Missing Your Chances (phan)

Chapter 16: Epilouge

You know how when you get really dizzy after spinning around a bit, and nothing really seems real anymore? Or when you wake up the morning after watching The Matrix, and everything seems wrong? Imagine those feelings, just multiplied by a thousand. That is how I felt as the drowsiness wore off. Like everything was really, really messed up, and everything was spinning, even though I was on solid ground. I tried to take a step, but once I tried moving, I found that I was extremely sore. Like, have you ever been lazy all summer, then went to school and signed up for a sport, and the next day you were sore in muscles that you didn't even know you had? Like that, just much worse. I fell down, breathing like I had just run a million miles, feeling faint. What could possibly have happened that would have put me through this much pain?

"It's the worst in the beginning. Don't worry, just give it a minute, it'll pass." A voice said. It felt like they were talking to me from a distance. If I were to focus, then I would probably be able to tell you more about what they sounded like and things like that, but I couldn't even tell you if it was a machine or a person.

Apparently, though, they were right. After a couple of minutes, I was fine, but I was still confused. Where the heck was I? And what was that voice? I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I slowly turned around, feeling like a child. A man with brown hair and eyes was kneeling next to me. He had a fuzzy hat and skin-tight jeans, along with a light blue tee and a green hoodie. He wasn't too bad looking, either, with no blemishes on his tanned skin, yet with freckles that made him even more beautiful. He was the only thing that I could see, everything else being completely blank. Not really white, but... clear.

"What-who- where happening?" I found myself saying. I couldn't really form a complete thought, and my words were a bit slurred. The man laughed at my tied tongue, understanding what I was going through. He carefully placed a hand on my back, and I found myself going closer to him, loving his warmth. I wrapped my arms around him, and he returned the gesture. He smelled really nice...

"Nice to see you, too, Phil. It'll all come back in a second. Don't worry." He rubbed my back soothingly, and I was feeling a bit drowsy. "Don't fall asleep too fast there, Phil. It's not over quite yet." I pulled back, looking at him with confusing. Then I understood perfectly well-because an intense pain shot through the back of my skull and through my heart, knocking the breath out of me. It felt like I had been shot multiple times, just much, much worse. It probably only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like years. It was horrible.

When the immense pain finally stopped I collapsed into the man relishing his warmth even more. I now knew who I was, how I died, and who this person is. I ran my thoughts over the subject of Dan. Dan. Dan!

My head shot up, and I legitimately tackled Dan into a hug, crying with how I was finally able to see him again. I have no idea how he could possibly react, but honestly I don't care. I had Dan back.

We hugged each other like that for a while, both of us knowing pretty everything just from that one simple action. He loves me, and I love him. Simple. Finally, something was simple in my life.

We pulled away from our hug only to look each other in the eyes and share a kiss.

"Okay, you guys have eternity to spend with each other; I don't think that needs to happen now." A familiar voice said behind me. I immediately turned around, smiling, seeing my brother Martin there! I dragged Dan up, throwing an arm around Martin while still holding Dan's hand with the other. Dan joined in the hug, so that I could actually hug my brother without losing contact with him. I wouldn't want lose Dan again.

After a second, we were all tackled by Kayla, who was beaming. She was probably glad to see Martin again. Dan and I pulled back as Martin and Kayla had their reunion, giving each other a large kiss. I wondered how long they've been apart-obviously a lot longer to Kayla than to Martin, because he seemed just a bit more casual about seeing her than Kayla was about seeing him. She was hugging him like she would never let go.

"Time to catch up, no?" Dan asked, wrapping a protective arm around me from behind. He probably felt the same way I did, most likely because we didn't get any time to be a couple when we were still alive.

We all told each other about what happened after each person died. I told Dan about his video diaries, slightly ashamed about what I had done, but after us apologizing to each other, and me apologizing about a thousand times to Martin and Kayla, we continued on to what happened to Martin and Kayla. Martin was really depressed for a long while, but managed to eventually get on with his life. He and Kayla got married, and had two children, both girls, and when he was sixty-seven he died. Twelve years later, Kayla came here to join him. I smiled at this, seeing that we were all about twenty-one. Maybe I would see my mum and dad when they were younger.

As if on cue, two girls came running up to us. One of them was clinging to a man, and the other one awkwardly walking next to a man. Later, I found that they had fallen in love in high school, but had been separated, but neither of them really fell in love again, and when they came here, they were with each other again. It was just a bit awkward because they hadn't had contact for years, and had suddenly woken up in a strange place where they were the only people. I guess that was pretty understandable.

Everyone seemed to join us, from our parents, and our friends, and all of their families and children. The entire time, everyone seemed to be glued to a person, like Dan and I were, or Kayla and Martin.

After a while, all of the couples seemed to disperse, probably wanting some alone time with their lover. I agreed, and Dan and I walked off in a direction where no one else was. After taking about two steps, we were alone. I don't know how, but really didn't want to question it. We had died, and this was whatever happens after you die, I should've known that something weird would happen.

I carefully buried my hands under Dan's hat, the softness of his hair amazing. He wrapped his arms around my waist, and I could tell he wasn't going to let go any time soon. We stood there, staring into each other's eyes... forever.