Danny Phantom - The Next Chapter

Limbo

Grey. It was everywhere. There was no end to its monotony; it stretched into the distance forever. No matter where you looked, that was all there was to see. It was all there ever was and would be. Sometimes it lightened, sometimes it darkened, but it was ever-present, filling the space in a dreary blanket that stifled everything.

The spirit wasn’t sure how long they had been floating in the grey. It was all they could remember. Perhaps they had always been there, aimless and drifting. They certainly couldn’t remember anything that came before, and if there was nothing before, then surely there was nothing after. This was all there was, and they didn’t question it. There was no curiosity within them to even come up with a question. They barely existed, just one tiny speck within the endless grey sea that would soon enough fade away.

Sometimes, there were others, but they were gone again so quickly that the spirit never got close enough to make out any details. More than likely, they were just figments of a dying mind, losing its grasp of everything that made up the person it belonged to. They weren’t even a person anymore. Just one lost soul severed from their lifeline, trapped in the endless fog.

Maybe time had passed, or maybe time didn’t exist, but there was a figure appearing before the spirit, seeming to step out of nothing. They appeared to be part of the grey, their long flowing robe flickering in and out of sight as it blended into the background. The only discernible feature was the shadow under the hood that implied the presence of someone underneath. The spirit had never seen them before, but couldn’t come up with the energy to form a question, or even a greeting.

‘Hello, again,’ the figure said in a calm tone.

The spirit was silent, a strange feeling rising inside that maybe they should say something in return. They had no idea why, but they felt like it was expected. Their mouth worked and a strange hum came from their throat that made a sound, something the spirit had never heard before. They were… surprised. That in itself was a strange enough feeling but they didn’t let it deter them. They focused and managed to whisper, ‘Hello.’

They smiled now, a strange feeling of accomplishment at having managed to break through the monotony. This seemed to please the figure standing before them who nodded.

‘I wasn’t expecting to see you back here so soon,’ they continued, ‘It seems you have managed to get yourself into quite the predicament.’

The spirit was silent. Was it supposed to say something back? They had no idea what the figure was talking about.

‘Your lifeline is broken,’ the figure continued, raising a covered arm to point through the cloak at the spirit.

Due to a strange compulsion, the spirit raised their hand and pressed it against their chest, looking down. They weren’t sure what they were expecting to see, but there was a strange, cold feeling that jolted through them for a moment and the word came back to them: fear.

‘Lifeline?’ they asked, their voice stronger now that they knew what they were doing.

‘Indeed. Whatever you did on the other side appears to have severed it completely. Your body may still live, but your connection to it has vanished. It may be impossible for you to return now.’

‘Return?’ the spirit asked, ‘Return where?’

Through the brief time they had spent speaking, it was like they were slowly waking from a stupor. They looked around now with renewed curiosity, as if searching for something amidst the grey.

‘Who are you?’ they asked, turning back to the figure.

‘We have met before,’ they replied, ‘Though I would not expect you to remember that after what has happened to you. I am the Guide, here to guide lost souls to wherever they need to go. It is clear to me that you have gone through great hardship since the last we spoke. Have you perhaps decided to move on?’