Chapter 3: Three Rules
Eve watched Sara sob out her grief, and awkwardly averted her eyes. This was the worst part of her job. No matter how many people threatened her, refused to believe her, or even attempted to harm her- this was still the worst part. When they realized that she was telling the truth.
The sight of their despair made her feel like she was the cause of it, and as a result she had no idea how to provide them comfort.
Eve didn't rush Sara. She knew that everyone had to come to terms with their death in their own ways and in their own time, and so she turned and began writing out her report on her computer. Several minutes passed by in this way, but sooner than Eve expected, Sara's crying quieted.
Eve glanced over at the woman sitting in front of her, and felt relief at the sight of her wiping her eyes dry with the tissues she provided on the edge of her desk. Sara looked at her for a long time, and then gave her a timid smile.
"Who are you exactly, Miss Eve?"
Eve smiled, and swiftly pulled out a card to hand to Sara.
"My name is Eve Everheart, and I am a part of the Welcoming Committee in between Life and the Afterlife. My job in the Afterlife Syndicate is to ensure that you are well informed so that your stay here can be as enjoyable as can be." Before Sara could ask any questions, Eve gestured for her to be patient as she reached down to pull open her desk drawer. She pulled out a colorful brochure and handed it to Sara.
"This is the place where everyone goes after they die. No matter their beliefs or their religions, here is where they will come to await their sentencing. After someone dies, they are put on a list to await their Judgement. Whether they go to heaven or hell, whether they are reincarnated or not, etcetera."
Sara glanced down at the glossy brochure in her hands and stared vacantly at the pictures of various people smiling up at her.
"The judgment system will change according to the specific person's beliefs, though of course while you are waiting for you court date, you can always change your beliefs. It's all up to you, it's your Afterlife to live after all." Eve finally picked up the folder that had Sara's name printed on it, and handed it to her, "In this packet you will find everything that you need to know. It will give you a detailed report of the cause of your death, and it will also give you the date that you are expected in Court to receive your sentence as well as the procedures to follow."
Eve glanced at the folder in Sara's hands and sighed, "With the population growth on Earth, I'm sorry to say that everyone's wait here in between Life and the Afterlife has extended quite a bit. Our Court is overworked and creating this waiting list was the only way we could ensure that everyone's case is given the proper time they deserve to be reviewed. For example, you are scheduled to appear in court in two years, give or take a few days." Sara's eyes widened dramatically.
"So long…"
Eve nodded her head in agreement, "Yes. Though to be fair this isn't actually a very long wait in the scheme of things. According to our statistics bureau, if this growth in population continues, in a few decades the wait will be extended to over 15 years."
Sara gulped, and quietly decided that 2 years was a perfect amount of time, not too short and not too long.
Eve then gestured to the forgotten brochure that Sara hadn't paid much attention to, "That brochure doesn't list everything that this plane has to offer you (that would be in your packet, which is updated every year), but it does list out the rules and regulations of this plane of existence and also a few recommended places and programs for newcomers. It also lists the changes your body will go through here- and do not worry, all of that is also included in the packet I gave you, and If you lose either the brochure or your packet, you can simply come back here and we will replace them for you."
Sara stared once again at the strangely cheerful brochure.
"Is this place called Gray City?"
"Yes, it is. We were trying to come up with a neutral name, one that didn't favor any religion or way of life."
Sara made a noise of understanding and looked at the list of rules that had a picture of a cheeky girl winking and smiling next to it.
"There are numerous regulations for all of our programs, you can look up the specific terms in your packet, but all in all as long as you follow the Three Rules printed on your brochure, your stay here should be easy, painless, and fun!"
Rule Number 1: Any questions, problems, complaints, or suggestions will be discussed at the Afterlife Syndicate's Office location, or through one of their online communication systems. (Details on these procedures are located in the guest's Welcome Packet)
Rule Number 2: Everyone is a guest in Gray City, and therefore harassing another guest without their consent is strictly prohibited. (The definition of 'Harassment' is listed below)
Rule Number 3: Everything desired will be provided for, and so theft or stealing items from fellow guests is prohibited.
"What is the Afterlife Syndicate exactly?"
"It is the name of the company that I work for- we govern this plane of existence. Through our various branches, not only do we ensure our guest's satisfaction, but we also enforce the rules in order to keep our plane from descending into chaos."
Eve's smile was huge and unnerving as she turned to her computer, and exited out of her report in order to digitally pull up Sara's file.
"And from our company's review of your life on Earth, as well as the profile we have established on your personality, it seems that you Miss Sara will not need the details of our more extreme programs- however, if you have any hidden desires or tendencies please feel free to let me know. We want you to have the best time here as possible after all!"
"Excuse me?!"
Eve's smile softened under Sara's overwhelmed gaze, "For instance, while Rule Number 1 prohibits you to interfere with other guests without their consent, we have a program that allows you to do so in a simulated environment. From our sexual exploration club to our murder club, any fantasy you want can be acted out- in a safe, consensual setting."
"Murder club-!"
"The victims aren't real people- they are simply creations of our company that were tailored to fit the tastes of our guests," Eve laughed at Sara's scandalized look, "They do not have a consciousness, and it is not as if they can truly die, they simply act out the guest's fantasy and then revive almost instantly. No one has any lasting damage, after all, we are in between Life and the Afterlife- Death does not exist here, their 'deaths' are simply illusions."
Sara continued to look at her as if she was disturbed in the head, and Eve sighed, "This is what I meant by saying that your personality does not coincide with our more 'extreme' programs; you must remember Miss Sara, that everyone comes here for judgment. Everyone. And we must accommodate every guest in order to keep our City peaceful- I only mentioned these programs to you because I wanted to make you understand that no matter what the request, we at the Afterlife Syndicate will do our best to make it happen- as long as it does not interfere with our Three Rules."
Eve scrolled down Sara's profile, and then her eyes lit up when she noticed something, "Another way we can accommodate you is through your body- no wait, please don't look at me like that, let me finish!"
"Ahem," Eve coughed, and a slight flush appeared on her face because of her slip up, "You must have noticed that your body is… slightly different from how it was when you were on earth, right?"
Sara glared at her suspiciously.
Eve coughed again when Sara did not get the hint, "When you die and appear here, all of the superficial modifications you made on Earth will disappear- leaving you in the body you would have had without them. So that means tattoos will disappear, piercings will disappear-" Eve eyed Sara's chest pointedly, "the results of plastic surgery will disappear…"
Sara jolted, and her face turned as red as a tomato as her gaze fell to her flat chest. Growing up she had always had the smallest chest size of all of her sisters, even her younger sister was bigger than her by the time she turned eleven! The never ending flat jokes… the numerous nicknames… it was utterly humiliating for Sara, and so when she could finally afford it, she got her chest… enhanced.
She had debated over it for the longest time, but in the end she chose to go through with it. She had no regrets- it wasn't like she went overboard after all. Sadly, after her surgery, her new breast size actually made her look normal.
Sara crossed her arms defensively over her flat chest, and glared at Eve like a wounded kitten, "And your point is?!"
Eve smirked, "The point is, that your body is in a very suggestable state right now. We can change it in any way you like. You want to be a natural red head? We can do it! You want to be taller? Shorter? No problem! We can even change genders and weight sizes, all you have to do is make a request."
Eve spread her hands wide with a salesman smile, "The sky is the limit Miss Sara! Just think of it like this, this is the start of the rest of your Afterlife, don't you want to make it count? Try things you have always wanted to try, be things you have always wanted to be? If you don't like it, we can change things back right away! Nothing has to be permanent. Miss Sara, you can do anything you've ever wanted, without any consequences!"
Eve's smile became a bit mischievous, "Well, unless of course you *believe* there will be consequences."
Sara stared at Eve's smile, and wondered if this was what it felt like, being tempted by the devil.
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