I awoke to the sound of rushing water and a deep, deep chill.

Groggily, I shook myself, reaching out a hand for my phone, only to encounter nothing but a biting cold that seemed to reach far beyond the skin. It was all around me now, and I was falling, flailing as my eyes shot open.

Wha… Where? Huh? Was I kidnapped or something?

I gazed out at the scene in front of me as my body was pulled down and down. It was definitely not a criminal’s lair, unless they were some kind of supervillain. I was in an absolutely massive cave, walls stretching what must have been hundreds of feet up, with a ceiling of unworked stone covered in stalactites. Worse still, I had figured out the source for the biting chill that still swept into my limbs and body. I was in some kind of liquid – flowing like water, but black as night and somehow textureless. The strange stuff formed a whirlpool leading to the center of the cavern, Where a dark hole resided. But far more striking was what was above it, a massive statue of a man with far too many eyes covering his head in a haphazard pattern. Green, blue, red, orange, iris’s round like a humans or slitted like some gigantic cat, darting this way and that, looking down at a sea of encroaching bodies – all stuck, just like me.

Wait. That can’t be right.

Statues don’t move. I was sure of that. Which meant… despite his gray skin, that man was alive. Somehow. And the other people, who were they? And why am I here?

With rapid breaths, I forced down my quickly rising panic and moved to assess the situation. All around me were bodies, but there was something wrong with them. Each one was transparent, with white, misty skin – like spirits. On second glance, I was like that too.

Oh joy. I always wanted to be a ghost.

I was also naked, my light skin and dark hair perfectly visible to the rest of the world. I blushed, although that really should have been the least of my worries. The people around me were mostly unconscious, but a scant few were awake, looking around with just as much confusion and fear as me. I gave a strained smile and a small wave to a man being swept along only a few meters from me, who, weirdly enough, had pointed elf ears. I don’t think he noticed my attention.

As we were carried closer to the heart of the whirlpool, my blood ran cold as I saw what the giant with far too many eyes was actually doing. Each time he looked at one of us, his eye would flash a brilliant white, and the person would immediately go stiff with a blank expression – zombie-like. I clamped my jaw shut hard, and tried to nestle deeper into the waters around me, despite the biting chill. Why was I here? Did I die? Is this hell?

It certainly seemed hellish enough – maybe the big guy was Satan? But then what about the hole? Or the zombification? None of it made any sense. Weren’t people who died supposed to end up as the heroes of some shitty lite novel story about a demon king? This more seemed like we were going to be chow for the demon king. I struggled for a moment, but there was no opposing the rapid current that swept us farther and farther down, closer and closer. Several times, the monster’s eye passed over me, but impossibly, it never seemed to notice me. I had no idea why, but as I finally passed the giant’s feet and fell down into the bottomless pit he stood guard over, I was glad to remain firmly in control of my own body.

I fell and fell. Minutes fell, then hours, then I lost track of time. Maybe that had just been the gates of hell, and this was my true punishment? I racked my brains, trying to think of what might have landed me here, but came up empty. I was just a simple college girl, 19, with a few friends and a penchant for reading. I had never really gotten into trouble, or done anything of note. I led a life about as unremarkable as a life can be. I couldn’t remember any specific death, but my last memory was of crossing a street – so maybe truck-kun got me? I let off a sigh, grateful at least that the horrid chill of the black water was gone. I couldn’t see anything above, below, or to my sides; only an endless void was visible – there weren't even any fellow wayfarers on this insane journey. Not that I would be able to talk to them, assuming they hadn’t escaped the giant's gaze like me.

Finally, and with absolutely no fanfare, the drop ended with a pop and I appeared in a place of loud noise and bright color. I stumbled for a moment, expecting an impact with the ground that never came, then sagged and breathed a sigh of relief. I was glad to not have to spend the rest of eternity in a bottomless pit. Then, I actually took a look at what was around me, and decided it might not be much better.

I was in what looked to be an eastern bazaar, if everything was built for people a good three meters tall. There were stages where ghosts were lined up, still naked as the day they were born, and stalls selling all sorts of meats and candies. Each one of these catered to the occupants of this strange spectacle – creatures I could only describe as demons.

Each one was sized for the ridiculous proportions of this place, with black horns, red skin, and cloven hooves like those of a goat. Some milled about, examining the merchandise and souls on display with a critical eye, while others sat in the stalls or upon the stages, and still others bore spears and stood guard beside gates that led into an impenetrable white fog. I myself stood in line with a dozen or so other ghosts upon a stage while a passionate demon in front talked in a screeching, guttural language to the crowd. Shouts and cries filled the underground space as I tried my damnedest to keep the same unresponsive, glazed look as my fellows.

Suddenly, the shouting came to a crescendo, and one of the crowd demons stomped onto the wooden platform with heavy footfalls – hooffalls? I tamped down my rising panic as I came nearly face to face with his crotch as he towered over me. Was he staring at me? Why was he staring at me? Did he know? Should or run, or would that just blow my cover? What do I do-

I had to hold in a scream as he reached out, but in a feat of luck, he grabbed the woman next to me – not me. The other demons hooted and hollered as he walked off stage with his prize and handed a pouch filled with something over to the presumed merchant – slave merchant. Meanwhile, I tried my best not to burst out crying in relief.

However, after that roller coaster of emotions, my much more active thought process had not gone unnoticed, and I felt that relief turn to a pit of icy dread in my stomach as one of the demons pointed at me and called out. The merchant turned to face me.

My heart pounded in my chest as I desperately tried to keep my breathing under control and stare forward blankly, but my condition was rapidly spiraling down. Before I could stop it, a single tear dripped down my ethereal cheek, the product of stress and grief and fear. That could not be passed off as a mere trick of the light.

But I couldn’t help it! I was going to be sold as a slave to FUCKING DEMONS! I wasn’t even 20, damn it! The most danger I had ever been in was when I broke my arm at 11, and now I had been thrust into this literal hellscape! What’s a girl supposed to do?

For a second, we all stood frozen. Then, I bolted, jumping off the stage and sprinting into the crowd. Those gates of white fog were far off, past this market square and through a couple of alleyways, but they might be my ticket out. A few of the demons roared something in their guttural tongue, and the market came alive. Most, surprisingly, seemed more afraid of me than anything – shying away the same way a kid would from a spider. But still, a good number moved to block me or chase me down, and I ended up zigzagging between legs and ducking under tables, using my smaller stature to its full advantage. Finally, I made it through the crowd and into an alleyway, only to see a particularly large, grinning demon blocking my way. He dressed in simple plate armor and carrying a spear, both absolutely massive to account for his frame, and he looked quite pleased with himself. He shouted at me – probably something like “Stop, you violated the law!” or whatever their equivalent was. Unsure of how to proceed, I looked about wildly – we had moved out from the messy market into proper streets lined with stone houses, and there were no longer convenient tables to run under or open space to dodge around people – especially not when another guard moved to block my exit. I let loose a string of curses, the exit was just ahead!

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

But wait… I’m a ghost…. Can’t I just phase through the walls or something?

The demons seemed plenty able to touch me, but there was no reason that logic had to apply to the masonry. Taking a deep breath and closing my eyes as the two advanced on me, I threw myself into one of the walls and passed through without a hitch.

I ended up sprawled across the floor in what looked to be a home, just as over-sized as everything here. Thankfully, it was unoccupied, and I wasted no time in picking myself up and running through the far wall towards where I remembered the gateway to be. It was a somewhat disconcerting experience, as for a second I was surrounded on all sides by solid stone, and it actually took me a few tries to muster the will to run face-first into a brick wall. Fortunately, my new found skill at phasing through solid objects did not fail me, and soon I was speeding through house after house on my way to the gate. The looks on the guard's faces were priceless, and with a final middle finger their way, I rushed into the white fog.

For a second there was only roiling nothingness before I stumbled out the other side and collapsed to my knees. the landscape here was, to my great pleasure, significantly less hellish and contained far fewer demons. Unfortunately, it was still not my bedroom, but progress was progress. I couldn’t stop myself from gasping in wonderment as I beheld the frozen landscape. All around me were rolling mountains of white snow and jagged ice, with a clear blue sky and a yellow sun. Oh, how I missed the outdoors. Even if I was probably in hell for less than a few hours, it had felt like years. It probably should have been frigid, but unlike the black waters the giant presided over, this chill couldn’t touch my ethereal body. I also took note of the distinct lack of any portal into the netherworld behind me. I had managed to escape.

With a sigh somewhere between weary and relieved, I plopped myself down onto the ground and began crying my eyes out. It wasn’t dignified. It wasn’t even safe. But right now, I was just done with today. Dying, that horrible giant, demons trying to sell me as a slave… It was time for a break, and a break I would give myself. Even if I doubted I could actually sleep, being just a soul, I still lay down and curled up into myself, black hair spilling around my naked body.

~~~

Three days had passed since then. After I had recovered from my breakdown, I sat up to witness a beautiful sight – an aurora borealis, framed by an unfamiliar sky glittering with stars like spilled jewels and a large, purple moon. It wasn’t just a calming and breathtaking vista, it was also an important piece of evidence that wherever this was, it wasn’t earth. I had seen a few elves and dwarves and other classical fantasy races in hell, after all, so it stood to reason there were other worlds. And moreover, if I picked a gate at random, the chances of me arriving on earth were quite slim. Assuming each gate leads to a different world. An assumption which, to be fair, I had little evidence for.

And so, for the past few days, I had wandered this white wonderland. I had also figured out a few things while doing so. For one, living things couldn’t see me, and neither could they really hurt me. Which raised some questions about how the demons managed it, but I didn’t want to dwell on them any longer than I had to. One evening, I had come across a truly massive cat that looked like a cross between a panther and a saber tooth tiger, and it hadn’t reacted to me at all. I even mustered the courage to walk up and pet it. I could touch living things, strangely, but it was more like touching their spirit or soul than their flesh. The cat didn’t notice at all, and no matter how hard I pushed, I couldn’t even shift a single white hair on it’s back.

I also learned that my ability to ignore physical laws extended far beyond phasing through a few walls. Not only did I not need to eat or sleep, but I could even fly! Or, well, walk on air. Which led to my current predicament, strolling beside a cliff of rock and ice mid-air while I took in the sights around me. I still wasn’t quite sure what to do about the whole “I’m a ghost” thing, but I figured if I kept walking I should eventually find civilization. And hey, if there were elves and demons it stood to reason there was magic! Maybe I’d find a kindly wizard or priest and get my body back. Or maybe I would be exorcised, but happy thoughts first. No sense in focusing on the negatives.

So, naturally, stuck in my reverie as I was, I was quite surprised when civilization came to me.

Crack! Boom! BOOOOM!

The cliff wall above me collapsed with a mighty roar, showering down snow and icy debris and even what looked like a plank of wood that scythed straight through me. I was quite unharmed, but still nearly jumped out of my non-existent skin. While there was a surprising amount of life among these glacial mountains, most everything kept itself hidden. It was actually almost always near silent except for the whistling of the wind, and I hadn’t seen a single animal that would cause a miniature avalanche like this. So if it wasn’t an animal, what was it?

My question was answered as the snow settled back to the ground, clearing the air. It was a thoroughly wrecked wagon, and two humans lying motionless on the ground. I felt my heart thud in my chest and my breathing picked up at the sight. They probably couldn’t see me, but still, maybe they could lead me to someone who could! I mean, there had to be at least one person out there that could see spirits. It was just probability. Butterflies swarming in my stomach, I let myself believe the ground was farther down for a moment and plummeted towards them at breakneck speed. It was only the knowledge that a fall like this couldn’t hurt me, along with plenty of experience, that kept me from screaming out.

However, as I got closer, I began to see a few problems with my plan. Mainly, the pool of red liquid rapidly growing around them, and the odd, definitely unhealthy angles of their limbs. It hadn’t occurred to me earlier, but with a fall like that, these people were certainly dead. I stared at their corpses a moment longer, now just floating a couple of inches above the ground and a few feet from their ruined wagon. I felt my face break out into a grimace as disgust, horror, and frustration warred within me, and a low pitched whine left my throat.

“Fuck!”

The sound rang out in the silence as I stamped my foot against the ground. First the demons, now this. Was my luck just that shitty? Was the universe conspiring against me? It didn’t matter, as the only humans I had seen in days were dead before I even had a chance to look at their faces. Why were they even out here in the first place? There was nothing in these parts, as far as I could tell. Just endless snow. Pretty snow, granted, but it got boring fast.

Curiosity momentarily overcoming my disgust at the blood and viscera splattered dying the ground red, I looked the two over. All in all, they looked remarkably unremarkable, in a sort of medieval traveler sense. Both had brown hair and long, heavy cloaks. Their facial features were similar enough that they easily could have been twins. For that matter, they likely were. I also discovered I had been wrong – they weren’t humans. With long pointed ears on the sides of their head, they were clearly elves.

The most curious thing about them was that one of the two cradled a large red egg in his arms. And I do mean large – it was easily as wide and tall as his chest. Unfortunately, he had not properly insulated it from the fall, and a long crack ran along its leathery surface. Forget coming here, who would bother to bring an egg here? Were they going to make a giant omelet or something?

My reverie was cut short when something inside the egg moved, and I inhaled sharply.

A head of red scales poked its way out, followed by a sickly body with two small wings and a tail. At first, I thought it was a dragon – A DRAGON, but as I moved closer, it became clear that it lacked any front legs or horns. Not a dragon, then. This was a wyvern. My first real, fantasy creature. A majestic specimen of scarlet scales and leathery skin, with two intelligent, bright green eyes, completely at odds with its surroundings of white and blue. And it was dying right in front of me.

I could only watch as the wyvern flopped down to the ground and croaked out a weak breath, born too early and clearly unsuited for the biting cold of this place. Gently, I put my hand on its snout, and to my surprise, it looked up. It didn’t seem to quite see me, but its spirit was loose, and as I brushed it, it wobbled to my touch. As its heartbeat slower and slower, I stroked the tiny draconid, hoping to bring it some measure of comfort to it in its final moments.

We must have sat there for only a few moments, but it was a timeless moment as I quietly mourned the sight of the dying child in front of me. Finally, with my hand on its snout, I could feel precisely the moment when the spirit left the body. I hoped that it would find someplace nicer than I had – that perhaps it would make its way to a heaven where I had found only hell.

And then, its body became an empty void, and my eyes went wide as I was sucked right in.