CLOUD 9INE (OG)

2

"I can see why this was your favorite movie, Tetra," said Lo.

"Yeah," Evyn said, "The dogs were cute."

Tetra blushed and hid her face again. "I guess..."

They walked out of the theater back onto the pier; the sunset lit up the ocean's horizon. People were returning to their homes or their sectors to sleep for the night.

"Aw man nighttime already?" said Ava. "The day goes by so fast."

"Come on, Ava, let's go home. I require cuddling," Evyn said. She summoned a helicopter to take them back home, then she and Ava got into the helicopter and flew away.

"Wait guys!" Tetra ran after them. "Don't leave me here alone!"

"Tetra," Lo's voice made her pause. "I can take you home if you'd like."

"N-no, I'll be okay," she said as she ran off into the sea and caught a shark to take her home.

Tears streaked down her face as the self-hate rose within her, but she continued home, leaving Lo on the dock alone.

*****

Tetra woke up the next morning to sounds of happy bustling village noises. She turned off her alarm and threw on an oversized T-shirt.

She went into her living room and sat on the couch to watch HNN, the Heavenly News Network. The announcer's plucky tone was drowned out as she stared at the portrait of her parents on the wall. They hadn't died yet, but the portrait magically aged with them so she could see how they were doing. She turned back towards the television when she heard they weretalking of the yearly Reaping.

Cloud 9 was overpopulated because most people did the minimum amount of good in their life to make it, so every year the officials would send a certain amount of people to Cloud 8 and some down to the first circle of Hell to be processed and divided. Tetra and her friends never entered the Reaping, and so they stayed in Cloud 9.

Tetra was okay with that though, life was good. She didn't want to risk going down to Hell with the people who didn't make it. Then her phone began to ring. It floated over to her, and she picked it up.

"Heyyy Tetra," said Ava's shrill voice, "Didja hear about this year's Reaping?"

"Not really, it just came on the TV."

"They made the test easier! That means we can go!"

"Go?" Tetra pondered the thought. People aren't told what's on the ring above them, so she's never considered anything better.

"Yeah," Evyn's voice came through the speaker. "Don't you want better living? Cloud 9 in great and all, but Cloud 8 is probably so much better."

"But girls, how often will the phrase 'I'm living on Cloud 9' be true for us if we move up? What about my parents? Even if they make it to Cloud 9, they may not move up and might think I got sent to Hell instead." 

Ava said, "What? Are you really worried about a better place? It's gonna be even more paradise than Cloud 9."

Tetra laid back on the couch. "I just don't think I'm ready to move yet. I have so much I haven't done yet."

"You're already dead," said Evyn, "What's the worst thing that can happen?"

"What if...what if I get separated from Lo? I know he's gonna try to make it in. What if I'm not good enough and I don't make it? Or what if he doesn't make it?"

"You'll be fine trust me." Tetra sighed and looked out of the window. "I hope so."