Jeff Withey strolled through the misty graveyard. The sky above was a dim black, almost purple, lit only by a half-waxing moon. He was all alone, save for the bodies interred in the dirt that his feet now walked upon. It was a familiar place to him.
This graveyard was where he had gone when he had died. When Xavier Henry had killed him.
Jeff held back a chuckle. It was not the time nor the place for laughter. His amusement at the situation had to remain inside. That day was still fresh in his memory, as if the act of murder had taken place just minutes ago instead of years. He could still remember the feeling of Xavier’s crotch smashed into his face, the panic as he realized that Death had chosen him next.
But Death had made a mistake that day. Jeff’s purpose on the earth had not been fulfilled. So God had rejected Jeff from the afterlife, and his life had continued.
“So, you came back. Back to the inner graveyard,” said a voice to Jeff’s side. He turned to look and saw a face he recognized.
“I did, Xavier. The pool of memories casts a mesmerizing reflection. But what are you doing here?” Jeff asked. “You belong in the realm of the living, for you have never visited the realm of the dead.”
They were now walking side by side, passing endless crumbling grave markers and gnarled, leafless trees. “You are wrong, Jeff. Not only have I visited this dark place of mortality, this place of no sunrise, but it is my home now. I died not too long after I killed you.”
Xavier had stopped walking, so Jeff stopped as well. “Here is where my body lies,” Xavier said, pointing at a dilapidated tombstone. “One too many leg injuries banished me from the NBA, and in the end, banished me from life as well.” For the first time, Jeff noticed that Xavier’s person was slightly transparent. In the moonlit darkness, it was hard to tell.
“If you seek forgiveness, you will have to look elsewhere, Xavier,” Jeff said. “Dying once is traumatic enough, but I am now cursed to die twice in my lifetime.”
“I understand,” Xavier replied. “This will be our final encounter, I imagine. I must now return to my slumber. I suggest that you return to your waking, as well.” Xavier’s form began to fade as he said these words, and soon disappeared.
Alone once again, a glint of light caught Jeff’s eye. The sun had begun to rise.