'Ugh, my head hurts.' Vera squinted as the blinding light assaulted her eyes. 'Why is it so bright? And why is this bed so hard!?' She let out a groan. She pushed herself up the bed and felt pain. 'Why is everything so painful?!'

After a few minutes, she finally managed to get up. Her eyes darted around as she examined her surroundings.

'Where am I? I think this is not my room.' Her eyes darted around, examining the place that felt unfamiliar to her. She touched the pure white bed and its definitely not soft sheets. She noticed the dark blue walls and ceiling that surrounded her. Her nose picked up the smell of a freshly brewed coffee, much like her preference. To her surprise, there really was a coffee on the table beside the bed.

'This is definitely weird,' thought Vera as she sipped the coffee. She tried to stand up. Her feet wobbled for a bit as she walked past the table.

She approached the windows opposite the bed. She pushed aside the ugly (for her) white curtain that was draped over it. She attempted to take a look outside.

'Is that what I think it is?' Vera just saw a group of fairies flying past her room, followed by a dwarf. She felt her room shake as a giant foot obscured her view.

'Is this real, or am I hallucinating?' Vera lost herself thinking about what she saw. 'What was I doing before I came here? I think someone dru---'

She felt someone touch her shoulders. "Glad---"

She screamed and threw the mug at that person.

---

"I said I'm sorry!" shouted Vera at the person she hit with the mug. The person cried even more, while clutching her bleeding head. Vera tried to console the crying girl,

"Hush," said she as she patted her head. "Don't cry anymore, I did not mean it!" She engulfed the girl with an awkward hug, and saw something at the side of the girl's head.

'Is this an ear? Why is it so long? Is she an elf?' Vera looked at the other side of the girl's head. 'Yep, those are ears. I am really going crazy, huh?' The door suddenly opened with a bang. Vera's head snapped towards the door, where she saw another elf.

"Bassie! What's taking you so long!" The intruder's eyes roamed around the room until it landed upon the crouching pair. His eyes and ears twitched, "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER?!"

Slowly, she raised both of her hands in surrender. "Let me explain, please?" said Vera.

The male elf just glared at her.

---

"Owww." The female elf groaned in protest. "Be careful!"

"I'm trying, Bassie!" The male elf bandaged the wound tighter.

Vera just watched them bicker as the male elf attended to Bassie's wound. She felt guilty, but just a little bit. 'It is her fault for surprising me, after all,' but she still mumbled a soft apology.

After a few minutes of watching them, she finally had enough. She cleared her throat. The two elves stared at her.

"Where am I?" The two elves' eyes widened as they remembered their purpose for coming here. They stood up and did a ninety-degree bow.

"Apologies, Ms. Vera del Viesa," said the male elf. "Or should I say soul number 1, 587, 209, 674, 386."

'Huh? What is he saying? Soul?' thought Vera as the male elf gave a side glance towards the female elf.

"Especially for my twin's antics," continued the male elf.

"Leo!" protested Bassie, the female elf.

Leo, the male elf, ignored her and continued, "Welcome to the Afterlife."

"A-A-Afterlife?"

"Yes, the Afterlife." said Bassie as she composed herself. "Here are your files," said she as a paper was brought into Vera's hands. She scanned through it.

Soul Information

Soul Number: 1, 587, 209, 674, 386

Name: Vera Caron del Viesa

Gender: Female

Birthdate: September 17, XXXX

Planet: Earth

Race: Human

'It contains information about me,' mused Vera. 'Maybe I'll see more information about myself.' She was about to read further, but was interrupted by Leo.

"If you want to know more, follow us." The twins went out the room.

---

'Where are they taking me?' wondered Vera as they took another right turn. The bright light blinded her for a moment, then she was gobsmacked.

Creatures of various sizes and forms walked hurriedly as they lined up through several counters. The beings at the counters directed them towards designated rooms.

"Now," said Leo, interrupting her thoughts. "Since Sir Crispin is unavailable for the moment, you'll be having the chance to watch how Afterlife works."

"Exciting, right?!" said Bassie.

She was not able to give an answer, except for a squeak as Bassie pulled her.

"Hurry up! You're gonna enjoy this!"

'I don't know what's happening anymore.'

---

The twins brought her to a reception hall. They sat in front of some screens. Vera just stared at them.

"Come here, sit with us!" Bassie tapped the seat beside hers. Vera complied.

'The cushion is very uncomfortable. It's like a rock.' She ignored it in favor of looking at the screens in front of her. 'I don't know what's very interesting about thi-'

Vera watched with morbid fascination as the screens showed several rooms. The room she was watching morphed into a river surrounded by desolate land as a centaur entered the room. A man welcomed the centaur. He gave the man a gold coin, then they boarded a boat. 'River Styx,' thought Vera as she stared at the toxic green river. 'And Charon,' she added as she looked at the ferryman.

Outside the said room, there was a woman who waited for a few seconds. After the light above turned green, she fed the paper in a slot, like a card to an ATM machine, and pressed her finger on the needle that appeared beside the slot. Her blood stained the needle, then the needle receded. After a few moments, the doors opened, and a golden room welcomed her. She entered the room, stood in the middle, then a blinding light flashed above her. She was gone.

"That woman must be a Christian." said Bassie.

"Wow, must be going to heaven." replied Leo.

Vera was dumbfounded. 'What is happening?!'

In another screen, a man wolf turned into a bear, then was swallowed by the ground.

"What is that?" Vera asked Leo.

"Oh, a nonbeliever. They just get reincarnated," Leo said absentmindedly, eyes focused on a human in front of a dog-headed man holding a scale with a feather. 'You're ignoring me now, huh?'

She turned towards the screens again, and was disgusted as one creature's guts exploded. She looked towards other screens, where another alien was kneeling, mumbling 'forgive me for my sins, Xrelian, o Mother Paiyon, don't swallow---' as another alien, Xrelian, opened her large jaws. She almost puked.

The twins, oblivious to her plight, kept talking.

"Oh, look at that, Leo!" Vera's eyes followed Bassie's fingers. She saw a man on a room similar to the woman's earlier. Vera's eyes shook as the man burst into flames. "He went to hell!"

"Why are you so excited?! We've seen these things before!" said Leo.

"I don't know, maybe we have a guest we have to entertain?"

"Oh, I forgot." said Leo, blushing. He turned towards Vera.

"You must be dying to know why you're here, and not there." said Leo as he pointed at the screens showing the counters.

'Funny, ' thought Vera as she bit off a scathing remark.

"Well, you are here because---"

Their heads looked up as the doors in front of them slammed loudly.

"You won a raffle." said the newcomer. "And Leo, prepare me a cup of chocolate milk."

"Yes, Sir Crispin!"

"Ask her what she wants, too. Bassie, escort inside my office."

Vera's jaw dropped in confusion. 'A raffle?'