SOUL DORM

2

Signed, sealed, delivered.

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CHAPTER 2:

MS. PRINCIPAL

I was sprawled on the floor, leaning against one of the seats, unable to stop crying. Amidst the storm of emotions, two things became clear to me. First, souls must feel emotions, too, because here I was, sobbing uncontrollably, cursing my fate with every fiber of my being. Second, time seemed to flow differently here in the afterlife; I couldn't tell if I'd been sitting here for an hour or a day. As the train relentlessly carried on through the unchanging pink landscape, the soft melody playing overhead would end only to start over again and again.

Was this place they called the Dorm actually hell? Was I doomed to ride this train into oblivion forever, a punishment for my sins?

I buried my face in my hands and cried even harder, my sobs so loud they drowned out an announcement that began playing. The shock of hearing another voice cut through my despair, silencing my screams and leaving me stunned. I perked up, straining to catch the words again as if a mysterious speaker was about to reveal secrets. Turns out, it was just a routine recording, replaying its spiel for clueless passengers like me who'd zoned out the first time around.

"The next station is the Dorm. The Dorm is the final destination on this route. Please make sure you have all your valuable belongings with you."

With a sense of duty, I searched around for my valuable belongings. I had nothing else besides the ticket and keychain I still tightly held. Slowly rising from the floor, I headed for the door. I pressed my cheek against the window, hoping to spot a station, but all I saw was the endless pink forest. The conductor didn't seem to find this unusual, as the train abruptly came to a stop.

I gripped the railing tightly to keep from falling as the doors hissed open. The now-familiar floral scent intensified, and the wind played with my jacket and hair. The train sat stationary amidst the forest, allowing me to see the birds darting through the pink leaves. Despite their beauty, I couldn't focus on the scenery.

Just a few meters ahead stood a door that seemed to float in midair, with no visible supports or frame. A soft violet light seeped from its edges. I cautiously stepped off the train and approached the door with deliberate steps. I could only make out the nameplate attached to its surface when I got right in front of it.

T H E  D O R M

I circled the door once. It was clear there was nothing behind it. Just then, the train's doors hissed shut, and it pulled away, taking the cheerful melody with it. Left alone, I was engulfed by silence and isolation amidst a sea of nothingness. Now, I had two paths before me: to disappear into the endless pink forest forever or enter the so-called Dorm to which I'd been invited. Without much thought, I opted for the latter and reached for the doorknob.

It was locked.

Despite considering myself clever, it seemed my intellect hadn't followed me beyond death. Before it even occurred to me that I had a key, I'd already tried to force the door open—pushing, pulling, pounding, and even kicking at it while muttering curses that were quite uncharacteristic of me. Only when the key slipped from my grasp did I notice the mushroom-shaped keychain smirking at my frustration. A few more choice words escaped me as I picked it up and found it easily turned in the lock.

Click.

The door swung open, and a sugary bubblegum aroma instantly replaced the floral scent. A soft melody, similar to the one on the train, wafted through the forest. The world that unfolded beyond the door was just as impossible as the door's presence. I stepped into a brightly lit circular room dominated by a marble angel statue at its center, surrounded by a reflecting pool that occupied more than half the space. The room's arched windows stretched up high, open to the elements, letting in the clean, spring air. Light poured in, casting a glow on the cotton-candy pink water cascading from the angel's wings.