The lights never turned back on. Nothing but a flash of darkness entered my eyes, yet somehow I could see the world as if it was being lit by two neon suns. Everything seemed to be different, yet so familiar. I was standing outside of my burning house, and could hear sirens in the distance. People were gathering in the street, trying to get a glimpse of a danger they’ve never seen before. Watching the house – my house – like it was the lead attraction at a twisted carnival. The colorful ribbons melting on the front lawn, and the stray helium balloon with the word ‘birthday’ printed on it floating up to the heavens above. If not for the raging fire, and the dead bodies, including mine, the bright colors would have been rather humorous, maybe even joyful.
By the time the fire engines arrived at my house, there was nothing left to protect. Nothing and no one to save, as the fire ate through everything, and everyone, inside. The people still attending the twisted carnival show were slowly being ushered away. Ordered to return to their still cozy homes, with their family and pets greeting them at the door, and the local news on their televi…..

Suddenly, I felt the world being pulled out from under me. The very ground I was standing on was nothing more than a fine piece of glass, with dark shadowy hands trying to grab through the surface. All that separated me from the underworld was a thin window. A window. A freaking window.
I just couldn’t comprehend how easily one wrong step could send me to hell. Did I not have a purpose? Did that being not give me the ability to communicate and help the living?
How can I help the living, like I used to help the dead back when I was alive, if I fell through the thin glass separating me from a death after death?
I’m very confused. Unaware of what to do, where to go. Disoriented. Dazed. Dizzy and Dead.

The glass under my feet started to vibrate, and an electrical smell of ozone filled the undead air. The air around me was sparkling with blue electrical bolts, sort of like miniature lightning bolts. These bolts bounced on and around the cars on the street, and kept going down the road, as if abiding to the human laws of road safety. A faint whispering could be heard coming from the house behind me. As I look for the source, I notice a red and glowing cat, who was caught in the fire. The cat had an odd hazy glow under the two neon suns. Although I didn’t hear the cat speak, or anyone around me say any spoken words, I knew the glowing feline was my sort of guide, trying to show me the way to safety. The way to sanity.
The cat seemed to glide to the side of the road, allowing for the lightning to hit the feline, and go through the animal, causing a loud yet somewhat soothing hiss. The cat then made a flicking motion with his glowing tail, indicting that I should copy the cat, and allow for the lightning to pass through me too.
Copy the cat? Wow, was I really being told how to run my afterlife by a frisky and dead feline companion? I never would have thought that such a thing could ever be possible. Then again, I didn’t think I would die at the age of 14, either.

Although hesitant, I started to walk toward the road, trying to be careful to not break the thin glass below.
Once on the road, I was informed to wait for the next electrical bolt, and to allow for it to pass through my body.
It didn’t take long for another bolt to arrive. They seemed to be operating on a timed schedule. Perfectly in-sync with one another.
Just before the bolt made contact with my stretched-out arm, I took a quick glimpse back at what remained of my house. The translucent memory of a life I once lived. 14 short years on this earth. And what do I do to celebrate my 14th birthday? I get burned alive in a fire, given the gift of immortality, and am now forced to allow for a blue bolt of lightning to go through my body, assuming it doesn’t fry me to a crisp… No, that can’t happen twice.. Can it?