The Party Island

Is this the place? A crossroad between life and death. The plane of 'in-between' where every soul crosses before its final journey. She was here, she exists, but not really. The things that made her human began to unravel and slip through her fingers like grains of sand, leaving behind a hollow echo. 

Unrestrained by the confines of time and space, memories flow like a current. Bursts of fireworks paint the clear summer night, where they gathered to eat, laugh, and sing. Father's bright eyes and dimpled smile warm her heart with their gentle glow. Blue sky and wind roam her hair as they race down the hill. All destined to be forgotten, except for one.

The campfire crackled and danced, its flickering flames casting a soft golden hue over the wintry landscape. The air was crisp and cold, nipping at exposed skin. She took a sip of the hot chocolate, and the rich sweetness chased away the chill, leaving her feeling cozy and content. This moment was a memory from two years ago, the day Dave triggered an avalanche, burying the entire ski resort under a blanket of snow. But why were they alone? Weren't Jack and Toji supposed to be there too?

"Are you even listening?" Dave loomed in front of her, lightly tapping her forehead. "Stop daydreaming; this is very important. Pay attention." His expression was serious, the one he wore when about to dispense some wisdom upon them.

"I'm going to teach you about Haki."

"Hockey? Forget it. People get their noses broken all the time."

"Haki," he corrected with a hint of annoyance, emphasizing the pronunciation with the movement of his mouth. "Is the power that lies dormant in all creatures. The closest comparison I can think of in this world would be similar to internal energy—chi or chakra."

"Stop plagiarizing those and rebranding them as Haki. You're just trying to sound cool."

He looked genuinely exasperated. "Look, where I come from, it's called Haki, and it's totally different from those watered-down things." Dave scratched his head. "Let me try to explain this again. Haki is the manifestation of your willpower. Some people are born with it already awakened, and they can use it without training. Others develop it during a state of extreme stress. It's generally divided into—."

Her head was spinning with details. Nothing he said made any sense. This must be it, the point where their teacher had finally lost it. A culmination of unrestrained drinking, hours of video games, and smoking weed (which he thought Ann didn't know about).

" –which is why, starting today, you'll spar with Toji every day," Dave concluded. Ann closed her gaping mouth with a snap. 

"Dave, are you high?"

Death had arrived, warm like the first light of dawn, scented with morning coffee and chocolate chip pancakes. It spoke in a soft baritone, calling her by her most beloved name and inviting her to step beyond the threshold. Yet Ann was not ready to accept things as they were.

Even if her body continued to sink in endless blue. 

Even if her heart no longer beats. 

Impossible. 

Unsalvageable. 

Damaged beyond repair. She was of no use to the people she loved. Why was it then, something inside her still burned? Something that refused to break, insists on a fight. 

"The people who mastered Haki did impossible things," Dave said. "Because of those assholes, everyone thinks it's hard. But the basics had always been simple." 

"Imagine it."

"Feel the flow."

"Force whatever you want into existence."

And she did. With all her might. Until she felt the vibrant river of life trickling through her veins, purifying and revitalizing everything it touches. Filling her lungs. Expelling the silence that had gripped her chest for so long. 

"Wake."

"Wake up."

"Wake up!"

A splash of icy cold water jolted her back to reality. The taste of salt clung to her tongue and parched lips. Darkness enveloped her, broken only by the roar of the sea and the mournful howl of the wind. She remained sprawled upon the jagged rocks, too drained to muster the strength to move.

Hoping. If she had made it, surely they would too.

Her friends would find her. They always did.

She waited and waited.

Until the tide rose high and cold waves mercilessly pounded against her body. Until raindrops fell and biting wind pierced through her. Until her fingertips became numb and her lips shivered uncontrollably.

Thunder rumbled overhead, echoing through the night, while trees creaked and groaned in the relentless wind. Time passed, and still, no one came. In the enveloping darkness, she sensed a myriad of presences—predatory, curious, playful, and cruel. Fear clawed at the edges of her consciousness, tightening its grip with each passing moment. She felt it. Danger had arrived, stealthy and insidious, creeping ever closer.

"Survive, or never see them again," she thought.

One limb after another, Ann inched across the damp sandy beach, through thorny bushes and puddles of mud. Her body moved on borrowed strength, carried by Dave's last words, Toji's brilliant smile, and Jack's laugh. Persisting until her trembling hand brushed against coarse, musty cloth, and she curled herself around it.

Time blurred into an indistinguishable haze — minutes, hours, perhaps even days. The world around her felt distant, like a dream she couldn't quite grasp, until a gentle but persistent shaking roused her from the depths.

Men. 

She sensed their presence even before her sight and hearing returned. Gasps and incomprehensible whispers, accompanied by more hurried footsteps crunching on the ground. It flooded her with an overwhelming sense of relief.

"She's dead," one of them remarked solemnly. 

"Poor thing," said another.

A cheerful voice interrupted, "Hey, what's the holdup? Bring out all the booze!"

"Captain! You've got to see this."

"I am not dead!" she thought. Her relief was replaced by an intense stab of helplessness.

The captain's tone sharpened, "Beck, what's going on? Oh!"

"Can't feel a pulse. Maybe she's gone, but I'm no doctor." 

"One of you, fetch Hongo!" the captain ordered. 

Thankfully, the captain was sensible enough. A doctor was precisely what she needed. The crowd continued to thicken until she couldn't distinguish their individual presence. Murmurs of conversation swept through, speculation rife about how she ended up inside their cave. 

"Dead," Hongo declared.

"Noooo!" 

A sick feeling of dread rose from her stomach as they moved her to a "good spot," closer to the beach. The disconcerting sound of soil being dug filled the air. Locked inside her own body, Ann began to panic.

"Okay, deep enough." 

"Nah, too shallow. Hole barely reaches my hip," someone argued. 

"That's good enough. We'll pile rocks on top of the grave so wild animals can't dig her up," said the captain. 

Ann wanted to cry. "Help! Someone! Anyone!"

Her fragile form was gently laid in the open grave. The scent of sweet flowers and metallic coins permeated the grave as they were tossed inside. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she managed to pry her heavy eyelids open. Through the thin cloth that covered her, she caught fleeting glimpses of indistinct shadows gathering around the perimeter of the grave.

"Shank, say something good so she won't come and haunt us later," a large shadow whispered. A faint odor of barbecue meat wafted through the air, mingling with the unsettling sounds of crunching bones and chewing.

"Is this a party? How could you eat at someone's funeral!" Just wait, she would definitely come back to haunt the fat one. 

"Hmmm, I don't know her that well. What should I say?" The captain took a swing from his bottle. After a moment of silence, he cleared his throat and spoke. "Little girl, you must have been through a lot."

"I'm 18 years old. I'm a fucking woman!" 

"We hope our cave had provided comfort and safety in the last moments of your life. Since we found you under the protection of our Jolly Roger and you will be buried along with it. I declare you an honorary member of the Red Hair Pirates." 

"Good one Shank," applaud the fat one. 

"I don't want to join your stupid club. Just leave me alone!" 

"Since you can't live your life to the fullest, we will live it for you and party!" The men erupted in raucous cheers, their shouts echoing with a fervor for life and revelry. The captain raised his bottle high,"Bring down the whiskey barrels! We're not gonna stop until we drink every single drop."

 If she could move, Ann would've grabbed the bottle and smashed it on the captain's head. 

"The alcohol crates are on fire!" 

Frantic shouts erupted, thundering footsteps and hurried movements filled the air. The funeral was momentarily forgotten. 

Everybody left. Good. 

Limbs still not moving. Okay, okay. Let's do the 'Haki' thing again.You can do this Ann. You didn't get this far, just to be buried alive. Urghh! What the hell did Dave say about a circle? circulating something? circulation? 

Don't panic. Don't panic. Deep breath. Inner peace. Inner peace. 

But inner peace doesn't come easily, especially when the coarse shroud irritates her eyes, and her itchy nose desperately begs to be scratched.

They're gonna come back any second. Fuck! She's panicking. Calm down, calm down. Deep breath Ann. Deep— breath. 

Finally, she regained control. With vengeful determination, Ann began to claw her way out of the grave. Nails tearing against the earth. Breath coming in ragged gasps. One final heave she pulled herself above ground and rose to her feet.

Standing tall with clench fists by her side, ready to give them a piece of her mind like they had never imagined. Especially to Captain Shank for saying the shittiest eulogy ever and using her funeral as an excuse to get his sorry ass drunk. The coarse, weathered flag clung to her like a second skin. Annoyed, Ann muttered a string of curses as she struggled to free herself.

"Gh—,ghost!" a voice yelled from the distance.

"Ghhhhaaaahhhhhhhhhh!"

Voices rose in a chorus of sheer terror. Panicked cries filled the air. Just as she was about to verbally lash out at them, something struck her head.

"Oww!" 

Pain shot through her, causing her to lose her balance and tumble back into the grave.