3 Boot-camp

WHAT DO YOU mean, you know?"

Alex looked over at me, his eyes meeting mine before a smirk found its way to his face.

"I'm your best buddy of course I know everything about you."

"But you never believe me," I whined.

"I believe that you're not crazy. Just because people tell you it doesn't make sense doesn't mean it isn't real."

"Which do you believe?"

"I believe in God." His face turned serious at his words.

"Alex, we've had this conversation before, only back then, it was the zombies in movies, not ghosts here in Oblivion. They weren't supposed to exist, and the vampires and werewolves shouldn't exist, so why not every myth and legend out there? If you believe in God, why not mermaids, goblins, angels, and demons? It could be that they are all real."

He let out a deep breath.

"I feel like I don't know what's real anymore," I muttered softly.

Alex stood up. "Come on, you need some stress relief." He held out his hand for mine, linking our fingers together. "Are you sure, you're feeling okay now?"

I nodded.

"Good. Paris is throwing a party. You wanna come?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Nah, you don't." Alex smiled that charming, crooked grin of his.

I groaned as I got up, digging my hand into my hind pocket. "Great I left my phone," I said in aggravated tone. "Can I borrow yours? I need to call Mom first."

She was probably worried about me, thinking something bad happened.

Alex handed me his phone and I immediately dialed Mom's number.

"Mom?"

"Ani? Ani, is that you?" My mom's frantic voice answered.

"Yes, Mom, it's me. I'm okay. Alex's here with me." I looked up at him. Alex had his hands in his pockets and was walking around in circles looking at the ground. "I'm sorry I took off. I was just…scared but I'm okay now. We will go to Paris' house party."

"No! You're going home right now, Anathema Woodthorpe. You just fainted. You can't go to the party. Do you hear me?" Her voice filled with mixture of worry, anger and concern.

"Mom, please! I don't wanna go home just yet. I'm feeling fine now, okay? I don't want to stay in my bed while you lock yourself in your room praying the Our Father while I…" I trailed off, my chest heaving. "I'll be fine Mom, I promise. I'll see you soon, okay?"

The line went quiet for a moment.

"I love you, Ani."

"I love you too, Mom."

When we arrived at Paris' place, I could hear the party music blasting from outside. Music pounded through the mansion so loudly that the walls seemed to shake.

Alex flung the door open, and there stood Paris with an eager looking Deidre behind her as well as over fifty other people.

Deidre and Paris are good friends of mine. We have known each other since grade school. After all, in a small town like Oblivion, everybody knows everybody. If it weren't for us living in the same town, we probably would not be friends. We are complete opposites of each other but we do complement one another. I guess the good old "opposites attract" applies to us.

Paris squealed with delight as she hugged me and stepped aside to let us in. "Hey, Ani! I thought you wouldn't make it."

"Glad I did," I replied, half-smiling.

"Booze?" she offered.

"Lots of it, please."

There was a continuous flood of people after us. Lance, Paris' boyfriend, squeezed through the door, carrying a huge keg and Alex went over to help him.

I turned around, and realized that I was standing by myself. Paris and Deidre were cheering on a group of what looked like sophomores who were downing shots like there was no tomorrow.

I entered the living room, Alex and his rumored girlfriend Kylie, were putting on a show. If there were a contest for raunchy dance moves, Alex and Kylie would have won, hands down.

I heard my name being called. Deidre wound her way around several dancing kids, with their bodies pressed together.

She handed me a bottle of beer. "I don't think I'm down to party tonight, D. Why did we do this again?"

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Uhm, it's Paris' birthday, remember?"

"What?"

"Just kidding!" She chuckled. "You know she loves any excuse to throw a party and loves to make a scene. Just enjoy yourself."

I smiled at her and shook my head. I blinked once, and almost instantly I was transported to another world.

I was in a cemetery. Ghosts were all around me. They slowly turned their heads and I was met with faces with hollow eyes. They began to make their way to me. I tried to focus. I had to get back.

Snap out of it! I heard a voice say.

"Hey Ani? Ani, are you okay?"

"What's going on?" I asked groggily. Apparently, I was lying on Paris' bed, Alex leaning over me.

"Deidre was talking to you earlier and all of a sudden you looked like you saw a ghost. You froze and then you passed out again."

I could still hear the music booming through the speakers. I sat up startled and looked around the room disoriented.

"I did see ghosts. Lots of it." My voice cracked and I cleared it before continuing. "I was talking with Deidre then I blinked and I was transported into another world again."

I started to shake in fear.

"If I didn't snap out of there I knew they would pass through me. Alex, I don't want to feel that unbearable burning pain as if being ripped apart ever again." I began to tremble even more, gripping onto his shirt and didn't bother to stop the tears from falling.

He let out a deep breath. His eyes were full of concern. "Let's get you home."

* * *

"Maybe I should go inside. My mom's probably worried since it's already past midnight," I told Alex as we stood on our porch.

Alex gave me a worried look.

"What?"

"You sure you'll be fine? I can crash on your couch if you want?"

"It's okay, I'll be fine, thanks."

We fist-pumped and tapped each other's back. I pushed the doorbell and waited for about two seconds. Mom opened the door and gave me a massive hug.

"Ani! Are you okay?"

"Physically? I'm fine. Mentally? I don't know," I replied and stepped inside.

"Well, I kinda guess." Alex chuckled.

"Ha ha, funny." I rolled my eyes at him.

"Thanks for bringing her home safely, Alex," Mom said gratefully with a smile.

"Anytime."

"I would love to invite you inside but it's already late."

"Nah, it's okay. I should go now. Mom is probably worrying about me too."

"How about lunch tomorrow? Bring your parents and Daisy."

"Hmm...Mom and Dad have work tomorrow, and Daisy and I will go surfing. Maybe next time. Thanks for the invite though." Alex smiled. "How about you come with us, Ani. What do you think?"

"Oh no, Ani needs some rest she canno—"

"I'm going," I cut her off. "Mom, you know how love I surfing and I feel good while I'm doing it. It helps keep my mind off of everything." I turned to Alex. "Who else are coming?"

"D said she's coming. I'll ask the others if they'd like to come."

"Fine then." I nodded. "Good night, Alex."

"Good night, Ani. Good night, Mrs. Woodthorpe."

Mom closed the door immediately. "Ani, we need to talk." Mom stood in front of me with her arms crossed.

I sighed heavily. "About what? Haven't we exhausted every topic lately? Boys, sex, pregnancy, drugs, what else?"

"You've been fainting. You've hardly gotten any sleep. I am working day and night to provide all the things that you need, and then there's you, throwing your life away. What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?" I snorted. "I told you I've been seeing things. Things that are not human. They appear in front of me, in my dreams, and it's not like I can close my eyes and not see them anymore!"

She rubbed her forehead and then ran her hands through her hair. Her shoulder dropped. "Maybe you need some help."

"Mom, I'm not going crazy!" I retorted.

"Well, I've read about hallucinations and delusions related to abuse with certain drugs."

"You think I'm an addict?" I shook my head. I began to tear up and then ran upstairs to my room.

There was a soft knock on my door. I ignored it, sniffled and buried my face in my hands. I heard the doorknob rattle but the door remained unopened.

"Ani, please open the door," Mom said softly.

I lifted my head up. "Go, away." My broken voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm sorry, Ani. I just want you to be okay."

I turned over to my back and closed my eyes. "Leave me alone," I said, making my voice loud enough for my mother to hear me through the thick door.

I heard shuffling and retreating footsteps. Shakily, I walked to my bed and collapsed upon it, sobbing again. After an hour of crying, I stripped out of my clothes and hopped in the shower.

I was just laying down on my bed after I changed into my pyjamas when I heard a soft knock again.

"Ani…"

When I didn't respond, the door creaked open. I closed my eyes quick and pretended I was asleep when Mom walked in.

I felt Mom sat at the edge of my bed and brushed my cheek. "I was so worried about you, Ani," she mumbled. "I'm sorry." Mom ran her fingers through my hair. "Goodnight, sweetheart. Mom loves you." She gently kissed my forehead.

I pretended to stir in my sleep and opened my eyes, squinting. She drew the curtain shut, turning the light off as she left.

A few minutes after Mom left, my doorknob suddenly started shaking like someone was trying to open my door.

"Mom? Mom, is that you?"

I sat upright staring at the door scared out of my mind. The doorknob shook for a few seconds then the door creaked open by itself. I immediately threw my head under the covers, closed my eyes and began uttering prayers.

A rather uneasy silence followed.

I waited a few seconds and then I pulled back the covers. I opened my eyes and looked around to see my room filled with over a dozen ghosts. I didn't know what to do, I just sat frozen in my bed.

"Why don't you just leave me alone?" My eyes were open wide in terror.

"We need you." One of the ghosts spoke.

A searing pain immediately hit me hard in my right side and I gasped from the force of it when the ghost entered my body. I cried and tried to muffle the sound with my pillow. I clutched my side, my forehead breaking out in a sheen of sweat as I curled in on myself.

"Please go away." Tears fell down my cheeks. I just closed my eyes and prepared myself for what's to come.

In a split second, my whole body contracted violently, and the shaking began again as each soul passed through me.

I found myself slowly losing consciousness from the repeated infliction of pain. I watched myself move, stand up and slip right through a fabric of reality into another dimension.

I walked into an endless space of ashy color. It was foggy and misty. The place was too hot or too cold. The air was damp with a burning, chilling mist. I felt chills and goosebumps but was also shaky and sweaty.

Where am I?

I shivered, feeling sick to my stomach, burning and chilled all over. I couldn't see people but I did sense people moaning, trembling and weeping. I could feel that the people in the mist are walking, hitting each other. I could feel their souls in what seemed like a terrible suffering.

"Have two Masses celebrated for me, and I will be delivered." I heard a voice say.

I found it impossible to answer; the words were stuck in my throat.

As I went on, I saw several levels of this place and the lowest was like an ocean of raging fire where the immense suffering happened.

I learned from my religion class that there was a place where the final sanctification was taking place. This place was like a boot-camp of Heaven. A place where the souls gathered together to purify their souls to achieve the highest level of spiritual excellence needed to enter the gates of Heaven.

Is this how purgatory looks like?

Then suddenly out of nowhere, I heard a terrifying, high-pitched voice screamed from the void.

"This prison of the demons will collapse and the supernatural world will unfold. The world will once again feel our existence. Through you, with you, and in you!"

The voice cackled and felt like the cold wind howling through the cracks in the wall. There was real anguish in that voice of a woman and it terrified me.

I felt my heart jump to my throat. I turned, running, but it was hard when my lungs screamed at me to breathe more when the air held little oxygen, even though I was panting heavily.

I ran faster and sank deeper into the dark. My consciousness was pushed completely to the edge and I fell into the abyss of nothing.