She opened her eyes to darkness. She attempted to make movements and sounds but for some reason, she couldn't feel anything. Also, she couldn't hear anything.
Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.
The darkness was so thick that she couldn't see anything properly. It was like her eyes were closed even though they were wide open.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" she called, wondering if she'll get a response.
Her voice didn't echo despite how empty where she was felt. And that made her very nervous. Running away didn't seem like a good option considering the fact that she didn't know where exactly she was. The last thing she remembered doing was getting into the car with Oliver and then…
Her eyes widened as she remembered. They got into an accident! They were hit by a truck!
"Oh my God," she let out.
"You don't have to scream it," an unfamiliar voice said, startling her.
"Wh- who's there? Who are you?!"
"There's no need to shout, darling. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to help."
And so, right in front of her stood a tall man, dressed in a simple black suit, with lifeless eyes, pale faced with a welcoming smile. The smile did nothing to make her feel comfortable though. She had a feeling that he didn't come for anything trivial, whoever he was. Or… was he God?
She shook her head at that thought. God would never look so scary.
"Who are you?" she asked.
Still smiling, he answered, "You can call me Celestine."
Despite her nerves, she raised a brow. That was definitely not his name. But she didn't want to die so there's no need to question him.
"What do you want from me? And where am I?"
"What I want is… your co-operation," he started slowly. "And, you're in the place where your answer will determine if I should let you die or let you go back."
"What?" she whispered, shocked as she took in his words. "'Go back'? Are you saying that I'm-"
"Dead. Dying. About to be pronounced dead. Same with your little boyfriend. What other questions do you have, Bianca?"
"How do you know my name?" she gasped, still trying to take it all in.
He shrugged. "It'd be weird if I didn't know your name. Now," he said, "you don't have much time left. So I want your answer in a few seconds."
"My answer?"
He nodded. "I let you go back to your normal life and you work for me. For a short period of time, that is."
She frowned. "Work for you?" At his nod, she continued, "But I don't know who you are."
"Like I said; Celestine. And it's just a simple job. You're to catch a few people for me and that's it. You're not killing anyone, or hurting anyone…much."
Bianca didn't know what to say to such a suspicious statement. "What if I say no?"
He shrugged. "You'll remain here."
"Wait. Didn't you say this is the plac-"
"You probably don't know this, but you're not exactly…normal. And that's part of the reason why you're here and won't be able to go up or down. Going back to the real world now though, that'll change. And that change is to help me."
She blinked. This all felt like a fever dream. Because why was she talking to a guy that could possibly be a demon who's trying to deceive her? Telling her that she's not normal. That was a lie, her parents were-
"You've got," he said, glancing at his watch as he spoke, "about a minute before I leave you here. I've got other things to do, if you couldn't tell from my suit."
She wanted to see Oliver. Her family was still around and they'd probably be worried. Her friends…
She sighed as she spoke, "No killing. I'll just find your people and that's it, right?"
He nodded, his smile wider than before. "Just that. Nothing more or less, I promise."
She closed her eyes, then opened it again to see the face of the man she was making a deal with. He didn't exactly look trustworthy, but she did want to go back. She was only twenty-nine and she hadn't had her thirtieth birthday yet. There's a lot of things she's yet to do.
"Okay," she finally said.
He grinned. "You made the right choice, Bianca. I'll see you later then."
She gave him a look of confusion. "Later? But you haven't-"
She gasped as she felt herself losing her breath.
Blinking her eyes, she was able to see her surroundings. There was something in her mouth- a tube? She could hear beeping. She could smell something familiar… she was in the hospital.
How did that happen so fast?
"You're awake."
She turned slightly to her side, wincing in pain as she was unable to move.
Her eyes met green ones. Those were rare. And she'd never met anyone with those set of eyes before. As her eyes focused, she was able to see the owner's face properly. It was a woman. She looked to be in her twenties with red hair - another rare trait - and freckles around her nose. She was beautiful. And the soft smile she offered made her heart beat faster than it should. That was weird.
"Um, who are you?" she rasped.
God, she felt like shit. She really hated her life right now. How did any of this even happen? And why was there a stranger in her hospital room, sitting by her side? Why was she so damn beautiful? And where were her family members?
"I'm Astrid," the woman answered, a tentative smile on her face.
"Okay…?" She didn't know any Astrid.
"Oliver's sister."
Bianca paused. She couldn't move any more than she already had and she had a feeling that sitting up would be one of her worst regrets. So she settled for using her eyes. Looking for the resemblance where there were none.