Death's Purgatory

Chapter 6

THE ETERNAL REALM

(HEAVEN?)

Avery gasped. Everything was suddenly far too bright. How long had she been asleep? Had she even fallen asleep? She sat up, anticipating some sort of pain; however, there was none. It should've been far harder to breathe, but her breath was regulated.

Where's the nurses or doctors? Avery thought. There should be a button somewhere to alert them. She started tapping around herself, expecting comforters, she was met with what felt like... stones. Avery scrunched her nose up, and brought her hands up to rub her eyes. She blinked and blinked till the world around her was more or less in focus.

The fuck am I?

A magnificent white gate with – no, a holographic gate, shimmered with rainbow hues and the sun seemed to be placed perfectly atop of it: was just ahead of her. There were navy vines, tightly woven around its ends, the vines wound together at the centre and formed the words; THE ETERNAL REALM, Avery was so confused.

Avery closed her eyes and sighed deeply, growling almost. Where was she? Why wasn't she in a hospital? Was she dreaming? She pinched herself, nope, not a dream. She thought back to what had occurred; she was going home after leaving her friends. She crossed the road and got hit. That's it.

So where was she now, if she'd been hit earlier? This time she truly let out a growl, while flailing her arms around. If there was any information; it would be behind that gate, she supposed. Avery gripped the stones and pushed herself up, still concerned, yet grateful for the lack of discomfort.

It was only as she stood up that she noticed all the people near her. Looking just as out of place.

Somebody had beaten her to the gate and stood there hesitantly. "There's some stone inscription!" The lady informed.

Avery walked over to it. On the right of the gate was an inscription, it had a stand that looked like a tree root holding it up. She lifted her arm to block the light of the sun.

To open the gate, please ring the bell found behind the plaque.

Welcome.

Someone else spoke up in Swedish, though Avery understood him perfectly. "The instructions are simple! Let's get this done everybody."

"Do you have any idea where we are?" Avery asked the man.

"I wish I did, but last I remember; I was in the back of an ambulance."

If Avery wasn't dreaming then; she sure as hell hoped she was now. 'Back of an ambulance', that set off a terrifying prospect in Avery's head... no it couldn't be, that was ridiculous.

A small child bent down and peaked her head behind the stand; she stopped and burst out laughing.

Another spoke up in Japanese, "What's wrong?"

The child reached down and grabbed the bell. She pulled her hand back and presented it to the spectators, still laughing, "I was expecting it to be a bit... bigger." Korean, Avery recognised. How could she suddenly understand all of these languages? What a strange dream this was.

The girl was right; the bell was even smaller than her hand and she couldn't have been any older than 7. Avery found herself laughing too, a comforting laughter. "Will you do us the honour?"

The girl only smiled brighter at that, and Avery noticed the missing tooth just at the side of her mouth. Adorable, she thought.

The girl gently swayed her hand side to side and the bell sang a mesmerising alarm. The ground pulsed underneath the notes. Avery averted her eyes upward, as the great gate glided open.