Death's Feather

Chapter 6: Where It All Ended

"¡What was that even about!"

Ignacio yelled, about to throw himself over to the demon.

"¡What kind of test was that! ¡IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!"

"It doesn't have to make sense." She spit. "It just has to test your endurance and make sure you realize how screwed up you were, and probably still are."

Ignacio shook his head and closed his eyes. He was getting a headache. A freaking headache in death.
The demon appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye.
Ignacio stumbled back and nearly fell down. She grabbed him by the neck just in time and squeezed hard enough to hold Ignacio in his place.

"You don't get it, do you? Death isn't the one judging here. Sure, he'll have the final say but, at the end of the day, it's you and only you who decides if you move forward or vanish.
You decide wether you deserve to come back to the land of the living or get the final judgment."

Ignacio looked at her like she was crazy.
He knew she wasn't, and that scared him the most.

"So, stop complaining and get to your next trial."

And then she added, with a horrible smile:

"Unless you'd like to give up and come back with me..."

Ignacio only glanced at her once, before walking forward between the dense mist.
He lost sight of her after a few steps forward.

Great. Now what?

As though someone was listening, Ignacio found himself in a new scenario.
A hospital with old white walls, neon lights that hurt his eyes and endless rows of people waiting for their turn. Some were bleeding on the floor and some were coughing so hard Ignacio thought they might spit a lung at any moment.
Then, he turned and saw himself, stumbling over the counter and giving a name. His mother's name.
Then, he remembered.

He followed his other self through a long dark corridor that smelled like urine. Alive Ignacio was still stumbling over the walls, tripping and pushing others in an attempt to walk correctly; and failing remarkably anyway.
He was drunk, just getting out of a party where he used to sell alcohol to the younger kids who couldn't walk into a store and buy it. He probably smoked some weed and drank like the world was about to end.

"Hey girl." He barked to the closest nurse. "¿Where's room fourteen?"

She wrinkled her nose and looked at him with a disgusted grimace. She pointed behind her at the closest door and walked past him.
Alive Ignacio stormed inside the room like he was still in a party and let out a loud sigh. Everyone turned around to look at him.

"Hey dudes... ¿Mom? ¡WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!"

Alejandra got up from the left side of the bed, where her mother was resting unconscious, and walked over to Ignacio. She grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room.

"¿Where the hell were you?"

He made a pout and shrugged.

"I can't remember... I think I was with Carina or... no, wait, she's pregnant so she couldn't drink so..."

Alejandra slapped him right in the face. Ignacio screamed and made a grimace of pain. His sister was fuming and Dead Ignacio couldn't blame her at all. He deserved that.

"You promised this morning to fix the hole in the porch. Mom got out and didn't look down, believing you actually kept your word. She tripped and hit her head. She has a concussion and a broken wrist."

Alive Ignacio didn't answer, looking as dumb as someone could possibly be.

"I... I thought... I was in a hurry this morning you know...?"