Disenchanted

Chapter 5

**Sorry I haven't updated, my parents have kind of been stalking my wifi usage and would have known if I had been on Wattpad. Hope you enjoy, and I'll try to update regularly. Don't forget to check out the book that comes before this, if you haven't already, and the counterpart to this, which will both help make sense of what's happening. Thanks!**

I was led into a closet, where Gerard locked the door as soon as we were in it.

"Mind explaining what's happening?" I asked.

"Have you ever seen the movie Silent Hill?"

"Yes," I replied nervously.

"Well, it's basically like that, but it's in a hotel full of dead people. Right now, we have to hide to avoid being killed again and possibly sent to an afterlife, so shut up before they find us," Gerard whispered. I nodded in response, barely breathing at all. I heard loud sounds of doors being slammed open and shut, and then I heard chains dragging across the cold concrete floor of the room. I held my breath, hoping to all gods that they didn't find us. It didn't help that the leader of my afterlife was huddled in the closet with me, trembling with fear and also holding his breath.

After what seemed like an eternity, another alarm sounded, and Gerard let out a sigh of relief, leaning against a wall and sitting on the floor. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall.

"Is it over?" I whispered.

He nodded.

"If this place is so terrifying and horrible, then why do people stay here?"

"It's the only place the dead can go to avoid an afterlife. Many dead worry they will be sent to a really bad afterlife, like the Fields of Punishment or something, so they choose to hide out here, thinking that it's better than what they deserve. The only problem is, if the guys who come after the alarms find you, they send you to whatever afterlife they see fit."

"So why don't you just go to the Black Parade and escape all of this?"

"Because, I don't want to go back and risk something happening when they find out I'm dead, and even if I wanted to take that risk, I can't just choose my afterlife. I would have to be specifically chosen and taken to the Black Parade. That's never happening anyway."

"So you're never going back?"

"No. I'll just have to survive this hell forever. Did Revenge not tell you, now that you're here you can't get back to the afterlife you left without a specific request for your return from the leader?"

"Umm, as far as I know, I am the leader currently. They thought I was you, so they put me in charge of everything, thinking I didn't know who I was because of memory loss or something. They eventually realized I wasn't you, but then they sent me to find you."

Suddenly he smiled. "So I never have to go back! You can take my place. They'll treat you like royalty, they'll never even know the difference. Go on, go back. Lead your people. You'll do a much better job than I will."

"But I don't have all of your memories! I don't know what to do! How am I supposed to do this?"

"Just stop time and come visit when you need help. I'll always be here."

"But I don't want your job! I just want a nice, simple afterlife where I can sit and wait for when my girlfriend and best friends eventually arrive."

"But they might not come to the same afterlife as you. If you're the leader, you can make sure they come to the right afterlife."

"And if I'm the leader then you can come to the Black Parade and pretend to just be me, in which case I can get all the information I need from you!"

"See, this will work out. What's your name so I can know how to be you?"

"Mike. And I'll be Gerard, and it'll be great. Oh, your Killjoy name is Party Poison."

"You were a Killjoy?"

"Only the most wanted Killjoy of all. Now that's my girlfriend's position, considering I'm now God apparently."

"Well, I hope you have fun being me."

"Same, but what about Frank and your brother?"

"What about Frank?"

"He has serious feelings for you, but you didn't hear it from me."

"Well, they don't have to be without me. I just have to deal with being without them."

"You know it would be easier if you just showed up as yourself."

"Not gonna happen, Gerard."

"Yeah, fine. Whatever. I just want to get out of here before that alarm sounds again."

"How did you get here?"

"I was driven by the Three Fates."

"Okay. Before we call them back, we need to switch clothes so they think I'm you and vice versa."

"Okay," I said, and we stripped down and swapped clothes.

"So, you really want to pretend to be me in order to avoid your responsibilities?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Why do you seem so sure that I'm not going to just go up and say that I'm me and you're pretending to be me?"

"Because, if you're so in love with this girl, and you care about your brother, then you'll want to spend the rest of eternity in the same afterlife with them, right?"

"Would you really stoop so low as to send them to a different afterlife if I were to tell everyone the truth?"

"I wouldn't want to, but I will do it."

"You fucking dick."

"Yep. Sorry. Wow, I'm not very good at being mean, am I?"

"Not really. I guess we should get going now. How exactly do we call them back?"

"Well, basically, since you're the new leader of an afterlife, snap your fingers and mentally scream at them and you're golden."

"Is that really it?"

"Yes, now do it before another drill happens."

"Fine." I snapped my fingers, thinking about the Grey Sisters. Before I knew it, a car literally crashed through the wall and stopped right in front of us.

"Woah," I said, amazed. I didn't really think that the owners would have any issues with the massive hole in the wall, considering their complete and utter depressive state.

"Shall we?" Gerard asked.