Final Chapter

Dia finds herself in a dark and desolate place. The air is cold as a winter's day, and the feeling of death lingers. She can clearly see herself, so there is light. But everything is black; no walls, no sky, no ground. She does not know how she got there or why.

She has no choice but to aimlessly wander until she finds something or someone. She cannot see anything, but she can hear something in the distance. It's a terrifying sound of people moaning from pain and disease. The sound is coming from all directions. The horrifying sound of pain and suffering can be heard from miles away in the endless vacuum where she finds herself.

She spends what feels like an eternity looking around, but she doesn't see a thing. The feeling of loneliness spreads through her body like a plague. She doesn't know where she's going, she just wants to know how to get out. As she wanders through the darkness, she gets a headache. Something wants to come inside her head.

She closes her eyes, and she sees her husband caring for her son all by himself. He is not the same, his soul shattered from losing her. Her son alone and abandoned; his father can barely look at him because he is a constant reminder of Dia. The images tear at Dia's heart, her husband is now all alone, and her son never even got to know her. She has no one to blame but herself. Her selfish wish to be with her husband cost her everything. First she loses her freedom, now she loses her life.

She wants to apologize to them, she wants a way to take it all back. A way to make things right. But it's too late, she feels that it's over, and she'll spend eternity watching those horrible consequences of her decisions. She falls to her knees, holding her head like if it was going to burst. She wants to cry, but she's in so much pain to do anything.

“What's wrong?” asks a mysterious voice.

Shocked, Dia looks ahead to find another person. A person bound in chains and shackles. His skin is completely burnt, similar to Dia. But this person is burned far worse than Dia. His face is charred beyond the point of recognition. Some of his bones are exposed, and his clothing is hanging off molten threads. His voice is raspy, like if he is choking on something as he talks.

Dia is petrified as she looks into his deformed face. She doesn't know why, but she feels like she might know him. She looks at him cautiously and asks, “Where are we?”

“My dear Dia, this is Purgatory. I have been waiting for you.”

Dia takes a step back and asks, “you know my name? Who are you?”

The person standing before Dia laughs and answers, “I thought you might not remember me. Let alone tell who I am looking like this. But when we were younger, we both looked so much different. Like normal people. Lived normal lives.”

Dia gasps and yells, “It's you! . . . What happened to you?”

“Some people don't learn from their mistakes. I just kept doing what I wanted to do, and then I ended up here.”

“I don't understand, why can I only see you?” Dia asks nervously.

“Isn't it obvious? We were meant to be together. Ever since I got here, I've been thinking about you. Regretting what I did to you. I knew that we will meet again someday, and here you are.”

Dia takes another few steps back. She is scared beyond her understanding. The last person she ever wanted to see, and he is telling her that they will now spend the rest of eternity together. Her nightmare come true. “I. . . I don't want to go with you.”

“I see, it's that farmer isn't it?”

“How do you know about him?”

“I've been watching you. For I don't know how long, I have watched you grow and move to that boring village. You met that boring man, and had a boring hick wedding. Tell the truth, you only married him because he was the only one who is willing to love you. Am I wrong?”

For a moment, she feels that he may have had a point. When she was younger, she was a much different person. If she was perfectly healthy, could she had fallen in love with Pete? What if there were more options? So many variables cloud her judgment. She doesn't know what to think or how to feel. She is just confused.

“Come,” he says as he reaches his decaying hand out to her. “Come with me, you know it's the right thing to do. You don't want to be alone, do you? You once loved me, I know you still do. Lets cross over, together.”

Dia's mind is in a haze. She can't think clearly, all she thinks about is the past. Those moments where she and this man once shared with each other. She is dead, Pete is alive. They can no longer be together. With this option, she at least will not be alone. As if in a trance, she reaches out to him. She can barely control her body, it's moving on it's own. The burnt figure smiles, he shakes almost like if he is laughing.

“Dia! Don't leave me!!” says Pete breaking Dia's trance. Dia looks around; she can't see him, but she can hear his voice. He's crying, begging for her to wake up. Dia wants to, but she has no idea how.

“Don't listen to that voice. It's too late to do anything, you cannot change what happened! He'll move on, and marry someone else. You won't matter to him anymore. Come with me, it's the only choice!”

He reaches out to her one more time. But Dia slaps his hand away. He gasps as he gazes into the courageous eyes of the woman in front of him. “I am not going with you!” she yells. “You ruined my life. Took everything, then threw me away. I rather be alone, than to spend eternity by your side. Don't you get it? I hate you!”

Hearing those words angers him. He tries to get up to attack her, but he is stopped by several skeletal arms that reach out of the ground and grab him. He moans in pain as they slowly pull him into the darkness as he desperately struggles to get free. Dia covers her eyes, she can not watch the man who destroyed her being pulled into the depths of hell. All she can hear is his desperate voice calling out, “no, this is not fair! I don't want to be alone! It was a mistake! I didn't mean to do it!” When the voices stop, he is gone.

Dia sighs, it is now the beginning of the rest of her life. Or so she thought. Only moments later, a white light in the shape of a door opens up behind her. She looks back into the light, and sees the image of herself lying on the bed. A mysterious voice in her head says, “Go, you deserve a second chance.”

She has no idea who the voice was or where it came from. But the voice is pure and peaceful. She walks towards that light and passes through. The light envelops her, it feels warm, comforting, peaceful, and full of joy.

Now it's all white. The image is fuzzy, she can barely make out anything. The light fades, and it's now dark again. She can't move and she is so tired. She can hear a voice, but it's too muffled to make out. As soon as she gets the strength, she slowly opens her eyes. The view is blurry, but she sees two people she cares for deeply. Her best friend Gina. And her loving husband Pete.

She looks at their faces. She can tell that they have been crying, but they are now happy to see her open her eyes. Her body is heavy, but she can move. She is still in great pain. After all, she did bring a new life into the world just moments ago.

Pete brings their child and says, “Dia, look! It's our baby! He's healthy! He's perfect! Come on, hold him!”

“Give her a minute! She just woke up!” interrupted Gina.

“No. . . I want to hold my baby. . .” Dia struggles to say.

Gina moves aside, and allows Pete to bring Dia's son. She struggles with all her might to reach him. It feels like she has cinder blocks attached to her arms, but Dia overpowers her weakness. The baby is placed in Dia's arms, and she is able to look in his eyes. Blue, just like his father's.

Dia smiles and whispers, “thank you Pete. Because of you, I came out of the darkness, and into the light. Thanks to you, we're alive.”

Epilogue

Dia and Pete named the baby Bleuet, the french name for Blueberry. Unique, but Dia and Pete both like it. Time passes, and little Bleuet is now five years old. He is a healthy and active child who loves to run and play. Dia loves her son, but she does feel a bit sad that she cannot play with him. All she can do is watch him, sitting nearby laughing cheerfully. She will watch him grow, play, learn, and make mistakes. Even though she wish that she could run in the field with her son, she is more than grateful to be able to have a family of her own. Despite everything she goes through, she lives happily ever after.

The end