like the way his eyes are more focused on my body.
He had her cornered close to an open window. The soft breeze of the night air is pushing through the transparent curtains. Snow fell heavily outside, behind her, as her entire body trembled like the bells inside a tambourine when the caveman drew near.
He gave her what she assumed was the ugliest smile in the world. His teeth weren't properly arranged and looked like they would be needing the serious help of a certified dentist. When he was so close enough that their bodies were almost glued together, he said, ''Mine.'' breathing softly on her face with an awful breath. Charlotte had to turn to the side to be able to breathe. Is taking care of one's teeth a crime in this strange world?
He grabbed a few locks of her hair and began to sniff on it hard. So hard to have the girl's heart beating loudly like a drum.
''What's wrong, my dear princess?'' He drew out in a low gruff. He saw how her pretty blue eyes widened at him.
Princess?
No fucking way.
''You need not shy before your mate, my little wolf…'' He gently grabbed her hands and pulled it down from her chest. Eyes darkening on the fullness of her breast. He smiled crazily again before bringing out his black tongue to lick his upper lips in the most repulsive way imaginable. ''…The long boring mating ceremony is over. Now is time to get to the real deal.'' He chuckled, causing her to flinch back.
''I promise,'' He leaned close to one of her ears, exciting nasty goosebumps all over her pale skin. ''To be as rough and as gentle as I can be. To make your first time memorable.''
What the actual fuck?
She desperately wanted to wipe that smile on his face. She needs to get out of here, if not from this bizarre world or dream, but out of this room as fast as possible. Unless, this beast before her might actually try something the genuine owner of this body might like, but not her.
So, with all the strength she could muster, she raised one of her hands to punch this beast so hard on his face. All the bones in that hand snapped, and the pain was indescribable but strangely bearable.
The beast didn't even move a muscle or show that her punch caused him even the smallest kind of pain. Instead, it triggered that smile on his face to grow darker, and it scared the living daylights out of her.
''I know you would also agree not to give a damn about being gentle.''
What the hell…?
She turned a bit to see the open window so close to her. It was big enough to size her body. She turned to the hulk leering at her like a hungry lustful dog and quickly kicked him so hard where the sun doesn't shine on.
That actually caused him a bit of pain and gave her just enough time to climb on the ledge of the window and prepare to jump.
''Ah,'' Hulk moaned behind her. ''You little brat of a pup…''
She jumped when he hurried towards her, not caring to see how high she was from the ground.
Charlotte screamed at the top of her lungs as she became one with gravity. She collapsed with a thud on a heap of snow following a sharp twist of her ankle. Luckily, that was the only bone in her body she lost from this great fall. She turned around to see hulk glaring at her from the window like he had been possessed. He turned around immediately and she gathered herself on her feet, not wanting to lie there in the snow for the hulk to reach her first.