Broken Marriage of Convenience

ing from a long, suffocating darkness. The first thing she noticed was the urgency in the room. Doctors and nurses hover

shly, their faces tight with concentration. One of the nurses, a young woman with kind eye

t St. Francis. Stage four

mly. "We're losing he

them not to give up. But when she moved, she realised with a jolt that her hand passed throug

ghostly echo that no one could

ighter, more insubstantial. The doctors' voices became a distant hum, and the room seemed to stretch and distort. He

d back, her face pale. "

er task of cleaning up. Helena watched, a silent witness to her own death. She couldn't comprehend it. She was d

miliar items, so mundane and personal, brought a fresh wave of grief. Helena moved toward the

of the living world. People passed through her, oblivious to her p

e security guard. He looked shaken, his usual calm demeanour rep

pened?" Harris asked,

hat she was hit by a car. Witnesses said a w

pushed me!" she screamed, but no sound came out. Her wo

, the French model. She tried to pull Mrs. Morrison

me!" she shouted, but again, no one responded. They couldn't hear her. S

t. Gabrielle was being painted as a heroine, while Helena was left to languish in this silent, unseen torment. H

collapsing onto the floor. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to find some semblance of comfort i

ad, alone, and betrayed. The life she had fought so hard to live had been stolen fro

_

ther her thoughts. For a moment, she believed she had simply fainted, but a strange sensation in her belly-

A fucking ghost," she muttered to herself. The absurdity of it all made her want to scream,

unblemished white. There were no windows, no doors, and no apparent source of light, yet the room was bathed in a soft, d

on the floor, consumed by her turmoil. Minutes, or perhaps hours, passed in silence. Her thoughts were a chaotic mes

it. The figure was tall and strikingly beautiful, with a grace that seemed otherworldly. Her eyes were a piercing grey, and

ious, almost puzzled expression. "I rarely have an adult with such a small balance of sins and virtues," she mu

r words sounding hollow to her own ears. She couldn't shake the sur

s rather... unremarkable," she said, not unkindly. "Very few no

n. "Unremarkable? I was a person.

ean to offend. Every life has its own story, its own worth. I simply me

ked, her voice tremblin

ts. A place for souls who are neither ready for Heaven nor condemned to Hell. It is a

spair wash over her. "So

upt. Violent. It has left you with unresolved issues, a strong emoti

aid, her voice growing stronger. "Gabriell

can indeed anchor a soul, preventing it from

asked, her voice tinged w

You were not supposed to die in this manner. Your death was meant to happen

the words sinking in

f this, you have an opportunity. You can go back and

r. "Go back? But I... I don't know if I

t want to go back? Most humans would seize the chance to li

e lost everything. My family is gone, my husband never loved me, and Gabrie

r pain is profound. But perhaps there is more for you to discover, more to life than what

rough her. She felt the woman's touch, warm and comf

thing balm. "You may not remember much, but you w

eep, dreamless sleep. The last thing she heard was the woman's voice,

darkness