Chapter 2

"AHHHHH!!!"

Everything was pain and suffering embedded into her very soul. Jacqueline felt like her body was being ripped apart, molecule by molecule. Taking all of her cells and killing them slowly. However, the world was no longer a parking lot full of exploding cars.

Her senses were heightened and focused on every sensation. As though she was drenched in some kind of sticky liquid, her brown hair stuck to her back and face. Her clothes were also gone. There was no light and no sounds, except for her own screams. She was being crushed by walls she couldn't see, like being swallowed in the esophagus of a rancid monster; one who ate garbage and sewage and plenty of corpses.

Jacqueline was impressed by her ability to not throw up on herself by how vile the smell was. While sight was not an option, based on feel, there was space above her head, but when her feet swung to anchor itself to the solid floor, there was nothing. The only reason gravity hasn't punted her to the ground yet is because the suffocating walls were still barely holding her up. However, as every second passes, she slowly slides down.

She doesn't know how long she has been in this fleshy tube. She doesn't know how she even got here. The only way out is down. Jacqueline has tried to climb up despite her arms not having the luxury of moving. While she attempted to dig her fingers and nails into the walls and pull herself upwards, it failed. Her hands were sticky which may have aided in her attempts, but they were also slick. The walls had no dips or holes or grip. It was smooth and disgusting.

After an unknown amount of time, Jacqueline could start hearing faint noises. As she slipped further down, the sounds got louder and formed into words. There were people below her. At least, she thought they were people. The hypothesis that there is a ground did not seem to be completely hopeless after all.

The restricting sensation around her body was loosening and with it gravity pulled her down a little bit faster. Suddenly, Jacqueline was no longer falling slowly. Her body was not touching anything anymore. She plunged forward; doing 360 spins with her arms and legs spread out, trying desperately to cling onto those nasty walls despite finally being freed from them. She doesn't know how long down it would be, but based on intuition, it would be enough to kill her.

Which was ironic, as she never really knew if death was an option. Being born with the ability to immediately regenerate, no matter how big or small the injury, would incite that sort of question. Somehow no one else knows about this, despite children being prone to injuries. At the very least, her family should have been suspicious, but none of them seem to have a clue. Either that or for whatever reason, they never said anything.

Splat!

Her head dived into water and smashed on the ground. Pain shot through her being, but she didn't blackout. Her hands met with the ground her forehead had greeted first and pushed herself upwards. Coughing up mouthfuls of liquid that definitely wasn't water, the sharp taste of metal had coated her tongue. Colour poured into her retinas, changing her perspective of absolute darkness to dim reddish light.

Hell was different from what Jacqueline had imagined. There wasn't a wide expanse of hellfire rising like the skyscrapers in rich cities. Although she wasn't in any more progressive pain, the sight before her was worth bleaching one's eyes.

It was a river of naked bodies; presumably of other dead people. The unknown liquid that Jacqueline had unwillingly swallowed was actually a giant pool of blood, the sticky substance she had been covered in had been revealed. A shiver went up her spine.

She looked up towards the ceiling; to look at the place she dropped from. Hundreds of blackholes covered the fleshy roof. The walls curved down, creating the shape of a tunnel. Bodies rained down from those holes; screaming and crying from the distance.

While she didn't have trypophobia, she would rather look at where these people were going. Jacqueline had noticed familiar heads in the crowd. One was an old woman who was no longer wearing fine clothes and jewelry. Instead wearing nothing other than wrinkly skin. She was a bit farther to the right, seemingly biting her thumb, mumbling drowned out by chatting, shouting and crying.

A middle-aged man then walked up to her and said something. The old woman turned around and flew into a rage. She was so animated, it felt as though life poured back into her veins. Jacqueline had discreetly hid amongst other bodies in the crowd, slipping closer and closer to hear the conversation.

"You crazy bastard!"

The old woman's voice was muffled against the clashing voices, however, it was still clear to snooping ears.

"Because of you I've suffered! Do you know how much money I've donated to the church?!"

Other people had avoided the space the two were standing in, not wanting to be a part of the situation. Some stood by and watched the show, like a certain brown-haired teenager. Had it not been for the grotesque atmosphere and the inescapable display of genitals that everyone had to mutually suffer from, this would have been a scene stripped right out of a day-time drama.

"Mrs. Hendrix, please calm down. I-I'm truly sorry for what I've done-"

"Sorry? Sorry! For choking me to death, while I was begging for my life!"

Jacqueline's thoughts started to click. The middle-aged man who was taking a beating from the elderly was once a cyborg. There were no white and red robes to hide his once metallic form. His upper-body was completely made of flesh, and his face was no longer made of glass and code. He was also bald.

His eyes were flitting from side-to-side looking for a way out. Jacqueline and the priest made eye contact.

"Jacqueline!"

She instantly scowled and made no effort to hide it. The spectators had made way for a new character to arrive at the scene, anticipating something big to unfold. Jacqueline had quietly walked over to the other actors.

"Aren't you one of Heart's?"

She nodded. The old woman had drawn conclusions that painted the ex-cyborg in even worse colours.

"Look at what you've done!-"

She continued to berate him, while the priest tried to evade it with a question.

"Jacqueline, could you please tell us what happened while we were... you know."

He gave a pleading look to the 14 year old who just wanted to watch, not participate in the trouble. Mrs. Johnson decided to pause her anger to look at what she had to say.

"After your whole situation-"

The old woman glared at the priest.

"Everyone ran outside. I didn't see what exactly went on in the church, but the whole building collapsed."

The bald man's face drained, which was surprising to see when there was blood drying on his entire body.

"W-was there a-anything left?"

"I doubt it. The whole thing went down in smoke"

He looked as though he would start crying. Mrs. Johnson started to open her mouth, ready to rip out his ears, but before she could do so, the priest intercepted. He really did start crying.

"W-was everything m-my fault?"

Jacqueline didn't know how to feel about making a grown man cry for the first time in her life. Would this still be considered her life? She was dead after all. Perhaps she would start calling it her afterlife instead.

"I wouldn't say that. My guess is that cyber terrorists decided to target the church, and also you specifically."

"How do you know that Miss?"

The old woman chose to join the conversation.

"Someone hacked into his brain, remember? He started freaking out and a bunch of code showed up on his face. Then he spoke in a weird voice.

The old woman's anger had died down considerably. At the very least, it wasn't directed to the man in slapping distance.

"Also, I didn't die in the church. The parking lot got bombed up when we tried to escape and I didn't make it out"

"Was it just you?"

"I'm not sure. There were some people who managed to run away."

Images of her siblings' faces came back to her mind. They looked at her with horror and fear, realizing she wasn't going to make it. Her parents had their backs turned the whole time.

"But I don't know what happened after I died. Last thing I remember was someone shouting that the Cyber Heroes showed up."

"Really!"

The zealous priest had decided to interrupt at the mention of his heroes.

"The Cyber Heroes! The rest are definitely saved! Our Lord Sirius has sent his aid."

One wouldn't have guessed he was just crying, if it weren't for the tear tracks made on his bloodied face. Jacqueline's face twitched with annoyance.

"Mr. Antonio"

His face flashed with confusion.

"It is Father Antonio, Jacqueline"

"Are you still considered a priest, even though you're dead and in Hell?"

He went silent.

"You can also stop your preaching and praise. Sirius is not a God."

The two gasped. Some of the forgotten spectators also gasped.

"I will not stand for this! Lord Sirius will be displeased with you agreeing with those heretics!"

"Look at where we are now. Would an all powerful God let his own church be blown up by heretics?"

He went silent again.

"The one you worship is an overbearing ruler that none of us have the power to oppose, and the ones who do are psychopaths who believe fear and violence is the right answer."

The middle-aged man opened his mouth, but words wouldn't come out.

"And Cyber Heroes. They are glorified pawns the Overlord uses to keep the public in check. To make them believe that everything is fine and safe. That our lives don't depend on the whims of one person."

Neither the ex-priest nor the old woman spoke any words. She gazed at the people around her. All humans who have the same fate; either watching her or falling from the ceiling or aimlessly trudging on. Only now was she wary of the exhaustion in her bones.

"I'm done with this"

Jacqueline walked through the river of blood; going towards wherever the tide of the dead would take her.