The In-Between

Chapter 3: Arrival

I turned around to where the voice came from and I saw a figure walking towards me. When it got close, I saw that it's wearing a long robe and its face was just a black shadow under the hood of the robe. "Welcome," it said once again and continued, "I supposed you've been here once." I lifted an eyebrow and said, "I don't think so, and do I know you?"

"You do not," said the figure.

"Who are you and where am I?" I scanned the place but there's nothing but darkness and the figure in front of me.

"I am an umbra of this world and you are in The In-Between, a place where you visit after you die," the figure's voice was deep and its sound hum the whole place.

It took me by surprise when it said that this place is where people visit after they die. I said, "So there's no heaven or hell but this In-Between place? No nirvana and rebirth, too?"

"Do you believe such places exist? If they do, what will those places be like? Of course they exist, and every human being have their own perspective of each places to satisfy their belief," said the umbra.

I was puzzled for a moment then I asked, "What is the role of this place? Why would every dead soul visit here after they died?"

The umbra cocked its head and said, "The In-Between is a place where souls come to decide which place will they go, heaven or hell or nirvana or they wish to reborn again, it's their choice. They made those choice after they looked back at the times when they were alive, either they want to atone their sin or move on, it is all up to them."

I thought for seconds then I remembered when it said that I've been here once, I said, "Am I dead? You said that I've been here once and now I'm here again. Am I dead?"

The umbra shook its head slowly and said, "You are still alive. You were here once because your thoughts reach this place, where the answers to your questions lie. You are here again because we−" it gestured its hand, which hidden inside the robe, and many other umbra appear then fade away in split seconds, "− to gave you the answers." The umbra turned and walk to another direction and said, "A new soul has arrived, let's show you what you seek."

I hesitated for a moment and when I land my foot to walk after the umbra, the darkness around me turned into a black and white forest in a blink of an eye. As I walked, I realized that I was wearing a robe just like the umbra. We walked until we saw a girl, about twelve years old and she's bald. When we got closer to the girl, I saw that the girl have transparent legs. It looked as if her body was fading away.

In this black and white world, only the girl has color, and the umbraand I were both in black robes. The girl turned around and the umbra said,"Welcome to The In-Between." The girl face showed no interest at first but thenthere's a faint smile on her face.