Pain… Darkness… Oblivion… Peace…
I opened my eyes and all I saw was darkness.
There was a low humming surrounding me but I couldn't determine where it was coming from.
It was everywhere … but nowhere.
As I looked around once more, I suddenly remembered what happened.
The boys… the beating… blood… running…
I was dead. My black-eyed stranger had been too late. Or maybe he had simply been there to bring me to this place.
It was odd and a little unnerving how I felt no fear at the thought of being dead. I did feel horrible though. My parents had lost their only child; my grandparent's granddaughter… and the stranger knew he was too late.
As I wallowed in my grief, the darkness that surrounded me became light. Death must bring you the absence of pain or something, for there was no discomfort in the sudden brightness.
If this was death, I didn't like it one bit. There was no one around and I was bored.
"You're not dead, Bella."
I nearly screamed as I whirled around to face the voice. My eyes landed on two teens, one boy and one girl. The girl was dressed in a white top and white skirt and the boy was in white pants and a white t-shirt.
"Who are you?" I demanded of them. "Did you die too? And - wait. What do you mean I'm not dead?" There was no way I could not be dead.
The girl was about 18, with light brown hair, beautiful blue eyes, and a stunning figure. The boy was muscular, slightly taller than the girl, had nearly black hair, and brown eyes.
The girl smiled at me.

"Well, we're not allowed to tell you our names cause we know you when we're born or something. We haven't been told why exactly. But, we can give you the initials of our first and middle names. I'm R.A. and this is E.C. we're twins; obviously fraternal. No, we didn't die, we haven't been born yet. And you're not dead either. You're in what we like to call the middle. You stay here so you can heal, while you're body heals your injuries. This way you don't feel any pain. Once you're mostly healed, you go back and wake up. Everyone who sees you thinks you're in a coma."

"So… I'm in my mind?" If this hadn't been so weird and confusing, I probably would have laughed. That just sounded so weird.
As it was, the boy, E.C., did chuckle.
THWACK!
"Ow! What was that for?" E.C. demanded rubbing his head and glaring at his sister.
"The poor girl is in a strange place and you're laughing at her!"
"It was funny. Jeez, sorry." He quickly amended at her glare. "Anyways, Bella. You're not in your mind, you're actually out of your body. Well, your spirit is."
"My spirit?" Was this guy seriously gonna spout religious crap to me?
He shrugged. "Spirit, soul… whatever you wanna call it."
I stared at him for a moment and he shifted uncomfortably under my gaze.
"You're strange… honest, but strange."
He scowled at me as his sister let out a whine-chime laugh.
He crossed his arms and poked his tongue out at her. I joined her laughter then. He was acting like a little kid.
When our laughter finally died down, R.A. turned to him and said, "I was right."
He glared at her. "Was not."
"Was too."
"Not."
"Too."
"Not."
"Too."
"Not!"
"Too, too, too! She agreed!"
He resumed glaring at her; she looked positively smug.
"Do I wanna know what the heck you're talking about?" I managed to ask; trying my hardest not to laugh.
"I told him he was a crazy, strange maniac. He didn't believe me, but you just agreed." She laughed a bit.
I smiled. We sat in comfortable silence for a while when all of the sudden they seemed to flicker.
I panicked. "What's going on?" My voice cracked and shook as I spoke.
"Easy Bella. You're just returning to you're body. It's time for you to go back." E.C. said, smiling.
The flickering intensified, and then they started fading.
"Just remember Bella, whatever life throws at you, be strong. It'll be worth it." R.A. said as she faded from my vision.
"We both love you. Never forget that. You will always be watched over, even at the worst times. We love you with all we have." Having said that, E.C. also faded from sight. I felt a jolt and then exhaustion and pain pulled me back into the darkness…