His words rang in my mind like the Notre Dame bells on Sunday morning. No more feeling the sun's rays on my skin, sand between my toes, sweet taste of coffee and hugs...I'd never have hugs anymore, will I? The reality of it all was crippling.

"Are you going to stand there and wallow in utter devastation or make it easier for both of us and come with me?" He asked.

I glanced back at him, shrugged and shifted my attention to the scene before me. The red and blue lights engulfed the surroundings as they all worked to 'salvage' what was left of the bodies. 

The passenger from the other car appeared to be alive as they carried him off on a stretcher, tubes, and all connected to him, as one of the medics assisted with his breathing. Hang in there, there's so much to live for.

"Lola, we need to leave, now!" He commanded, standing behind me.

"Not until I see my body!" I shot back.

"Humans..." He muttered, placed his hands on me and it all disappeared. "As I told you, you're dead."

"Where am I?" I asked, looking around the plain room.

"In-between," he replied, taking the seat opposite mine. "It's where you go before you're placed into your new zone as a spirit."

"How long am I staying here?" I replied, uneasy.

"I cannot say at this point however, it depends on the dead. Like you are."

"You keep saying I'm dead," I started.

"Which you are," He shot back.

"Could you simply stop saying that? I get it. You don't have to keep singing it."

His lips curved into the creepiest smile I'd ever seen. One thing was certain, I had already pissed off death's angel and weirdly didn't care.

"My name's Liam," He said. "Your Grim Reaper and Spirit Aid."

"Aren't you supposed to be really old and a skeleton with a scythe?" I blurted out.

"You should watch what you say to me."

"Why?" I stupidly shot back.

"There are far worse things than death," Liam replied, shifting his weigh in the seat.

There was something particularly odd about him. You know that phantom feeling you get when you're all alone and you start seeing things or the sense that someone has just walked by you yet, the street is empty? That's how I felt seated across from him. He felt unreal. I felt as if I was floating, seeing things, and talking to myself. My vision was still a bit blurry and my head was on fire. 

"Right about now, your memory will become hazy and you'll start feeling sleepy. Don't fight it, it's all part of the process," Liam said, getting up.

"My head really hurts," I whispered, rubbing my temples.

"You'll soon forget all about it," he said.

"I don't want to forget!" I cried out in pain.

When it got worse, I shut my eyes, fell on the floor, and pulled my legs towards my chest.

"The quicker you forget, the easier your integration," Liam said, somewhat coldly.

You died in a car crash. Austin was there. Your boyfriend was behind the wheel. Austin Macpherson. DO NOT FORGET. You died in a car crash. Lola Sanders died in a car crash.