Afterlife (Edgerunners)

Afterlife: Memory: Mi familia

David Kushinada-Martinez

The world had returned back to the way it was before the mirror, except this time, the damn mirror had disappeared.

Except, in its stead, a tree stood. It was different to the rest, having white bark and pink leaves. With strang carvings along its body.

Tarot cards, I recognise them thanks to pushing some XBDs to Valentinos.

They depicted The Fool and The Moon. Except, with changes to their design. I was in the stead of The Fool, with The Moon being... Lucy.

"'Fuck took you so long?" A familiar voice had exclaimed.

I don't really think I was ready to face her.

"H-hey Rebecca..." My back hit the body of the tree as I slumped down and sat.

"So... How'd you go out then?" She had crossed her legs and sat in front of me.

"Took a round to the mouth. Heh, still feel it when I talk."

"And the others?"

"Alive. Falco and Lucy got out as far as I know. That's the main reason I died, was making sure the fucker didn't blast our ride to a hunk of scrap."

She had crawled her way to sit next to me under the branches of the tree.

"Hey Rebecca... Where are we?"

Her eyes looked at me confused, as if she didn't really know either.

"Well when I got here, it looked about the same... There was a mirror with what looked like some sort of cyberspace."

So that explains that then.

"Yeah, saw that too. Pulled me in for what felt like years."

Once again, her gaze had turned to a confused one.

"It pulled you in? I just saw myself but, all red and shit. I don't know, you're the one giving it to a netrunner so I expected you'd know a bit more."

She had let out a deep sigh.

"She better had been worth it David. I mean in the end."

"I... I don't know how to answer that Becca. I mean, me giving my life so she could live her dream is pretty self-explanatory I'd say."

"Her dream?" She let out a small giggle. "Oh David you fool... Even you didn't see it in the end huh?"

"See what?"

"You were her dream. Not the moon. David it was pretty obvious ever since our first gig we all did with the 'saka limo."

Fuck me.

"Yeah, I guess I realised this a bit too late huh?"

We both let out small laughs.

"Yeah, I mean I don't blame her. I fell for those puppy dog eyes the moment I called you dimples at the apartment..."

"Yeah I know Bec, I'm sorry I never told you."

"Yeah... Real asshole move... Especially you two leading me on all the time when you'd have no shame in the back of the car."

"Haha fuck off."

I don't know... Like how to feel. This doesn't feel like the happy reunion I expected.

There's no Pilar, no Dorio, no Kiwi, and no Maine.

Not even my Mama.

"Hey Rebecca. Have you seen any of the others yet?"

She stood back up.

"Just my bro. And Dorio. Apparently Kiwi and Sasha are here too, but all three of them are deciding to ignore us."

"Sasha? Is that like an old member of the crew?"

"Maine never told you about her? Kinda acted like a proud father with her... Same as you. She was our netrunner before Kiwi. Died flying out of a corpo window and onto the highway."

"Yeah no, guess he left that out of our conversations... We were distant in the end anyway. So, not surprised really."

"Yeah, sucks to suck David."

"Well out of the four of us that were left, you died first!"

"Well you're just lucky that smirk of yours is too cute to fucken rip off."

The leaves of the tree were still slowly falling to the ground, like pink snow. My shoulders were blanketed in them.

"It's good to see you again David. Felt like forever."

"You too Rebecca. You too."