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Our story takes place in a medium-sized, quiet city known as Heaven's Brook. Located near the southeastern sector of the United States, not many people know of its existence, even in its neighboring cities. It's a dull, boring place, with the exception of maybe a few scenes of interests like a lush field by the train tracks where you can watch the sun set behind a grove of trees as it dazzles a nearby pond into a shower of sparkling lights. Still, not many people find a reason to stay in the city and have dreams of leaving for New York or Chicago. Most people uptown are able to make it in the big world or stay behind with a stable job, while downtown is far more delinquent, with many taking part in the underground market in drugs and eventually finding themselves in one of Heaven's Brooks' two prisons.

Still, I can't say I love this town. Well, in a way I am glad that I was raised here because in this way I was able to meet all the amazing people in my life. Just thinking about them makes me happy. I still say that Heaven's Brook is a bore though. Except for one thing.

You see, there's something about this city that makes it special, even though hardly anyone knows about it. Perhaps something way back in the annals of history caused its state, or maybe it was an act of the cosmos. But behind the scenes Heaven's Brook has always been susceptible to extraordinary and fantastic things happening in it. I guess I have these powers to thank, because if it wasn't for them I never would have been able to have this whole journey that I'm about to recount. I never would have gotten my second chance at life. And I guess I'm telling you this because, well, I'm not sure. I want to say there's a moral, but I can't quite put it in words. Oh well, I'm sure you can take something out of this on your own. But this is my story.

We'll begin on March 2, the day I died.

"Sean?"

There were people everywhere. The din of people talking, hooting, singing, and yelling, all while downing beer after beer after beer in red cups. The music pulsed throughout the entire house, some rap song with a guy that had an annoying voice. The whole floor was a mess with food and other junk all over it. Across the room I could spot a guy and a girl hooking up in plain sight. And I? I was sitting, alone, on this couch having downed my seventh beer. I don't even know why I came here, to this party filled with people I hardly ever hang out with, in the house of some guy I've never even talked to (never mind that he was one of those popular guys at school), in the middle of nowhere, downtown. And I had trapped myself, because I knew that I was too drunk to drive. Hell, driving over here while sober had been a nightmare of its own. But I guess I just didn't want to be alone on this night. The irony.

"Sean." I turned to face the person who had just sat down next to me and was pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face. "You don't look too great," Nathaniel stated.

"I know," I muttered quietly, taking another sip of beer.

Nathaniel grabbed my hand. "Come on," he said, and without resistance from me he pulled me up and led me over to the bathroom. The two of us went in and he shut the door behind him. Now that we had our privacy he continued. "So, are you going to tell me what's up?"

"David said that he would be here, but he flaked out at the last moment and now I'm stuck here," I explained with a sigh. My eyes scanned the surroundings. The bathroom was actually kind of nicely-made. While the floor could have used a bit of scrubbing, the room was warmly-lit by candles, with an ornate marble sink and white tiles on the walls.

Nathaniel frowned. "That can't be all of it."

I sighed again and looked at Nathaniel. While he wasn't at David's level, I considered him to be a good friend, and he was one of the few people who knew of my sexuality. After a pause, I finally decided that I could confide in him. "I can't get over Sarah," I said.

"I'm sorry, man." Nathaniel pulled me into a hug, pressing me tightly against him. I rested my head against his shoulders. The alcohol was making me feel a little bit groggy, and I felt safe and comfortable in his arms. "You two went out for a long time," he continued, "but we're still juniors. We're still young. That's plenty of time to move on and find someone else."

"Thanks," I replied. "But I think I really was in love with her. I mean, right now the feelings have died down, but I still think about her, and there are just some days when the feelings come back and I can't take it."

"Just give it time," Nathaniel said gently. "And try to focus on other things. Try to focus on other people." He pulled his head back so that he could look at me. Our eyes met, and suddenly, I became aware of a multitude of sensations. The warmth of Nathaniel's body as our arms were still wrapped around each other. The smell of his clothes. How close his face was to mine. My heart began to beat faster. I felt nervous, butterflies fluttering wildly in my stomach. There was a feeling deep inside me that pierced the alcoholic buzz and made me feel awake yet dreamy at the same time. And while I was making all of these observations, the two of us were silent, just gazing into each other's eyes. He had the same eye color as me, but his were brighter and full of life and compassion.

"I'm drunk," I suddenly blurted out.

"Me too," chuckled Nathaniel. "But Sean, listen. I just want you to know that I'm here for you, okay?" He smiled, and it sent a jolt through my spine.

"I know that," I said and smiled back, moving my face closer to his. He did the same, and before long our lips met. Currents swept through my entire body as I tasted him. I drank it all in, his touch, his smell, his taste, his looks. Even amidst the background thump of the blasting rap music I could forget that I was in some popular guy's house in the middle of nowhere. All that mattered now was that I was with Nathaniel. I was in a world of absolute bliss and serenity.

Then there was a knock on the door, pulling both of us out of our spell. "Hurry up! I gotta piss!" someone yelled from the other side of the door. Nathaniel wiped his mouth and answered, "Just use the bathroom upstairs, I'm gonna be in here for a while!" The guy outside groaned and we could hear his loud footsteps as he left. "Phew," Nathaniel said, then turned back to me. He began to look uncomfortable. "S-Sorry about that," he stammered.

"Uh... It's okay?" Suddenly the moment was becoming very awkward. We became silent, but it wasn't the same, romantic silence that we had experience just seconds before. That spark that had caused me to press my mouth against Nathaniel's was gone. The magic in that brief moment had disappeared without a trace. Hastily I pulled out my phone and checked the time. "Damn, it's getting late, I should probably go home."

"Oh, uh, okay. Are you sure you're going to be alright?"

I nodded and opened the door, making sure no one was watching before striding out with Nathaniel behind me. He followed me out the front door and I looked back it him. He looked down and his lips were pursed as if he was looking for something to say. He finally settled with a "See you later," and I returned the farewell and got in my car.

Through the city streets I went. Lost in my own thoughts, my mind shifted between Sarah, school, David, and above all, Nathaniel.

I was still in love with Sarah, I knew that. She was not only the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, but she also had a beautiful personality. She was sweet, fun-loving, smart, witty, and respectable. We really hit it off sophomore year, and I had dreams of a future with her that went beyond college. Hell, I thought that maybe we could have gotten married. But two weeks ago we broke up. It all started when I decided to come out to her. She was a little uneasy at first. She had no idea how to deal with something like this, something that I had keep hidden from her in our 6-month relationship. Even though Sarah was the coolest girl I had ever known, she didn't really have much experience dealing with homosexuals, let alone going out with a bisexual. Couple that with the fact that we were living in the southern part of the United States, where homophobia leaked into our environment throughout our entire life, I expected her to be uncomfortable with this. But knowing her, she would have been able to overcome these prejudices if she had truly loved me.

She would have. But then came the rumors. The timing was terrible, for they arose right after I had come out to her. Someone, I don't know who, had spread a false account of my cheating on Sarah. I don't even know how something with no evidence to back it up managed to get around and spread like wildfire, but Sarah definitely didn't take it well. She had always had issues trusting people, and even considering the possibility that I would cheat on her would shatter her. All of it was too much, and after a tear-jerking confrontation our relationship came to an end. I wanted to explain everything to her, but her mind was already set. My heart was broken, but damn it, I still loved her.

So then what was that whole thing that just happened with Nathaniel? I didn't even know why it happened. Even though Nathaniel was a pretty attractive guy, I had never looked at him that way. He was a friend, and nothing more. Was it the alcohol? Was I being desperate? But no. Deep down I felt that it was more than some random hookup. That feeling, that intense sensation of being swept over. What did it mean?

It was then that I became aware of what was around me. I didn't recognize the place at all. I cursed to myself for getting myself lost. Judging by the run-down looks of the area, I was definitely in the ghetto. Great.

A rolled to a stop at a red light. I looked out my window and saw that there was a man wearing a gray hoodie walking towards me. No one else was in the streets. As he came up to my window I got a good look at his face. He was a caucasian man, possibly in his mid 20's, with an unshaven, ungroomed look about him. Probably a homeless man asking for money, or so I thought. I didn't even consider the dangers of being this place. And so, as he knocked on my window I made the greatest mistake of my life.

The moment the glass went down he pulled out a pistol and pointed it right at my face. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he growled.

"Please, I don't have any money with-" I began but I was silenced by the sound of him pulling back the hammer.

"I think you're gonna be my bitch. You like that? You want to be a hero? You actually think this shit is real?" the man babbled. He wasn't making any sense! And as he glanced at his face I saw that his eyes were bloodshot. Shit, this guy was a druggie.

I was silent. I felt like anything that I said would only anger this guy. Through my peripheral vision I saw that the traffic light had turned green. The alcohol seemed to wash away as my mind got geared towards my own survival. I could floor the gas and try to get away, but a hundred doubts filled my head immediately. The sound of the car would only trigger the man's reflex, which would be too fast for me to be able to zoom away, especially at point blank range.

"Are you going to answer me, chicken-shit?" the man growled.

I gulped. "What do you want from me... I swear I will give it to you if I-"

"Shut up! I am tired of your shit. Fuck, do you think you're God or something? You fucking make me sick. Say your fucking prayers, bitch because-"

I slammed the gas pedal. I heard the sound of the gun firing.

You know that period between falling asleep and entering a dream? That's what it was like. I felt nothing. I saw darkness. My senses were dulled, and there was nothing to taste, touch, see, smell, or hear. I was literally in this void of nothingness.

I didn't really think much of it. I was tired. I tried to think of a lot of things, but even that was hard. All I wanted to do was rest. Time passed, but I don't know for how long. It could have been a few seconds. It could have been eternity.

I managed to remember a few things. I recalled memories of Sarah. Of how I was in love with her, and then the subsequent breakup. And then there was Nathaniel.

There was a tug. Suddenly, my thoughts got more rapid. Details of my life flashed before my eyes, just random events all over the years. Scenes from my childhood, scenes from high school, memories of camp and conversations I've had with my friends and the laughs and the tears I've shared. The tugging was getting stronger, and I felt that I was being pulled up, up. Higher and higher until BAM. In a flash of light I was standing on green grass with the sky above me and the suns rays shining down on me and the sound of cars passing by.

I looked around and realized by the sea of tombstones that I was in the cemetary in my town. But how did I get here? I closed my eyes and focused. My entire body felt numb, and I still couldn't really feel anything. Scanning my memories I tried to think of the last thing I remembered. The party. Nathaniel. Leaving the party. Meeting the druggie. The gun.

The gun. Shit. A sense of dread swept over me as I put two and two together. Opening my eyes I darted around and looked at the gravestone before me.

And I saw my own name.

"No, no, no, this can't be happening," I muttered out loud. I looked down at myself, wearing the same clothes from the night of the party. Sure, I was still totally visible, but there was no doubt that I wasn't alive anymore. My sense of touch was gone completely. I couldn't even feel the fabric of my clothes against my skin nor the weight of my feet on the ground. I also noticed that my sense of smell and taste were gone too, and I couldn't breathe at all, although I didn't really need to. On the inside I felt empty and weightless.

I was a ghost.