ThreyaMidnight

"So this is what they mean when they say your life flashes before your eyes when you die."

Betrayed. Battered. Broken. 

Evangeline Vermillion has had enough of her pathetic life. She was young—only in her early 20s—and she had planned to end it all by setting herself on fire. 

That was how she met Death—cold, dark, tall, and...handsome? Huh. Who knew the Grim Reaper could look like that? He takes her hand and guides her through the In-Between, the sacred realm between the Land of the Living and the Afterlife. Together, they revisit her most important memories. From the misfortunes of her childhood, to the chaos and bloodshed of the wrong kinds of love, Evangeline must confront the demons of her past to get to The Other Side.

Through all of the pain and anguish, Death stands with her, an enigmatic companion and unlikely confidant. And in their brief waltz between realms, Evangeline finally finds what she always wanted but never had: to belong and to be loved.

Waltz with Death

As I stepped away from the Middle School memory aisle, leaving behind the echoes of my past, I found myself facing a new path, the High School aisle. It felt like a transition from one chapter of my life to another, a journey through the hallways of my teenage years.

The memories here held a different kind of weight, filled with the wild emotions and experiences that came with high school. I could see the rows of jars stretching out before me, each one a repository of moments, both sweet and bitter. Taking a deep breath, I started to explore.

"Welcome to the jungle," Fake Death's voice whispered in my mind, his tone tinged with amusement.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes, even though he couldn't see me. "High school wasn't that bad, you know."

"Oh, I've seen my fair share of high school memories," he replied. "Trust me; it's a jungle out there."

Notes and Noods