Chapter Two (Dead!)

 

CHAPTER TWO

                          

          Elizabeth had imagined far more imaginative things after her heart had ceased to the last beat. One consisted of, what she often called “cliché”, a place of cushiony clouds, the puffs so luxurious that someone could sleep on one and drift into dreams. There would be golden gates with intricate carvings of vines and doves, and there would be angels donned in silk, white robes and glittery wings that sparkled like a diamonds. They would be behind the gate to welcome her. Then there was the opposite; a hole in the Earth that coughed out fumes that made you vomit and flames that gave a devilish laugh and would consumer her and pull her down into the pit, falling to the core of hell.

          This “afterlife” was nothing she had even, remotely, thought she would be. She was tumbling and sliding down a series of chutes and slides that were spiraling with black and gray. Lights ticked here and there and Elizabeth’s voice began to croak under her screaming. Her nimble hands desperately skidded against the sleek moving slide in a desperate attempt to find a hook that could stop this unexplainable chaos.

          The chute dove down suddenly, wind screamed in her ears and pulled at her hair. The end of the chute was a spot of light; closing her eyes she let it swallow her… BOOM! Elizabeth found herself plucked into a roller coaster cart that sat quietly on a rustic track amongst a hazy mist. Her thoughts seemed to still be tumbling down the slides and chutes. All was quiet, all morbid in the sticky mist that draped itself against the cart. Elizabeth didn’t know what to make of all this; not sure where to go from here—where ever here was.

“HELL—HELLO!” bellowed a comical voice that broke the standstill. The cart began to teeter forward just as a man hopped onto the front of the cart that jolted into a high speed ride.

“Who are you?” wailed Elizabeth as her body rammed and banged inside the small compartment at every jolt and turn. The man gave a curtly smile that stretched from ear to ear across his round, cheery face. His eyes were small green orbs that were misty in warmth and his tan skin glowed and brightened the white, blurry atmosphere. His cheeks were rosy and his lips were perched in preparation to respond. He ran a hand through his chocolate curls before extending it to her with a commercial smile.

“I’m the Ringmaster and you are Elizabeth Nichole Meyer” Elizabeth gaped while she noticed his weird attire that confirmed his statement.

“How do you— never mind, what is going on?” she stammered loudly above the screeching and clanking of the roller coaster. He gave a hearty chuckle, leaning forward from his crouched position on the front of the cart. Elizabeth caught a glimpse of her horrified self in the reflection of one of his gold buttons on his boasting red jacket with the coat tails flapping wildly behind him.

“Well, I’m your guide”

“Guide for what? I don’t understand…”

“Ha Ha! You’re silly, your guide to your new home!”

“What!”

“Oh, wait… you have to sign this” he pulled out a thick pamphlet of papers that was scribbled with fine print, holding a quill of a black feather. He said, “Sign here… here” Elizabeth signed confusedly, an invisible force compelling her hand to sign and inflicting a sting on her forearm. She watched as her name was scrolled in red ink. “That’s it. Great, all is jolly good!”

“WAIT! I’m so confused… What’s going on--- I’m dreaming, huh? Weird dream” the Ringmaster gave a chuckle as he tucked the wad of paper into his jacket that had been a crisp, apple red but was now the color and fit of a decayed rose. Elizabeth gasped, now looking into the face of an old man; dark circles engulfed his bleak, dark eyes. His skin sagged and was worn to a ghostly white. His smile was not comforting and was tainted with a secretive pun.

“You’re dead”