"This is unfair! This is UNFAIRR!!!"

A wraith shrieked as I slumped down on the ground, hands and legs shaking, still holding on to a spear I had somehow wrestled off a skeleton while making my way through the valley.

"Pretty easy… my ass… damn zombie…" I mumbled to myself, panting, wanting to vomit even though I'd got nothing in my stomach. My grass armor was falling apart, but thank God I made it, with just a few cuts here and there. I was bleeding, but couldn't care less. My whole body felt numb and I could barely catch my breaths.

I sat on the ground and looked up at Namtar Gate. It was a big, plain stone gate, only remarkable for its size and the few dozens of screeching undeads crawling on top of themselves under it, blocked by an invisible wall. No wonder nobody ever came here from the living side anymore. Why that Mother's Hair grass hurt them so much, I had no idea, but I charged in like a straw bullet and came out alive.

What the hell. I'm exhausted. That was my last thought as I let myself fall back and pass out.

When I woke up, it was still day. I didn't know how long I passed out. The undeads gathered in groups beyond the gate, some were staring at me.

"You're up." One said.

"Yeah. I need to eat something…" I casually replied.

"Go on. The field is not far away." Another one said, carving a beautiful sculpture out of a rock.

I stood up. My muscles hurt. Did I forget something?...

"Ah, that's right… It was a corpse-man who told me about the grass, I mean The Mothers hair… He took my only gold coin in exchange. He wished you well."

The undead looked among themselves and quickly realized who was missing. I scratched my head:

"Well… I'll be on my way…"

They started arguing again, ignoring me.

I turned around and dragged myself toward the green I could see from afar, bringing the spear just in case. Maybe if everything turned out well and I made it big in the demon's world - one could dream - I would return here and give each of them a gold coin. Poor folks.

I finally reached the field. There were grass, flowers and wild grains. It was difficult to relieve my hunger on flower nectar and tiny, milky grains, but I couldn't be choosy. A while later, I found a stream, and nearly cried. I drank a lot and rested by the stream to recover my strength.

The sky was still an unchanging light yellow. I laid down between the flowers and stared up at it. A big bird glided through the air, making a beautiful curve.

Wait a minute, bird??

I sprang up. That's right, I was now on the "living" side, according to that zombie. I was seeing a living creature for the first time since I died on Earth. It flew so high up that I could only see the silhouette, but it was probably a bird of prey. Nevertheless, I suddenly felt spirited. I got up and followed the bird, but soon lost sight of it. No problem, just keep going. The field stretched out endlessly.

Suddenly, there was the sound of rushing water. Curious, I changed my course, and after a while was pleasantly surprised to find a river behind the tall grass. Even more astoundingly, along the river bank I could see a dock with a few boats, and earth-colored buildings. It looked like parts of a city here.

It didn't take long either to find someone. The person was cutting reeds. They sensed my presence and turned around, greeting.

As I heard their voice and saw their smile, I was stunned. I didn't know them, yet I knew them. My legs walked to them on their own.

Before me was my former guardian angel, Erek. Or a version of them that I never knew. But it was Erek, I was sure, because they were always by my side. This feeling was inexplicable; it was a mix between familiarity, nostalgia, and empathy. And the air of awkward adoration I felt from this person before me was unmistakably the same.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Er-.." I opened my mouth.

"Have you come to seek a home? Are you lost?" The person smiled brightly. "Welcome to Erech!"

"Erek! Why are you here..?"

"Why? What do you mean? Next to this river, we have everything! Come, you look unwell. Wait, are those wounds?" The earthly Erek walked up to me and looked at the cuts on my arms and thigh. "Why under Heavens would a lady have such wounds? What's with the weapon?"

He looked startled: "Were there bandits outside of the city?"

"Well… it was.. those living deads at Namtar Gate?"

"Namtar Gate? Where is that? How far did you wander?" Erek asked, then quickly took my hand and led me along. "Come, we need to treat your wounds, then get you something to eat. Something to wear, too, you've got blood all over you." He kept talking and making a fuss, like a mom.

"Uh, Erek, do you know who I am?" I asked. The way they behaved was strange.

"Does that matter?" Erek heartily smiled at me. "You are safe in Erech now. Be at ease."

I stopped asking, although still confused. Erek's hand was warm and the river's sounds were soothing. I could see more houses now, many of them, into the distant. We entered a modest but clean house. I smelt fish soup. Erek made me sit down and waved his hand over my wounds. Water flowed from his hand, swirled in the air, cleaned away the dirt and the blood. Magic! There's my angel!

Erek put some sort of balm on my wounds and gave me soup to eat. Then he told me to rest and walked out.

I wondered if I should rest. It bothered me, how Erek had not called my name even once. And they only ever referred to their own name as a city. I was in a strange place, I knew that. I had read enough stories and myths in my life to know this was far too convenient. What were the chances I could meet my guardian angel in this place? Close to nil. I know what the real Erek told me. They told me never to stop thinking like a living. That meant being critical. That meant imagination. Think, beyond what the eyes see.

But this Erek walked in and smiled, patted my head and started talking about fish, and how expensive honey was on the market these days. I tried not to fall asleep, but it felt too nice, listening to all the stories. I dozed off, and woke up in the middle of the night. I had a blanket over me. 'Erek' was still there. He had fallen asleep while sitting, hands holding a toy animal made with woven leaves.

I gently took the animal out of Erek's hands, and sat down next to him. I looked carefully at his sleeping face. He looked like a human, a beautiful one. I leaned my head on his shoulder and wrapped my arms around his, nudging closer to my, perhaps, angel. And I couldn't stop the tears. I woke him up, I knew that, but I couldn't help it.

I wished, I wished I could stay. I listened to him and I now seemed to have understood. His love for humankind. His love for this city. This now completely quiet city. He was all alone, and I felt that deep inside my heart.

"What's wrong, my child?" His warm voice whispered to me. His warm hand placed on my head.

"Erech…" I looked up, couldn't properly see him through the tears. "Erech, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Nothing to worry about. It will all be fine…" He smiled. He had the saddest smile. "Just stay here, I'm sure it will be fine."

"No. No, Erech, I can't. You're in the past, Erech..." I clasped my hands around his face. "You're in the distant, distant past, and I can't linger there with you. But you'll be fine, I promise. You'll be fine, and we'll meet again. Definitely!..."

Erech froze. Then tears started welling up in his eyes.

"Will they come back to me? Will the river come back to me?..."

I couldn't answer those questions. "Erech… you'll be alright,…"

"Don't leave…" He said, grabbing my wrists. "Don't leave! You cannot leave!!"

"Please! Let me go!" I tried to wrestle out of his grip, but he was too strong. "Let me go! it hurts!... I have to go!" I yelled, but he was not listening. His eyes had changed. They were obsessive now and where his hands were squeezing my wrists, it burnt. I kicked and struggled, but it only made him angrier.

"You're staying!!" He roared. The house suddenly started to crack and cave in. The night faded away - there were no nights to begin with. A chunk of the house collapsed. I screamed.

The next second I fell down on the floor and I saw Erech bend down over me, shielding me with his back. As I looked at his face, it was glowing. Everything suddenly became quiet.

In that brief moment, I was reunited with my angel.

"Go!" Erek said.

I immediately crawled out from under him and ran away from the house. The city was dissipating. Everything was falling apart and getting buried in layers of sands, as if in a fast-forwarded film. I glanced to the side. The river was no more. It had all dried up.

Once again, it was so quiet. I looked back to see Erech standing there, staring blankly at the boats lying around on the river's floor. He then turned to me. He said nothing, but I could hear the questions in his eyes.

"It.. it's all true! We'll meet again!" I shouted. "You'll be protecting people again! Many of them! You'll be spoiling me, always…"

My heart was heavy.

"You protected me so much, it was such a boring life…"

I couldn't take my eyes off him.

"...But you let me dream… a lot."

"You were the best I could ever ask for..."

"Thank you… for letting me go."

I would like to think that I had seen him smile, the moment the city and everything faded away, together with that fragment of his soul. Once again, I was standing on the wild flower field.

In my hand was the little animal made from woven leaves.