Station 2

Murmurs. Tiny but when everyone's doing it at the same time, it is loud. Like a buzzling bees near their honeycomb or the sound of bullfrogs on a rainy day.

Zaddie slowly open her eyes and rubbed it using her hands. She looked around and her eyes instantly widen of the scenery in front of her.

"Jesus!"

She tried to blink the surroundings and rubbed her eyes again hoping that she might be hallucinating but there's no thing that change. If ever she will be awake again, she's expecting it to be in her room or at least in a white room of a hospital. But not this.

She's in paradise. Something she saw in movies and probably read in novels. But those didn't reach this paradise. This place is way better than those!

Her mouth almost open with the perfect view of the blue sky with the birds flying carelessly. The mountains shape like a cone which were a bit blurry because of its distance. Tall fine trees stood with their might around the area with varying shades of green. The land was cover with green lushy grass. Different flowers and shrubs are all over the place. And the crystal-clear water underneath her that mirrored the blue sky from above. She felt her heart beating like crazy. Not because of overwhelming feeling for the place, but because of nervousness knowing that she is inside a bubble.

Shit.

She moved slowly, making her position inside the bubble comfortable. After few twists and turns, she finally realized that the bubble was safe. That it would not pop in any minute. She touched it and knocked at it just to make sure. She heard the noise produced by her knocks and she can tell that it's the same sound she heard when she's knocking on their window because her sister always locked their house from the inside, so she won't get in. By the smoothness and the solidity of it, she can tell that she's indeed in a glass bubble.

She turned around and saw other bubbles with someone inside. She instantly remembered the toys she saw on the mall where action figures are inside a ball made of plastic. She smiled at the thought.

They all have the same look on their faces that shouts confusion of where on earth they are-or are they even on earth.

Their bubble keeps floating above the lake towards the land. Bubbles near the land slowly fade and the person inside jumps out of it. There are also bubbles that came from the lake that are slowly rising up in a speed of a balloon freed from a tight grip. She tried to look for the other side of the lake but the distance her eyesight allowed cannot reach it. It is one of a huge lake, she thought.

She watched the people on the field. Some of them where standing while some are siting on the grass forming circles. Some are lying with their back and some of them-she thought-might be sleeping. Then there are some on their own, just observing the place and still have the confusion on their face. It was clear to their faces that everyone was bored but can't do a thing about it because they need to wait.

But wait for what?

At last, her bubble reached the land. She prepared herself to jump out of it as the bubble started to fade from the top, then she hopped and landed gracefully on the grass.

"Nice landing."

Tumingala siya saka tiningnan ang nagsalita. It was a guy 6 feet tall she thought. His blue eyes where like a blackhole drawing her to him together with his nose and red lips. His body wasn't too bulky but still in good form. She looked back to his eyes and saw him smirk. She blushed crimson.

Gosh! He knew she was checking him out!

"H, by the way. You are?" He held out his hand, his British accent lingering to her ears.

"Z-Zaddie." She smiled sheepishly and shake his hand.

"Zaddie," he shook his head, "you died so bloody," he said in a sing song voice with a tone of playfulness making her frown. Then she looked at him and the simple white shirt with its sleeves folded and his denim jeans. Her sight instantly goes to her clothes that she didn't noticed before since she's too busy thinking and figuring out where she is. Her eyes wided in horror.

It's the same pajamas she was wearing, except there are a lot of blood stain on it. She looked pass him and saw the group of people with bloodstains on their clothes too. She looked at her arms and all she saw was a flawless skin. She frowned. She never had this flawless skin especially on her wrist.

"A-am I-"

H just smiled at her. "Welcome to afterlife!"

***

"Oh, poor, Zaddie. You shouldn't have experienced that!"

She hated it. The pity on his eyes. She doesn't want people looking at her like that even though she's vulnerable. She'd better take bullying that being pitied.

"Don't pity on me." She tried to sigh but there's no air circulating in her lungs. Agad niyang inilagay ang kaniyang kamay sa ibabaw ng dibdib at pinakiramdaman iyon. May tumitibok; May gumagalaw.

"Weird, isn't it?" She looked at him. "We have heartbeat but no breath." He caught her hand but she flinched and moved it away. He smiled reassuringly at her and tried to hold her again but this time, she didn't resist. He brought her hands to his cheeks and guide her to touched him. "And we're warm... Still warm."

They both stared at each other's eyes.

Damn it! she thought. His blue orbs will surely catch her breath away if she's only still breathing now.

"I'm such a beautiful man, wasn't I?" her eyes widen as it dawned to her that he already let go of her hand and it's just her hands caressing his face. She blushed and pulled her hand abruptly. He smirked.

He was about to say something when they heard a bell.

A man she thought on his mid thirties stood in front of them together with his fellow men. They are all wearing white tux with their hand cover with white cotton gloves. Everything they wear were white, except their inner shirt and tie-in which they have their own preference.

The man-which Zaddie thought have a higher position-smiled at them.

"Welcome to the afterlife, Wayfarers. As all of you know now, everyone here were... Obviously, dead. It's the 'afterlife' just like what the Mortal World called it."

"So, what are we? Ghost?" A black American cut him with a scowl.

"Hmm, you can say that. But we, Ovelus, called you Wayfarers. Spirits that crossed the Mortal World to this world. You are wandering spirits, waiting for your right turn."

"Right turn?"

All of the men in white smiled at us knowingly. As if they knew something we didn't which Zaddie thought was true since all of them here are new to wherever this place is.

"We will answer your queries later, for now, we should move to catch up with 365 Express, shall we?"

Ovelus turned and walk away into the woods. Some Wayfarers started to stand up and followed them. Zaddie turn around to look for H but she cannot saw him. She turned to her left and right. Finding the 6 feet tall guy but cannot find him. There are lots of people-Wayfarers from all over the globe and almost all of the men are tall.

"H!" she called out his name, hoping that he's just there in the crowd but nothing. Almost everyone is walking to the woods and she didn't want to be left out.

"Baka makita ko rin siya mamaya." with that, she walked with them.

They walked into the woods for what Zaddie think was half an hour. She saw tall trees everywhere then some dried leaves on the ground. She can hear chirping birds and other animals' noises together with the conversations around her. She can feel the cold breeze making her embrace herself.

After passing onto the woods, they saw the express and instantly get inside and chose their seats. Zaddie look at the spirits around her. Everyone seems to have friends but her. She thinks of her past life. Thinking if she will still be alone even in afterlife. She sat at the seat on the corner end and lean on the glass window. She willed herself to sleep-not wanting to admit to herself that even though she hoped on her past life that she would be better, she knew deep inside, she can't escape her own ghost of loneliness.

***

Nagising si Zaddie nang may marahang tumapik sa kaniya.

"we're here." A man in tux was standing in front of her. She glanced at his face and felt a cold run down to her spine. Tumalikod ang lalaki sa kaniya at bumaba na ng bagon. Agad naman siyang sumunod at nakitang natitipon ang lahat sa tapat ng limang puting gazebo na mayroong babasaging salamin bilang bubong at dinesenyuhan ng mga bulaklak. Napapalinga-linga pa rin siya sa paligid sa pag-asang makita si H pero wala. Para itong bula na bigla na lang nawala sa gilid niya kanina.

Ipinagkibit-balikat na lang niya ito lalo na't napakarami nila. Baka nandito lang talaga si H at hindi niya lang makita dahil na rin sa rami. Naisip pa lang niya ang bilang ng mga taong namamatay sa buong mundo ay alam na niyang wala pa ito sa kalahati noon.

Kung ganoon, nasaan sila?

Dahil sa sobrang tulog niya ay hindi na niya narinig ang mga paunang sinabi ng mga Ovelus-She kept on repeating that word but she didn't even know what Ovelus really are. She just assumed that they are the one who's wearing the white tux uniform.

The Wayfarers form five line each facing a gazebo. They just stopped inside the gazebo and stay there for like ten seconds then go out to the opposite side. They are just literally crossing the gazebo then goes back to the express. Like it's just a station of the train.

When it's already Zaddie's turn, she enters the gazebo and saw a circle on the center which was surrounded by unknown ruins. She stepped at it then the ruins started to illuminate until she closed her eyes because the light was blinding. She felt an unknown force pushed her and felt like she's falling into a deep cliff.

When Zaddie opened her eyes, she was surrounded by white clouds which plays with the shade of orange. There was a huge circle which was supported by the hourglass on each side. Zaddie thought of it like a gong. Beside it was a man in white robe. He has his table and above it was scrolls. He was writing something using his quill when he stopped and looked at her. He smiled at her warmly, like he's welcoming her to this new world.

"Marcelo, Zaddie C.?" Tumango siya bilang kompirmasyon na siya ang tinawag. "Very well. What do you want to be called?"

She frowned in coffusion. "What?"

Nawala ang ngiti na lalaki at napahilot sa kaniyang sentido. "Why can't they follow my orders easily?" bulong nito sa sarili pero narinig pa rin niya.

"Um, excuse me?" Nag-aalangang agaw niya ng pansin dito. Agad namang bumaling ang lalaki sa kaniya nang may kaparehong ngiti sa kaniya kanina na parang walang nangyari.

"Listen Zaddie. You need new identification when you enter Ludovia. Anything you wanted to be called that's far from your Mortal Name. one word, two words, your choice."

"Um, what's Ludovia?" The man's shoulders fall. He really looks frustrated at the moment. He was about to walked away when Zaddie spoke. "Sorry. I think the men in white-"

"Ovelus," he corrected her.

"Yeah, Ovelus, I think they said everything that we should know. I-It's just that I overslept and when I go out from the express, they already falling in line."

Tumango-tango ang lalaki. Iniintindi ang sinasabi niya. "That's very honest of you, Zaddie. Well, you'll discover anything soon. For now, I need you to tell me what you want to be called for there are hundreds of thousand spirits waiting outside."

Her eyes widen in surprised. She thinks of what she wanted to be called but the first thing that popped on her head was "Fey."

"Very good," He wrote it down with a smile. "Now, watch and we'll know your funds."

Bago pa siya makapagtanong ay agad na nakita niya ang sarili sa bilog na bagay na nasa harapan niya. Its like a mirror. But her image became distorted and slowly, she witnessed a baby being born. Agad na bumilis ang tibok ng kaniyang puso. Ilang saglit pa ay lumabas naman ang sarili niya habang bata pa. Tila isang pelikula ang kaniyang natutunghayan na tunkol sa kaniyang buhay. Kung paano niya tiniis ang lahat ng pang-aapi sa kaniya. Kung paano siya nabuhay sa mundo ng mag-isa at naka-survive ng labing walong taon. As she watched her past, she noticed that the sand in the hourglass moves.

Nasa huling taon na ang mga pinapakita ng may parang kung anong bumara sa kaniyang lalamunan. It was the time she hated the most. Those men disrespect here...

A tear escaped her eyes. She tried to wipe it, but another set of tears just fall. She pitied herself but sill watched it as if memorizing those. Telling herself that no matter what, she won't experience that again.

The man said something, but her mind remains playing her past life. She's consumed by her thought that the only thing she remember was how he asked her to take a step out which she follows then in just a snap, she's back at the gazebo. Wayfaperes are still on the line like she is on the way back to the express. It's as if to time moves in there. She glanced at the Wafarers in front of her. Maybe there's no time running to that dimention she just came from just like these spirits in front of her that's been there for like ten seconds.

She shook her confusion away. She get back to her seat earlier on the express rub her palm to her face. She still has lots of questions but to whom she'll asked?

She rested her hands on her lap and noticed something on her wrist. It was a rectangular shaped filled with the illuminating color of blue. She raised her arm, bringing it closer to her sight.

"A-ano 'to?"

***