Five

Ava's

POV:

I couldn't move.

For a whole wide second, I couldn't move. And then I jerked up, gasping for air. Everything rotated in front of my eyes. I had to blink several times before my vision readjusted.

A small whimper escaped my lips. I couldn't feel the pain. But at the same time, I could. It felt extremely strange.

Looking around, I realized how I had been laying down on the grass. We were surrounded by trees. And the sun was nowhere in sight.

It was still night.

Will.

As if sudden realization hit me, I stood up immediately. Part of me wanted to wince out loud in pain. But there was no pain.

When I was completely standing, I looked around for my car. I remembered the sudden crash. I remembered how I was inside that car.

How come I was laying on the grass then?

God, where was

Will?

It took me seconds before I spotted the car. The front was smashed against a tall tree trunk. That wasn't what bothered me.

"Will!" I heard my shout before I ran towards the passenger door. I couldn't see him through the smashed window. I tried opening the door but it wouldn't budge.

Sudden panic was coursing through my veins. My hands were trembling. My vision was edging with panic.

"Oh my God." I whispered in horror. I had no idea what to do. What if Will was badly injured? Where was my bag? My phone? I ran towards the other door to get my bag. I needed to call 911. Mom, dad. Anyone.

Surprisingly, it wasn't hard opening the other door. When I opened it, I recoiled back in horror.

No, it wasn't horror. It was pure dread.

In front of me, on the driver's seat, covered in dark red blood, was...me.

"No." I couldn't believe how low my voice had dropped off to.

How

in

the

hell

was

this

happening?

Maybe it was my brain. I knew how I hallucinated a lot when I was panicking. My mind tricked me a lot in panic attacks.

This wasn't real.

But it looked real. It felt like I was looking in a mirror. That person was me. My reddish hair streaked with the dark red substance. My for head on the steering wheel. My hand looked lifeless for some reason.

I

looked

lifeless.

Maybe if I touched it, my mind would stop playing tricks on me. I needed to know that it was just my eyes playing foolish tricks on me. Blinking, I stepped forward towards it. But was stopped by a hand on my arm. "Don't touch it."

Once again, in utter horror, I turned around abruptly. And I was met with dark black eyes. So dark that I forgot to breathe for a second.

"What?" I whispered. It was a boy just around my age. But taller.

His eyes traveled towards the car. I followed his gaze towards the opened door. Unfortunately, I was still there. My head still slumped against the steering wheel.

It

can't

be

me.

"That is you." He spoke out.

I looked back at him, a frown forming on my forehead. Maybe it was the whole incident making me think extra slow or maybe it was the fact that I was seeing myself unconscious in a car. But when realization hit me, I realized how he was the same person who had come in front of the car.

Who had caused the car crash.

Who had been standing in the middle of that isolated road.

On instinct, I scrambled back. Away from him. The adrenaline rushed in my ears. In an almost feverish way.

"You–You!" I tried to come up with words. Looking at him, I realized how he wasn't hurt. Not even a single bit. "You're not hurt!"

I clearly remembered how the car had hit him. And the loud crashing sound. He should be dead.

Oh

my

God.

"Of course, I'm not hurt." His dark gaze looked over at me with a surprisingly calm look.

This

must

be

one

of

those

extreme

panic

attacks. I'm

going

crazy. I

need

to

call 911.

Without waiting for another crazy thing to happen, I stepped towards the door. I started looking around for my bag. My phone.

Where

was

it?

"Don't step towards it." He pulled me back with his hand on my arm. I pulled back instantly as if my arm was on fire.

"I need to call my parents!" I shouted in exasperation. "This is not me! Why the hell can't I step towards it?"

He blinked before a slight frown formed on his forehead.

"You're dead, Ava."

I registered him with a long, silent look.

"Leave me alone." I whispered.

"I can't." His eyes seemed to darken.

"Please leave me alone." At this point, I was clearly begging him. "Please go. Whoever you are. Please let me call someone!"

His calm demeanor seemed to falter at that.

"It won't matter. You are already dead."

That didn't help. At least, not with my panicky state. "I'm not dead!" I yelled. "I'm standing right here! You can see me!"

He just shook his head. I lost it at that. Completely. Knowing there was only one way, I took a step back. Then turned around and ran.

I didn't know what I was doing. I just knew how I needed to stay away from him. He could be a psychopath. A killer. After all, which person in their right mind would stop between a road, in front of a car?

I just kept on running. The thought of William back in there made an unwilling sob escape my throat. Until I slammed into someone.

"I told you it won't matter." Horror surrounded me as I saw the same dark-eyed boy in front of me. The mere fact that he was holding my arm made me struggle.

"Leave me alone!" I shouted, fidgeting. Unfortunately, his grip was strong. But not too harsh.

"Ava, I'm trying to help you!"

"I don't know you! I don't even know how you know my name!" I shouted as tears blurred my vision. "Why can't you help me in a normal way? My brother is dying back there! Why don't you call a normal freaking ambulance?"

"He's not dead." He said. "But you are. And you need to come with me."

I stopped fidgeting at that.

"I'll scream." I whispered. Which wasn't a lie. I knew I would scream. Any second. Because my vision was edging with panic. I was starting to see red now.

"You don't believe me? Look back there." He turned me around, a bit harshly. My eyes traveled off to my car. It wasn't alone out there anymore. Instead, two ambulances were there beside it. Paramedics were rushing out. And there were sirens. And a body on a stretcher trolley was being taken inside the ambulance.

"Will." I whispered. Huge wave of relief washed over me when I saw his eyes blinking. He was bleeding. So bad. But he was alive.

And then I saw another person being taken inside the ambulance. On another stretcher trolley. And a cold feeling overtook the relief.

It

was

me.

Still me. I had not been imagining it. It was me. They were taking me inside that ambulance.

But

I

was

here.

Why couldn't they see me here?

"You are dead." I heard a voice behind me.

My eyes widened at that before I turned around, facing him once again. "Who are you?"

He

could

see

me.

They couldn't.

"Hayden. I'm Hayden."

Something was not right. I knew that. As if he could've read my thoughts and was expecting me to run away again, his grip tightened around my arm.

"And you need to come with me."

"Where?"

"Underworld."

The next few seconds went by in silence. I was trying my best to register the only word he said. But it didn't make sense.

Maybe

this

is

a

dream. Maybe

I

never

left

grandma's

house.

"My parents-"

"They have been informed about the accident." He interrupted. He was still calm. As if this wasn't horrifying for him.

"I can't go with you." My voice came out firm. "Whichever place you're talking about. I don't care what kind of crazy psychopath you are, but I'm not going anywhere with you!"

I tried pushing him after that. But he was taller than me. And his mere presence felt scary.

"You'd really thank me later. Do you know that?" He asked. Hidden anger was laced in his voice.

I struggled even more. And started shouting out loud for help. To get the attention of anyone.

"They are not going to listen." He said.

With angry tears, I tried pushing him again. But this time, he held on to my other arm too.

"Why are you doing this? Please don't do it! I have a family!"

"I know that, Ava." His mere glare made me freeze at my spot. "It's not my choice. Death is nobody's choice."

I slapped him across his face at that moment. My palm stinging with the sudden pain. His face fell in surprise as his grip on my shoulders loosened. But before I could've pulled back, he grabbed my waist. And between my struggling and shouts, he managed to mutter few words.

"I had no idea you'd be that crazy."

"No! No, leave me alone!"

And then everything happened so fast.

He touched his thumb lightly on my forehead. The surroundings seemed to lower in temperature. Almost as if it was snowing. I felt my consciousness drifting away.

And then I blacked out.

For the second time.