Chapter 1: A letter from a stranger

I feel as if I'm in a deep slumber. I am unaware of what is happening... it feels odd. One second I was having a happy conversation with people I don't know then the next everything went falling apart. I saw peculiar beings roaming around violently. I felt an intense pain in my body as if being stabbed in the chest. I can't seem to move and too weak to stand up. I collapsed in a ground of wilted grass as I see the dark sky above me. I was about to lose consciousness when I saw an unfamiliar face... he was standing in front of me with cold eyes and then... Everything went black.

"Iesha!" I became startled and opened my eyes widely in shock when someone suddenly yelled my name in an annoyed manner. "Well, looks like someone was having a good nap" I heard people chuckling. Apparently, the unknown figure who called me was my religion professor, Mr. Anderson. "Now tell me Ms. Yorkshire, What is the sacred text of Hindus?"

Well shit I haven't reviewed that yet. I looked around as if thinking for the answer. As my gaze was desperately looking for clues, I can't help but notice my classmates that were all whispering and laughing at me. There's nothing new in that though.

I suddenly heard a word... Vedas? I wonder what that is...

"Well Ms. Yorkshire?" I looked back at my professor. Oh boy let's hope this magical word that just happened to came out of nowhere is a blessing from the Gods. "I believe that the answer to that question is Vedas?"

My professor looked at me with his doubting gaze as if telling me I cheated but, soon gave up and let it go. "Well looks like someone has been doing her reading. Good job Ms. Yorkshire. You may now sit down."

"Beginner's luck." I heard our class' muse mutter while glaring at me with an insulting facial expression as I was sitting down.

I think you're all wondering why everyone is treating me this way. I am... different from everyone else. I can see things or rather creatures that are unknown or odd to the human eye. I call them "Flainters". This term was made due to my young self that got scared and wept in my father's arms. My father told me that I was trying to call them "flying monsters" but was too scared to even finish saying the words.

I gazed around for a bit and saw a flying creature that startled me. It is full of scales and has 8 eyes surrounding its deformed body. Speaking of the devils, here they are. They always cause others to think I'm going nuts. People think I'm talking to myself but I am not.

"Thank you for helping me earlier." I whispered to the unknown creature who apparently was the one told me the answer earlier.

The creature gestured in a cheerful manner and forming an expression with its eyes akin to a human smiling. I think that's a 'glad to help' response.

"Well well well looks like this crazy woman is talking to herself again." Oh great another REAL evil creature; the muse.

I looked at her. "What do you want Andrea?" She smirked at me in response. "Oh sweetie, you know what I want. I need my money for lunch today."

I looked down and started fixing my things. "Why ask me then? I'm not your mother to give you money." I'm already being bullied a lot and not only in school but EVERYWHERE and this is being too much.

She suddenly pushed my things on purpose which led them to fall down and scatter on the ground. "Oh my apologies sweetheart I didn't mean to scatter your filth." She knelt and whispered at me. "I want my lunch money later. You know what might happen if you don't do what I want right?" She stood up and chuckled with her friends as they walked away in a sassy yet bitchy manner.

I still haven't figured out how a girl like her became the muse. First, she literally shows immorality to others and second, she bullies other students including me which obviously isn't a good role model to others. Oh well, maybe it was because of her popularity, looks and riches that made people vote for her as the muse. After a long discussion with myself on why she is the role model of the school, I fixed my things and went straight to the hallways. I wish this day ends quicker so I could go home and just have my own company at least by that I wouldn't have to feel upset on the whispers of people around me.

I suddenly sensed an unusual atmosphere surrounding me as if a powerful energy is pulling me towards something...

"Iesha..." I heard someone called my name. I followed it in curiosity which led towards the hallway of the abandoned pre-school building. Well... I have always been seeing and hearing abnormal things on a daily basis so, how bad can this be?

I went through the hallway as it slowly became darker. The voice started to become louder and clearer to hear.

Oh for Heaven's sake Ivy curiosity kills the cat!

I went rushing back towards the main hallway in fear and walked briskly as I entered back into where the people usually walk by. I suddenly felt the growling of my stomach and looked at my watch to see if I can still eat lunch because the time went insanely fast while I was going through that dark hallway.

Great. Lunch time is almost finished and my stomach is growling like a lion wanting to devour a whole kingdom of rabbits.

I continued to walk briskly in the main hallway to the cafeteria but then again another obstacle came in the way of me achieving my body's desire for food. The secretary of the school made a 'come here' gesture as she looked at me. I can't just ignore that I'm a graduating student in high school after all. I don't want to have violations when I'm already this close to going to college.

"The principal wants to have a word with you young lady." She said and led me to the principal's office. She made me sat at the chair for the clients. "Please wait here. The principal will be here in a few minutes." She said as she slowly closed the door. What now? I don't remember violating any rules nor having any failing grades... maybe its about my scholarship or a Godforsaken college inviting me personally to enroll there after college.

As I am lost in thoughts of the hundred possibilities that the principal will summon me on such short notice, I looked around the room to somehow forget that I'm starving. I noticed all the piles of events that are coming up placed on top of the desk. So there will be a ball held at February next school year. I don't even know if someone will be willing enough to ask me to be his partner... well as if it matters. I rummaged around more and saw a pile of list of students who violated the rules. Well will you look at that the muse seems to be a very sneaky person and not get caught bullying people.

After 5 minutes of snooping around I decided to just sit down again. Classes are about to resume already. Where is the principal?

I got startled when I saw something floating above me and landed slowly on my lap. It is a letter. Just by looking at the physical appearance, the letter looks very elegant. It is in the color of black with a lining of gold. A red seal is used to keep the letter closed.

I looked closely at the details letter and saw that it was addressed for me.

"Why would such a fancy letter be addressed to me?" I said to myself.

Curiously, I was about to open the letter but out of nowhere a cat jumped on my lap and took the letter out of my hand. The cat has black fur with dazzling blue and green eyes.

I was too fascinated by how beautiful the cat looked like that I forgot to wonder why or how the cat got inside the principal's office. I tried to approach the cat slowly but it was too fast for me.

"Nice kitty, please return my letter back." I said but the cat ran in response. I tried to chase the cat all around the room wanting to get the letter back.

But then... All of a sudden I found myself gone from the principal's office and felt the strong winds putting pressure in my body. I then saw the blue sky and became aware at I was falling in mid-air. I screamed as I continued feeling as if my soul was being detached from my body. I saw a place unknown to my sight it was rather beautiful but I saw the ground getting near then everything started to look blurry.

"Shit. She followed me." I heard a voice said.

I was getting ready for the impact of the fall that would most likely break my body into pieces... but I felt no impact.

Instead, I felt warmth and smelled something somewhat pleasant to my nose.

I opened my eyes and saw that I landed on a human. I quickly stood up with eyes that are still in shock and moved away a few inches after hitting his face with my fist.

"Who are you? Where am I? What the hell is happening?" I asked him in a panicking voice while trying to get my senses together and looked around the unknown field I just landed on.

"Geez, Is that any way to treat someone who just saved you from being a thousand pieces?" The stranger said as he got up while holding his back with a pained expression on his face and slowly looked at me with in a teasing manner. "Not to mention, you're heavier than what you look like Ms. Yorkshire."

I stayed silent contemplating whether to punch the person again due to being provoked about my weight or beat the person to death. I glared at him with squinting eyes. I noticed that he has a fair skin with bright green and blue eyes that were very astonishing. He was wearing black garments that looked as if it was a formal attire made perfectly for him. In short, a handsome young man that looked as if he came out from a fairy tale story.

"I'm entirely grateful for your compliment milady."

Did he just read my mind?

"Yes milady. I can read minds and am apparently the feline that you saw and chased desperately earlier."

No... This isn't true. Everything that I'm seeing right now is just a dream. It's all a figment of my imagination.

I pinched myself harshly expecting that everything will disappear.

"Ouch!" I said with a pained expression. Nothing happened. I'm still in this unknown place. The pinch I did on my skin left a mark and started to turn pinkish red.

"Well that's dumb. Did you actually believe that such thing will let you leave this place? This is real and nothing that you're seeing right now is fake or a dream." He looked at me rather amused by what I did.

"No this isn't true. This is just another dream I'm having." I pinched myself again and the pinkish red bruise now became intensely red and felt numb.

"Now do you believe me?" He said again with a more amused facial expressions.

I heard incoherent sounds. I saw flying creatures. I saw peculiar people... I saw heaven and hell.

I started to feel light headed. Everything went blurry and unclear. My legs started to become weak and collapsed. I saw a gate with a cross as big as five men stacked upward. But before I blacked out I saw a sign at the top with a pinch of elegance that says...

WELCOME TO AFTER LIFE ACADEMY