Valentina awoke with a gasp and grabbed her head, which was pounding.

She sighed, "I didn't take enough damn pills."

But if that were the case, she would be in her room....but she wasn't.

She instead was in a huge dark tunnel, the only light was coming very faintly from one side.

After a few minutes of listening and waiting, Valentina decided to head for the light at the end of the tunnel.

As Val reached the end, she noticed that the light was coming from a metal grate door.

She jumped when she heard an electronic voice above her, "Prisoner x-y25s you have cheated your sentence. Welcome to your eternal punishment."

The huge metal grate creaked open to reveal two teenage boys, holding hands and seeming to be waiting on her.
"Who are you?" She managed. Her voice felt raw and dry.

"I'm Dixen or Dixy for short and this is my boyfriend-" he trailed off and looked over at the guy he was holding hands with.
The guy wasn't paying attention and got elbowed in the ribs, "You're supposed to finish my sentence. It's cute." Dixy whispered harshly. Seeming scolding him.

The guy jumped and looked at him, "Sorry what did I do?"
Dixy sighed and shook his head, "Never mind, just- this is Tyler."
Tyler nodded and shifted from foot to foot.

Dixen was tall, dark-haired, brown eyed, and practically screamed 'I'm in charge,' while Tyler was even taller, blonde, green eyed, and gave off a serious demeanor.

Val nodded and extended her hand, "I'm Valentina, but call me Val."

Dixen nodded and shook her hand, but Ty just turned and ignored her.

"We need to get going, it's getting dark and I'll be damned before we run into bestia." Tyler called over his shoulder while avoiding a huge crater in the dead ground.

Valentina raised her eyebrows, "The what?"

Dixen nodded, "C'mon, we better get going."

"Uh do you mind me asking where we are?" Val asked, while maneuvering around a crater in the ground.

"We do actually." Tyler responded without hesitating.

Dixen smacked Tyler on the shoulder, "Be nice."

Tyler rubbed his shoulder and stopped, "Shit, we're not going to make it to town before it gets dark."

"Well we can stay in the treehouse. It's nearby-"

"No." Tyler cut Dixy off, his voice firm, but there was a shakiness to it.

Dixen shook his head and sighed, "Ty we don't have a choice."

"There's always a choice, but fine we'll go to the cabin, but if he's there I'm gonna kill him."

Dixen nodded, "Lead the way."

"Now where are we going?" Val sighed.

Tyler ignored her and made a left into the tree line.

"I guess into the woods." Valentina mumbled.

Dixy explained, "We're going to a semi-safe haven that me and Ty used to live in. It's hidden from plain sight and it's elevated so we're safe from animals."

Tyler scoffed but didn't say anything, instead he stopped in front of a thick tree and popped a chunk of the bark off.

The hole in the tree was about the size of Dixen, so Val could easily fit through, but Tyler would have to duck a little.

He stepped to the side, "Alright, who goes first?"

Val rolled her eyes and looked inside the tree. There was an old, rickety ladder  that led somewhere Val couldn't see.

She shook her head and backed up, "Not me."

"Trick question, it's you."

Valentina's jaw dropped and she shook her head again, "Nope. No way."

Tyler sighed, "yep."

"No." Val barked.

"Fine we'll go first and leave you here with the bestia? Would that make you happy? It would be one less problem on my behalf." Tyler snapped.

"Jesus guys chill! I'll go." Dixy interrupted.

Dixen climbed into the hole and started his climb up.

After him, Val started the climb.

When she reached the top she noticed that she was on the deck of a wooden cabin.

Dixen was messing with some keys and walked back over to the ladder.

"Watch this." He mouthed before he dropped the keys down the hole.

"What the shit?!" Tyler exclaimed.

Dixen stifled a laughed, "Sorry babe, do you mind throwing those back up here? I still need to unlock the door."

There was grumbling followed by a ring of keys sailing straight up in the air.

Dixy made a feeble attempt to catch it and missed.

"My bad, do you mind throwing them again? This time...better?" Dixen chimed. This time not hiding his laughs.

Tyler ignored him and climbed up the ladder. He walked past Dixen and Val and unlocked the door to the cabin, which he then held open for them.

Tyler started to walk off but Dixen caught his arm, "Hey, what room do you want Val to stay in?"

Tyler ran a hand down his face and sighed, "Val can stay in.... her room I guess."

Dixen's voice softened slightly, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, maybe Val can put to use some of her clothes." Tyler chuckled, then winced.

"Okay, we'll both show you to your room for the night. Right Ty?" Dixen remarked.

"Yeah, whatever." Tyler led to the way through a hallway and came to a stop to a door on the left.

"Enjoy." He mumbled before turning the door knob and pushing the door open.

The room was huge, with a large comfortable-looking bed, a fire place, and a larger dresser.

Covering almost the entire floor of the room was a large, brown, furry skin of some animal that Val did not recognize.

Valentina cleared her throat, "Uh, what is that?" She pointed to the floor.

"It's a bestia skin. Killed it ourselves." Tyler spoke up. A strained look smeared across his face.

Val tilted her head slightly, "I've heard you talk about them before. What are those things?"

Dixy shook his head, "A: they're huge, don't recommend being on the ground after dark. B: we think they are here because this is our punishment."

"What do you mean punishment? That's what the announcer thingy said. I didn't do anything."

"Not intentionally, no, but-" Dixen started, but Tyler cut him off.

"Why'd you do it?"

"Tyler!" Dixen hissed.

Ty rolled his eyes, "What? Why beat around the bush, she knows what she did. She's not stupid, even if she looks it."

Valentina ran a hand through her hair, she hadn't thought of her old life since being here, in fact it was a blur.

She couldn't remember anything. Nothing. Not who her parents were, not who her boyfriend was, whom she apparently loved enough to kill herself for.

She cleared her throat, "My boyfriend died and I guess I thought I couldn't live without him. Even though now I can't even remember his name. It seems so stupid now." She muttered.

The more she thought about it the more Val began to realize how foolish her decision was. "I killed myself for some guy and I don't even remember his name. God, I'm such an idiot!" She exclaimed, standing up.

"At least she knows it." Whispered Tyler, before speaking up, "Val. Chill. We all did dumb things to get where we are."

Dixen rolled his eyes but remained quiet.

Val walked back over to her chair and sat down. "Okay. Tell me about- what was this place called again?"

This time Tyler spoke up, "It's called the crisis. And everybody in here cheated death-"

Valentina cut him off, "Cheated death? How does someone cheat death?"

"They kill themselves." Dixy stated the same time Tyler bit out,

"I was getting there if you hadn't interrupted me."

Valentina nodded before biting her lip and speaking, "What are you guy's stories? I told you mine, sorta."

Tyler nodded, "I remember that I had a mom and a homophobic dad. Don't remember what they look like, or anything else except that we didn't get along."

Dixen cleared his throat, "The only  thing I remember is that I didn't have parents. Only an older sister. Everyone else here is the same, we don't remember hardly anything. Probably so we don't grieve or anything."

"Makes sense." Val nodded.

Tyler clapped his hands together and stood up, "Well we'd love to stay and chat all night, but I'm sure you're tired and I've got better stuff to do anyway. So we're gonna leave."

He grabbed Dixen by the arm and pulled him up from the chair.

"Well, we'll see you tomorrow! Goodnight Valentina!" Dixen called as he was being led out of the room by Tyler.

Now alone with her thoughts, questions started to rack her brain so quickly she began pacing.

Why does Tyler hate her so freakin much?

(Turn)

Why the hell are the bestia here?

(Turn)

Why do only people that kill themselves end up here?

(Turn)

Val looked wistfully over at the bed and wished she were tired, but she knew that if she wanted any type of sleep, she'd have to get more answers.

Dixen she wouldn't mind asking, but Tyler might bite her head off.

She stopped pacing and started for the door, then turned around and headed for the bed.

Valentina then changed her mind again and went for the door. She stopped again and thought about it.

What did she have to lose? Not her life she already lost that. "Screw it." She mumbled, before turning the knob and entering the hallway.

Valentina stormed into Dixen and Tyler's room, confident. "Guys, we're not done talking, I still have quest- Oh my God!" She cut herself off when she found them making out.

Val went back into the hall and waited a few minutes.

She heard the two of them conversing and she shook her head, "Is it safe now?"  She shouted, hoping her face wasn't as red as it felt.

"Yeah-uh you're good." She heard Dixen shout back.

Valentina took a deep breath before pushing the door open again and entering their bedroom.

"Next time I'll remember to knock." She mumbled.

"Why was I here anyway?" Val mumbled, "Oh Right! Questions!"

Tyler sighed but indicated for her to continue.

"Okay. If the normal people that kill themselves end up here. Where does everyone else go?"

"Well we're not 100% sure but we do know that the people that serve their senten- Okay let me restart." Tyler cut himself off at Val's expression. He took a breath to collect himself before trying again.

"So what we've gathered is that Earth is basically like a prison and when we die we get released. There are three places to go that we know of. The worst one is Karma, which is like where the horrible people go. Like the serial killers, the rapists, and all the other people like that." Tyler started then Val cut him off.

"Wait. Even if someone is a serial killer and they kill themselves, do- do they end up here?" Val asked, her eyes widening slightly.

Tyler snorted and Dixen spoke up, shutting her down, "Hell no, their bad deeds outweigh the suicide. Do you think Hitler is in here? Definitely not. Continue." He motioned to Tyler.

Tyler and Dixen held a look before Tyler continued on.

"The in-between, which is where we are is called the Crisis. You haven't seen much here but it's not the prettiest place in the world."

Dixen cut in, "He's being nice. It looks like the aftermath of a nuclear war. This place is disgusting."

"Thank you, Dix for that unneeded comment." Tyler spoke, eyeing down Dixen. "And last but not least, we have one of the best places to go. Which is Bliss. Basically it's the place you go if you live out your sentence and don't kill yourself or other people and are a decent human being."

Valentina cocked her head sideways. Not quite confused but not quite not confused.

She tried to wrap her head around it all. Her gaze shot to Dixen when he spoke up again, "He doesn't mean that only killers go to Karma. Just horrible pieces of shit that got what was coming to 'em."

"Hints the name Karma." Tyler mumbled, before running a hand over his face and sighing, "Is there any other questions you have?"

Valentina stood up, "No, I think that's it for tonight." She walked over to the door and was about to leave before a thought popped into her mind.

"Actually, Tyler wait." Val had been wondering about this ever since they told her about it.

Tyler nodded his head, indicating for her to go on. Valentina released a breath that she had been holding.

"How did you kill that- that thing?" Val asked, eagerness peaking in her voice.

"You mean the bestia?" Tyler questioned. Dixy got up and went to the bathroom.

"Yeah, the...bestia." That word felt foreign on her tongue.

Tyler's flashed flashed with an unreadable expression, he opened his mouth, then closed it and instead offered her a tired smile.

He released a soft laugh before turning around and walking over to his bed. "That's a story for another time. Goodnight Valentina."

Valentina opened her mouth to protest and took a step forward, "But you said-"

"I said goodnight Valentina." Tyler snapped. This time he turned to face her. The expression he wore was stone cold.

Valentina turned on her heel and left without another word.

When Val reached her bedroom she slammed the door shut. It was petty, but it made her feel better.

Why couldn't Tyler answer a stupid question?

Valentina cast a glance down at the skin and shuttered. She was going to get the story out of them one way or another.

Why would they tell me they killed it if they wouldn't tell me how?

Maybe he was just too tired to tell her. It might just be a long story.

If that was the reason, then why did Dixen leave when she mentioned it? Maybe it was a coincidence, but Val didn't really believe that.

After coming up with theories for the next hour, Valentina wore herself out and crashed into her bed.

___________________________

Alright. How did you guys like it? This chapter is a little (or a lot) less intense than the first.

Annnnnndddddd now it's edited. This is the second and third chapter put together because before this story was really dragging along I felt.