To cross the bridge

I dreaded this day, absolutely dreaded. They want my soul, but I can't give it. I have a purpose in my life, which is to keep the balance of life and death. I am "Aurora", the light to your darkness and the one who eliminates the darkness in this world. Well, no I am not a disciple of Hades, nor do I work for him. I am a mere human, a vessel, a mediator you can call me any name.

This all happened because of that stupid ritual. I regret every single day for my curiosity. They say curiosity killed a cat but, in my case, I got killed instead. I had an amazing life, just like any other but now I am neither dead nor alive. Can you imagine what that feels like? Of Course not, because you've never been there.

I am a reporter and I go by the name Jasmine or more as I went by the name Jasmine because now I'm literally half dead. People called me "Jazz". I was pretty enough; I had a boyfriend and boy he was the cutest. He had two dimples on either side and he always blush whenever I sit close to him. So cute! We had the most amazing dates, picnics, movies, dates at the art gallery which I love. I learnt to become a designer you see. And I was going to major in contemporary art to become a cultural reporter. Surely this isn't what you want to hear from me.

You must be having a lot of questions for me, what's the other side like? Do we really have another side? Is the soul real? Well, let me tell you it's a bit complicated but I'll summarize it. Souls are very much respected here, as in heaven, the garden of Eden, call it whatever. There is no hierarchy here. The place for the good ones isn’t further divided; they can live however they want. They get a choice to live in this afterlife or to be born again. They can choose either. Bad guys have no choice, freedom and it is filled with hierarchy and pain, so much pain. I couldn't linger much over that side because I was dragged away by the "Kalos". They are Devil worshippers. And they have chosen me as their vessel to put in whatever souls they can find.

How did I get into this situation you ask? Since I was a reporter, I was asked to cover a story, people keep on dying in this area called "Shinjuki". Yes, I am in Japan, they still maintain the old rituals and traditions like "The day of the dead" (Bon Odori). I was super interested in getting a report on the Aokigahara forest. It's not just any forest, it's the forest where a lot of people go suicide when they hate their life. Little do they know what happens to them in their afterlife. There is a price to pay if we take our own lives. I'm not sure about that but oh well.

Once I entered the forest, I was clutching my phone in one hand taking video shots of everything around. I had a recorder inside my pants pocket. To record all the eerie sounds. My assistant refused to come to the forest, so I was all alone. It was at about 6:00 p.m. I had to sneak to the forest without anyone noticing me.

It was a rainy day and I remember I had water pouring on my face like I was crying but I was so happy. How could I be crying? Finally, I get to be the top reporter with the best story. Twigs snap beneath my feet and the mud was getting all over my sneakers, but I didn't care, I wanted to witness something dark and spooky for me to report. I will be able to land my own program one day! "Jazzs got a Ghost", "Let's fight for ghosts with Jazz", "The Jazz with a ghost". Oh, the many possibilities!

I was walking along a dark pathway when I felt a strong wind rushing towards me, I heard some rustles and it felt as if there was something pushing me from behind. I took that as my instinct and moved further up the hill. I heard faint voices that whispered at me, "Why would I die? How could you kill me? Why are you killing yourself? Kill or be killed!". This place sure was spooky. I stepped on something a little more solid, I looked down at my feet and saw that it was a remnant of a skeleton. Good, I'm close now. "Closer to your doom", a whisper said. I ignored the voice and thought that it was in my head.

All of a sudden, I felt so sad and almost anxious. I felt that something was building inside me waiting to come out. All these pent-up emotions, anger, sadness and yes, so much grief. For what I don't know. There were black figures in front of me, they looked like they were holding a ritual, there was a huge fire lit up and they were around it. My eyes were blurry due to the rain and suddenly darkness took over me. When I woke up, I was like this…

Okay back to my job. This time it was a girl, she was 27 years old, and she had recently lost her job, she's going through a divorce, and she is losing custody of her son. Perfect! I am to haunt her till the demons take care of the rest. While she was crying herself to sleep, I get inside her body, more like possessing her. The minute I possess her she starts crying, well they all do. And I walk towards her doom. I take her to the Aokigahara forest. Where the demons will take her soul. And well the rest is history. Then I go back to roaming. I can't pass the boundaries. Oh, how much I wish to go back to my home.

One day I was passing by a junction, and I came across a poster. It read,

"Missing, Jasmine Stark, 26 years old, retired reporter, last seen at Shinjuki." wait what! She looks like me! How could that happen? I retired? What about my dreams? The world went spinning around. Am I dying again? For real this time? The demons appeared before me.

Aurora it is time you gave us your soul; your purpose was fulfilled.

I knew a day would come when I have fulfilled my purpose, but the demons now wanted to take my soul, they made me commit suicide. Suddenly it all comes back to me. A demon cannot force a person to give their soul, they can only take one that's been offered. And I did just that! Vessels like me take over the bodies of people and drive them crazy. I make them feel depressed, anxious about life and haunt them in their dreams. Within their deepest darkest subconscious, I make them feel insecure and whisper in their ear that they will never be enough.

And now that I know everything, they want my soul. So, I ran in the opposite direction to the sounds of a celebration. And then I realized that People celebrate days like Bon Odori or Halloween to help lost souls like me. When people celebrate the dead, we all get to cross the bridge.