Too Broke For Afterlife

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I stare at Walter as he lowers his voice.

"He wants to use the machine to send his own army to Earth. All Isabella bodies have a defect built into them. Once they reach the design center to get it fixed, Lucas will kidnap the people, materialize their souls and destroy them so Satan can put those of his own demons inside and send them back to Earth."

I wait a few seconds. Then I raise my eyebrow.

"Are you high?"

"No, listen! You were supposed to be the test subject. Parker got dragged into it because he was stuck inside of you. That's why we need you guys, because you are the only people in the world who have ever witnessed the process and you actually survived!"

I try to organizethe information. None of this sounds real, more like a crazy fever dream.

"You're joking."

"Why would I be joking about that?"

I stare at him in disbelief.

"Well, you're telling me that f*cking Satan made you build a killer machine to form an army where every demon looks like me! How can you expect me to believe that?"

"You witnessed it yourself! Lucas materialized Parker's soul and tried to get rid of it. Isabella, Satan is literally killing people!"

"Dead people."

"Yes, dead. But the souls are still alive. They have a right to go to Heaven, don't they?"

As someone who grew up in a Christian household but left religion behind voluntarily, I have always had a distorted and confusing image of what Heaven would look like. And honestly, at some point I stopped believing in it all together.

But I have been proven wrong. Heaven and Hell are very much real so why not Satan as well? What if Walter is telling me the truth?

"Why didn't you guys just send empty bodies to Hell? Wouldn't that have been easier?"

Walter shrugs. "I wonder that too. I don't know."

"And you don't work with Satan anymore?"

"No, I already told you. At first I didn't know what the machine would be used for and when I found out I got away as fast as I could. But I had already recruited Jasper and finished the blueprint and Lucas managed to build it without me. Then I met Clemens and Nox and we formed this group to stop the plan."

"Wait, Nox?"

He blinks confused. "Yeah?"

"You mean Natasha?"

"I only know her as Nox. Maybe that's her nickname?"

I nod slowly. Makes sense. I guess. 

"So what does Satan need his army for?"

Walter shrugs. "I don't know that either. My best bet is that he wants to take over Earth."

"Right."

An army of demons disguised as me? Should I be flattered or disturbed?

Maybe both?

"Anyway, let's go get your medicine. I hope they have what you need."

I follow Walter out of the small car and walk up the few steps to the entrance.

My head is buzzing with questions and thoughts but I try to concentrate myself on the mission at hand. I can still pester him later.

The inside of the pharmacy looks similar to the ones I'm used to seeing - white, sterile, well lit - and a man is standing behind the counter, smiling.

"Hola."

"¡Hola!"

I stroll over to the counter and put on my sweetest smile. 

"Necesito Valium. Se me acabó esta mañana". 

I mean, obviously that's a lie. I didn't run out this morning, I haven't taken Valium since 2003.

"¿Tienes una receta?"

I blink. "Uh…" Okay, maybe my Spanish isn't as good as I thought it was.

"¿Receta?"

"Se necesita una receta pa-" 

"Sorry, I don't understand."

The pharmacist furrows his eyebrows. Then he repeats his question slowly with a heavy accent. "Do you have a prescription?"

"Oh! No, I don't. I...uhm...forgot it at home."

I look over at Walter who is following the conversation. He nods slightly.

"Sorry, but I can't sell you Valium without a prescription."

"Okay, listen buddy."

Walter pulls out his gun and points it at the man. The guy stumbles back and raises his hands. 

"Woah!"

"You're going to give my friend what she asked for and we'll leave again. Nobody gets hurt. ¿Comprendes?"

The man nods hectically and turns around to rummage through his shelves. 

I look at Walter and wink. It's surprising. Whenever somebody talks to him, this guy shakes like jelly but now that he is threatening someone with a gun, he is as cool as a cucumber.

"Here!" The pharmacist puts a big pack down in front of me. 

I inspect the box and then smile. "Gracias." 

Walter looks at the man one last time and puts a finger in front of his mouth, signaling him to stay quiet. "You didn't see anything."

Then we leave the pharmacy.

I walk over to the car, but he pulls me into the opposite direction.

"He probably saw us get out and is writing down the number plate right now. The cops would use that information to find us. We'll have to teleport."

He shoos me away from the main street, into an empty alleyway.

"Wait, you can teleport?"

Somehow this is the least surprising thing I have heard today.

"Then why did we use the car in the first place?"

"Why not?"

He puts a small silver device in my hand. It is shaped like a triangle and has a black button in the middle. Did I accidentally join the Illuminati?

"The gas station is programmed into it. All you have to do is push the button."

"Does it hurt?"

"Well…" Walter thinks for a second. "I mean, I'm dead. I wouldn't know. Just try and see."

My eyes widen. "Excuse me? Try and see? Could I die?"

"Probably not."

"Probably not?"

Walter grins. "No risk, no fun. Right?"

I sigh, realizing that I am left with no other choice. 

If I don't want to be let alone in an unfamiliar country, I'll have to do what these people tell me.

I look at Walter.

"If this kills me, I'll come back to haunt you.." Then I push the button.