I didn't expect to die from something as stupid as slipping on a wet grocery store floor, but that's exactly what happened. One second I was reaching for a bag of chips, the next I was flat on my back, looking at the ceiling lights like they were the gates of heaven. But heaven didn't come. When I opened my eyes again… I wasn't in a body. I was tight. Snug. Wrapped around something soft. And everything was dark except for tiny slivers of light. I tried to move. I couldn't. I wasn't a person anymore. I was a goth girl's choker.
My new "owner" stood in front of a mirror, adjusting me around her pale neck. Long black hair, eyeliner sharp enough to be considered a weapon, silver rings on her fingers… she looked like she lived in a playlist of sad violins and heavy bass. Her name was Raven. Of course it was. "Perfect," she whispered, tugging me slightly. "You look good today." I look good? Lady, I used to be a full-grown human man. Now I'm hanging onto your neck like a fashion accessory. Every time she moved, I felt it. Every heartbeat. Every breath. Every time she bent down to tie her boots, I was there like, hey, sorry if I'm choking you a little, we're both new to this.
I started learning things. Like how Raven listened to metal in the morning and wrote poetry at night. How she pretended to be tough, but secretly got nervous at school. How she trusted almost nothing—except me.