Nothing Else

“Excuse me? Young man?”

Kiyoshi looked behind him, raising his mask back over his mouth and nose. Standing there was an older man, possibly around his late fifties, with dripping wet hair and slightly bloated skin. He was wearing nothing but a towel around his waist, though he didn’t seem at all bothered by that.

“This is where you line up to be judged, yeah?”

Kiyoshi nodded. 

“Good, good. You know, I’ve been looking for this place for what feels like hours. Though, I guess it’s probably been at least a few days, if I’m being honest. I swear, this place is a maze!”

“It’s not so bad.” Kiyoshi said, “It’s not like we have anything else to be doing.”

The man laughed at that, and as he did, soapy bubbles rose from his mouth and popped in the air above him.

“I suppose you’re right!”

There was a short lull in the conversation as the line inched forward ever so slightly. Kiyoshi looked over the man, thinking for a moment. After a moment's hesitation, he spoke up.

“...Did you drown?” he asked. 

“Sure did! In my own bathtub even! My wife came in and pushed me under, and I was so surprised, I couldn’t do a damn thing.”

“Your wife? I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Oh, don’t be. Me and her were having some issues, so I guess I should’ve seen this coming. But what about you, son? If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were still kicking.”

Kiyoshi shook his head. He reached up to his face and pulled down his mask, revealing the black sludge that dripped from his lips as he spoke.

“Poisoned.”

The man winced.

“I’m real sorry to hear that, son. Sounds rough, real rough indeed. You know who did you in?”

Kiyoshi slid the mask back over his face and shrugged. 

“No idea.”

“Damn. Some people, I tell you. Oh, by the way, I’m Dan. Don’t believe I’ve caught your name yet.”

Kiyoshi introduced himself, taking Dan’s hand in a handshake. Both of their hands were clammy and cold, though that wasn’t unexpected. 

“It’s a real pleasure to meet you. I’ve been meeting a bunch of nice folks ‘round here, glad to see you’re one of them.”

Kiyoshi hummed in agreement before quickly pulling his hand away. Dan seemed a bit confused by that, but quickly shrugged it off. The line inched forward once more, though the difference was barely noticeable. Dan cocked his head to the side, scanning down the line that led further than the eye could see. 

“Looks like we’ll be here a while, huh? Well, like you said, there ain’t nothing else for us to be doing, so might as well wait it out.”

“Easier said than done.”

Kiyoshi looked over at the source of the new, clearly agitated voice. In the equally long line beside them, a young woman sat on the ground and picked at her nails, looking incredibly bored. She wore a cute blue dress and a cheap, plastic crown, though they were both ruined with scratches, dirt, and blood. Her entire body seemed broken in some way, though that didn’t seem to hinder her in any way. 

“Oh? You been waiting here for a while?” Dan asked.

“Yep. I got here back in 1972, and I still haven’t been judged. You two have been dead for, what, couple days? Maybe a week? You’ll see, you’ll hate this place as much as I do in a few years. ”

“Oh, my dear Merita, do you really have the right to complain?”

Another woman, this one closer to the front but not by much, spun around to look at the Merita. She was in a magnificent 17th century gown, though that was hard to focus on while she held her own decapitated head in her hands. 

“Yeah, I know! I know you’ve been here for centuries! You’ve told me hundreds of times, Jeanne! I don’t need to hear it again!” Merita snapped back. Jeanne gasped, reeling in disgust before turning away from the conversation. Merita just rolled her eyes.

“That was rude,” Kiyoshi pointed out.

“Whatever. I don’t care anymore. Even if it sends me to Hell or whatever, I’ll be happy as long as it isn’t this fucking waiting room.”

“How’d you even get here, if you don’t mind me asking?” Dan asked. 

“Oh, you wanna know?” she asked, rage filling her eyes. “I was run over on prom night. Prom night! After graduating and being crowned prom queen, I fucking died! How messed up is that! And now, I’m stuck in here, looking like this, for eternity! Ugh!”

As Merita explained her story, Dan’s face fell. A gentle frown overcame him as she finished talking. 

“Well...I’m mighty sorry to hear that, young miss.”

Kiyoshi noticed this change in Dan, and gave him a questioning look. Dan just shook his head. 

“Yeah, well, that’s not going to do me any good now, is it?”

“I suppose not.”

Merita rolled her eyes and turned away from the men, returning her focus to her chipped nails. Dan looked away as well, now just staring at the ground. 

“...Are you alright?” Kiyoshi asked softly.

“...How old are you, Kiyoshi? By the looks of it, I’d say, I dunno, twenty-something?”

“Twenty six, yes. Why?”

“I’m fifty three myself. Both of us have experienced quite a bit of life, wouldn’t you say? Well, for you, maybe not so much, but still. I’m sure you’ve worked a couple jobs, maybe even gone on a few dates, right?”

Kiyoshi nodded. 

“Me too. I’ve lived a nice, full life, so I’ve got no complaints about being sent here a tad early. And you, while you’re still young, you at least got to live a bit of your life, and grew into the person you wanted to be. But, that girl…”

Dan glanced back at Merita. She had stopped picking at her nails, and instead was just staring off into space, looking so, so very tired. 

“She’s a kid, Kiyoshi. Just about out of high school, just about free, until that chance got taken from her. She hasn’t lived like we have. She never got the chance.”

“It’s...tragic. I agree, what happened to her is awful.”

“And she’s not the only one I’ve seen down here. Some even younger than her, taken for no real reason. Breaks my heart, it really does.”

“I can hear you, y’know.”

Merita looked back at the two men. Dan seemed a bit shocked, though he was quick to return that old smile to his face.

“Were we bugging you? Real sorry ‘bout that, miss. I’ll keep quiet, if you’d like.”

Merita just stared at him for a second, expression blank. After a moment, she let out a small sigh. 

“You’re not bugging me. Just don’t talk about it like I’m not here, ‘kay? You’re right, what happened sucked, and I hate it, and I wish I was doing literally anything else right now. But, I’m not, so fuck it. Might as well learn to deal with it.”

There was still that edge to her voice, though it was noticeably softened as she spoke to Dan and Kiyoshi. 

“Also, for the love of God, get some fucking clothes on. The help desk is right over there, please, just get them to do something. I can’t fucking look at you while you’re like this,” she added, gesturing to the other end of the room. Dan just chuckled.

“Alright, alright, I’ll go get cleaned up. Kiyoshi, save my spot, will you?”

“I’ll try.”

With a nod and a smile, Dan left the line. 

“And you, don’t be so quiet, alright? I can’t get a good read on you with that mask, so you’ll have to get your shit across with your words. Tell me about...whatever it is you're into.”

Kiyoshi tilted his head to the side, confused.

“But why?”

Merita shrugged.

“You got any better ideas? I’ve got nothing but time to waste, so I might as well see what your deal is. So, come on, spill.”

Kiyoshi hesitated for just a moment. He could feel the poisonous sludge under his tongue, holding his words hostage. But, despite himself, he lowered himself to the ground and sat with Merita. 

“Alright, but you have to promise not to laugh, okay?”

“I won’t make a promise I can’t keep.”

With a small laugh, Kiyoshi began to speak.