Time‘a a bitch. It always is.
She was gone by November. Her phone kept chiming with endless texts. She was dead.
He’s going to think I abandoned him when the reality is he has never left my thoughts since the moment I met him.
Jasper looked lost, worried, disappointed when the nights passed as he waited for her to come online. Kyla wanted nothing more than to give him a hug.
A middle-aged lady approached Kyla one night.
“Hello.”
“You can see me?” Kyla asked, surprised.
The lady nodded.
“How?”
“The same reason why he can’t see the both of us,” she said, tilting her chin towards Jasper.
“Why have you come here?” Kyla took a step back from the lady.
“There is a place we could go to. I’ll show you,” came her reply. She was wearing a kindly smile.
”I don’t want to go,” Kyla said, keeping her eyes on the man she loves.
”You want to stay with that man?”
Kyla nodded.
”Then you must come with me.”
”I won’t leave him,” Kyla said.
”He can’t see you or hear you. But if you are in Everopia, he’d be able to.”
”How?”
”At Everopia, there is a place where the two realms overlap. Where you are now is in the state in-between,” said the lady. “Kyla, You’re bound for Everopia.”
”How do you know my name?”
“You signed the agreement when you were alive. I’m here to pick you up.”
“What agreement?”
“To be an alpha tester of Everopia.” Then, in a sing-song way, she added, “where dreams live forever in Ethereal Echoes.”
It was hard not to recognise the tune. She had heard it every night since she met Jasper. “The game?”
“It’s much more than a game. You’ll learn soon enough.”
”Am I going to hell?”
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”There is a place that’s strikingly similar, but that is only for the people who possess the most horrendous spirits. Rest assured, that is not your destination. Everopia is a much more pleasant place, far more charming than Earth in its current state. Some people say it’s like a Utopia. But I’ll let you decide your opinion about that on your own.”
”I don’t want to leave him,” Kyla repeated.
“The only way you’ll be able to stay with him forever is if you come with me. And soon. Otherwise, you’ll disappear in a few days. You must have already started to feel the weightlessness.”
Kyla had been wondering about the strange sensations she had been experiencing. Perhaps there was some truth in the stranger’s words.
”You promise?”
”In Everopia, we only make promises if we can keep them forever. And I can promise you that I can show you how you can be with him again because in Everopia, everyone exists for eternity.”
Kyla nodded.
“Take my hand,” said the stranger.
Kyla took hold of the lady’s outstretched hand.
And then they were gone.
It seemed as if Kyla had merely blinked. She had to raise her arms to shield her eyes from the blinding lights. Wherever they were, it was unbelievably bright. As soon as
Kyla’s eyes adjusted to the environment, she stood stunned by the sight before her.
Everopia was like a world dreamed up by a retired electronic dj who had turned zen, a melded field of cyberpunk and nature.
A virtual screen appeared in front of her. A welcome message for new residents:
There are hardly any rules in Everopia.
Rule number 1: It is every citizen’s duty to do their part to make sure the living keep living.
Rule number 2: Communication with the living beyond the allowed channels is prohibited.
Rule number 3: Revealing your identity to the living is prohibited.
The middle aged lady spoke once Kyla looked up from the screen.
“You might be wondering whether there might be one more rule that’s missing,” she said. “There isn’t. Everopians are allowed to tell the living that Everopia exists. For two reasons. First, most of them will take it as a joke. And second, the ones who do not and who endeavor to find evidence will not be able to find any proof.”
”I have so many questions.”
”I’m sure you do. But I’m afraid this is where I must leave you. My job is done. You will settle in soon enough. All residents do. Go to that clearing,” she pointed to a little patch of grass marked by a spotlight. ”You’ll find most of the answers there.”
Then the lady was gone.
In the strange new space, Kyla felt more grounded than she had in the days since she had passed. She walked slowly towards the clearing, then started to pick up the pace. The wind blew against her hair and sprang into a light jog.
There were others moving towards the glowing grass. Some running, some strolling. Kyla’s eyes followed a boy with bright eyes running towards the clearing, arms outstretched, wearing a wide smile. Even as he neared the glowing circle, he didn’t slow down. If anything, he sped up even. Kyla found herself worrying whether he was going to collide with one of the people entering the clearing from the other side. But it turned out there was no cause for worry. Once he stepped into the glow, he vanished.
Kyla looked around at the other residents of this place. Everyone seemed to head towards the glow with no sign of stopping. One by one, the people evaporated as soon as they stepped onto the shining grass. They were all wearing different types of smiles. There were far more people walking towards the light than away from it.
After a while, a woman emerged from the light and walked out. Then another. They seemed to be the only ones walking away from the light.
Kyla approached the one who was nearer. She had to find out what was in the light.
“You must be new,” the lady replied. She gave Kyla a soft smile. “Don’t worry. I was just as confused when I first arrived. You’ll understand once you reach there.”
”Reach where?”
”Don’t you want to see the person you love the most?”
”Of course I do.”
”Then go on, into the channel.”
“The channel?”
The lady nodded her chin towards the light.
”He’s probably waiting for you.”
Kyla’s heart filled with hope. She started running. When she reached the giant patch of shining grass, like all the other residents of Everopia, she vanished.