Alaska Young was driving down the highway inebriated. She had just left Culver Creek boarding school. Leaving her friends and all she knew. Driving a little faster Alaska felt tears come to her eyes. It was all her fault her mom was dead and her dad was a drunk, and Paul and Myra were expelled. When Jake, her boyfriend, had called she remembered. It was January 10. The day her mom had died 8 years ago. Hysterical, she had run into her room, and told the boys that they needed to distract the Eagle—the campus disciplinarian at Culver Creek—so she could get off campus. They were also drunk so without question they sauntered off with the fire crackers. She had quickly run to the field to find her white daisies. On the horizon she saw the firecrackers being set up; she quickly picked the flowers then ran to her car.

As she drove down I-65, Alaska felt tears run down her face. She wanted out of the labyrinth, and she wanted out now. How will I ever get out of this labyrinth? She recited in her head. That was her favorite quote it was Simón Bolívar's last words. How can I get out of this labyrinth? Straight and fast. She thought adding her own answer.

The farther she got down the highway she started to see flashing red and blue lights up ahead. Straight and fast she thought. She pushed her foot down a little harder; she was now going above the speed limit. As she watched the road, she now could see a truck running across the road. She was only about a mile from it now. She looked back at the flowers in her backseat and pressed harder on the gas pedal. Straight and fast, she thought.

Alaska rolls gently out of her bed on to the hard floor of her dorm room. She rubbed her eyes and opened them slowly. This isn't my room she thought. She sat up and looked around. She was sitting in a white washed room that smelled faintly of sea water and ocean breeze. Hmm, she thought where am I? Alaska stood up and walked to a porthole window. She was pulling away from a foggy harbor, no one was there except two figures who she couldn't make out. She squinted and could make out Pudge and the Coronal standing waving.
"Wait" she yelled to them. But she knew it was no use they couldn't hear her. Alaska had a weird feeling in her stomach. She didn't know how, but she knew she was quite alive any more. Alaska walked over to the twin bed and sat down closing her eyes.

The farther she got down the highway she started to see flashing red and blue lights up ahead``. Straight and fast. She pushed her foot down a little harder; she was now going above the speed limit. As she watched the road, she now could see a truck running across the road. She was only about a mile from it now. She and pressed harder on the gas pedal. "Straight and fast" she murmured.

Alaska's eyes shot open. I am dead she thought. She felt tears prickle at the bottom of her eyelid. I am not going to cry. She stood up and opened the door to the hallway. The narrow hallway was packed with people. Squeezing amongst some people she started to follow them. Looking around she saw only one other person her age. Pushing past the older people she rushed to the teenager.

"Hi" She breathed. The boy looked at her.
"Hi?" he said back clearly annoyed.
"What's your name?" Alaska asked

"Bryant, what's yours?"

"Alaska, Alaska Young" She exclaimed pulling her hand out.

"Do you know where we are?" Bryant asked her returning the handshake.

"No" she said faintly. She thought that Bryant should find out by himself about dying. They continued to walk but up ahead Alaska could see that they we soon to be in a bigger room where people were rushing back and forth.

"Hungry?" Alaska asked Bryant point to a Buffet sign.

"Sure!" they walked into the buffet and saw any and every food you could ever imagine. She grabbed a plate and started.
After they had both sat down Alaska noticed a note on the table for her.

Miss Young,

Please go to the observation deck at 11 o'clock today.

Have a nice day,

The Captain

Tucked inside the note was a gold coin which she guessed she had to bring with her to the observation deck. She looked around for a clock and noticed one on the wall. 10 o'clock, she thought one hour.

"What's that" Bryant asked.

"Nothing just a note" Alaska said and Bryant dismissed it.

"That's funny I don't ever remember tasting food in my dreams" he exclaimed and Alaska smiled sadly knowing it wasn't a dream that he was in. For the rest of the meal she sat in silence as Bryant talked about his school and all that was coming up in his life, or all that should have been coming up. After picking at her food for 45 minutes, Alaska stood up abruptly and excused herself.

"Got to go" She said "But how about we meet on the deck around one" She said not knowing how long she would be at the observation deck.

Ten minutes later she had found the observation deck and found out that the gold coin was to be put in the machine. She looked in to the camera that was mounted on the deck. As she pulled her head toward the lenses she could see a church coming slowly into view.

For awhile all Alaska saw was her dad kneeling and crying by her casket. I love you daddy Alaska thought noting the closed casket, which she had wished for. Soon Lara, Pudge, Takumi, and the Coronel showed up and she saw Pudge kneel and start crying and soon the Coronel was crying too, and Alaska felt tears come to her eyes. Then she saw them say something but it was inaudible to her.

Her funeral was a sad event and Alaska didn't stay for much because they didn't talk about her they talked about the Alaska that they wanted to remember. But before she left she saw Bryant at the last camera on the deck. So she sat down on a bench and waited for him. She didn't have to wait long though. Soon he pulled away and wiped tears away and started walking towards the door.

"Bryant" Alaska yelled "Wait up"
"Stay away, why didn't you tell me that I was dead" He said pulling away and running.

Alaska didn't make any attempt to catch up with him. She just turned and walked back to her room. When she got there she lay on her bed and cried, she cried because she didn't have any friends, cried because she was dead, and cried because she had made her friends miserable.

The seven day trip lasted forever Alaska stayed in bed almost the whole time and she didn't see Bryant again. But finally she heard over the loudspeaker an announcement that they were there. Where is there? Alaska thought. Following the flow of people onto the deck she saw a port where a huge group of people stood, some holding sign, others waving and screaming. All the people from the ship piled off onto land. She looked at all the signs and saw one way in the back that said Alaska Young. When Alaska reached the sign she saw a younger woman and a teenager waiting looking eagerly for Alaska.

"Mom?" Alaska cried.

"Alaska?" Her mom cried back. Numbly Alaska nodded her head. This lady was a young version of her mom that Alaska had only seen in pictures. "Oh my god my baby girl, how are you doing?" Her mom cried pulling her into a hug. "Oh Alaska" she said "lets get out of this crowd, come on mom" Alaska's mom said motioning the teenager along.

"Alaska this is your grandma Ellinor" Alaska's mom said when they got back at the car. Alaska stared at her mom and at her grandma.

"Yea right" she said disbelievingly to her mom. When she died her grandma was fifty and she had looked older because of all the drugs had had to take because of the cancer.

"Oh yea I forgot." Her mom said hitting her head with the palm of her hand "In Elsewhere people age backwards, until they are a baby and then they get sent back to Earth on to a new generation." Alaska nodded understanding. That's why mom looked younger. Alaska thought. After a few edgy moments they piled into the car and her mom started to drive away.

As they drove to her mom's house her mom talked and Alaska stared out the window. Elsewhere didn't look anything different from earth. In fact Alaska saw many of the same buildings, and architecture that she saw on earth.

After ten minutes her mom pulled into a two story house in a cul-de-sac. The house was like one that Alaska remembered her mom wanting to own when Alaska was little. She smiled and jumped out of the car. Walking into the house she noticed the smell of the oven cooking her favorite, green bean casserole. She smiled and walked into the kitchen.

"Wow" she breathed. Her mom walked in and motioned her upstairs. At the top of the steps there was a plain door and her mom opened it.

"This is your new room" she said smiling. Inside was the perfect bedroom Alaska could imagine. She sat down on the bed and laughed. The bedroom was huge with posters of Alaska's favorite bands and a whole wall of books.
"How did you know I loved reading so much?" She asked remembering that her mom had died when Alaska was only eight years old.

"Well we have these devices that can see to earth and I watched you every now and then her mom said eyeing her suspiciously. "I know what you did down there" then her mom turned and walked out of the room leaving a guilty Alaska. Alaska settled in and changed into new clothes (thank god her mom had listened enough to be able to know her size) then she hopped down the stairs for dinner.

"Alaska you have an appointment at the acclimation office tomorrow at 10:00" Alaska nodded but she must have looked confused because her mom added "Your acclimation appointment is where you learn about Elsewhere." Her mom offered.

That night Alaska settled into her bed and had her mom tuck her in for the first time since she was eight years old.

"Love you Mom" She said before drifting into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning Alaska was rudely awaken by her mom. She rolled over and glanced at her alarm clock it was 8:00.

"Mom" she said groggily "I thought my appointment wasn't until 9:00"

"It isn't but you want to be there at least a half hour early and it takes up 15 minutes to drive there and that is if the traffic isn't bad and I didn't know how long it would take you to get ready…. So up and Adam sunshine." Her mom said cheerily and she walked out the door. Alaska rolled over and fell out of bed falling roughly on the ground. What a great start to a day she thought pulling herself off the floor.

An hour and 45 later Alaska and her mom were sitting in the acclimation office waiting room. Alaska was happy her mom had taken the day off to be with her so she wouldn't have to do this alone.

"Alaska Young" A sweet high pitched voice called. Alaska stood up and smiled nervously at her mom and followed the receptionist. She brought her to a dark room with a T.V. and five rows of chairs. "Sit here and watch this movie. When it is done go to your left to the first door and you will meet you acclimation counselor." She said and smiled sweetly before quietly turning the TV on and shutting the door.

The movie was a review for Alaska until it started talking about her birthday. She was very confused on how to add up her birthday so she decided to ask her acclimation counselor. She learned about Observation Decks or ODs and about acclimations which were occupations except you had to like it.

After the movie she met with Mrs. Betty Coke, her acclimation counselor.

Mrs. Coke was a middle-aged woman with glasses that sat on the end of her nose like a librarian's glasses might she was reading some type of file. At first Alaska was kind of scared of her.

"Hi, my name is Alaska Elizabeth Young." She said quietly.

"Oh" the lady said causing them both to jump, "I didn't see you there, please sit down" she said motioning to a hard chair in front of her desk. "Hi my name is Betty Coke and I am your acclimation counselor." She pulled out a hand. Alaska took it and shook. Mrs. Coke started to rummage through her files. "Here it is" she mumbled. "Alaska Elizabeth Young, died January, 11 2007. Cause of death: Car accident Time of death: 1:00 a.m. currently living: 1236 Mountain Rd. Elsewhere, with your grandmother and mother." Mrs. Coke looked up "Was that right?" she asked
"Yeah" Alaska responded.

"Now for your avocation, do you have anything that you loved to do on earth, hobbies, things you loved, personality traits? Or do you have a dream job?" Mrs. Coke asked. Alaska thought. She had loved lots of things on Earth, books, history, her friends, and writing she loved to write.

"Could I put three together and be a librarian/author/historian?" Alaska asked knowing she sounded stupid. Mrs. Coke turned to her computer and scrolled down the screen.

"Lets see," she said "oh my aren't you lucky, a job just opened up at the library they need a historian trainee who can also help in the library if needed," She smiled "you can even write in your free time."

"I'll take it, when do I start?" she asked.

"Next week Monday, is that enough time to get settled in you think?"

"Yeah" Alaska said wishing she could start today. Mrs. Coke looked at her list again and sighed.

"Okay we have one more thing to talk about, the Sneaker Claus. Before I tell you what it is I want to warn you I do not advise this." Mrs. Coke glared at Alaska "The Sneaker Claus is where kids 16 and under who find it hard to adjust to life on Elsewhere can decide to go back early as a baby. Of course you can't ever go back to your old life but…"

"Mrs. Coke, I chose to die and I don't want to go back until I have to" Alaska interrupted. Mrs. Coke sighed in relief.

"Good, well I think that is all for today I will come back periodically to see how you are doing." With that Mrs. Coke stood up and they shook hands and Alaska headed for the door.

One Year Later

Alaska ran up the steps to the door with a boy and girl following behind they all were carrying books in piles stacked in there hands.

"Mom I am home, Ashley, and Bryant are here" she yelled as she ran the stairs two at a time to her bedroom. Falling on to her bed Alaska piled the books in a corner. "Put them here guys" she said. Alaska laughed. She was writing a book on last words. She had to carry home all the documents of last words. "I think that this book will be fun to write.

Alaska was having a great time on Elsewhere. Everyday she spent two eternims. She spent one on her dad and the other on her friends. For a while Pudge and the Coronel searched for an answer to weather or not she killed herself but they gave that up when they noticed that they didn't want to know. She had spent a load of eternims the day that they pulled her prank and she was glad to see how it turned out. They did it perfectly. For a while she thought of making contact with Pudge and the Coronel but she realized that it wasn't going to help them at all it just might make them crazy.

Alaska loved Elsewhere. She had great friends, a great boyfriend, and even a dog, who she named Coronel Pudge, after her friends. Everyday though Alaska felt herself get younger and younger and she knew that she would soon turn 15 and before long she would be a baby again and Alaska Elizabeth Young would be reborn to a new generation.

Alaska later found out her last words were straight and fast which was her answer to her own question, how will I ever get out of this labyrinth?