#cinw

Kyle opened his mouth to make a sound of protest to the social activity that his husband requested they do but instead of making the sound he intended to, a strange strangling sound escaped him as he heard a loud whoosh of wind all around him. He plugged his ears, feeling like he was going to have eardrum damage and then suddenly realized that he couldn’t see his husband anymore.

“Jare Bear?” He called, looking around desperately. All he could see was a blur from the wind around him. He stepped into it, hugging his hat to his head and pushed through the swirl of wind, only to find... he was no longer home.

“Jare?” He tried again.

“Will you shut up?” An annoyed voice snapped at him. His eyes narrowed in annoyance as he glanced over to see a young woman. Maybe in her late 20′s or early 30′s. Of course, he appeared pretty young himself although he was thousands of years old, so he tried not to assume age.

“Who are you?” He snapped. “Where’s my husband?”

“Who gives a fuck?” The girl snapped back. “Where is my forest?” They glanced around to realize it was completely white around them except a strange black speck that was rushing toward them. Kyle narrowed his eyes to get a better look and realized it was a cat.

“Oh fuck no,” he snapped, turning to teleport away.

But-

“What the fuck?” he couldn’t teleport. He’s been able to teleport his whole life, basically. Why was he suddenly unable to?

“JARRED!” He screamed, not giving a shit if he seemed desperate. Usually, he’d appear calm around strangers, but he couldn’t see his husband, was in a strange place and there was a disgusting cat in here.

The girl leaned down and clicked her tongue to it, hoping it’d come to her, which it did. Kyle made another strangled sound, leaping away.

“Get that disgusting thing away from me!” Lindora ignored him and lifted the cat into her arms, scratching behind its ears.

“What happened to you?” She asked, frowning with worry. He slowly released his tension in his shoulders and glanced down at the cat to realize that it was covered in patches of missing fur & skin. It looked even more wretched than a normal cat. He stared around them again.

“What is that thing?” He asked after a second.

“That’s rude! It’s a cat. Obviously it’s been abused.”

“Wow, way to make assumptions,” an annoyed voice snapped at them, making both of their eyes snap up to meet a young girl’s. She was looking beyond annoyed by the newcomers. “One of you talks about me abusing my beloved Chippy and the other talks about how disgusting he is. I have half a mind to-” her voice stopped suddenly when she noticed Kyle. He eyed her curiously as another woman appeared next to her.

But it was-

“You,” he snapped, jabbing an accusing finger toward her with anger flashing in his red eyes, making them almost look like blood glimmering in them.

“Me,” the dark-haired woman said simply, smirking and putting a hand on the young girl’s shoulder. Lindora was completely lost.

“How’d you get here? I still have yet to kill your ass,” the woman said with conceit, a smirk playing with the features of her face. The man was obviously annoyed by this and clenched his fists to his side. The cat started to struggle in Lindora’s arms and she set him down before glancing between the three strangers.

“EXCUSE me! What is going on here? Where are we and who are the lot of you?”

The young girl was the one to face her and acknowledge her question while the other two continued to stare each other down in challenge.

“Obviously you’re not that strong, considering you’re here. How’d you die, some water drown the puppy?” The woman mocked, making the man growl and suddenly he had wolflike features starting to sprout from his body as his eye twitched in rage.

It was difficult for Lindora to force her eyes from the confrontation, curious about the man with the wolf features. She never saw anything like that where she was from. This was such a curious place.

“I am Ikuisuus, this is Belinda. She is my friend and my... assistant,” the young girl said, causing Lindora to wrinkle her face up in confusion.

“Assistant? You’re just a kid-”

“I’m actually much older than I look,” Ikuisuus said simply with a lazy smile. “But enough about that. This is where souls go when they die to carry on to the afterlife. I’m so sorry to tell you, but you’re dead.” Lindora snorted at that.

“That’s not news. I’ve been dead for a long time.” This caught the attention of the woman and the man as they glanced over at her.

“You... were already dead? How have we never seen you before?” Belinda asked.

“Because I became a wisp. My afterlife was already determined. I didn’t have any grand guide to the afterlife, unless you include the bitch that was my boss until she disappeared.”

The girls blinked. Kyle took the opportunity to swipe his claws at Belinda, who stepped back quickly and effortlessly.

“So who are you and how did you change into half a wolf?” Lindora asked bluntly, turning to Kyle. He narrowed his eyes once more.

“How is any of that your business?” He snapped in return.

“This is Kyle. He’s a jackass hybrid that I’ve been trying to get here for a long time,” Belinda told her for him, rolling her eyes at his response. His eyes shot at her and she only smirked another challenge.

Lindora looked only more confused.

“Hybrid? What? Hybrid of what?” The other three stopped to stare at her. “Vampires? Werewolves? They have hybrids.” Now she was really lost.

“Vampires? Werewolves? What?”

“Wow, where did you grow up, under a rock?” Kyle snorted in derision.

“Alright, Kyle. Shut up and go to hell,” Ikuisuus said, waving him off but as the floor opened up to swallow him and take him to hell, he leapt away.

“I didn’t die!” He argued. “Take me back. I can’t teleport. Take me home. Now.” Ikuisuus’ eyes met his at this new information.

“What do you mean, you didn’t die? How’d you get here, then?”

“I don’t know. I was talking to my husband and then I just... I’m here.” Now the girls from this place turned toward Lindora with questioning eyes. She only shrugged.

“I died ages ago. If I was meant to be here, I’d have come here then. I don’t know what happened either.” Belinda and Ikuisuus stared at each other, having a silent conversation then turned on their heels to talk quietly in a corner. The cat from earlier leapt on Iku’s shoulder while they spoke and then soon they came back.

“Sorry to do this, guys. Well, to you, not so much to Kyle,” Ikuisuus said with a smirk. “-but you had to come here for a reason. We have to bring you to the next life.” Lindora frowned.

“But I’m not supposed to be here.”

“Apparently you are. No one comes here by mistake,” Belinda reasoned. Now Lindora was the one getting angry.

“I refuse,” she growled. Belinda gave a little smirk.

“She’s got spunk,” she noted, looking the other woman up and down. Ikusuus rolled her eyes.