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

"One day, I got the news that my mother had fallen ill." I narrated as we watched the Evangeline of the past answer a phone call from an unknown caller.

I didn't even know Emman, my estranged brother, had my number, but he did.

"Emman was a lot closer to Mom than I was ever since we were young, so it was no wonder that he was more aware of my mom's state than I was." I shared.

Through the phone, Death and I could hear my brother's solemn voice as he talked.

"Mom said her last wish was to see you again before she's gone."

"Is…" Evangeline swallowed the imaginary lump in her throat before continuing. "Is her condition that bad?"

Emman didn't say anything, but Evangeline heard him contain a sob instead.

He was not the type to show his emotions (aside from anger, which he always had), so it was alarming to hear him at the edge of tears.

That's why I decided to stay with Mom in the hospice until things go for the worse.

Last Days