//MAJOR TW: Many themes of mental challenges, depression, panic attacks and anxiety, verbal abuse, intrusive thoughts, and (BIG WARNING) major character death.//
//This story is set in the USA during the summer of 2023. The Pandemic is over and life is normal again, though some people still wear masks and neck guards/ neck gaiters for safety, fashion, or personal preference.//
//I haven't made a cover for this story yet. Please ignore that ;-;//
Rhys is a pretty typical 17 year old. Their brain isn't typical, but Rhys seems to be. They are perfectly fine according to their parents! And why shouldn't they be? They have a wonderful partner that they love very much, they bike and skate and drive, they have a big related family and an even bigger personal family. Everything's going great for Rhys so far! But they slowly start to spiral back into insanity and challenging mental health after re-meeting an old friend, named Artemis, that moved back into town. The memories of them and the friendship they had with Artemis makes them contemplate their feelings for them, their partner, and other people in their lives as well. All of this starts to heighten their anxiety and stress and sends them into a state of panic and despair, questioning their choices. All leading up to this moment. Leading up to these moments.
"It sucks... why do I keep falling for people with dark hair and natural curls..."
We'll never know. All we know is that Rhys keeps falling. Falling deeper and deeper and getting tangled even, into both of their vanilla curls.
Geoff and Naomi are dead, and they're depressed, but when Geoff's cat Bernie dies as well, they embark on a wild journey to find it in the underworld.
*****
When Geoff dies, alongside his girlfriend Naomi, they end up sharing an apartment in the Underworld as skeletons. But after a few years, Geoff starts suffering a mid-death crisis. What's the purpose of going through the motions as a skeleton if you can't really live? Then he gets word that his cat, Bernie, just died and he can collect him and bring him home! Geoff and Naomi hurry to get Bernie only to discover that, due to a clerical error, their cat has been lost. With the hunt for Bernie giving new purpose to Geoff's un-life, he and Naomi begin a quest to get back their cat. Battling skeleton pirates, climbing the sky ladder and facing off against the villain who took Bernie, Geoff is determined to find his purpose - or die a second time trying!
[[2018 Wattys Winner - The Originals]]
[[word count: 30,000-40,000 words]]