𝐑𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 | 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐬

𝟎𝟒 | 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞

Next thing I knew, I was surrounded by darkness. It was pitch black and I couldn't see shit. I could feel myself move, so I knew I was somewhere ... I just didn't know where that was exactly.

"Guys!" I heard Alex call. "Are any of you there?"

"Yeah!"

"Over here!"

"Where the hell are we?!"

"Hell, I guess," I replied as I began to move around.

"Then why did we float up and not down?" I could hear Reggie ask.

"I don't know, the traffic was bad?" I suggested.

"Some highway to hell," I could hear Luke mumble.

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

"What's going on over there?" Alex called.

"I just bumped into something," Luke said.

"More like someone," I huffed.

"My bad," Luke asked. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm dead," I responded.

"Same!" I could hear Reggie getting closer.

"We should find them," Luke suggested.

"AC/DC," I said.

"Huh?"

"Highway To Hell," I replied. "Obvious choice, but still a good one."

I could almost see his pearly white teeth smile back at me. "Right. You're not just a pretty face, are you?"

"Never was, never will be."

"Good god, get a room you two," Alex said from behind us.

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

"Reggie, when did you get here?" Luke asked.

"A minute ago," He replied. "I didn't wanna ruin the moment."

"We don't have time for moments!" Alex stated. "We just died!"

"Alex ... " Reggie began, but he didn't quite have the words.

"It's gonna be okay," Luke said.

I could hear Alex had started to sob somewhere beside me and reached out to give him a hug. When I felt the denim of his jacket, I wrapped my arms around him.

"It's not okay," I said.

"No, it's not," He bawled.

I didn't quite feel it coming, but as I held onto to Alex, I started to cry as well. So much loss and all because of four hot dogs.

———

About an hour had passed and we were still in the dark, literally and metaphorically speaking. Luke, Reggie and I sat in silence while Alex let out an occasional sniff.

It was hard to put in to words how any of us were feeling at that point, considering we couldn't exactly feel anything. The darkness surrounding us filled us with many questions we couldn't muster up the courage to ask. What was happening? Why were we there? Where was there? Was this what the rest of our lives - or rather, afterlives, - were going to be like?

"Guys, I think we should - Ah!" A flash of light briefly beamed from Luke's chest.

"Oh god, not again!" Alex exclaimed.

"What's going - Ow!" Reggie exclaimed, light briefly appearing in the darkness once again.

"Maybe you're going to heaven?" I suggested. "That means we're in purgatory! It all makes sense now. Well, it was nice knowing you guys."

"I don't think heaven would hurt like this," Luke breathed.

"Well, how would - Whoa!" Alex flickered. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Can ghosts even - Ah!"

"Reggie?"

"Reggie!"

"Is he gone?" I asked, scared to find out the answer.

"There's no way, he's probably just - Oh my god!"

"Oh no, Alex?" Luke asked. "You there, man?"

"I don't think he is," I responded.

"Are you not feeling this?" Luke asked, concerned.

"What? No!" I replied. "Luke, stay here! Don't leave me!"

"We'll have to compromise."

With that, Luke grabbed my arm and dragged me into whatever force was taking him.