Where do we go when we die?

"Who is this? " I say when I notice someone sleeping in my bed, who could this be? I panic as I run out of the room in my robe to check on my mother. I see my sister sleeping on her bed peacefully, mom was also fast asleep as I entered the room.

"Mother, Mother, wake up"

"There is someone in my room" - I whisper.

She doesn't seem to hear me, I tried shaking her but it does not affect her. I noticed my body seemed to phase through her, this felt odd, while I was trying to figure out what was wrong, I saw it, white light so bright that it frightened me. I hid by the bed while frantically trying to wake Mom up.

I noticed some people walking towards the light, it felt close at the same time, distant. I start to wonder what was going on. Out of shock I close my eyes and scream for help, the light faded away. I made a sigh of relief as I went back to wake mom up, the same result. Just then I noticed that I had walked through the door without opening it.

What is going on? I go back to the door and was able to pass through it like it was nothing.

"Oh no! Am I...?"

I rushed back to my room to see who was lying there, and behold, it was me... I am dead. I felt my body go cold with fright as I stumble on the ground staring at my body.

How did I die? I must have suffered from a heart attack, or Asthma attack, was I poisoned? I try to investigate my dead.

I try to make a lot of noise so someone would come and check on my body at least to try and save me. I run back to my mother's room screaming and shouting, all of a sudden she wakes up. The look on her face seemed disturbing as she went to her toilet to take a pee.

She opened her room door and head to where I was sleeping, I followed her just behind, happy that she may have somehow felt my presence. She calls my name, which I answer

Oops, she can't hear me anymore

She doesn't know that as she calls my name again, she moves closer to call me.

"Wake up, it's time to prepare for school"

I completely forgot about school amid all the confusion.

That was when I heard her scream

"My son!!!My son!!! Please wake up"

I try to tell her I'm right here, but she can't hear me. She cries for help as our neighbors rush to come knocking in.

The next thing I notice, I'm being rushed into a vehicle to the hospital I guess. My sister is awake now.

"Mommy what is going on"

My crying mother is still weeping as the neighbors try to console her.

At this point, I would like to take my time to share my sponsor

Check out my amazing sponsor's block 

"Mum don't cry, I'm here, I'm okay"

It doesn't seem to work. I felt my body being pulled away and now I'm in the hospital as the doctors are trying their best to bring me back to life.

I don't like what they are doing to my body. A bunch of doctors slotting needles into my body with an artificial respirator. I had indeed suffered a heart attack in my sleep. I watch them try to bring me back to life for what seemed like forever

"Time of death, 7:35 am".

I stare at my body, it felt weird staring at me. I follow the doctor behind as he goes to break the news. Mother and my little Sister had arrived at the hospital in the waiting room. My little sister seemed oblivious to what was going on while mom paced about still filled with tears.

"I'm sorry, we did all that we could but we couldn't save him" - the doctor said

My mom immediately faints but is quickly supported by the clinical staff as they rushed her to a hospital bed. They must have given her some pills or one of the long needles to make her sleep.

Is this how I'm going to die? I still have so much more to live for, I still have a lot of things to do.

They put me in a body bag as I'm being moved to the mortuary. It felt really cold, yet it wasn't me anymore. The hospital is soon crowded with my family and friends, most of which I barely recognize. I watch them cry for me even though they barely knew me.

"Ugh, hypocrites" - I say feeling disgusted by the pretense.

Mother comes out feeling conscious, eyes were swollen from crying, the neighbor takes my sister to school as mom addresses the good wishers. It breaks me to see her cry but no matter how much I scream, she doesn't hear me.

How do I let her know I'm still alive and well? How do I make her see me?

It sucks to be dead, that is when you realize a bunch of things you would have loved to do but can't anymore, you just stare at people unaware of your presence talking about you with so much pity in their tone.

"He was so young, why did he have to die"

It's almost like there is a supposed fixed time to die.

I keep moving around the hospital but seeing my mother cry for me hurt me the most, It's a very painful sight.

I'm tired of moving over the whole place when nobody can even see me or hear me, it's frustrating.

The worst part was my burial ceremony. As my body was lowered to the ground, I tried protesting but my efforts were useless. I love my body and I would love to keep looking at it.

Everyone is dressed in black for the occasion. It wasn't a big party which I found comforting. I stood by my grave as I watched people come over my body to say good things about me one after the other until there was nothing more to say.

They all left while I stood by my grave to protect my body. I did get visits from time to time, but soon the visit started to reduce, from a day to a week then to a month and then months.

I am just here, nowhere to go, it feels like torment, where do I go from here? It is time to move on.

This work was inspired by @Jane article - the forgotten soul, which was also inspired by @Eunoia - Happy death Anniversary self. It's pure fiction with a blend of what I think the afterlife would look like for the departed souls who are still bound to this earth life for one reason or the other and unable to move on. You might just call it "Earthly attachment". I hope you found it entertaining and not really creepy.

Lead Image Source: Unsplash