The Song of the Dead

Not-Heaven

The last thing he heard was the words 'Please don't leave me'. He didn't know who had said them, only that it was a woman.

Maybe a sister or a girlfriend, he thought. Whoever she was, he recognised the voice.

A soft breeze ruffled his unkempt blonde hair. He stepped cautiously through an intense mist to follow the source. An open window appeared, looking out over what appeared to be a massive city. Tiny lights of all colours glittered all around the mass of grey.

"Where am I?" he breathed.

"It's like heaven except it's not." A hand touched his shoulder. He spun around a saw a young woman standing before him.

"What?"

"It's a bit hard to accept but you'll get used to it." She smiled, spreading her thin lips across crooked teeth.

What on earth? he thought. Heaven? Is this real? Am I dead? The hand patted him gently. It was then that he realised he was clothed in a translucent hospital gown. Redness crawled across his face. 

"What's your name?" the woman asked him.

"I don't know, I can't remember," he replied softly, his brow furrowed slightly.

"Well, you look like a Peter so that's what I'm going to call you for now." She smiled and gestured for him to walk through a doorway that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. He obeyed and entered an iron-walled office with the same mist as outside swirling around above the carpet. A bookshelf filled with plain white books stood tall behind a grand oak desk. "I'm Solania," the woman told him as she seated herself behind the desk.

A file appeared before Solania and she read from it. "Peter Elwar, born 14th of April, 1995. Yay, I'm getting a lot better at guessing names!" She slid the folder to Peter. "Contained in that folder is a basic overview of your life, as well as detailed recounts of important events and your cause of death." Peter scanned the pages until he found a list of names. Mother: Rosalind Elwar nee. Thompson, Father: Geoffrey Elwar, Partner: Abigail Elwar nee. Redwood.

"You can keep that file. Use it to reacquaint you with yourself." She stood up. "Follow me." Peter tore himself away from his life and let Solania lead him down a series of white corridors. He squinted at the brightness as they went. The mist continued to dance across the floor, circling his feet and making him very unsure of his footing.

A low murmur began to echo around them, increasing in volume as they walked further down the corridor.

"Almost there," Solania informed him. Nearly as soon as the words had left her mouth, an opening appeared no less than one-hundred metres ahead of them. Beyond it, people swarmed around what looked like a town square, decorated by banners of every colour imaginable. 

"Welcome." A young man wearing a bow tie and a massive smile appeared as they entered the square.

"Daniel!" Solania mirrored his smile. "This is Peter." Peter gave an awkward wave.

"Great to meet you! You can call me Dan. My job is to make you feel at home in this next chapter of your existence." Dan extended a hand. Peter hesitated before taking it.

A sudden wind smashed them and white noise filled the air at an unbearable volume.

"Aaaaaaaaargh!" cried Peter as he felt himself being dragged through time and space. The sensation was both exhilarating and terrifying. When it was over, their surroundings had changed completely.

Lime coloured walls decked in white bunting had replaced the busy square. A plush grey sofa and oak coffee table furnished the comfortable space.

"Here is your apartment!" announced Solania, entering from the next room. She carried a tray of freshly-baked muffins.

"How did y-," he began. Dan cut him off with a dismissive wave.

"You'll find you won't understand a lot of things in this place," he informed Peter. Solania just smiled and held out the tray in an offering.

As he reached to take one, everything that had happened sank in properly. He was dead. This was the afterlife. And he'd just teleported. His body collided with the carpet.

Ok so this chapter is pretty much done but any feedback would be greatly appreciated in the comments! I think it needs more show-don't-tell but I'm not quite sure how to incorporate it so I would love any suggestions.