The World Turned Upside Down

Chapter 2

"General. You need to wake up." I feel a hand slap my face and my eyes snap open.

"Ow, Alex, what the hell?" I rub my stinging cheek and take in my surroundings.  Alex smirks at me, and I roll my eyes at her. I realize that we're back in Victaran, and I just happen to be laying on a couch in the middle of the main lobby. "You had to slap me awake in the most public place on Victaran, that's nice," I comment with a snide tone. I swing my legs off the couch and stand, even though I'm a little shaky.

"I'll be in my room," I say shortly. I turn on my heel and head up toward the elevator. I pull out my phone and find no new updates or missions that need to be attended to. We seem to have been given a short grace period. I get up to the 16th floor and slide my ID card through the slot near the door. I hear the locks click and I swing the door open. I take my heavy backpack off my shoulders and toss it down to the floor next to my bed. 

My eyes fly open as I gasp for air. Wait... That's not what dead people do, what the hell is going on? I look around me. My surroundings look as if to be an extremely huge hotel. The lobby is spacious and fancy, the carpeting is very thick and nice, the walls are a cream color, the vast walls are covered in artwork, from Van Gogh to something that looks to be a child's drawing of their family. I scan the lobby until I see a bellhop; I walk over to him and tap his shoulder gently. The man whips around and I'm startled to see that he has the eyes of a cat and whiskers adorning his face. Other than that, the cat eyed man looks human. 

"Can I help you?" The cat eyed man says as he gazes at me curiously, but after a moment a spark of what seems to be recognition flashes in his wide eyes.  "Oh, you're new. I'm Jordan, a felinia. We are sent to earth as felines to watch over the human race and take those who deserve it here when they die." I nod slowly, looking him over again. We have a slight stare off until I come up with my question.

"So, where is here, exactly?" I ask. Jordan clicks his tongue. I raise my eyebrows at this noise, it's always been a pet peeve of mine.

"Hard to say, really. It's an afterlife that also has doorways and connections to Earth, different realms, and hell itself. But we here call it Victaran, it's a realm of those who died a heroic death. You for example, sacrificed yourself to save your father's life, and killed a demon in the process, so bam, Victaran for you. Congratulations, Thalia," Jordan explains. 

"So, what now?" I ask Jordan. 

"Well, now we'll get you an identification card and then I'll show you your room," Jordan says. He turns on his heel and begins walking towards a huge desk in the center of the lobby. "Are you coming or what?" He asks with a smirk. I hurriedly walk quickly after him. We get my ID card settled, and I look it over. There's a headshot of me in the top right corner. My name, floor, squadron, and rank are listed on the card.  The card says I'm on floor 16. I ride up the elevator with Jordan, and he shows me my room. There's a plate outside a door on the left side of the hallway; the plate has my name and squadron on it. I'm listed to be in the Foxtrot Squadron. 

"You'll be expected at the formal dining room tonight at 7. You will be dining with your squadron, to meet and get to know them," Jordan informs me. I nod in acceptance of this. "There are clothes tailored to your interests and measurements in your closet. Wear something nice." 

With that, Jordan turns on his heel and leaves me to get settled. I slide my card in the slot in the door. The lock clicks and I twist the handle to find one of the greatest rooms I've ever seen. 

I gasp. It's absolutely perfect. This "room" is everything I've ever dreamed about. But here's the thing: it's not just one room. There's many different rooms all jutting out from the living room and kitchen.

 The carpet is grey and fuzzy. The furniture is all modern. When you first walk into the quarters, you're in the living room. It feels spacious and airy. The walls are a muted light blue. There's a black, L shaped couch, and two black armchairs in the same style and texture. Connecting right to the living room is a kitchen. The counters are a beautiful granite, and a kitchen island resides in the center, with black wooden chairs surrounding it. A television that connects to the real world, and Netflix, is on the north wall, so you can watch easily from the kitchen and the living room. 

I continue touring through my new living space. Off to the right of the living room is a door that opens into a master bedroom. "Damn," I mutter under my breath. "This place is insane." I walk in, and the bedroom is also everything I ever wanted. If I only got one room here and it was this one, I'd still be ecstatic. In the far corner is a queen sized bed, the sheets and comforter a pattern of  different shades of blue. The carpet is grey, like in the living room. A large bookshelf is built into the wall, it's the wall itself. On the shelf lie many books; books I've read, books I've always wanted to read, and books I've never heard of. I walk back through to the living room, and my eyes scan through the whole area. I'm extremely giddy about these quarters. Incorporated within this place is everything I've ever wanted. 

I'm broken out of my flashback by a knock on my door. I walk briskly to the door, and open it to find Alex. She looks more comfortable now that she did earlier. She changed from her gear into athletic shorts and a Game of Thrones t-shirt. 

Alex tends to be less of a stubborn asshole when she's not slitting demon's throats.

Huh, I wonder why.

"Hey Lex. Sorry about the blackout," I say, awkwardly scratching the back of my head.

"Thalia, we've known each other long enough now that I don't mind. I'm always here for you."  Alex pulls me into a hug. I blush and awkwardly hug her back, still not ready for physical contact after quite a battle.