I thought that life after death never existed, since there are seldom times when the ancient people, who had swirled up lies and false stories about the afterlife and god, are correct.
But the thing is, they were correct-at least for now, and it shocked me.

Right after my back hit the cement street, you could have said my life went out like a candle.
Maybe it was because of the fall, or simply from the fact that I had finally moved on to the world of the dead, but anyway, I started to feel numb all around-from my toes to the last hair on my head, I couldn't move, nor say anything. But there was a thing that I was capable, just one single thing-and it was the feeling of when your guts are flipped and butterflies fly around in your stomach, messing up your appetite. And that feeling surprised me.
-Because that meant that I just couldn't be dead, since there is no one in this world nor the world of the dead where the person feels dead on the outside, then quite alive on the inside.
"Shit," I tried to say, naturally trying to get up from the ground and open my eyes, though I knew my attempts would be pathetic, a simple waste of energy...
But the thing is, I was able to stand up, open my eyes and say "shit", and the better thing was...it had been quite easy to do.
Not believing what had just happened, I could simply look around the place-the street where I had fallen from the shock of Chris' death had disappeared, and now, I was standing in a small laboratory. The ground was dirty, and most of it was covered timidly in A4 papers full of letters and codes and numbers, and on a wobbly desk was a computer, still running with the codes written on it prior to my arrival moving quite fast, but never reaching the end. Watching the codes was quite addictive, so I just stared at it, keep reminded that I wasn't dead and how good it was to be here, back in the world of the living, no matter where I was in that world.
Just then, some door creaked open and I spun around to see a guy coming through a wooden door that I hadn't seen yet, shoot me, surprisingly, a glance as if it meant "well, I knew you'd be here, boy", then come to stand in front of the computer, staring at me from top to bottom like an X-ray machine. So the only choice my eyes had of direction was to just stare back at him.
The guy wore sandals at the feet, lose pajama pants at the legs, an old, white T-shirt with no logo on it at the upper part of the body, then thin, wire glasses by the middle of his nose. Though his behavior had been a bit annoying just before, his face wasn't intimidating at all.
"You're here too early, Jack," He now said, a deep voice of a canyon.
Well, all I could interpret of those curt words of his was that I may still be in the world of the dead, since who would say "here too early" to an alive boy?
The guy chuckled, though it never reached his eyes, scrunched up his face, then sighed. "I wished you and Chris would have lasted longer,"
That's where I remembered I was capable of speaking.
"Who are you? What's going around here?" I asked and the guy grimaced. "It's complicated, boy. But I have the obligation to tell you," He sat awkwardly on the edge of the wobbly desk, and miraculously, it supported his weight loyally, though emitting quite numerous creaks every time he breathed and gestured.
"Chris, was a fake, Jack. Well, actually, his world full of the other versions of your world itself is a complete fake. Just a thousand-miles-long code I created 15 years ago," He now waved to the computer, still the codes going up, more appearing below. "And now, I am deleting that world,"
I could only stare. But I knew that staring wasn't enough.
"You created him and his world? His parents, his life, his everything? But Chris was me! I mean, he is me-and how can I be alive?" I said, voice hoarse. I had unconsciously inched towards him, and the guy sighed as if he understood. "I know, Jack. I was insane at that time. Nothing ethical existed in my brain-I had managed to learn coding on my own, and had been interested in gene replication ever since I was 10. And at the time, 15 years ago, I was in a state of extreme financial burden-I thought this was the only way to elevate my status in society and also get some money. I wasn't human. I apologize, Jack,"
I stepped back closer to him once more. "The word "apologize" simply doesn't make the fact that you coded and created life, then used it to manipulate me, then destroy the life and make that world disappear-" "Wait, woah, woah," The guy now waved his arms like crazy, and the desk creaked a humongous creak. "Destroy life? Jack, I didn't. The Hunters did kill him by twisting his neck," I sighed, breathing hard. "I am sorry for you sincerely, Jack, and I will always be in the shock of such an unethical behavior of mine. But...with you, I had the chance. Not only was there more burden and pressure to save you since you're a real human, you also "died' a few seconds later than Chris by falling off the wall when Chris was already dying on the ground. And in that split moment when you were falling, my hands raced to save you-I just had to, Jack. I already ruined everything by creating Chris' realm artificially-I couldn't ruin the realm of us, the realm of real, non-artificial humans.
"And...that means you're alive-my codes worked in a flurry of speed and luck," He sighed, rubbing his hands. His eyes turned to the codes on the computer. "So that's why Chris seemed a few years younger than me-since you created him 2 years after I was born," I said, realizing suddenly. "Yes, Jack," He now stared at the ground, at all the papers full of, which I now recognized as, codes.
"I know you may see me as a monster who would only gobble up money and create lives, the replica of the humans in this world and then kill'em on purpose, except Chris. But the reason why I'm deleting the world of mine is because it is safe for those artificial people to disappear, and Chris, the one strange fault who had contacted with the human person I had made the replica of-yes, you-, had already been killed on his own. Ah, he had been a special guy for me, Jack. The most resembling and clever and hard person to create," "But why did you let him, in the first place, to enter my world? Why only him?" I asked. "I told you a few seconds ago. He was the perfect one to adapt to your world, where he would act as you, in different ages. And I was insane, I tell you-it wasn't for money, though. It was out of sheer curiosity-what would happen if a boy of my world went to the human world," Suddenly, the codes disappeared, and the computer beeped behind the man. "Ah. It's done. My world doesn't exist anymore, Jack. But now, we have little time. There's another reason I brought you here along with the reason of telling you the whole story. I also brought you here to pay a tiny bit for my devil-like life and ethics of 15 years. I am going to tell you how to win the Hunters," Though my anger hadn't yet died out and there was still pain about the death of Chris, I let him explain, sitting on the cement ground of the lab. The computer screen behind the man's back was now blank.
"I analyzed the Hunters during the chase, since I programmed Chris' eyes to work like cameras fo me. They're only after you, huh? To be precise, you and your uncle Rick's wealth," The man narrowed his eyes, licking his lips. "Yeah. Guess you got that info from when I told Chris why we were always running away from the Hunters a few days after we first met," "Uh-huh. I have been attentive in you for quite a long time. Well, back to the point, boy-they now think you're dead, since Chris is dead and you're body is gone and is sitting right across from me since I brought you here. So, they will be attacking Rick to threaten him to hand over the fame and wealth. They believe that they only have one last obstacle to get rid of, Jack. But in truth, there isn't. What you have to do is go and without searching and contacting Rick, counterattack them at their weakest moment. I know this plan is extra-super-duper vague, but this is all I can offer, nor want to offer. I am sick of violating others' lives anymore," He now got up, finally giving his old desk some rest after being forced to creak for minutes nonstop. "I will give you my my money for you to go back to your district since I owe you. And from there, your life's yours forever till your eyelids droop over your eyes for the last time," He gestured to the door, hesitating a tiny bit. "Shall we go now?"
But something pricked my mind, like a loose shoestring which always gets me at the last second. But the thing is, this stray shoestring didn't annoy me for being a barrier. It worked simply as a sad reminder, and I told the man about that shoestring.
"Chris. Is he simply never going to return?" I spat out my mind, the words that I myself had uttered bringing me pain along with all the memories I had had with Chris.
The man's brows went up as he was pleased for a split second, before drooping down exaggeratedly, as if he was glad, but was trying to hide it.
"I was rather expecting that, my friend. And I prepared," He now turned back to his computer and pressed on the right side of his mouse-to paste a previously copied code.
And the title of the code was dubbed "Chris".
"My invention had somehow got hooked in your life quite much, and I could read Chris' feeling that he felt so close to you and loved you like a brother. I also knew that you'd be the same for him, so here our friend is," He pointed at the codes solemnly, silently.
Ah, my dear friend was inside the single paragraph of codes, and he was the codes themselves.
"You can meet him on VR," The guy dug below his creaky desk and resurfaced with a wooden, cardboard VR in his hands. "He doesn't know that he's a fake-tell him if you want, or do not. And be sure to let him go for sure, this is the last time, Jack. Here's the money I mentioned earlier. I will be outside, doing my own business-this may be the last time we may meet. I am Douglas James, by the way. I am regretting and once more, I am dearly sorry," He now gave me a few dollars, then as I pushed the dollars inside my jeans pocket, he shook my hand, enclosing mine in a hairy, big hand.
After nodding a single nod, he left through the door he had come in through.
Then I was left alone.
Taking a deep breath, I approached the computer and slowly put the VR cardboard box over my eyes after connecting it with the computer, then closed my eyes.
Was I ready for it?
Yes, a familiar voice answered from inside my head.
Though our voices might be similar, I realized that it may have been Chris' voice easily.
He wanted to see me, I sensed. I wanted to see him also, then, since I was him-yet.
I now opened my eyes and watched as a white screen flashed into view. Then, slowly materializing, a pair of pants, then a T-shirt and a face materialized.
The boy was me.
And I was Chris.
So, the boy was Chris.
"Hey," He said curtly, face neutral. Jesus, Chris, I almost sobbed inside my head. Did he know me? Did he know where he was, and how he had gotten there? Did he know about the Hunters and how he had 'died'?
"Chris. You know me?" I asked, voice trembling as I waited for his reaction.
He gave me an odd glance, frowning like how I would frown.
"Um, sorry, but...you're a bit of a foreign guy to me. I am also curious about where I am. Can you explain it to me?"
Calm down, Jack. Maybe it's better for him to not know the truth.
"It's hard to explain. Your name is Chris, as starters. And I am Jack. We somehow look the same," I forced a smirk. "Well, I know my name somehow. Things are crazy here," He now turned around in circles, looking young and extremely confused. "How can a room have nothing on it? Even a single wall or ceiling should be existing somewhere. This is insane, Jesus," Then, looking back at me as if he had forgotten my presence, he whipped his head back at me. My heart felt shattered and also became swollen with pride at the same time, somehow at the sight. "Sorry. Hell, I am sure I would be able to figure out what this place is," "Yes, I am sure you will be able to,"
I now sat down on the white, featureless floor, legs crossed. Finding nothing else to do, Chris also sat down. "But do you know how we look so similar? I mean, my mother never had twins-or at least, that's what she tells me, and she prefers to have few kids-and she is not the person to let my genes be replicated, if you get what I mean," That's exactly what I thought at first when I heard the thing come out of Douglas James' mouth. Should I tell him the entire truth...? Just then, a voice inside my head answered it. Please, don't. Make his last moments grateful and non-confusing... "I am also confused and had the same thoughts with you, Chris. Maybe, I'm your ego or something. Learned that from school, didn't you? That stupid lecture on Freud, remember?" I said, the aspect of my heart shattering now greater than the aspect of it swelling with pride. Ah, it hurt me so much to say those words...
Of course he remembered-since I myself remembered that boring lecture from school, lectured by Mr. Trevor. Another Mr. Trevor in his world simply must have taught him that stupid lecture on Freud too...
"Hell, yeah. Your words make sense. But the thing is, who is the real guy and who's the ego of the other?" I smiled. "We'll never know-that's the worst thing about Freud's theory. No one can prove which is which," Chris smiled my same smile back. "I love the way you just objected one of the most respected psychoanalysts of all time, Jack," It had been the first time for him to say my name out loud, and probably the last. Thinking about it that way, I suddenly felt that I won't be able to talk with him for too long for our both's sake.
"So, just to check on the ego-thing. How old am I? I mean, to be exact, we. To rephrase-how old are we?" So he still didn't know that I am a few years older than him. But I already knew, so I answered promptly. "We're 15," "Gee, right, right. And our favorite hobby?" Chris had told me his hobby a few weeks ago, which was reading books like me. "Reading books," "Hell, you're right again. Guess that proves it all," He now held his hand out, grinning. I shook hands with him, and he grinned. "So this is how it feels like to shake hands with my own ego-or my own self. We're still not so sure on who's the ego and who's the self," He chuckled. "Then, from now on, our relationship is like this: if one dies, the other also dies, huh? This is...simply super,"
-And those words had been exactly the same words he had said when we had first met and realized that we were a single entity, but separate humans in each of our individual realms.
That's a good quote to end this talk, Jack. Come on...I urged myself, then before any more words could shoot out of my mouth, I silently reached out and found the mouse in the real world. Then I clicked it.
Chris froze in mid-smirk.
Wordlessly, I walked over to his frozen sitting position and then, touched his shoulder a tiny bit.
"Chris, you were the motivation for me, and still is going to be. You're now the biggest and only reason why I'm gonna win this war against the Hunters. And for only you and Rick would I never quit till the end, my friend,"
Though the whole talk would have seemed insane and silly when others saw me doing it, I was deadly serious and calm.
I walked away from him, then pulled off the cardboard VR from over my eyes, then selected the entire, extra-long code titled "Chris".
A sigh didn't escape me, but a tear that wasn't of fear or sadness, but a tear of tribute and remembrance, fell down from my eye before I clicked on the right side of the mouse and deleted the code of Chris.

As I walked out through the door, hand fidgeting with the few dollars Douglas James had given me inside my pocket, and the trail of the tears had all but dried and I met the cool breeze of a familiar New York street during an awesome sunset of red happily, never having felt so fresh.
I got on the bus and paid the fee with the money, then sat down on a seat, looking out through the clear window of the bus.
And as I watched all the vibrant people and music and life, I vowed once more that I would keep my word that I had left Chris with, vowing, that I will never quit till the end.