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

"Wow," Dante muttered. "I didn't expect so many people to be this enthusiastic about cheesecakes."

"Neither did I," Evangeline said, equally surprised as he was. "Neither did I."

The In-Between morphed into the mall near my university, Andromeda Town Center.

The mall was like a bustling mini-city, illuminated by bright lights and filled with the constant buzzing of people engaging in window shopping or caving into their shopaholic tendencies. Stores occupied wide pathways, each selling different merchandise, all vying for your attention.

Right in the middle of the mall was the newly opened store Juan's Cheesecake. A long line had formed as curious customers eagerly waited to try the highly praised cheesecake.

Evangeline peered at Dante, her head tilting to the side as she gave him a devious smirk.

"'Course not," Dante huffed, crossing his arms at being accused of being a quitter. "Food is food!"

Happy Hornets (Waltz version)