Death is Not an Escape

Your First Chapter

 You pushed your hair back into a messy bun as you headed out of the Pizza Shack, a local pizza place. One of your acquaintances, Dwight Fairfield, waved goodbye as he saw you exit. You looked back at him, giving him a smile and a one-handed wave as you left with your pizza. Dwight was one of the nicest people you had ever met, but he was sort of a nerd. You weren't close to him at all, but he treated you like you were. You assumed it was because of the lack of genuine friends he had.

You hopped into your run-down car, putting the pizza box in the passenger seat. You moved your rear-view mirror down, catching your breath and emotions before you headed back onto the road. Today had been a stressful day, seeing as you had a busy work-day and the recent passing of your mother. Your dad had left and ignored you for as long as you could remember, making it even harder to push through the tragedy. Very few ever came to comfort you. I guess, in some way, you were just like Dwight. Alone but not at the same time.

You glanced at yourself in the mirror, taking note of all of your flaws. The bags under your eyes were too dark, your skin was starting to break out, and your hair was a frizzy mess. The things no one else noticed about you always were the most prominent to you. You looked away from yourself, starting your car and heading off to your apartment.

The ride was uneventful, as it always was. The boring traffic almost sent you to sleep. Your body was in autopilot, hitting and releasing the gas almost robotically. You looked out of your window, seeing the sun setting off in the distance. You had wasted another day away yet again. Hopefully, this pizza would make up for it.

You pulled into the apartment complex, parking as close as possible to the building. You gave yourself one last glance in the mirror before finally grabbing the pizza and getting out of the car. The pizza was still hot against your hands, making it even harder to carry.

You walked up the stairs to your apartment room, drowsily opening the door and closing it behind you. There was nothing out of the normal in your apartment. The walls were brown and the furniture was gray, making a very boring, emotionless environment. You set the pizza on the living room table, anticipating your friend's arrival. The pizza was not only for you but for a new friend you had made a week prior. A knock came at the door, gentle but loud at the same time.

"Hey, (Y/N), how's it hanging?"

Meg welcomed herself into your apartment. Though you had just met her recently, she was already one of the closest people to you. She was one of the few who was there to comfort you after your mother's demise.

"Oh, nothing," you began, "just same old same old."

Meg punched your arm playfully.

"Well, in your case, that means you're not having a good day and you're also probably sleep-deprived."

You yawned.

"How did you guess?"

You both broke out in a small fit of laughter. Something that had not filled your heart in the past few months filled it again, even if just for a moment.

"Ready to eat this pizza and watch a funny movie?"

You nodded.

"Of course, Meg."