#after life
“And perhaps it is the greater grief, after all, to be left on earth when another is gone.”
—Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles.
Farewell AFTERL!FE
Just wanted to write a quick story that gave some closure since NHN couldn’t even give us a farewell story. I will be forever angry and sad.
The manager huffed with their suitcases tight in their hands. They looked over the room once more to ensure that they had left nothing behind, searching through their luggage to check for their belongings. Their eyes landed on the golden tag sitting on their desk– Manager of Soul Reaper’s 14th Department. They had spent so much time being called “manager” that they had almost forgotten their real name. But after today, they would never hear the title again. They removed the name tag stuck to their shirt, examining the gold and blue engraving, and clutched it in their other hand.
They knew this day would come, but they didn’t expect it to be so soon.
Tears sprung from their eyes as they squeezed their eyes shut– a futile attempt at stopping the gentle stream running down their face. Their feet were glued to the floor, the suitcase weighing them down. There was a lump at the back of their throat. If the manager opened their mouth, they burst into uncontrollable sobs.
After a few minutes of mental meditation, the manager took another deep breath and stepped outside. Everything was glossed in sunlight. The pond sparkled with diamonds, the flowers glowed under the sky, and the pavement illuminated a new path. Its beauty reminded them of their arrival– their awe towards nature’s beauty. It greeted them every morning as they strolled through each day, providing serenity when they felt fear or stress. It was a simple blessing, but a one they took for granted. Now they’d never see it again.
Voices interrupted the manager’s thoughts. They turned around, greeted with smiley and teary faces of the other soul reapers. The reapers waved at the manager while screaming on top of each other. Quincy, Kati, and Sian were the loudest, competing against each other to capture the manager’s attention. Louis threw rose petals, hoping a final part of him would stick to the manager forever. Mori kept shouting of all the favors that the manager owed him– therefore they had to stay longer to repay their debts. Cyrille waved a sheet of paper with calculations in the air, promising to find the manager through the portal. While the human didn’t understand the words, they appreciated the sentiment.
Then there were the quiet ones. Although their voices didn’t ring through the crowd, their faces alone spoke volumes. Youssef waved with a soft smile and the manager swore they could hear his voice in their head, bidding them a final farewell. Ghilley pointed at the manager’s face and pretended to cry, hoping the manager would let out a small laugh. Ethan nodded with a bow to the only competent person that he’d met in the department. Noah and Jamie held a blue banner that read “We will meet again, so don’t cry.” Licht simply stared– his bright smile replaced with a thin line and his eyes glistening with a thin film of tears. Their love brought a smile to the manager’s tear-stricken face.
“Manager? Are you ready?” Nyang Lead Manager called out, tapping them gently on the shoulder.
“No but I don’t really have a choice, do I?” The manager tried to laugh, but it got stuck thanks to the lump in their throat. All that came out was a small quiver.
“Well, you do have one final guest that will see you out,” The cat replied.
Their guardian angel appeared. The first face to greet them at the start of their journey and the final face that would bid them farewell. The manager’s eyes stung with tears after recalling Ell’s promise to protect them during their time in the Otherworld. But now that their time was up, who would watch after them now? It was such a silly thought, but it only brought more tears to their eyes.
“Ell,” The manager took his hands as their voice cracked. “I’m entrusting the department to you. After all that’s happened, I’m so proud of you. You and everyone in the 14th Department have come a long way since I first met everyone. But they still need some help to achieve their goals, so promise me that you will guide them when they need it.”
Ell nodded as teardrops ran down his face. Fortunately Housemaster Sei had made some medicine to alleviate Ell’s sneezing condition or he wouldn’t be able to even stand near the manager without a sneezing fit.
“If you need help, ask Youssef. He always helped me and I know he’ll help you too. Farewell Ell.” The manager ruffled his hair as he sobbed, engulfing them with a hug.
“Don’t worry Manager, I’ll always be watching over you . That’s my duty as your guardian angel.”
The manager nodded. They turned back to the crowd of reapers behind them and yelled, “Goodbye everyone! May we see each other again, whether it is in the Otherworld, Human World, or somewhere in between.”
“Goodbye!” The reapers shouted in unison.
With another breath, the manager faced Nyang Lead Manager and nodded. “I guess I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”
The cat sighed. “It was a pleasure to work with you. While you had more than a few hiccups, you changed the 14th Department in ways that I couldn’t imagine. Thank you for your work.”
The manager looked at their hand with their name tag. It was a bitter ending to a sweet fairytale, but all good things came to an end. Once they handed the name tag over, they would no longer be the manager. Just another human passing by, returning to their ordinary life to a past that they could barely remember. But there was nothing they could do about it.
They placed the tag in the cat’s paws and smiled. “Thank you for the experience.”
With one final glance at the reapers, the manager took a step with their right foot through the portal that would return them to their home. As they took a step, they heard the reapers shout, “You will always be the manager of your hearts!”
Their left foot wobbled as their body was engulfed by the blinding blue light. They turned around to wave as their view of the 14th Department was swallowed by circular blue and white lines of light. The manager stood, watching the light swallow their view–tears flowing down their face.
This is the end. Farewell everyone.
As the portal swallowed the final bit of their view, they heard one last voice.
“May we meet again. In this life or in the next.”
Don’t think of me as gone away,
My journey’s just begun.
Life holds so many facets,
This earth is but one.
Photo courtesy of Jon Tyson
Day 1 of 5: Today’s prompt was to write a rondeau.
The After-Life?
What if teachers never go back
Parents and tech pick up the slack
Students learn at their own fair pace
Resources and time laced with grace
Everyone wins on the same track.
What if schools gave out lunch and snack
Souls were fed, kept free from attack
Not harmed, murdered or judged on race
Will this…
