I rolled over to face the sky, laying there for a second.

The sun was blocked almost immediately by an upside down face staring at me. "You just gonna lay there all day?"

I inspected the face. Dark blue eyes, long black hair held behind her head with her hand, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"You!" I shouted, my hand reaching out to grab her.

She deftly dodged my half hearted attack, backing away as I stood up. "Me?"

"You!" I shouted again. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why were you just standing in the middle of the road? I could've killed you. Actually, who cares about you. I could've died!"

"Well, yeah," she laughed. "That was the point!"

"..."

"For you to die," she added, looking past me at something behind me.

I turned around, and for the second time, my stomach dropped, my breath hitching.

"No, no!"

I ran up to the car, hands grabbing the crumpled metal. Slumped over in the seat was me. Bloodied and broken, but I'd recognize that handsome face anywhere. I stared into my blank eyes, realization washing over me.

I took a look at my hand. "But if I'm dead, then how…"

My eyes darted back to my wide-eyed, unmoving body. I reached out, trying to touch it, but my hand just passed straight through.

I spun back around to face the girl. "You!"

"Me!" she shouted, beaming with a smile. "I have freed you from your mortal body. What can I say besides, 'You're welcome.'"

"I'm welcome? I'm welcome? Me?"

I wanted to punch something. I was struggling to find the words to express my irritation. No, anger.

Wait, if I'm dead, then I'm a ghost, right? Then she's…

"Not a ghost, If that's what you're wondering," she piped up. "I happen to be a bit higher up the food chain."

I watched as 3 pairs of black inky wings spread from her back, each as long as she was tall.

"I see," I replied, nodding my head. "Hey, what's that over there?"

"Hm?"

As soon as she turned her head, I took my chance. I was sprinting down the highway, eyes focused on the horizon. Just gotta find some people, and then… No, a church! Yeah, a church!

"You know I have wings, right?" the girl spoke from just behind me. "Like, they aren't just for show. They move and everything, see?"

A dream! Yes, a dream!

The sunlight momentarily disappeared, before the girl came slamming into the ground in front of me, blocking my path forward.

Pfff. You think it's gonna be that easy?

I pivoted to the right, easily jumping the guard rail and running down the sandy hill towards the ocean.

"So many times, it happens too fast! You trade your passion for glory! Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past! You must fight just to keep them alive!"

I slowed to a stop, hanging my head in defeat. I'd been running around for an hour with the winged girl just shadowing me, singing motivational music the whole time. I wasn't tired. In fact, I felt like I could run forever without so much as a sigh, but I just couldn't lose her.

"No! Don't stop!" she whined, pouting. "I was just about to get to the chorus."

"You win!" I shouted at her floating figure. "Take me to the afterlife or whatever. If I'm going down, then at least I'm gonna go with some dignity."

"Actually, you lost that when you broke down crying 20 minutes ago," she said, deadpan. "Also, who said anything about the afterlife?"

"You're not here to drag me to the pits of hell, with hot demon ladies poking me with pitchforks for eternity?"

"I mean, if that's what you want…" she said, trailing off.

"What? No!" I said. "'Course not."

"I want to make a deal! That's why I needed you dead," she said, dropping down to the ground. "You see, I'm not technically allowed to interact with the living."

"B- b- but you were standing in the road? I saw you!" I stuttered. "I swerved to avoid you! That's why I died!"

"Noooo," she drawled, a cheeky grin plastered on her face. "I was just going for a midday stroll by this ordinary road when this maniac swerved off the road and into a concrete pillar. How can anyone blame me for that?!"

I was grinding my teeth at this point, wondering if I could catch her if I tried. I lunged at her, which she dodged by rising upwards. The flapping of her wings kicked up the sand, pelting me with it.

"Listen, we can debate all day about who's fault it was…"

"It was yours!" I interjected, eyes narrowed as she floated above me.

"Or, we can move on," she finished. "Honestly, you didn't have much time left anyway."

"How long?"

"..."

"How long did I have!?" I asked again, hands closing into fists.

"Uh, carry the one, divide by zero," she said, bringing her finger to her lips pretending to think.

"Just spit it out!"

"Fine!' she said, rolling her eyes. "2 years, 192 days, 12 hours, 15 minutes, 43 seconds. I mean, that's not even a lot of time if you think about it. It's like a snap of the fingers. Honestly, I'm doing you a favor."

I blinked in surprise at the answer. That was weirdly specific.

It was a blink of an eye for her, but for me, that was almost 3 years of getting day drunk on the beach. I mean, I probably would spend most of it working, slaving away for money to pay rent and a car and… Where was I going with this again?

Wait! With me gone, who was going to feed Lester? Actually, now that I think about it, do gerbils even live that long?

I let out a sigh. At the very least, she could have waited for me to get a beach day in. :(

"What's this deal? What do you want me to do?" I asked, stopping my attacks for the moment.

She said she couldn't interact with the living, right? I was dead now, so what could I do for her?

"It's quite simple, really," she said with a grin, her wings spreading out around her. "We are going to eliminate all life on this planet."

"I see," I replied, nodding my head. "Hey, what's that over there?"

As soon as she turned her head, I was sprinting down the beach again. Holy water! Just gotta get some holy water! Wait, will that even work?

I could hear the winged girl sigh behind me, followed by the beating of wings as she hurried to catch up. She didn't try to stop me, just floating next to me lazily, singing more motivational music.