Afterlife Dilemma

Gravity. It seemed to be pulling her down with a determined vengeance. Every inch of her body was tingling with an odd sensation, as she fought to open her eyes. The invisible force pulling her down was too much. Far too much. She had never felt anything like it before; not for a long time that is.

Oasis' opened her eyes to a blurry mess of colours. Blue, grey, green, black. They all meshed together in an indistinguishable collage of colour. Try as she might, the blurriness wouldn't go away. It was all so disorientating.

Had she made it? The last thing she could remember was saying goodbye to her dear friend. Everything afterwards was gone. Oasis had no clue how she managed to get here, wherever here was, and she had no idea how long it'd been.

Despite the excruciating force pulling her body down, Oasis somehow managed to sit herself upright. Just sitting up was exhausting, but she knew she had to do it. There was work to be done, and she couldn't do any of it laying down. She had to get up.

Oasis shook her head and weakly rubbed her eyes. Her vision finally focused, and she could now see her surroundings. There was no doubt in her mind now; she had made it to the living world.

Cool, grey concrete was plastered on the ground around her. She was in a small alleyway between two large, brick buildings. To her left was a dead end, blocked off by an old chain link fence. To the right, the city. Cars zoomed by every few moments, and the only thing shielding her from the view of the humans was a large green trash bin.

There was something off about the area, though. Directly beneath here was a small patch of plant sprouts; all glowing with a faint blue glow. The plants seemed to have broken through the concrete! No doubt it was a side effect of her power. Some of it must have seeped out while she was unconscious.

Oasis rubbed her eyes one last time before shakily rising to her feet. She immediately stumbled back to the ground, but Oasis was determined. A few tries later and she was standing upright. It wasn't that big of an accomplishment, but she hadn't done anything like this in eons.

Now that she was up, the next step was walking. She knew how to walk, yes, but in her domain gravity wasn't an issue. Lifting one paw up to take a step completely threw off her balance. Her wings flapped as she tried to prevent herself from falling down once again, shedding a few feathers in the process. Still, it worked, and she managed to remain upright.

Oasis' ears twitched and swivelled; listening to the world around her. There was a very faint "tap, tap, tap" that seemed to be getting closer. Was it the sound of footsteps? It had to be. Nothing else could make such a steady, rhythmic sound. Still, it was hard to say. The afterlife didn't have hard concrete, so she didn't know what sound footsteps would make on it.

"Hey, you there!" A voice called out from behind.

Oasis turned around, only to become face to face with another cat. She was a small, dirty looking calico. Her fur was patchy and matted, and her body had quite a few battle scars. One of her ears had been torn off almost completely.

That's when it hit her. The smell. This cat did not smell pleasant. It was unlike anything Oasis had ever smelled in her life; not like the afterlife had too many smells to begin with, though. It took everything in her power to not gag. 

Despite the ungodly smell of rotting meat and whatever else this cat had so obviously been rolling in, Oasis looked down at her and mustered a polite smile. She firmly believed that every soul should be treated with respect, despite their actions or appearance. Or smell. Especially smell.

"Ain't seen you around here before" the cat said, not giving Oasis a chance to respond. What's your business here, eh?" She sounded a bit annoyed.

"I, uh…" Oasis said, her voice trailing off as she searched for the right excuse. She hadn't prepared herself for conversation yet. There wasn't enough time to. Still, she had to say something. "I believe I'm a bit lost…" she said, half telling the truth.

"Yeah, no shit" the cat hissed. "Any cat with half a brain would have the sense to stay away from this place; unless they was lost, of course"

Oasis gasped slightly at the cats words. Such vulgarity! Still, she couldn't allow herself to be offended by it. This poor soul had no idea who she was talking to. Surely if she knew, she'd talk with more respect. If she knew. But she couldn't. Oasis couldn't give her identity away for a number of reasons; a realization that had only just hit her.

The living world couldn't be aware of the existence of gods or the afterlife. It would disrupt the balance, and change the way of life itself. If the living knew that, upon death, they'd just be reincarnated, no one would take responsibility for their actions. Things would quickly be chaotic, as people realize that they did not, in fact, only live once. It'd be a madhouse!

The other, more pressing reason was DC. Sure, the name "Oasis" may not mean anything to the living, but it sure as hell meant something to him. She couldn't allow him to know of her presence in this world; it'd destroy her whole operation. If word got out about her, he’d hunt her down relentlessly. All would be lost.

“I-I’m sorry, dear.” Oasis squeaked out. “I’m not from this place, I really didn’t mean to upset anyone…” The feathers on her wings fluffed up, as did the fur on her tail. This cat was half her size, but she terrified Oasis. 

“Didn’t mean to upset anyone. Right…”

The small calico walked up to Oasis, and circled around her; looking her up and down as she did so. It seemed as if the cat was sizing Oasis up. Was she going to be attacked? Or did the cat have something else planned? Her ears pinned back, and her tail fluffed up even more at the thought. Oh, how useful her foresight would be in this situation. If only she could use it!

After circling her one or two times, the calico sat down in front of Oasis and grinned widely. It seemed sincere enough, but Oasis had no way of knowing for sure. The living act much differently than the souls in the afterlife, that’s for sure. She seemed to be eyeing Oasis’ brooch; the brooch she carried with her everywhere.

“So, you’re lost, eh?” The cat said, her tone now more upbeat and friendly.

“Y-yes” Oasis stammered, a bit taken aback by the sudden mood swing. “Horribly lost, I’m afraid…”

“I see, I see. Well, lucky for you I happen to be a local ‘round here. Been in this city my whole life. I could help ya find your way around, if you want”

“Oh, really? Yes, that’d be lovely!” Oasis said, now much calmer than before.

“Cool, cool. Follow me then, alright?” The cat said, standing up to leave.

“Um, where are we going exactly?”

“Well, we can’t be talking out in the open like this.” She walked up to Oasis, and lowered her voice. “Between you and me, the humans would would want your hide. They don’t take too kindly to folk like you. With your, uh…” She gestured to Oasis’ wings. “Better to keep yourself hidden, ok?”

Oasis had a vague idea of what the cat was talking about. Humans had been manipulating the natural world since the 1600’s; using genetic modification to shape earth’s creatures as they saw fit. In recent years, this practice had gotten out of hand. Some organizations had taken things too far, and their creations had escaped into the wild. Humans, realising their mistake, had taken to disposing of these poor creatures. Oasis herself was not a victim of genetic modification, but she definitely appeared that way. The cat was right. It would be better to stay away from humans.

So, the two cats walked off towards the dead end. The calico easily slipped under a hole in the fence, while Oasis struggled to do so. Eventually she managed to get through, but not without dirtying her snow white fur. After getting past the fence, the two walked along the back end of several buildings, before taking a left to another alley.

They used several alleyways to remain hidden, snaking their way through the city streets undetected. As they got further, Oasis began to notice more and more cats in the area. All of them seemed similar to her guide. Dirty, patchy fur. Battle scars. A disgusting odor lingering in the area around them. It started with one or two, but by the time they reached their destination there was a whole colony of feral cats!

Oasis was faced with the sight of a large building, it’s walls heavily worn and weathered. It seemed like it had been abandoned by the humans for quite some time. There were large boxes stacked everywhere, with sheets and bedding covering many of them. Around 8 feral cats were lying on the boxes and in the alley. Some of them staring at Oasis, some of them not paying her any mind. The small calico sauntered over to one of the many sheets lining the area and gestured for Oasis to follow.

“Come on, now. We’re here. Let’s go inside, yeah?” She said as she nudged the sheet aside, revealing an opening in the wall.

Not knowing what else to do, Oasis followed the cat inside. Something seemed off about this place, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She didn’t know how the living world operated, so she was giving this cat the benefit of the doubt. Sure, the place was unnerving, but that didn’t mean it was bad. Looks, and smells, can be deceiving. It would be rude to write this cat off as malicious, especially considering she hadn’t done anything wrong.

Inside of the building was a complete mess. There were objects scattered everywhere, many of them being human belongings. Watches, coins, and wallets were some of many of these items. A couple of cats were sorting through the items, both of them looking just as dirty and worn as the others. Neither of them paid any mind to Oasis and her friend.

After walking a good distance inside the building, the calico stopped and turned around to face Oasis. Oasis, following suit, stopped as well.

“Ok, you wait right here for a sec, kay? I got someone you’ll wanna talk to, but I gotta go get ‘em first.”

“Who is this person, dear?” Oasis questioned, as she sat down to wait.

“Trust me, you’re gonna want to meet her. She’s the top dog around here! Real nice gal.”

Before Oasis could get another word in, the calico turned and trotted away; her tail held straight up in the air behind her. She quickly disappeared behind the various stacks of boxes, and Oasis was left alone yet again. She glanced back at the other cats sorting through the items, but they still paid her no mind. Whatever they were doing must have been really important, as they seemed to be working hard.

A short while later the calico returned. Walking beside her was a large lynx. Her face was horribly scarred, presumably a burn or something similar. No fur grew on the left side, and her eye was red and bloodshot. The scar traveled down her face, going onto her chest and ending at her front leg. Other than that, she had quite a few smaller scars, as well as some fresh cuts and scrapes. She towered over Oasis.

“Alright, Tic. You’re dismissed” The lynx said, her voice deep and raspy.

The calico, presumably named Tic, gave the lynx a nod, before looking at Oasis. “Good luck” She said, before running past her and exiting the building.

The lynx sat down in front of Oasis, getting uncomfortably close. She lowered her head to get a better look at the small white cat, and the shiny golden brooch pinned to her chest. A large, toothy grin spread across the lynx’s face, revealing her massive pointed canines.

“Well hello there, little miss Wings.” The lynx said, still examining the brooch. “Tic’s told me you’re a bit lost, eh?”

“Lost… Y-yes! I’m afraid I am lost. This place is quite new to me” She replied meekly.

“Hah. Well, luckily for you dealing with lost little kitty cats is what I do best”

“Really? Oh, that’s wonderful to hear. I really am glad to have stumbled upon someone like you, then.”

Like before, Oasis was giving the lynx the benefit of the doubt. She looked intimidating, but that’s no reason to distrust someone. The lynx finally lifted her head, and was now looking directly at Oasis. Her stubby tail swished to and fro eagerly.

“Yeah, right. Well, the name’s Crazy. Nice to meet you miss…” She held out her paw to shake, waiting for Oasis to introduce herself.

She started to speak, but quickly cut herself off. Oasis didn’t want to be rude, but she couldn’t tell Crazy her real name. Even so, she couldn’t just lie to her! Lying was wrong, and Oasis detested liars. Anxiety was quickly setting in, as she scrambled to find an excuse not to say her name. What could she say? Time was running out!

“I, uh... My name… it’s, uh. Well, I can’t really…” Oasis stammered, as she shook the Lynx’s hand.

“Yeah yeah, whatever” Crazy said, cutting off her stammering. “I do have something to ask ya, Wings. Tic said you weren’t a domestic, but you look so… Nice. Clean. Pretty, even. There’s no way you’re a feral like these lot”

“Oh!” Oasis was surprised by Crazy’s remark. She wasn’t all that used to compliments on her appearance; souls knew how flustered she could get, so they rarely commented on it. “W-well thank you, dear…”

“So, where are you from exactly? A cat such as yourself is a rare sight ‘round here. Your wings… They’re beautiful!” Despite her raspy voice, Crazy seemed oddly suave.

“Ah, yes. I, uh. I do try to keep them pristine…” Oasis paused, trying to figure out what to say next. She couldn’t just tell Crazy she was from the afterlife, but she didn’t want to lie either. “Well, dear, my home is very far away. I, uh… You probably wouldn’t know where it is”

“I wouldn’t, eh? That’s a shame. How are you supposed to find your way back, then?”

“Oh, I’m not trying to return home. I just need help figuring out where I am, so I know where to go from here”

“I see, I see” Crazy’s eyes wandered back to the brooch, and her grin grew wider. “So, you’re really not a domestic?”

“No, I wouldn’t call myself one” Oasis said, still unsure if that was the right answer. She really didn’t know. Did either of these terms apply to a god? Could a god be domesticated or feral?

“Uh huh. Since you’re not, I really gotta ask; Where’d ya get that fancy pin of yours?” Crazy gestured to the brooch, but kept her distance.

Oasis’ brooch had always had some mystery surrounding it. She couldn’t for the life of her remember where she had gotten it, or how. Years ago, when she had first ascended, it just seemed to have appeared on her chest. It was almost as if it were a symbol of her authority. Proof of her godhood, in a way.

Since it had been with her from the beginning, it was Oasis’ most cherished possession. During the long and lonely beginning of her immortality, Oasis would often gaze into the pendant and look at her reflection. To her, seeing her reflection was proof she still existed. Her friends had thought she was dead, and she even saw herself being torn limb from limb by the jackals that had killed her. Despite this, her reflection meant she was still around. Still alive, in some way or another. Even if she was all alone in what would later become the afterlife. It was comforting, in a way.

“My pin? Oh, I’ve had it for years. I’m afraid I can’t remember where I got it” Oasis replied, after a short pause.

“Years, huh? That can’t be right. It looks brand new! Not a scratch on it! You must take real good care of it then, huh?”

“Oh yes, very much so. I take very good care of all my belongings”

“How’s it staying pinned to your fur exactly? I mean, things like that usually have a needle that sticks through the fabric of a human’s shirt or whatever. But ya can’t stick a needle through fur… Or skin.” Crazy asked this very earnestly. She seemed genuinely interested.

“Ah, there’s no pin on it. It, uh…” Her voice trailed off again. How did her brooch stay fastened to her chest? It had been so long since she’d taken it off, she couldn’t even remember! That, and the thought had never really crossed her mind. It had always stayed right where she wanted it to be, there was no need to question it.

“No pin? Huh. Mind if I take a look at it? I’m real interested now” Crazy said, holding out her hand gingerly.

“Oh dear, I don’t know…” As she said this, she immediately cut herself off. The lynx was merely curious. There was no need to be so protective. She had done nothing wrong or deceitful. The only thing putting Oasis off was her appearance, and that was no way to judge someone.

Reluctantly, Oasis took the brooch off her chest and handed it over to Crazy. Immediately she held it up to the light, watching it’s reflection shine. Her eyes seemed to shine as well, as they fixated on the brooch. It seemed so small being held in her massive paw.

Crazy turned the brooch over to inspect the back side. There was… Nothing. No pin, no clasp. Not even any tape or glue. It was smooth and flat, with no engravings like the front side. But, how? How did it stay on? It was baffling! Oasis could see the confusion on Crazy’s face as she ran her finger across the back of the pin.

“How odd… Never seen anything like this in my life! Must be real valuable, eh?” Crazy asked.

“Valuable? I’m sorry, dear, I don’t understand what you mean…”

“It’s real shiny. What’s it made of? Gold? It’s heavy like gold, that’s for sure”

“Uh, I’m not sure… I’ve never really thought about it” Oasis was starting to get anxious. She really didn’t like being separated from her prized possession for so long, even if it was right there.

“It’s gotta be gold. Humans go nuts for the stuff. And these ribbons” Crazy said, stroking the silky red ribbons hanging off the body of the pin. “Nice and soft. Must be some real high quality shit, huh?”

“Goodness me…” Oasis muttered to herself.

“Hmm? Is there a problem?” Crazy asked. She gripped the brooch in her paw, now shielding it from view.

“Oh, no! Uh, no problems but, uhh… I’d love to answer more questions, but I really do need to figure out where I am. You said you could help?”

Crazy’s grin faded, and her face turned to a bit of a scowl. Her whole demeanor seemed to shift, as she stood up and loomed over Oasis. The brooch was still firmly in her grasp, her claws now extended as if to further shield it. She leaned in close to her face. Oasis could smell her breath. Like everything else around here, it was foul. The scent of decaying meat and infection assaulted her, causing her to actually gag this time.

“Tell me, Wings. Why would I help you?” She growled.

“W-what?” Crazy’s tone scared Oasis, and that fear and confusion could easily be heard in her voice. “You, uh.. You said you dealt with lost cats all the time, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I do” Crazy said, taking a step closer to Oasis. “ I “deal” with them. Never said anything about helping them”

“I-I don’t understand….”

“Listen, Wings. We don’t take too kindly to trespassers. You wandered on our turf. Most folk that do this end up dead” Crazy flashed her claws, causing Oasis to start trembling with fear. “But I’ll cut ya a deal, just this once.”

“A-a deal? W-what do you mean?”

“You were nice enough to hand over this pin, so I’ll let ya off the hook if you promise to never set foot on my territory again. Understand?”

“Wait, n-no. I need that back!” Oasis pleaded. “Please, you don’t understand!”

“No! You’re the one that doesn’t understand” She yelled, stepping even closer. “I keep the pin, you keep your life. If you’re not gonna hand it over willingly, I’m taking it by force. I’m not letting a little stray such as yourself boss me around!”

“P-please! Please listen! B-bad things are going to happen soon! I can’t leave a trail! H-he can’t know I was here, and if he sees my brooch-”

“Listen, Wings. I don’t know who this “he” is, and I don’t care. I’m the boss around here. Queen. God! You don’t mess with gods, Wings.”

Crazy held her paw to her mouth and whistled loudly. Almost immediately every cat in the area ran over and stood behind her. Oasis was heavily outnumbered. There were at least 6 cats in the room, with even more outside. They all had their claws ready; waiting for Crazy to command them to attack.

She had to get her brooch back, but how? There was no way Oasis stood a chance up against these guys. Not without her magic, but she didn’t have much to spare. Her magic had to be saved for emergencies, like encountering DC or his magic. It couldn’t be wasted on something like this, even if she was in danger. No, she had to find another way out of this.

Run. That’s the only thing that came to mind. Her life mattered more than the brooch. She needed time to assess the situation. Not just Crazy and her gang, but the whole being in the living realm thing. She needed to know her limits, and the limits of her powers before doing anything else. The brooch could always be retrieved later, as long as she was still alive; and as long as DC didn’t find it first.

So, without thinking, Oasis ran. It didn’t matter where she was going, she just had to get away. Crazy and the other cats laughed wildly as she darted out of the hole in the wall and down the alleyway. None of them seemed to be following her, but she couldn’t be too careful. Why had they turned on her like that? It didn’t make sense!

She continued to run until her legs were just about to give out. Running like this took a heavy toll on her fragile body. She may be immortal, but immortality doesn’t equate to eternal youth. Oasis’ body was extremely old, and it had its limits. She wasn’t spry like Tic or the other cats in the warehouse, she was frail.

The run proved to be too much for her. Just as she got to the outskirts of the city and into the neighboring forest, she collapsed. Her lungs were burning, and her body was aching. She had never been so tired in her entire life! Around her was nothing but grass and brush, and a couple small flowers here and there. It was peaceful and quiet.

While the area seemed quiet, Oasis didn’t feel safe. Not that it mattered, as she couldn’t exactly get up. Her eyes began to droop, and her vision began to blur and darken. Consciousness was rapidly fleeting, and Oasis just couldn’t keep her grip on it. Everything was fading, and she could feel gravity's pull on her once again. It was strong. So strong. Oasis’ eyes finally closed, and her consciousness drifted away.