Signed, sealed, delivered.

***

CHAPTER 2:

MS. PRINCIPAL

I was sprawled on the floor, leaning against one of the seats, unable to stop crying. Amidst the storm of emotions, two things became clear to me. First, souls must feel emotions, too, because here I was, sobbing uncontrollably, cursing my fate with every fiber of my being. Second, time seemed to flow differently here in the afterlife; I couldn't tell if I'd been sitting here for an hour or a day. As the train relentlessly carried on through the unchanging pink landscape, the soft melody playing overhead would end only to start over again and again.

Was this place they called the Dorm actually hell? Was I doomed to ride this train into oblivion forever, a punishment for my sins?

I buried my face in my hands and cried even harder, my sobs so loud they drowned out an announcement that began playing. The shock of hearing another voice cut through my despair, silencing my screams and leaving me stunned. I perked up, straining to catch the words again as if a mysterious speaker was about to reveal secrets. Turns out, it was just a routine recording, replaying its spiel for clueless passengers like me who'd zoned out the first time around.

"The next station is the Dorm. The Dorm is the final destination on this route. Please make sure you have all your valuable belongings with you."

With a sense of duty, I searched around for my valuable belongings. I had nothing else besides the ticket and keychain I still tightly held. Slowly rising from the floor, I headed for the door. I pressed my cheek against the window, hoping to spot a station, but all I saw was the endless pink forest. The conductor didn't seem to find this unusual, as the train abruptly came to a stop.

I gripped the railing tightly to keep from falling as the doors hissed open. The now-familiar floral scent intensified, and the wind played with my jacket and hair. The train sat stationary amidst the forest, allowing me to see the birds darting through the pink leaves. Despite their beauty, I couldn't focus on the scenery.

Just a few meters ahead stood a door that seemed to float in midair, with no visible supports or frame. A soft violet light seeped from its edges. I cautiously stepped off the train and approached the door with deliberate steps. I could only make out the nameplate attached to its surface when I got right in front of it.

T H E  D O R M

I circled the door once. It was clear there was nothing behind it. Just then, the train's doors hissed shut, and it pulled away, taking the cheerful melody with it. Left alone, I was engulfed by silence and isolation amidst a sea of nothingness. Now, I had two paths before me: to disappear into the endless pink forest forever or enter the so-called Dorm to which I'd been invited. Without much thought, I opted for the latter and reached for the doorknob.

It was locked.

Despite considering myself clever, it seemed my intellect hadn't followed me beyond death. Before it even occurred to me that I had a key, I'd already tried to force the door open—pushing, pulling, pounding, and even kicking at it while muttering curses that were quite uncharacteristic of me. Only when the key slipped from my grasp did I notice the mushroom-shaped keychain smirking at my frustration. A few more choice words escaped me as I picked it up and found it easily turned in the lock.

Click.

The door swung open, and a sugary bubblegum aroma instantly replaced the floral scent. A soft melody, similar to the one on the train, wafted through the forest. The world that unfolded beyond the door was just as impossible as the door's presence. I stepped into a brightly lit circular room dominated by a marble angel statue at its center, surrounded by a reflecting pool that occupied more than half the space. The room's arched windows stretched up high, open to the elements, letting in the clean, spring air. Light poured in, casting a glow on the cotton-candy pink water cascading from the angel's wings.

It almost felt like stepping into a grand hotel lobby if not for the clusters of pink clouds that floated around as part of the decor. Curiosity got the better of me, and I reached out to touch a passing cotton ball cloud. It slipped right through my fingers, whimsically changing its course. I took a few hesitant steps towards the center of the room, then turned around to see two staircases spiraling up to a balcony.

As I took the first step, I spotted a hamster perched there, watching me. It stood up to greet me, twitched its whiskers, then scampered upstairs. Pausing every few steps, it looked back, seemingly checking if I was following. In a realm where madness had no leash, I soon found myself climbing the stairs after the fluffy creature. Our journey ended at a table where the hamster, now comfortably settled under the table lamp, continued to observe me. A woman with a welcoming smile awaited me there, adding to the enchantment of the scene.

"Olive," exclaimed the blonde woman cheerfully. "Welcome to the Dorm! How was your journey?"

Awful, I thought. "Fine, thank you," I managed to say.

Unaware of my inner thoughts, the woman introduced herself with an even bigger smile. "I'm Jinx. The Principal's secretary. She's waiting for you. You can leave the ticket and key here, darling. You won't need them anymore."

As Jinx leaned over to open a drawer, her blonde curls bounced on her shoulders. She pushed two boxes toward me, and the hamster circled them before settling in the middle. I placed mine on top of the stacked tickets and keychains she had laid out.

"Great!" exclaimed Jinx with exaggerated enthusiasm. "If I could just get your signature on these..."

I stared blankly at a stack of paper she offered. "What are these?"

"Just protocols," said Jinx, dropping off two more sets of files before me. "Dorm rules, terms of use, authorization approvals... Routine stuff..."

I could have asked her what the terms of use were or what authorization she was talking about. Instead, I just took the golden pen she offered and signed the papers. What did it even matter what I was signing at this point? I was dead. Just a soul. A spirit!

Oddly enough, it seemed like I was the only one bothered by this reality. Completing her task seemed to make Jinx extraordinarily happy. She turned to the strange machine on her desk—part typewriter, part computer—and started typing away, murmuring to herself.

"Yes, that's it. Great. Did we add this here, too..."

Finally, she announced that my registration was complete and got up from her desk, hobbling over to the door with her gown-like skirt. She opened the door and gestured for me to pass through. Holding my breath, I stepped into the room before her. Now, it was clearer that we were pretty high up; there was nothing but a lilac sky beyond the windows. Like the lobby, the windows here were also without glass, and the overflowing clouds had filled the room, freely floating around.

Among them, my eyes wandered to the walls. From floor to ceiling, the entire room was lined with shelves, each filled with a variety of toys. It felt like I was in a museum. Despite my curiosity, I forcibly tore my gaze away from the wall and directed it toward the table between the marble columns. Just as Jinx had said, the Principal was waiting for me at the head of her table.

"Olive," she said as our eyes met, with a voice as cheerful as her secretary's.

I was speechless. My brain, overloaded with which detail to find more astonishing, froze. The Principal was striking. She looked as though she had stepped out of a costume party. Her pale lilac hair was coiled into an elaborate bun atop her head, reminiscent of an ornate wig from a bygone era.

Her nearly white complexion made her sparkly eyeshadow, lengthy lashes, and purple lipstick pop dramatically. Her gown, crafted from layers of tulle, left her shoulders exposed and billowed around her like a blooming carnation. As she stood and moved toward me, I couldn't shake the impression that she was a walking, talking giant flower.

"I can't express how happy I am that you're here, Olive," she said, squeezing my hand tightly with her lacy gloves. Her smile was genuine.

Emboldened by that sincerity, I dared to ask, "Where exactly is here?"

The Principal smiled mischievously. "Here is Olive, where souls get their second chances."

And then she sat me down and began to explain.

***

Welcome to the DORM :) 

We have now entered the magical world where our book will unfold together. Undoubtedly, Ms. Principal was the first character we had to meet. Now, it's time to explore this world and encounter other characters.

I can't wait to hear your comments!

Until the next chapter, kisses, and love, EC.