Day 1: Welcome to Limbo

There was the steady, monotonous tone of the heart monitor—the only indication other than the rise and fall of her chest—that let Chloe know she was alive. How did it come to this? There was a mask over Beca's face forcing air into her lungs and helping her to breathe. Bandages stained with red were wrapped heavily around the woman's head. Her eyes were closed, face pale, as Beca laid upon the hospital bed unconscious.

Chloe blamed herself, thought there was nothing she could do now. Nothing she could do but sit by Beca's bedside and wait… and wait… Wait for Beca to wake up.

By this point, Beca was more than confused. She was mentally freaking out. She didn't understand what was going on. Stacie was making no sense. The only conclusion that Beca could come to was that this was a dream.

Stacie must've seen something in her face, as she burst out in pitiful laughter. Beca began backing away slowly as Stacie walked towards her. Something in Stacie's eyes were dangerous. Haunting.

"Dead, Beca, I'm dead! Can you believe it?" Stacie's words poured out of her mouth in a waterfall of deliriousness, hopelessness. Almost as if she herself couldn't believe her words. "Do you want to see the proof?"

Beca stumbled back and fell against the couch. As she scrambled for some sort of purchase, Stacie reached her, leaned over, and pulled the neckline of her collar down; and Beca could see the proof. The taller brunette leaned her head back to give Beca a better view of the dark bruises around her neck. Someone choked her to death.

Her voice felt nearly stolen from her, Beca, as her eyes watered up at the sight and her hands delicately reached as if to touch the imprints of hands around her sister's throat. Stacie leaned back, stood up and away from her sister's touch, and let her hand release the collar of her shirt. The sign of death was hidden from sight. "Stacie, what…?"

The other girl laughed again, emptily. "Now, now, Beca. Not on company time," she wiped at her eyes as Beca sat up. "Besides," she continued. "I'm not the new arrival here. The question's not about what happened to me, my fate is sealed, but about what happened to you." She eyed her sister curiously, "So what did happen Beca? How did you end up in Limbo?"

"I don't know," Beca replied, still stricken by the memory of those bruises around her sister's throat, the realization that her sister's dead. "Part of me still thinks this is just a dream."

Stacie offered a hand up, "Well then, we should introduce you to some of the other guests staying here." Beca took the hand which pulled her up and off the couch. Following closely behind her sister, the pair walked back over to the check in desk. "Wait here," Stacie said as she disappeared into a doorway behind the desk.

Left along, Beca stood there for a moment. She eyed a bowl of apples, thought for a moment that the apples looked delicious and appetizing, but she didn't particularly like fruit. She wasn't really hungry either. As she actively made the decision not to pick up one of the tantalizing fruit, the apples seemed to lose that delicious quality of which they first appeared to Beca. Now, they just looked plain and boring. Like a normal bowl of fruit.

Bored, waiting, Beca meandered about the lobby without going in any particular which way. She picked up the book she first saw on the coffee table and turned it over to reveal its title of, "The Holy Bible". Her nose wrinkled at the fancy script, so she set the book down again where it was on the table with the cover down.

Absently, she walked back over towards the entry way. The door had just opened, and she was just about to step outside into the brilliantly blinding light when something called down to her.

"Oi! You!"

Blinking and slightly startled, Beca turned around to see that there wasn't anyone there.

"Yeah you, Shortstack! I'm talking to you! Up here!"

Beca looked up. The two faces of the cherubs looked down at her.

"I know how you died," one spoke. "It sickens me to think—drunk, heartbroken, along—"

"Aw, shut up and mind your own!" said the other, who's voice was the first to call out to her. "She ain't dead yet—"

"As good as dead," said the first. "It's only a matter of time." It sneered at Beca, "Fag."

The other hit the first over the head, "Don't be a twat! There's nothing wrong with a little lady loving."

"It's a sin!" it hissed. "And look at those tattoos—"

"It's not our job to judge, and 'Love thy neighbor'. Turn the other cheek. Treat others as you would like to be treated."

"Heresy! She's going to go to Hell!" There was a loud crack and the cherub fell from the wall to the floor, the pieces that made up the once beautiful features shattered into a million and scattered about the room.

The other rolled her eyes. "Don't mind him, Shortstack. He's just mad 'cause he never got any." The other cherub, with its sculpted face, peered down at her and smiled. "And because I turned him down multiple times. He just doesn't get when no means no."

Beca blinked in disbelief.

"My name's Amy. I died when my boat capsized off the coast of Australia fifty years ago. I was assigned here in my death as a result." She winked and pattered her stomach, "I can't believe they wanted my sexy fat ass to let souls in. Or out." She gestured towards the doorway. "Personally, I wouldn't go there yet if I were you."

"Why not?" the smaller woman had finally found her voice.

Amy smiled, but didn't answer. Rather, she stated decidedly, "I know how you ended up here. Sad story, that."

"You know how I died?"

"Not dead," Amy corrected gently. "Not yet, anyways. And yeah, I know. I know everything about everyone who passes through these doors. You know, guardian to the doors of Limbo here. Someone's got to relay information to the big man."

Beca's eyes widened, "You talk to God? There's a God?"

Amy laughed, "No, not God. Though he sure does think himself one. I'm talking about my boss." Her head turned in an absentminded manner, "No idea if there actually is a God. Haven't met Him yet if there is."

"But what about—"

"I think they're here for you, Beca," Amy gestured behind her. When Beca turned around, she saw her sister standing there with an irritable look on her face along with another man. The man had a mysterious gleam in his eyes, devious; as if he knew something she didn't. As if he'd accepted a challenge of some kind and knew the odds were stacked in his favor. He was handsome, with his hair falling down into his eyes which bore into hers.

"Beca," Stacie began. "Meet my boss, Jesse Jennings. He's the one that runs things down here in Limbo."

Beca looked back up at Amy briefly to see that the cherub forms were nothing more than carved, marble stone—both of them. She felt something grab at her hand and looked back down to see that Jesse had grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips in a kiss. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Beca," he said charmingly. "Welcome to Limbo. Let me show you around."

He held her hand as he pulled her down one of the hallways.

Stacie didn't follow.

AN:

As it turns out, my roommates are mostly not cool with people who write fanfiction. Except one. Who has no idea that I write it, but she reads some of this stuff. Which is weird to think, but she might actually be reading this now. O.o

In any case, I haven't been able to get my computer to work for the last two months or so. I have no idea what's wrong. I'm using a library computer now, and wrote this stuff down on paper during class yesterday. Sorry if it's not up to par, but it's been about two months since I've written anything. The wheels up there in my brain that run things are a little squeaky at the moment.

I had no cause to worry about my roommates overall. They're pretty chill, but it wouldn't be me if I didn't overthink things and cover it up with sarcasm and a dash of whipped cream.

I have no idea who reviewed last, and honestly I don't have enough time to look (my class is in about five minutes) because I wanted to upload this as soon as I possibly could. Keep me updated on what you think of this, and if you think I'm going in the right direction. I have the faintest ghost of a plotline in my head, but nothing's finalized yet. Mostly I'm writing this on a whim.

For anyone interested in my other works, I'm scrapping the chapter I wrote for my other fanfiction Fire and Ice because, upon looking at it after my two month hiatus, I hated it. It's going to be from Chloe's POV if possible, but no guarantees because you can't put a cage on creativity. Whatever happens is going to happen.

Right, five minutes...

Okay, if you liked this fic or have anything to say about this chapter- LEAVE A REVIEW (pretty please with sugar on top) because I'll have no idea what you think otherwise. Or FAV IT because I know this is pretty awesome. What are you guys expecting to see? What do you guys think? So, Limbo, huh? It's a hotel? Leave a comment~

Thanks for reading! Truly appreciated.