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 we wrapped up Boss's homework, the study hub personnel glanced annoyed at us. We had overstayed our welcome well beyond the usual school hours. The stern, elderly lady who managed the place seemed unfazed by our notorious reputation on campus.

"We're leaving, alright?" I shot her a narrowed-eyed look, silently daring her to say something more.

Finally, we gathered our belongings and went to the parking lot.

The sun was setting, and everything in our surroundings was in shades of rich orange and deepening shadows as the 'day' was about to turn into a 'night.'

"Are you going home after this?" I turned to face Boss, half-expecting him to nod and we'd go on our separate ways.

I furrowed my brow, a tinge of confusion coloring my expression.

Boss didn't affirm it, nor did he negate it.

Ride Home