Reflect // Van McCann

3. Dreams

*Van's POV*

This is my third time trying to get an ID. The first time I got one was when I was 18 and getting my drivers license. I was still alive at the time. The second time, I got one when I arrived in limbo. Now this is my third time and it still boggles my mind how they know who I am despite me not having anything on me. I grabbed my ID from the worker and read over my details making sure everything was correct. I guess we still don't age here because I'm still 24.

"How old are you?" Austin asked. I guess it wasn't the cigarette craving because I still find him annoying.

"I'm 24. How old are you?" I asked back.

"I'm 12 and Jacob's 13. You're old."

"I'm not that old," I retorted, offended. I tried to calculate my real age. I'm actually 29 years old. Been dead for five years but I wasn't going to tell them that. I'm already old in their eyes. If I tell them I'm really 29, they'll say I'm ancient.

"Whatever you say, old man," Austin teased.

"So where's the bank, child?" I joked back. Two can play at that game.

Austin frowned but didn't say a word, walking towards the bank. I followed the both of them. After walking for ten minutes, we were stood outside a bank. I pulled the door open for them and we all walked in. I stood at the back of the queue, looking around. There were so many people here that I wondered what everyone was up to and where everyone was off in a hurry to. It was such a different pace compared to Oregon where life was slow and everyone took it easy.

I was next so I stepped up, showing them my ID. It didn't take long to create a bank account and to get my money. I had to do a double take at the amount they were giving me. It was much more than what I got in Oregon.

"Why do they give so much money here?" I asked.

"Well, we got rent to pay and bills to pay," Jacob explained.

"Isn't paradise supposed to be better than limbo?" I wondered out loud.

"Yeah but you can do more here."

"What do you mean you can do more here?" I pressed.

"You can go wherever and do whatever just like when you were alive."

"Go where? You don't even know where we are."

"I don't know! It's better here—trust me."

I'll be the judge of that. It was definitely more exciting but that was because everything was new to me. But I missed home and all the people I left behind. I wondered what they were doing and if they missed me like I missed them. I know it must be especially hard for Amy since she lost her brother, Jess, and then me. The both of them noticed my change in expression.

"What's wrong?" Austin asked.

"I just miss the people I left behind in limbo," I answered truthfully.

"I know—I miss them too," Austin admitted. "So much that I dream about them but they're not normal dreams—they feel so real, as if I'm physically there seeing and hearing about what they're up to but they can't see me."

"What do you mean by that?" Now I was curious.

"You're going to have to see for yourself. It's hard to explain until you dream about them. Then you'll know what I mean."

"Who do you dream about?" I hazarded.

"A friend I met in limbo who was my age. His name is Alex."

"What do you dream about?"

"Just random bits of his life. Like I'd see him eating one day and then another day, I'd see him at the store."