The Afterlife Can Be an Unusual Place Series

Hello there dearest reader. Before we get started, allow me to introduce myself. My earthly name was Marcus Wade. I’m not entirely sure what the purpose of sharing my personal accounts with you is, but maybe I do it just because I can. You can make your own assumptions as you go, but I’d rather not go on a tangent for too long before the story. So, allow me to tell you about my experiences in the afterlife. I think they may interest you. Maybe things will change in the future, and if they do, I will continue to describe such experiences to you. For now, I present you with what I know and have seen as of now. Events which shaped my life after death and continue to do so.

I awoke, yet I did not remember falling asleep. Perhaps that is death, if you can even call the process in which I experienced death. Can something which never was truly alive be deceased? I ask that as a man without a family or a legacy to call my own. All I saw around me was nothingness. I say nothingness because there exists no language within the mortal world to describe where I found myself, and that was when I realized my worth.

I learned that I only ever amounted to all of which those who lived and died before me discovered, and my progression of thought and discovery would come to a halt once I discovered true omniscience. Yet, true omniscience was a fallacy. A myth created so the foolish people such as I would find themselves on a wild goose chase to self-proclaimed superiority rather than become progressive members of society. Sound pretentious? That’s because that was who I was as a man. So there I sat, unmissed by anyone, and totally unfazed by the fact that I was in the afterlife.

A state of clarity had washed over me once I found myself in this strange place. It was as if all my foolish were exposed and I was enlightened to the truth and the difference between right and wrong. Throughout my life, I was completely obsessed with learning as much as I could, so I could prove to those who doubted me I was better than they had assumed I was.

Now that I was dead, I could only be surrounded by thoughts and memories as my mind expanded further and I came to understand what I hadn't before. Fitting wasn’t it? As a man whose sole purpose was discovery and intelligence, this newfound knowledge could only be described as a euphoric feeling to me. Heavenly, if you will. Yes, this was Heaven. It had to be, for what else could possibly be concluded based on the information at hand?

I found myself uncomfortable at first. The sensation of being a sentient, yet disembodied was strange due to the amount of time I had previously spent as a living, breathing person, but I soon got used to my circumstances. I had all the time in the world to think, and so that is exactly what I did. I sat there for as long as I can remember, pondering over past events and actions. Some of them I took great pride in, whilst I kicked myself over my own stupidity when recalling others.

It felt like an eternity before I saw it. Some sort of bright light penetrated my vision, and I was finally able to see the world around me. A perfectly rectangular room, devoid of any furniture, was what I saw. I looked down and saw a hand. It was my own... I had seemingly regained my mortal body once more. The walls and floor of the room were in pristine condition, and everything appeared in a white coating of paint. In the center of the room sat a single white desk, where a large desktop computer sat mounted on top of it.

I slowly made my way over to the old-fashioned equipment and sat in the chair, pushing the power button to the computer. I heard the soft humming of the machinery as the screen faintly lit up, revealing a blue background screen and a single application in the center. I moved the mouse until the pointer hovered over the app, my curiosity at its peak. Then, I clicked twice and watched as a brand new page popped up in front of me, filling the screen entirely.

I watched as a plethora of dates and times appeared before my eyes, each accompanied by a video file. Unsure of what any of this meant, I clicked on the very first link. Upon doing so, a downloadable file appeared, which I opened. Much to my surprise, the download automatically started playing the video within it. I saw a woman in a hospital bed. The expression on her face was that of pain, and I heard her crying in agony as various doctors and nurses did their best to comfort her.

The woman was someone who I had recognized. She was... she was my own mother. After several minutes of her exasperated wailing, one of the doctors lifted up a small child, showing my mother as pride and joy filled her eyes. As soon as the video ended, the download file closed out and I was returned back to the original web page. For a minute, I was left speechless. Upon looking at the file more closely, I recognized the date on it as my birthday. Before me was every single important event in my life.

I took the time to watch a few of these videos, of course. Several birthdays of mine, my first girlfriend, my first few cars and homes. There were hundreds, if not thousands of videos detailing some of the best times of my life. I sat in awe as I watched the early days of my childhood replaying right in front of me. It was truly one of the most fascinating moments I had ever experienced. This fascination, however, was short-lived. Soon, I felt a new, much less pleasant feeling. One of disappointment and regret. I am referring to the events which took place in my life after my childhood.

Now, I had been aware of the poor decisions I had made in life before I found the mysterious computer room. In fact, it was some of those very memories in which I had pondered in my previous state. However, there is a large difference between recalling something and actually witnessing it again with your own eyes. For instance, when I had remembered my various arguments with my parents, the kids and teachers at school mocking me for my low intelligence and work ethic, the feelings associated with such events didn't shake me up as much as viewing my bullies and relatives berate me with insults, believing I would end up as a nobody or some hooligan on the streets.

Even more disheartening was that there were more download links involving the negative aspects of my life than there were positive ones. It is a sad fact of life that adulthood lasts far longer than childhood, and my adult years grew even more depressing as the slow, definite march of time continued. Still, there was nothing I could do within my afterlife except watch as my pathetic life devolved from the innocence of a child to the contempt of a grumpy man, so I continued.

When those closest to me had doubted my ability to progress at the rate of the other children, I personally took it upon myself to prove them wrong. As a young boy with very few friends or hobbies, such a task became my passion, and I spent nearly all my time with my nose stuck in any book I could get my hands on.

I completely ignored any other entertaining activity a boy my age would gladly partake in, even opting to study on my birthday and other fun events in my life. Thus, as my high school years started, I isolated myself from all distractions in order to prove myself capable of outsmarting anyone who dared doubt me. As you can imagine from someone like me, I considered people distractions as well, causing many relationships with the few friends and family I had to shatter completely. These were the years that marked the beginning of my downfall.

After reviewing my teenage years, I decided to move on. I clicked on the scrollbar and dragged it downwards, waiting a bit before stopping once more and selecting a new date. I was an adult at that point in time, and my studying and hard work had paid off. Well, paid off as far as financial security was involved. Despite being socially inept and losing most of those I cared for, I carried on with my anti-social tendencies until I found myself in a good college and got into a well-paying job. I had moved up the ranks rather quickly in the workplace, soon becoming a top-ranking supervisor who enjoyed commanding my orderlies around like they were dogs.

I sat in my chair in disbelief as I watched the smug grin on my face while I barked out instructions to colleagues and interns alike. The nerve I had to treat others such a way. Perhaps it was the afterlife and the newfound clarity and sensibility I discovered upon entering it that allowed me to see clearly the problems with my behavior. It also allowed me to see the scowls and rude remarks muttered under the breath of various employees who looked upon me in disgust. I had been blind to such things in my human state, but apparently, I wasn't anymore.

This behavior wasn't just common in the workplace, but outside of it as well. It wasn't long before the neighborhood came to realize my rather distasteful tendencies and steered clear of me altogether, to which I paid them no mind. It was my choice and mine alone to live a life of solitude, and for the longest time, I was known as the mean old man who lived at the end of the block.

I never smiled, nor did I ever laugh. The very few people who saw me outside of my house or outside of work only ever saw me with a scowl permanently sewn to my face. I didn't decorate for Christmas or Halloween. I didn't send or receive gifts or partake in the many activities within the community. If there was precious work to be done or information to be learned, I focused all of my attention on it.

Speaking of Halloween, I found a few video files around that holiday. I decided to watch some of them and found that even though I never had a single frightening prop out on my porch or yard, not one kid within the area would come near my residence. I actually found myself chucking at this fact, figuring their parents must have warned them about the scary old fart who would surely throw a fit should he be disturbed, regardless of the circumstances. My curiosity started withering away as I clicked on the scroll bar and continued downwards. It was at that moment that I realized I had almost reached the bottom of the page, and only a few downloads remained.

They were nothing special really. Just a few videos of me lashing out at some more people who dared commit the heinous crime of trying to socially interact with me. Yeah, I'm surprised I made it into heaven again in this first place. Then again, it was never made apparent where I was. As far as I knew it wasn't heaven, but just some random phase of the afterlife I found myself in. Regardless, I don't make the rules, nor will I attempt to understand them in a vain attempt to know everything. After all, why make the same mistakes in the afterlife as I did in the mortal world.

Now, the reason why my palms became sweaty upon nearing the end of the timeline is that, as you may have guessed, the final date was the date of my death. You also may have wondered why a spirit is choosing to spend time typing his recounting of life and death online, and the answer to that question is simple. I didn't have a normal life, nor did I have a normal death. I have to share what happened to me with you all simply because I feel obligated to do so. Maybe it can serve as a warning, or perhaps I feel the need to share because some things are simply too insane not to spread. Regardless, I'm already this far, so I might as well continue.

It took me quite some time to muster up the courage to download the final video. Despite mentally preparing myself for what was to come numerous times, I was still hesitant. I found myself out of the chair and pacing the room at one point, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm myself down. It seemed like hours before I was ready to witness the most important, and most upsetting, day of my life. The day which transferred me from the land of the living to that of the dead.

Summoning each ounce of bravery within me, I clicked the link and watched as the download opened and the video automatically played. I frantically chewed at my fingernails as I watched myself in my living room, sitting comfortably in my recliner chair. I saw the coffee mug in one hand and newspaper in the other as I did what I had always done best, absorbing all the information I could. The night was black as tar and the wind sung its soft tune. I could notice all these details and more as my eyes closely watched.

It felt as if I were experiencing the event in real time, except this time, unlike my human counterpart, I knew what the outcome would be. I knew that that living, breathing person who had been me would live their last day. A life would abruptly end and I would bear witness to my own demise, and it caused my skin to crawl, my entire body trembling. It was an eerie feeling indeed.

This video was longer than the previous ones. While the others had been just thirty seconds to a minute or two at most, this one was several minutes longer in comparison. I watched myself take a quick swig of my coffee and stand up, making my way to the kitchen. This version of me... a person who I had trouble conceiving was the exact person I am.

I.. I knew the noise was coming but I didn't realize it would come so soon in the video. The sound of glass shattering filled the house as the "alive version of me" turned quickly and grabbed a knife from the kitchen counter, slowly making his way back into the living room. I practically screamed at the monitor in front of me, begging myself not to do what I was about to. These efforts were fruitless, of course. If I could change the past I wouldn't be in my current predicament, now would I?

I saw myself flick on the light and stare at the broken glass window in confusion. There was nobody in sight, and I had relaxed my body due to a false sense of security. It was foolish, and although my relaxation was just for a split second, it was enough. A large man in a mask pounced from behind the wall, tackling me to the floor.

I covered my eyes, not wanting to see the massacre that was destined to unfold, but morbid curiosity forced tiny creases in between my fingers to allow peepholes. I had to see... I had to see. This computer allowed me a new perspective on what had happened in my life, and I just couldn't help but watch as the man wrapped his arms around my throat, seemingly unbothered by my futile attempts to defend myself.

I leaned back in my chair and felt my body tense up as the man forced his knee into my ribs trying to cease my efforts at escaping, his grip around my throat tight as ever. Finally, after an uncomfortable amount of silence, the man released his hold on me and got up, watching over my limp body. My face was pale and my eyes were bloodshot, an expression of surprise on my face. It was the first time I had seen any emotion besides contempt within me.

I let out a long sigh of relief as the video finally came to an end and the download closed out. I placed my hand on my throat and rubbed gently. It was almost as if I felt choked just by reliving my final moments on Earth. I got up once more, pacing the perimeter of the white room. I felt sick to my stomach at the prospect of the computer. I had access to any moment in my life at the click of a button, including my own murder. I took a seat in criss-cross position at one of the four corners of the room.

It could have been anyone who killed me in all honesty. I had lots of enemies. People who I showed disdain for returned such feelings. People in the workplace, people in the neighborhood. Hell, even what was left of my family at the time had felt deep resentment towards me. Funny enough, despite the heavy torment I faced at their hands in childhood, even when I solved their issues with me of being a stupid kid they didn't seem satisfied. In truth, I don't really regret cutting them off from my life. Sure, I regret leaving some of them. Quite a few of my cousins had always treated me with respect and dignity, however, I feel no pity towards any of the others.

When I went back to the computer and turned the monitor back on, I was immediately met by something curious. There, right next to the first app, stood another. It was a notepad with a title named after me. I looked all around me, looking for any other entities within the room. There was nothing. Not only that, but there were no entry points in the room either. No doors, no windows, and upon further inspection I found no sign of hidden hatches either. There was absolutely no way another person could have gotten in, leading me to believe that the app had appeared all by itself.

Realizing once more that I truly had nothing better to do, I clicked on the notepad and watched as the document opened. Several paragraphs of text sat before me. After reading the document, I realized that unlike the video files, it didn't detail the events which took place while I was alive. Rather, it was an article describing what happened after I died. I felt my eyebrows rise while my eyes scanned the screen, taking in the information presented to me. While I can't remember the exact words I read, I can paraphrase what they said.

In summary, after I died there were several suspects the police rounded up and interrogated. I recognized each of the names listed by the article as people I had come into contact with in life. My experiences with all of them were, needless to say, negative. In all fairness, there were plenty of people who would have the motive to murder me, but not a single one was found guilty. According to the article, all who were questioned were eventually released due to "insufficient evidence", although I found that rather hard to believe. Despite not wanting to believe it, a part of me felt as if the case wasn't taken as seriously due to my reputation around the community. Still, none of it mattered now. Not anymore.

When I moved past that part of the article, I found that the topic had shifted from the strange circumstances surrounding my death to the impact on my community. My house had been put on the market, but nobody would buy it. Apparently, nobody would buy a house where someone had been murdered. What had once been a dead zone during the holidays became a neighborhood attraction for some of the younger kids, especially during Halloween. It was at that moment during the reading that I froze, my face completely blank. It had been... years since I died. I placed my head in my hands and took several deep breaths, which did almost nothing to calm my nerves.

Then I continued reading the article, my breathe exasperated, I saw it expanding upon the previous point in the writing. Many teenagers would dare each other on the scariest day of the year, October 31st, to spend the night near my house or, in some cases, sneak in. Apparently, tales of my mean attitude and murder spread like wildfire upon my death, causing tons of ghost stories and rumors to be told around the campfire.

I found several more video files within the notepad, which I didn't even realize could be stored there, but then again, I had learned that I couldn't expect anything ordinary now. I downloaded the links and watched several videos of teens sneaking in and out of the house at Halloween. Some spent the night, while others got too scared to stay and ran home crying. I must admit, the house did look pretty creepy. It was unkempt and probably unsafe to stay in, with cobwebs covering the porch and the paint on the outside peeled and chipped.

The inside of the house, from what I could tell, wasn't in much better condition. It was completely barren of furniture and the floor was coated in a thin layer of dust. There were very few places in the home where light could be found, mostly due to the windows being boarded up. I watched a video of a rather timid-looking kid make his way up the steps to the second story, the stairs creaking every couple of seconds.

He looked all around, taking in his surroundings. He allowed the flashlight in his right hand to illuminate the room. With that, he layed out a sleeping bag on the cold hard floor. There were dozens of kids who had done the same. Eventually, the local authorities took notice and would often have a patrol car near my house during Halloween in order to make sure no kids were trespassing. Once again I was taken back by the amount of time that had passed since my death. Perhaps it had been longer than I thought.

Finally, the kids stopped showing up, and so did the police. I could feel my heart sink a little at that. Something about the fun the kids had, while juvenile, reminded me of the some of the fun I missed out on as a boy, and the fact that their fun was ending somewhat saddened me. I looked at the article and saw it come to an abrupt end, to which I closed the notepad and returned my gaze to the monitor home screen. Rubbing my eyes in fatigue, I felt the incoming sensation of sleep. I found it odd how I could feel sleepy in the afterlife, but I suppose it's pretty tiring to see what I had. I felt myself drifting off, and without much thought, I allowed sleep to embrace me.

I woke up the day after, or at least I think it was the day after. I had no concept of time within that white room, and I was disappointed upon waking up to find that nothing had changed. I was afraid that all the afterlife would provide me was contemplation in the form of this computer in front of me. Stretching my hand forward and gripping the mouse, I shook it a little to wake the monitor up. The background had changed from a purely blue screen to a black and white checkerboard style image.

Once again I looked around the room for any place someone could enter and alter the computer, only to find nothing again.

Shifting my attention back to the screen, I noticed one more item that hadn't been there the previous day. It was a folder, and upon opening it I found a page titled "Instructions". It was in an application which I was unfamiliar with, but I proceeded in opening it anyways.

Inside was a single link. Figuring there was no harm in clicking one more, I hovered my mouse above it. However, I hesitated. Something about this link seemed odd to me. This wasn't like the others and I knew it, but I had no idea how. Still... there was only one way to find out where it lead. Sighing, I tapped the mouse and opened the link. And once I did so, my vision went black.

For a single moment in time, I thought I had gone blind, and it terrified me. The white room surrounding me was gone and replaced with darkness, and for that split second I wanted to scream, but couldn't. I couldn't do anything really, and it was awful. I would say my heart was pounding against my chest but I couldn't feel my heartbeat, nor was I sure if I had a chest or body at all for that matter.

I couldn't feel my own existence. It was like for a moment I stopped existing within reality, becoming an abstract being. I didn't exist, yet I did. That's as best as I could describe that odd, terrifying sensation. As soon as it started it stopped, and I was snapped back into reality. I stumbled a bit and fell to my knees, gasping for air as I felt beads of sweat running down my face. It was amazing how alive and human I felt even as a spirit. My blurred vision finally came into focus and fixated on the floor beneath me.

The first thing that I noticed was that the floor wasn't white, meaning I wasn't inside the room I had become so familiar with. Instead, the floor was wooden and cold, coated in a thin layer of dust. I stood to my knees and looked around, taking in various features around me. Recognizable features which allowed me to easily identify the place I was in. It Download was my own house. It looked the same as it had through the videos I saw while kids searched through it. I saw the same boarded windows, heard the same creaking floorboards... yes, it was mine alright. I was confused as to why I was there, and I felt my heart speed up as I noticed where I was standing. It was the exact same spot as where my murder had taken place.

Feeling uncomfortable with where I was, I moved to the front door and placed my hand on the cold doorknob. I tried turning it but to no avail. The door wouldn't open. I looked down at the lock, only to see that it wasn't turned. I grasped the doorknob and frantically began turning, unable to exit the house. I rushed to the back door and found that the same thing happened.

I pushed up on the windows not boarded and found that no matter how hard I tried, they wouldn't budge. I was trapped inside my own house, with no way to escape. I pounded my fists on the door and screamed at the top of my lungs despite knowing damn well that not a soul in the world could hear me.

My body found itself slumped over in front of the back door, twiddling my thumbs and tapping my foot lightly. I took several deep breaths in an attempt to distract myself from my situation and tried thinking of some sort of solution. Why had what happened, happened? Why view my entire life in rewind and study my legacy after death just to be trapped in the very house I was killed in? It was madness.

I slammed my fist against the floor in a fit of rage and got up once more, clutching my head and violently pulling at strands of my hair. After several minutes spent in frustration, I allowed myself to settle down and explore my now abandoned home. I figured that there was no point in getting too worked up over it anyway.

I made my way up the stairs and down the hallway. Despite the second story being completely enveloped in darkness, I found it quite easy to see and navigate, as if I had my own set of built-in night vision. At the end of the corridor was a door to my room. There was something odd about it, and it wasn't a subtle type of odd either. A fluorescent glow emitted from within the room, shining brightly through the cracks. I made my way towards this glow and, much to my approval, I found I was able to open the door.

Upon entering I realized that glow coming from a computer screen within the room. It was my computer, inexplicably clean and in the same spot it had always been despite the rest of the house being bare. I lifted the computer and realized that a fine layer of dust say underneath where the computer was, which should have been impossible had a solid object truly been on top of it. I had realized that this wasn't my computer, but something provided to me as a tool. It was my very own resource and I found that it came equipped with apps and an internet connection.

I couldn't explain this at all... but something was allowing me to communicate to the outside world. What seemed like a blessing in disguise, however, would turn out to be my only way to share to you this story and what follows. It wouldn't turn out to be a convenient device as a gift, but a way to retell the painful experience that is to follow,

The other thing I noticed about the computer was the date and time. Wondering what time and day it was, I looked, only for my eyes to widen. The date was October 31st.

It was the morning of Halloween, and it was then that I realized my presence within my house was no coincidence. I was meant to be here, on this very night. I remembered my thoughts in the past. If you recall, the kids within the neighborhood would gather around my house at Halloween, each daring each other to enter the old abandoned house where a murder took place years ago. I wondered, however, about the police, until I then recalled their absence recently as the teenagers died down. I then realized that because of the lack of law enforcement specifically in front of my house, there was a possibility that they would be back and enter once more.

A smile grew onto my face as I realized that my dismay upon hearing these kids and their mischievous fun would come to an end would now be invalidated. My smile only grew wider at the prospect that perhaps I would be able to help these kids have fun and do their fair share of devious acts, seeing as how I was too foolish and full of myself as a young lad to do so myself, thus losing part of my very childhood. Yes, I understood my purpose. I was to haunt the very house I was killed in. While that idea might have sounded very unsettling to the average man, I was excited to relive a part of my life I missed out on.

I peered out into the brightly lit road and observed the houses in the distance. Many cheap Halloween decorations adorned the neighborhood, and I saw a few young kids board a bright yellow school bus. I had the whole day to prepare for the night to come. I chuckled to myself. They had no idea what they were in for.

As the sun withdrew from the sky and fell below the horizon, I saw dozens of kids running out of their homes, candy bags gripped tightly within their hands. They skipped and galloped down the road with plastic masks portraying witches and ghouls and all sorts of creatures of darkness. To each house in view, they approached with glee and knocked upon the doors. They laughed joyously as candy was emptied into their bags and moved onto the next houses. None of them stopped at mine though.

The evening progressed, and the night grew darker. The moon stood high in the night sky and provided a comforting light in every direction. Many of the younger kids had gone home by that point, and only a few teenagers remained. My heart fell as a thought formed in the back of my mind. What if nobody tried staying the night? What if they were too afraid of police confrontation to take the risk?

I didn't want to believe it. This was my chance to make up for my failure in life and help those currently living. Yet, I wouldn't get that chance, would I? Figuring the night was a failure, I laid down on the floor and placed my arms under my head, resting my eyes. I allowed my body to relax and breathed out deeply. Did you know spirits can dream? I didn't, but I know now. I found myself lucidly dreaming that night, sitting within my old recliner chair. Well, it wasn't me who was sitting. I couldn't quite see who the person was because their face was hidden behind the newspaper they held. I approached them slowly, clearing my throat and tightening my fist. I placed my hand on the top of the paper and pulled it down, attempting to find out who the man was. Then, I jumped back, startled and afraid.

There, sitting in the recliner chair, sat a large man in a mask. He threw down the paper and leaped to his feet, approaching me with surprising speed. I fell backward and hit my head on the wall, and I watched in terror as his hand opened and wrapped around my throat, choking me.

I struggled for air as my face turned blue. My lungs felt as if they were on fire, and I scraped and clawed at the man's arms and face, attempting to sink my nails into his skin and draw blood. Trying to do anything I could to free myself of his grip.

I couldn't. I was too weak to stop my assailant, and I felt myself slipping. I felt the veins bulging from underneath my skin as my eyes became bloodshot. It felt as if they would pop out from the sockets. It felt so real... as if I would die once more. I was reliving my worst moment. Every second of it, I felt. It was all so familiar to me. The furniture around the room within my dream had been knocked over in the struggle, and here I was, death slowly approaching me.

Of that entire ordeal, the most horrifying moment to me was when my entire body went limp, yet I could still see. I could still see, breathe, and feel. I was conscious and aware, trapped inside of a dead body. I was completely and utterly out of control, like a session of sleep paralysis. I watched as the man released me from his grip and stood over me, admiring his work. I witnessed him slip his fingers underneath his mask, pulling upwards. What I saw underneath that black, foreboding mask will forever be ingrained into my mind for eternity.

It was me... it was my face. I saw it clear as day. My skin was pale and slightly blue. The eyes were bloodshot as they had been upon my death, and worms wriggled around through open holes and wounds caused by the process of decay. A mixture of mud and grass filled the thing's mouth, leaving little to no room for the being to speak. I struggled to comprehend what was happening as the figure grabbed a black shovel seemingly out of nowhere.

The monstrosity moved out of sight and I heard the sounds of wooden floorboards being removed. As soon as the thing was done with that task, I heard the sound of dirt being removed from the ground. Within minutes the creature was done with its job and lifted me with superhuman strength, tossing me into the hole it had just made.

My screams were muffled by my inability to open my mouth as the thing shoveled the dirt on top of me. As the earth filled my makeshift tomb, my sight was lost. The last thing I heard was the faint laughter coming from the creature that had reenacted my murder. A creature that appeared to be me, but wasn't...It was jeering me.

I sat up abruptly, drenched in my own sweat and tears. I shifted into a fetal position, rocking back and forth while a million thoughts rushed through my mind. What the hell just happened? Did I really see what I thought I had? There was no way in hell it was real... any of it! I shivered and shook and I just couldn't sit still and nothing made sense. That nightmare had shaken me to my core and I wiped my forehead. I hadn't felt that type of fear since the date of my death. I thought there would be nothing to fear after death, but I was wrong. Maybe nothing can hurt or kill me anymore, but the memories and nightmares which plague me will remain forever.

Not only would my murder dominate my dreams completely, but I wondered, and feared, whether my regrets in life would as well. I wondered if the loneliness I experienced at my own hand would eventually get to me. I felt tears well up within my eyes as I struggled to find a reason behind any of this. I hadn't a clue why and I may never have a clue. The afterlife is supposed to be eternal bliss. The sweet release of death was supposed to help liberate us from the problems of life but they seem to follow us into death.

Perhaps it is a blessing, or perhaps it is a curse. Would I be able to feel happy if such feelings and issues didn't follow us? This truth will forever elude me most likely, but it is something I feel the need to ponder. Yes, it is quite ironic that I do perhaps even more thinking here than I do in life. However, over time I have come to believe that our motivations and intentions behind our actions determine their effect and morality. I myself am a good example of this.

The computer provided to me allowed me to write down notes such as these for further contemplation in the future, as well as reflect on ideas in the past. The Halloween night I described earlier happened about two years ago. After that night, I found myself trapped within my own house until the following Halloween. Luckily enough for me, time seemed to progress faster than it normally would until that day. The house seemed to be pretty devoid of activity until that Halloween though, so I myself had to find entertainment in other activities such as, well, writing.

I wrote about my experiences within the computer, this being one such story, and it keeps me sane. I suppose that's another reason why I was presented this hunk of junk replica of my past life laptop. It's a good way to be active and kept up to date while in the very confined world I live in.

The nightmares I had kept on coming. I'd say they occurred about once every week or two. Some of them were harsh, such as the one where I had to live through my murder again. Others weren't nearly as bad but still caused me to feel sick to my stomach, such as witnessing several life-changing moments in which I pushed family away. Such dreams confirmed my theory about certain moments in my life full with negative connotations coming back to haunt me.

I was convinced for some time that the nightmares I had were, in part, punishment for my actions in life as a cruel and negligent man. However, nothing else in the afterworld really seemed to back up this idea, so it is just another theory of mine for now. There are still many questions I have that I am unsure how to answer, so I may seem uncertain a lot of times. In truth, life after death doesn't truly answer our questions about the universe. I've no clue if this experience happening to me is similar to other spirits. Thus, with no comparison to offer, I cannot offer with certainty that events such as this will be similar to others.

When last year's Halloween arrived, I was filled with hope once more. It was a promising day, and I would pray that someone would dare enter my home. Again I saw the kids in their plastic masks and neat costumes skip down the road for a night of trick-or-treating. Just like every year before, they would go up to a neighborhood house, knock on the door, and joyfully accept their delicious treats. The night went on, the kids got their candy, and they all avoided my house once again.

A frown formed on my face as I lost hope, realizing that it would be another boring Halloween for me. I hung my head low and made my way over to my spot on the floor, lazily sitting with my legs spread out haphazardly. I leaned my head against the wall and listened to the sounds of the children's fun dissipate. The moon had risen once more, and the children made their way back to their homes.

Breathing out slowly, I prepared to fall asleep once more. Well, until I heard a strange noise outside the house. I opened my eyes and shifted my head toward the back door where the sound originated. I saw several shadows moving around outside the window, soft murmurs accompanying the motion.

I sat up, my interest peaked. Could it be what I thought it was? Could it be what I had been hoping for all those years? I got my answer in the form of the window near the back door sliding open and a small boy stealthily making his way into the house. He couldn't have been more than 15 years old.

I smiled wide as I stood and made my way over to the boy. Finally, a new risk taker! As expected, he apparently couldn't see me. The boy clicked his flashlight on and methodically traversed the house, jumping at every small creak and groan the old house made. I could see his skin crawling, quite uneasy in the rickety old place.

Smirking mischievously to myself, I gently knocked on the wall next to the boy, causing him to jump in fright. He made his way out of the room and towards the bottom of the staircase, looking up into the darkness beyond. I made my way besides the boy and scratches the wooden walls, which got a clear reaction out of the kid.

"H..Hello? Is anybody in here," he whispered softly under his breath, somewhat unsure.

I remained silent as a dead man, not wanting to chase the poor kid out of the house too quickly. This was my first haunting after all, and I didn't want to ruin it. The boy allowed his light to shine up the stairs as he made ascended to the second story, each bump within the night causing him to noticeable wince. I followed him upwards, passing through his body at one point which caused him to shiver. Once he reached the top, he made his way down the long corridor and to my room. Before he could reach the handle, I opened the door ever so slightly, beckoning to him.

"Heh... it's just the wind. Don't be a wimp man, you can do this," the boy spoke to himself.

As he shined the light around the room, I snuck behind him and stood silent, grinning ear to ear. When he turned around to face me, his face turned completely pale. This confused me, so I turned around to see if anything caught his eye. There was nothing. Looking back, I stared directly into his eyes. He stared right back into mine. He could see me. I didn't know how, but suddenly he could see me.

He backed away slowly, lip quivering and his eyes as wide as humanly possible. Then, he abruptly released a blood-curdling scream and runs in the opposite direction. I follow quickly as the boy rushes down the corridor. Apparently, he didn't pay attention like he should have, because I heard a shrill cry before the sound of a body tumbling down the stairs echoed throughout the house, followed by a sickening crack.

I rushed down to the boy, my mouth agape in pure shock. There, at the bottom of the stairs, sat the body of the boy. His neck was turned in an unnatural position, clearly broken. His eyes were wide open and unmoving, and his chest was completely still. He wasn't breathing at all. He... was dead.

I had to sit there and watch as the paramedics and officers took the child's lifeless body away. The crushing weight of guilt caused tears to form within my eyes, and soon I found myself crying. I had never intended for something like that to happen, and I will never get over it. My perception of time seemed to drastically slow down after that event. I wrote down that event into my computer, my mind unsure of what to think.

This guilt has been weighing me down for some time now. Of all the awful experiences I have had, both in life and death, this tops them all. I am a murderer, and nothing will change that now. Whether this was an accident or not is inconsequential. The blood is on my hands, and I can't help but wonder about the boy's family and how they must feel, even to this day. It tied a knot in my stomach just to think about it, and it always will.

A while after those events happened, I found a new application on my computer. It was nothing that I had ever downloaded, nor was it something anyone else could have placed there. It reminded me of what happened in the white room on the other computer, so I immediately knew something crazy would happen. Sure enough, upon opening it up I saw a list of download links to videos. The same videos that were on the white computer, in fact, each and every one identical to their counterparts. There was, however, one video that I didn't recognize. One placed directly after my death date on the timeline.

My eyes widened as I read the date underneath the download link. It was Halloween... the same day I had caused the death of the poor boy who entered the house. I already knew what the contents of the video would be, and watching it only confirmed my suspicions and made me sick to my stomach.

That night is all that I can think of any more. There seems to be no more room for any sort of contemplation, aside from what I could have done differently. All I can ponder now is if there was something that could have been done to mitigate this entire mess... if a mess is even an appropriate term for this. Now, I wish that I could stop thinking altogether.

A child died within the house, and word spread quickly throughout town. The police will be sure to be on top of this place again, but the truth is that I'm stuck here forever, until further notice. If kids don't try sneaking in again soon, they will after the fuzz dies down. Someone will come in, and I'm deathly afraid that there will be another accident someday. I will feel that way until the end of time... or until whenever this damn house is demolished.

I'm not sure what I will do when that time comes, but this afterlife is slowly shaping into a hell far beyond what I had imagined. I type this to you now because in a life and death of eternal torment, nightmares, and guilt, it's all I can think to do.

There is nothing else for me, so perhaps this account of my life and afterlife will hold some value to you. Whatever the case may be, wish me the luck I so desperately need. Maybe in time I'll forgive myself and move one, but I don't know. I don't really know anything anymore. I just hope the kids stay away from this place. All it has to offer is bad news. Take care now, and be safe this Halloween.

Please don't do anything stupid.

---

Okay then... where do I even start?

Things have been crazy since my last update, and that means a lot coming from a person from me. I'm pretty sure this house I'm in is going to torn down soon, and once that happens, I'm not sure what I'll do. I suppose I'll try to focus on the present for now before I concern myself with the future. I'm going to attempt writing to the few people who might find this story. I'm in a bit of a rush, as there is much to explain in so little time.

If you are up to date with the story so far, you may know of my concerns about the coming Halloween. As it turns out, these fears were almost completely unfounded. Perhaps my dread of what was the come blurred my vision at the time. Thankfully, law enforcement kept close watch of the property, not allowing any trespassers to find their way into the house. I wish that it ended that way. I wish I could say nothing else happened and all ended well. Unfortunately, you wouldn't be reading this story if that was the case.

Would you believe me if I told that my entire existence would turn out to be stranger than it ever had been before? Would you believe me if... if I told you that it has been a couple of months since I last updated you on my predicament, despite the technology in front of you saying otherwise? I've been stranded in this house with only my mind to keep me company, and the seclusion has been tampering with my mind. I'm not even sure what's real and what isn't.

I chuckle at how drastically different I think and feel between this story and the last. It must be odd to you to see me like this. I'm a bit flustered right now in all honesty. I swear that there is something out there watching me. I don't think it's a being. It seems like an abstract force of nature, and that's all I can think to describe it as. Certain things just don't add up, and I'm not sure if they ever will. Still, I'm hungry for answers which seem unattainable at the time being. It's almost like an itch I can't seem to scratch.

Perhaps I may have seen this coming all along. The strange occurrences that seem to happen out of nowhere. The computer incident in its entirety, my entrapment in the house. Things like that don't happen without reason. No matter how wonky this afterlife can be, there must be someone or something maintaining the rules of this place, right? It can't all just be a big coincidence I have the power to type to you guys either. There has to be a meaning behind it all and thinking of all the possibilities drives me crazy. I have found myself staring up at the ceiling in deep thought, pondering for hours at a time about my situation.

I remember on Halloween night watching the police cars outside the house, making out men in uniform walking by through the tiny slits within the barriers attached to the windows. They stood menacingly, glaring at every child who passed by. Not a single meddler stood a chance of entering the property, so I knew I could relax a bit and try keeping my mind occupied. One of the best ways to keep boredom at bay is browsing the internet, but this night would be different. Upon sitting on the wooden chair and looking at the monitor, I found myself rolling my eyes at a familiar, rather annoying sight to see. There was yet another app on the screen which I had never seen before. I stared at it, not moving a muscle. I slowly moved the pointer to select it but stopped once I found myself hovering over the application.

I leaned back in my chair and placed my hands on my head, looking upwards. There was no way in hell I was going to open the app. I looked down at my palms, watching them twitch slightly. My eyebrows shifted as I stood up and walked to the door, slamming it shut. I marched downstairs and leaned against the wall, closing my eyes and breathing deeply. Why the hell would I open it? Why would I repeat the actions that lead to the death of a child, and forced me into seclusion?

Time seemed to come to a standstill that night. I constantly found myself checking the clock, sitting on the staircase. I found it hard to think clearly about anything, my mind occupied with the trauma I recently experienced. If you have ever been in a situation like mine, you'll understand my state of internal turmoil. That Halloween night, I sat with tears staining my face, curled into a ball on the hardwood. This was nothing new to me... I had been doing that since last Halloween. I guess I'm not exactly the best at coping, but it's hard to move on when only your thoughts can keep me company.

Before you ask, I have tried to contact the living over the internet. I have tried to email relatives, send messages, and even enter various facetiming services. I can't seem to connect to those at all. I am confined to certain parts of the internet where my existence can be kept under wraps. This only further proved my theory that there were indeed rules to this place, and something was seemingly controlling them as it pleased. However, my greatest evidence towards this presented itself as sleep overcame me.

Ironically, my dreams had been vacant despite the vast amounts of pain and guilt I had been through. As soon as my mind plunged into restful darkness, I would sleep rather peacefully through the entire night, worn out by the tears I've shed. That night, however, was different. The first thing I saw after passing out was a room of pure darkness. It took a while for my eyes to adjust, but I soon began stumbling around until I felt my fingers touch the surface of the wall. I allowed that surface to guide me around the room until I felt a switch, and then I flicked it upwards.

The room was immediately flooded with bright lights, the sudden shift forcing me to shield my eyes with my hands. After a few seconds, I let my eyes get used to the light and surveyed the area around me. I was greeted with the sight of hundreds of wires spreading out across the floor. Various large monitors adorned the walls of the room, and in the middle of it all was a single white computer, each and every wire entering it from its countless ports. I recognized the computer as the same one within the white room where my story truly began.

I approached the computer cautiously, fully aware of my movements within the dream world. In retrospect, that may have been the second lucid dream I had ever experienced. I allowed my fingers to curl around the chair in front of the desk, my ears perking up with each mechanical sound that occurred within the room. As I began sliding the chair out to take a seat, I felt something on my shoulder. It was a hand... slowly pulling me backward. My heart stopped and I froze, unsure what I should do. The fingers on my skin were cold as ice, and they longer and larger than what any normal human could ever possess.

I winced as the hand owner's equally chilly breath stung the back of my neck, causing my hairs to stand up perfectly straight. I took a deep breath, telling myself over and over than it was all just a dream. Whatever was behind me wasn't real, and nothing it could do to me could hurt me in the long run. Clenching my fist tightly, I turned and laid my eyes on the thing behind me. I jumped back a bit upon seeing its face. A single eyeball was unnaturally placed into the things head, almost as if it was lodge in there rather than grown. It had no mouth, no hears, nor did it have any skin. It was a being of muscle and bone, the only actual tissue being the hands which it had used to touch me.

I backed away from the figure, staring at it with bewildered eyes. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. It towered over me menacingly, shuffling forward periodically until I found myself pressed against the desk. It leaned over and stared at me with its large eye, seemingly studying me. Without notice, I felt a searing pain in my ribs. I screamed out loud and looked down, only to find that one of the creature's bony appendages had been jammed into me. I was only able to watch in horror as the bone was dragged upwards, further tearing at my flesh. Several agonizing cries were emitted from my throat. I couldn't even recognize my own voice amidst the shrill cries, for they were almost animal-like in nature.

I looked upon the monstrosity before me, my heart slamming against my chest. My lip quivered as the beads of sweat ran down my forehead and onto the ground, mixing with the pools of crimson blood. My legs wobbled, and I collapsed to the ground, completely helpless. Several inhuman grunts and gurgles were made by the foul creature before it picked me up and threw me in front of the computer. It pulled me by my hair and forced my face in front of the computer screen, making me watch as a single app sat within my vision. It was the same app I had neglected to open earlier, and it consumed the entire screen. The creature leaned in and practically pressed its moist lips against my ear, whispering ever so softly in a hoarse, inhuman voice.

"Open it Marcus"

"Open it Marcus"

"Open it Marcus"

These words repeated for what felt like an eternity, each syllable dragging on forever. No matter how much I struggled, the creature's grip was too strong, and I could not escape. The words echoed within my mind, the whisper becoming louder and louder until it felt as if my eardrums would burst. It came as a shock to me that, as soon as I thought I couldn't take it anymore, the voice suddenly became silent. I fell to the ground as I realized that I was no longer being held in place. I spun my head around, only to find an empty room behind me.

I arose and dusted myself off, holding my head in pain. A throbbing sensation within my cranium was all that I could truly focus on for a while before I was able to return my vision to the computer. I stared at the app and read the text underneath it. As it turns out, the file was now titled "Open_Me_Marcus."

I woke up soon after that, and the very first thing I did was rush to my room. I threw the door open and stepped inside, hastily approaching the computer and turning it on. I impatiently tapped my foot on the ground as I waited for it to boot up, and once it did, I was greeted with the home screen. Right in the very center of the monitor was a familiar sight. A single application. I'm sure you already know what its title was.

By this point, my heart was beating at rates I hadn't previously thought possible. It was then I knew that something wanted me to open the app, and all of my theories about some type of force controlling my experiences did in fact exist. There were certain rules I had to follow, and if I didn't follow them, I would be punished. I had little to no control over my destiny, and this realization caused me to strike the desk before me with great force. What had I done to deserve such treatment? Could my "crimes" within the mortal realm really have been so terrible as to warrant a punishment like this? I kicked and punched everything within sight, repeating various swears and curses out loud.

It took me a while to settle down and catch my breath. There is a certain point where you lose control of your body and mind once you are angry enough. It took me several dozen minutes of rage-induced destruction across the room to finally come to my senses. I viewed the clutter and mess I had made and took a long, deep breath, somewhat relieved to have gotten my energy out. This form of retaliation would be useless to stop whatever was happening to me, and I knew it. I also knew what I had to after these events, because even in my state of anger the computer remained unharmed. I peered at the screen before sitting down in the chair and gripping the mouse. I hovered the pointer over the app, closed my eyes, and double-clicked.

I opened to eyes to be met with a blue screen in front of me, followed by several seconds of the flickering of a strobe. Strange sounds were produced by the machinery. and then the monitor faded to black. It proceeded to restart and reopen itself. Then, the home screen came into view, followed by a white text box with a blue link in it. Clicking the link opened the browser app to a seemingly unlisted YouTube video with zero views. The video began to play, and I squinted to get a better view of what it contained due to the poor lighting of the recording.

From what I could make out, a silent cameraman was walking down a street in the dark. Despite the poor lighting of the video, the quality was stunning, and the video was capable of running at 1080P. It was because of this that I was able to identify a bright neon sign the camera passed by. I paused the recording and looked closely, trying to discern the words on the sign. It appeared to be a street name. I won't release it of course, but I can tell you that my eyes widened as I realized that it was my street.

The camera passed by a few more houses before coming to a stop and turning to the right. The camera focused on a large house in front of it. I gasped under my breath as the lens zoomed in on the familiar structure. It was at that moment that my breathing came to a standstill. I rose from the chair and slowly made my way to my bedroom window which gave me a full view of the front yard. I didn't see a single person out there except for a patrol car parked nearby. I returned to my seat and continued watching the footage. The video now showed my front door, completely ajar.

Once again, I leaped out of my seat and rushed downstairs, only to find nothing there. The door was still closed, and there was nobody outside. I had thought that the YouTube video I was watching was a live stream of some kind, but it turns out it really was just a recording. I shivered at the thought of someone recording themselves within my own home before returning upstairs. Thinking about the connection between the video and whatever was making my experience in the afterlife the way it was, I realized that it was more than likely that the cameraman wasn't a human at all, but something else. I stopped dead in my tracks. Could it be... the thing keeping me here? I already knew the video had some relation to the theory about my predetermined fate, but could the camera operator be that very force? There was only one way to find out, and so I returned to the video.

The recording showed the cameraman ascending to the second story of the house. I didn't notice it at first, but not a single stair on made a sound. The footage transitioned to my bedroom door. Once more the doorknob was in full view, yet the door opened without being touched. I instinctively turned my head to look behind me, only to find nothing there at all. The camera operator then approached my desk, and for the first time in the entire video, I got a glimpse of the person's body. An arm extended and opened one of the drawers attached to my desk, placing something inside. I couldn't see what the object was, because it was just out of view of the camera. Once the operator was done with its task, it turned around and exited the room, the footage cutting to black.

I closed the tab and found my eyes wandering to the drawer shown within the video. My curiosity had reached its peak now, so I gave it a slight tug until it opened. I stooped down and peered into it, looking for anything conspicuous that could be in there. Let's just say... it wasn't hard to find. Let's also say that when I did find it, I launched myself back and placed my hand over my heart, vainly attempting to breathe as my lungs seemed to collapse in on themselves. There inside of the drawer, was a black mask. The same black mask my attacker wore on the fateful night of my death.

I simply could not comprehend what had happened, it showed as my breathing became exasperated and my legs felt liquified. Sudden realizations soon hit me as I sat there on the floor, shaken to my core. The windows weren't boarded up in the video. The house looked in better condition than it was now, and the inside of it seemed decent. That recording... was taken before my murder. But how the hell did the cameraman sneak into my house like that? Millions of questions rushed through my mind as I struggled to think of answers for each of them. In my state of panic and hysteria, it took me a while to really get to the important ones I should be focusing on.

Who is the camera operator? Why would he put the mask into the drawer if he was just going to use it later during my murder. The timelines simply didn't add up in my mind. If the cameraman was my murder, why would he sneak into my house, sneak out again, break into my house and kill me, and then sneak back in before the police arrived but after I died just to put the mask in the drawer? Nobody in their right mind would do that, it simply made no sense. It was almost as if the person did it just to mess with me, like it knew all of this would happen and I'd see this specific recording in the... it was if it knew that my afterlife would be this way and made the video to torment me.

My beating heart and fast breathing suddenly stopped as I found my eyes wide open, unblinking. The unlisted video introduced to me by the app, the nature of the video, and the mask inside my drawer specifically for me to find once I was dead. There appeared to be a clear and distinct connection between the man who was presumably my murderer and the force controlling my afterlife. As my mind wandered to these almost outlandish possibilities, a single horrifying thought entered my brain. What if... my murderer and the force controlling my afterlife are the same?

I shuddered at the very idea. My killer tormenting me in the eternal afterlife is a horrifying thought. Him pulling all the strings, torturing me mentally and physically. That possibility would answer some of the questions I had about what was happening to me. It would explain why I experienced so many nightmares and horrific scenarios in death, why I was plagued with the awful memories of my life, and why the murderer was never found by the authorities. It would be impossible to capture someone like that, wouldn't it?

I advanced toward the ski mask and extended my arm. My fingers grazed the black fabric. It felt moist... very much so. I picked it up and looked it over. I don't know why, but I was intrigued. I felt an attraction to the object. A strange sort of aura surrounded the mask, causing a shift in the air. Everything in the background seemed to fade out of view, and then, out of some sort of inner instinct within me, I put the mask on.

The dark material blinded my vision for a moment. I slid the mask down until my eyes were matched up with the eyeholes. and then I was able to see the area before me. It wasn't my home. In truth, I had no clue where it was. Everything seemed completely different. Before me was a barren landscape where broken down houses stood, charred by fire. The sun had set, and the moon had risen, its glow revealing the chipped road leading down an abandoned street, every sign in the distance dull and faded.

I ripped the mask off and looked around, back in my room. The place I had previously been was gone. What... the... hell. I stared at the mask longer, completely bewildered by it. What had I just seen? I carefully put it back on, intent on seeing the devastation once more. Sure enough, I saw what I had seen previously. Chaos flooded my vision.

I trekked along the road of broken gravel, wary of the broken glass and metal pipes spread around as far as the eye could see. I saw not a single breathing lifeform. The vegetation around me had dried and rotted. Cars were broken down and melting from the intense fires burning on top of them. It appeared as if the entire world had collapsed in on itself. As I progressed through the treacherous landscape, I began to hear a sound in the distance. It sounded like chanting ahead of me. Deep, distorted murmurs and whispers. I edged closer to the noise and found myself peeking around a corner, peering at the noise's origin.

About a dozen burning cars sat in a semi-circle, and in the middle of the ring was a single truck. In the bed of the truck stood a man. He was tall and muscular, and he held a dagger in one of his hands. A crowd of around a dozen people stood in front of the man, each kneeling down chanting. The man looked down upon what I could only assume were his followers. He smirked and opened his arms wide. Upon doing so, a man emerged from the crowd and approached the truck, dragging something with him. I cupped my hand over my mouth as I saw that it was a body he had in his grasp, and a small one at that. It was just a child.

I snuck closer and hid behind an overturned van a few dozen yards away from the circle. I peered over the top as the man threw the child onto the bed of the truck. The kid got up and looked at the man with the blade who towered above him. The child screamed, but only for a second. I shielded my eyes right before the dagger struck the kid's chest. I couldn't bear to see it unfold.

The body tumbled down to the ground, and the followers dragged the kid away. I then watched as they surrounded the kid in a full circle. The tall man mumbled something under his breath, and each follower withdrew a blade. In the blink of an eye, each man slid the blade across his neck and then collapsed to the ground. The leader hopped off the bed of the truck and made his way towards the writhing dead bodies. He stood before the pile and began screaming. The shrill cry echoed throughout the area, and it was so loud that I thought my ears would bleed. He was speaking a strange language I had never heard before. Then, something happened which I will never forget. I gasped as the bodies rose from the ground and opened their eyes. I watched, utterly mortified, as their skin began melting away and they all embraced each other, their flesh fusing together. I gagged and found it hard to breathe, yet I still found my eyes fixated on the form before me. The tall man smiled and stepped back, smiling. He was so proud of his work.

The air around me became hotter and filthier. I found it hard to breathe as embers and ashes rained from above and smoke filled the streets. The bodies in front of the tall man had melded together and began wriggling on the ground, inhuman cries of insurmountable pain echoing throughout my surroundings. Their arms and legs had been seemingly re-purposed to grow extra appendages, and the spines and bones inside of the once human bodies had been shifted to become exterior extremities, sharp blades protruding from the skin.

The creature shambled back and forth, attempting to keep its balance. It took a bit to grow accustomed to its new form, and then stood up on its two hind legs. The being roared into the night sky, slamming its hands and feet into the cars surrounding it, each blow having enough force to send the vehicles back about a dozen feet. I backed away from the scene slowly, hands trembling in fright. I no longer wished to be there in that nightmarish place any longer. I backed away further, always keeping my eyes on the tall man and the monstrosity he created. I kept retreating until I felt my body come into a contact with a large, mushy substance. I turned my head around and launched myself backward, screaming in terror at the sight of another monster directly behind me.

The sound of my cries caught the attention of the two beings near the truck, and each looked up at me. The tall man cocked his head, apparently surprised by my presence. I picked myself up and hastily made my way to the street opposite of the monsters and the man, curling my fingers around a broken street lamp. The tall man raised his hand and motioned towards me, commanding the beasts to advance forward. Advance they did, and I found myself running as fast as I could in the opposite direction. More creatures began to follow me. Some came from the sewer pipes below, some emerged from the defiled houses to my right and left. They stood as tall as trees, crawling and shuffling on spider-like arms and legs. They had many eyes, and I felt each one peering into my soul.

No matter how fast I sprinted, the creatures were faster. They were quickly gaining on me, and I was becoming weary. I hopped over a nearby fence, only to see the hellish horrors chasing me break through them with overwhelming strength. They tripped over each other, hunger illuminating within each of their eyes. Their mouths stood agape with dozens of rows of teeth protruding from black gums. Their bodies smelled of rot and decay even though the humans they were composed of were only freshly dead. I saw what they had done to the environment. The destruction and chaos they brought with them were at an unprecedented scale, their darkness and evil intent swallowing up and spitting out all structures and creatures in site.

Their roars they emitted radiated within my skull, and it was maddening. I clutched my ears and screamed in agony, desperate to escape the noise. Through it all, I could hear the bellowing laughter of the tall man in the distance, his deep and distorted voice filled with malice. The chanting of the strange language I couldn't discern echoed within my mind, causing an intense migraine that made me collapse to the ground and hold my head. My eyes clenched shut as I screamed and kicked my legs in the air and ground my teeth, my head throbbing. The air had become impossibly hot, and I began sweating profusely. I knew what that meant, and I opened my eyes only to be met with hundreds of eyes peering back at me.

I felt a myriad of hands and feet press down against my body as the swarm encompassed my body, I struggled to break free, but they were stronger than I ever was. I felt their bones scrape against my body and slash my skin, causing various streams of blood to formulate around me. I felt my eyes began to flutter, darkness beginning to overwhelm my vision. Then, I remembered something. The mask! I had been so wrapped up in the nightmarish scenario playing out before me that I forgot about it. I tried to wiggle my arms free of the monsters. I just needed to slip the damn mask off. I screamed as one of the beasts picked my head up and slammed it hard against the concrete. My vision went blurry and the world began to spin. I thought it was the end of my existence. I thought I would cease to be, consumed whatever evil forces were attacking me.

I closed my eyes and prepared myself for my fate. However, it wasn't my screams that I began to hear, nor was it the screams of the tall man. No, it was the screams of the creatures in front of me. I opened my eyes to witness several of them darting away, and to my right I saw several others, their bodies oozing a strange substance as they lay on the ground, unmoving.

"Get up, we have to get moving before they come back."

A rather large fellow in khakis and a bloodied white shirt stood behind me. He extended his hand, and I took it.

"Quickly, follow me," He said to me, his tone dead serious.

"Hey man, thanks for the assist. Who are you," I inquired. How had a soul survived in this horrible place? I wanted to escape then and there, to pull my mask off and end the reality I resided in. However, I needed answers.

The man faced me whilst jogging backward. His sunglasses stopped me from seeing where exactly his eyes were, but I assumed they were looking into mine.

"I'm just a pizza delivery boy living in a post-apocalyptic world."

"And your name," I asked.

"Name? The name is Edward Jaygel, but you can just refer to me as EJ."

"Edward, that was incredible! How the hell did you take those things out like that?"

A small fluorescent glow emitted from EJ's belt. The light seemed to surround a large combat knife. He must have noticed that I was viewing it because he grimaced and shifted his shirt and pants in an attempt to conceal the weapon.

"Once you've stayed in a place like this long enough, you learn a couple of things."

I hesitated before speaking once more, unsure of whether or not to ask about blade he tried to hide. I decided not to and tried changing topics.

"So, where are we heading?"

EJ ignored my question and lead me down a tight alleyway and came to a stop in front a rusty door padlocked shut. He unlocked it and opened the door. He reached his hand into the darkness ahead and flicked the light switch up, causing a warm glow to flood the space ahead. A staircase leading down into the ground appeared, and EJ re-locked the door before descending the steps. I followed him and closed the door behind me. Stuffing my hands into my pockets, I took note of the heavy concrete walls around me. We were in a bunker of sorts.

EJ and I found ourselves at the bottom of the stairs, and a large square room crafted from stone stood before us. There were a few sets of wooden furniture scattered around, but besides that the area was empty. EJ pulled up a chair and sat in it backward, looking long and hard at me. I leaned against the wall and tried to avoid eye contact, but he just wouldn't stop staring. After a long silence, I decided to speak up.

"Why did you bring me here EJ?"

He finally looked away and tilted his head upward, looking at the concrete ceiling.

"You looked like you needed help, Marcus. Where else did you have to go?"

I froze. I hadn't told him my name yet. How did he know? How could he...

"Ej, how did you know my name?"

EJ's eyebrows shifted and his face changed into one of confusion.

"Hm, whatcha mean," He replied.

"I never told you my name. Not once. How did you know my name was Marcus."

He got up from his chair and walked to the other corner of the room. He let his eyes fall to the ground and placed his fingers upon the cold walls.

"Oh, I know a lot of things Marcus... Marcus Wade. Deceased man, who has spent his entire afterlife wondering how and why. Those two questions have been your entire existence, along with the guilt of your past and actions that haunt you. Some actions which you have done even after death."

I balled my hand into a fist and glared at EJ, my entire body beginning to tremble.

"Who the hell are you, and how do you know me?"

He chuckled and looked up at me, showing a mouth full of teeth. It... unnerved me, to say the least. I pressed my back against the wall and never stopped let my eyes wander from the man across the room.

"Thanks for coming, Marcus. I'm glad I have this opportunity to speak to you one on one."

"What do you mean by that? Were you expecting me? What is this place, who are you? Answer my questions damn it!"

"Yea, I've been expecting you. For the longest time now, in fact. I'm glad I found you in time, those things were all over you. I was almost too late to save you."

By this point, I knew he wouldn't tell me anything about him. I looked him over. There was no way I could restrain or beat someone his size. I decided it would be a better use of my time to find answers to other, perhaps more important questions I had. I would try to pry more info out of him later. Maybe he knew about the afterlife and could help me in some way. There was nothing normal about this guy after all, and he was clearly withholding information.

"What are those things, anyway? Those... creatures."

"Those are what we survivors call the few. They are beings not from this Earth which, ironically enough, embody humans. They are dangerous and can be made from the carcasses of man."

I was left speechless upon hearing this. I didn't want to believe it, but how couldn't I? I had seen with my very eyes the way that monster was molded by the dead.

"How did they... hurt me? I'm dead, aren't I? How did they injure me like that if I can't be hurt or killed."

I rubbed my head and winced as the pain coursed through my body. It was a sensation which I hadn't felt in the longest time. EJ chuckled once again, which immediately grabbed my attention.

"This world isn't like your own. You're in an entirely different reality, formulated by what may or may not happen depending on how you live your afterlife. While you spectate this realm, you can be hurt and killed. There are no boundaries which can't be crossed here. Sadly, I have no clue what would happen to you should you be killed. "

How I lived my afterlife? All of this was connected to me? How could this entire world and its fate be determined by one man? I couldn't believe it myself. Such a concept seemed impossible.

"Damn it how do you know all of this!? Who are you?"

My voice became louder as my anger rose through the roof. I had only found myself with more questions than answers and it was driving me utterly insane. EJ narrowed his eyes, not too pleased with my attitude.

"I watched it unfold. All of it. I have seen the world end and the rise of the creatures who terrorize this place. I have witnessed countless lives being lost, and I have seen terrors beyond anything I could ever imagine. I know things, Marcus. I may not know everything, but I know enough to know that the future lies in your hands."

Yes, you read that right. This guy had told me to my face that my very actions could affect the fate of countless lives. I was just as confused and skeptical as you are, reader. What made me so special? Why would such a burden be placed on me?

"The man," I muttered under my breath.

"Excuse me," EJ replied, asking me to repeat myself.

"Who is the tall man I saw."

"The one who controlled the monsters," Asked EJ in an attempt towards clarification.

"Yes, who is he and what does he want?"

EJ walked towards me and took a deep breath. I could see regret formulating within his eyes. I listened closely, knowing whatever he had to say would be especially important.

"Marcus, some men just want to watch the world burn, just to gain the satisfaction of knowing they were the ones to accomplish such an evil deed. That man embodies that ideology. He's a power-hungry manipulator who tampers in forces unknown to even him to gain what he wants. In this case, what he wants is the death of suffering of every man, woman, and child he can find."

I eyed him warily, and he seemed to tell what I was thinking before I could even say it.

"Yes, Marcus. I do know a lot more than I should about this man and the dark arts he dips in to. In truth, I used to work with him closely. I helped him with his goals until I too was to be sacrificed for the cause. That was when I barely escaped with my life. It's why I stand against him now. If I don't, I will be killed, and my body will be used to craft more of these demonic freaks he creates."

I was at a loss. This guy worked with the tall man? If that were the case, what were his true motives? Was he truly trying to survive and help me save the innocents who would be affected by the coming catastrophe, or was this part of a far less righteous plan?

"How can I trust you then? How can I trust someone who was okay with that kind of plan until it started becoming bad for them?"

"Because if you don't trust me, you'll be allowing the death of many, and you're going to send the rest of your afterlife reviewing the memories of how you neglected to be the man you need to be. You will spend the rest of eternity filled to the brim with regret and guilt, all because you didn't listen to me."

I paced back and forth, placing my hands over my face and groaning under my breath. I had lived my entire life being selfish. Was I really going to spend my afterlife the same way? I thought for a moment. I had the chance to make up for all my shortcomings. I had a chance to forgive myself, and perhaps... even forgive myself for what happened that fateful Halloween night. I had the chance to save people. The chance to prove to myself I was different than the man I was in life.

"Sure, I'll help you. What do I need to do?"

EJ unveiled the blade and showed it to me. It was the most magnificent object I had ever laid my eyes upon.

"What is that," I asked. I had never seen something so magnificent. I wasn't sure how or why, but when I looked at the clean metal and saw my reflection within it, something powerful resonated within my very soul.

"This right here is the weapon of choice to defeat those beats which lurk within the night. It was the tall man's way of ensuring that if the mischievous creatures ever turned on him, he would be able to defend himself and survive. It has been blessed with the otherworldly powers the man has knowledge of. I stole it after abandoning him and his followers to protect myself."

The tall man was behind all of this. He was some kind of crazy cult leader of sorts, and he had brainwashed people into sacrificing themselves for him just so he could make these monsters to do his bidding. I felt as if I would puke. Such actions disgusted me.

"Some say the tall man is a demon within a human's body. Others say that he is chaos incarnate or some sort of warlord god who only exists to wreak havoc across the Earth. Truthfully, I believe that no matter what he is, this blade I possess may be the key to destroying him. Mortal or demon, the supernatural power this weapon holds can defeat any being it can cut through, and that includes the tall man's flesh."

EJ looked once more, ensuring that I had picked up on all that he said. I nodded my head up and glanced at the weapon, my eyes reflecting off the steel.

"Look, Marcus, I know this is a lot to take in. I know that this information has turned your reality upside down, but I need you to work with me. I'm kind of like you in a way, you know? I have regrets from the past. I've done horrible things to help forward the goals of a megalomaniac, things far worse than you can imagine. I'm trying to make up for those mistakes and maybe do something good for the world. I know you can relate to that."

He was right. There was nothing I wanted more than to do good for the world in order to repay society for becoming the man I was. Once I died, I thought that I could never make amends. Now, I had an opportunity to do something positive.

"The universe chose me to help you. I saw visions of you and your afterlife. I saw the potential within you when I dreamt. Some sort of force that exists gave me those visions for a reason. It's how I knew where you would be today. I think the visions, the afterlife you experienced, and my situation are all connected."

Could his words be true? They made more sense than the events I had seen unfold. I was to stop a crazy cult leader that summons demons to terrorize Earth. I was truly dumbfounded and overwhelmed.

"You still haven't answered my question. How am I connected to all this? What makes me the one? Why did you have these visions of me?"

I had to know. I so desperately needed the answer to the most important question I had. EJ looked dead into my eyes, his face completely straight.

"Because Marcus, you were the first man to be killed in order to bring forth these evil creatures who reside in the darkest parts of reality. That is how I knew who you were after seeing you within my mind. All of the tall man's followers have heard of you. The very first one to be sacrificed."

I felt faint and stumbled back a few feet. EJ rushed over to me and came to my assistance, helping me maintain balance. Everything felt so surreal and I felt so... I don't know how to describe it. I suppose it would most closely relate to disbelief, but even that doesn't accurately represent the state of emotional and mental turmoil I experienced.

"You mean... my body is in one of those things? You mean I was used as a vessel to... to murder others?"

EJ sat me down into a corner of the room, a look of concern and pity simultaneously expressed on his face.

"Try not to think of it that way. You were a victim, Marcus. I know how it may sound, but you are not at fault for the actions of others. You've already experienced enough grief. Please don't allow this revelation to upset you further."

He was right. I hadn't enough time to feel guilty over this as well. I already had enough problems weighing me down, and I had no room for more. I had a job to do, and I intended to do it to the best of my ability.

A loud thumping noise could be heard above us. EJ looked up and grimaced towards the ceiling.

"C'mon, let's go," EJ commanded.

He hurried up the stairs in front of us, and I followed suit. He opened the door and we walked outside together, taking in our surroundings.

"If you are going to be the one to save people, then you should learn how to defend yourself," EJ said to me, handing me the hilt of the blade he carried.

I took the weapon and held it tightly within my hand. EJ pressed his finger against his lips and crept forward, peeking around the edge of a building near him. I silently walked toward him and looked as well. One of "The Few" stood in the middle of the street, viciously nawing on the carcass of some sort of animal.

EJ motioned me to advance towards the beast.

"It's ok, I'm right behind you," He told me. I believed him. If things got bad, I could just take off my mask and escape to safety at any time.

I got within a few feet of the monster, being as stealthy as possible. I raised the dagger, and with all the strength I could muster, I launched myself toward the beast. I jammed the blade into the pulsating human flesh before me, and the creature screamed with the moans of dozens of humans in intense pain. I stabbed again and again, and the monstrous foe did its best to shake me off. I was flung against a nearby vehicle with such intensity that it knocked the breath out of me.

I grasped for the handle of the knife and stood once more, facing the spazzing demon in my sight. It oozed blond and rotting, liquified muscle from the punctures I made in it. It rushed towards me, using its many hands to grab me. I sliced each one that I could before it released me and, in a fit of rage, rushed me with its mouth wide open. With one swift strike, I rammed the blade into the roof of its mouth. Its various eyes rolled back as the creature fell to the ground, defeated by my hand.

EJ came to my side and patted me on the shoulder, his smile clear and apparent.

"See? You're a natural. Don't worry about having overwhelming strength or speed with that thing equipped. A single strike can cause unbelievable pain within even the toughest of enemies, as you just saw."

I admired the tool within my hand, its edge now soaked in blood. Maybe I was strong enough to defeat the evil forces which would consume the world. Maybe... maybe I could do something meaningful in my existence.

"Now Marcus, you know what you have to do, don't you?"

I nodded my head. I was ready for the mission I was tasked with. I was ready to do what I had to do to stop the tall man from murdering many. I smiled a bit. I would finally have my revenge as well. Revenge to those who killed me and damned me to be left alone with my own thoughts. I would finally be free, and whatever forces that control the afterlife I reside in have graced me with a chance to free myself of that which burdens me and move on.

To those of you reading this, I will do what I can to defeat the tall man and his hell spawn. Some of you may be affected if I fail. You could possibly lose those you love, and perhaps even yourself. It is that realization which motivates me to do this and be the man I need to be. Perhaps, be the man I wish I could have been all along.

EJ placed his hand on my ski mask.

"I'm going to take this off now. You must return to your own time and reality. I am certain that the abstract being behind all of this will supply you with whatever you need to complete your destiny. Godspeed to you, Marcus."

I saw my vision begin to distort as my room came back into view. The room where I would come to my computer and type this to you. However, I heard EJ one last time before everything went back to normal. I heard him say one more thing that would make my blood run cold.

"Thank you for bringing my mask back, by the way, I've missed it.”