Infernal Love Flame

Welcome Back

"Jaide." A deep, baritone voice had called her name. When Jaide opened her eyes, she didn't know what to think of everything. She was surrounded by darkness, and her body was burning. Her eyes went down to the wound; it was old and bruised looking but still tender to the touch. She then looked past her and to a sinister, but male silhouette figure that emerged from the dark.

"Do you know where you are?" the voice asked her.

"Limbo," she answered. Tears now filled her eyes as the pain grew intense. When the figure smiled, his teeth were white and sharp, but perfect.

"I guess you can call it that. You're not really dead but neither are you alive. So, I'm going to give you an option. But you'll have to decide quickly."

"What is it?"

"That pain you're feeling. That burning inside. I can take it all away, but only if you help to do something for me when you're alive again," he said. She was easily convinced.

"Yes!" Jaide said, and reached out to him. His dark hand reached back to her and effortlessly pulled Jaide up from the ground.

"When you awake again, meet me at The Chattum Tower. Floor 60 at 7 PM sharp," he firmly said before vanishing into thin air. As the pain and internal burning from inside had gone away, Jaide's eyes forcefully shut closed.

Cold and catatonic, her body was laid away on a gurney and tucked in a black body bag. Jaide didn't bother to breathe or move again until she now felt the presence of another; that she wasn't alone. It was then, at the soft hissing noise of a door closing, Jaide opened her eyes and deeply inhaled oxygen through her nose, and later exhaled from her mouth.

With her nails, she ripped and tore through the plastic around her. Throwing her head back, Jaide gasped for more air. She had looked around and discovered that she was the only one that had risen in a room with two other bagged bodies.

She hopped down from the gurney and then raced over to the coat rack. After she snatched one of the white coats from a rack, she wrapped it tight around her body and exited the morgue.

It was as if she could feel people's different emotions and energy as she passed them by. People didn't have to bump into her. Jaide hugged herself tightly until she stopped by at a store entrance where a couple was standing. Her stomach growled and ached. She didn't know which scent was more delicious, the man or his wife.

"Holy crap. You look like shit!" the man said to her and then cackles.

"Greg!" his wife hit him on the arm. "Don't say that. Are you okay, ma'am?" the woman's tone was gentle as she approached Jaide closer.

"I'm hungry," she said, with her hoarse voice. "Do you know the time?"

"Yes, it's ten minutes after six," the woman responded.

"Where's Chattum Tower?" she then asked the woman.

"It's on the other side of town, now get lady." Greg chimes in before his wife could respond.

"Would you stop it? Sweetie, we're headed in that direction. You can ride with us," she offered her.

"What, Miriam? Noooo!" the man sung with a frown on his face. She ignored the man and dug down into her purse, retrieving a set of car keys and a phone.

"Miriam, did you hear what I said?" Greg asked her. She now had one comforting arm around Jordyn's shoulder.

"I heard you well and you can catch an Uber unless you shut your damn mouth. This is my car and I do what I want to do," she firmly said to him. Hungry, Jaide watched the lights of a car flash twice before they all went over to it. Greg had obediently kept his mouth closed and climbed into the front seat.