Between Heaven and Hell
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

ANDIE yawned and stood up to stretch her muscles. It has been hours since she sat in front of her laptop trying to finish the last article for their new magazine release. Their team decided to pull an all-nighter to finish their outputs.

"Aren't you hungry?" Alexis asked as she turned to her.

"I am," she replied, palming her tummy.

"Great! Let's go grab something to eat then." Alexis grabbed her pouch.

Andie grabbed her phone and pouch too and caught up to Alexis, who was now heading to the elevator.

"Convenience store or fast food?" she asked when they got inside the elevator.

"Convenience store," said Alexis. "They have ready-to-eat meals there. I'm sick of fast-food, we've been eating chicken and burger for the past few days."

"Yeah, right. Thanks for reminding me about that."

They both laughed.

Soon the elevator doors opened. Alexis and Andie stepped out. But when they were almost near the exit door, she noticed a man standing just outside the building. He was wearing an all-black suit that made him stand out. Guards don't wear suits like that. And to her amazement, the man in black was staring at her. She was suddenly reminded by that man named Jonathan who was stalking her. However, the man standing outside was not Jonathan. Could he be another stalker of hers?

"Andie?" Alexis called.

She looked in her colleague's direction and found her standing a few feet away from her. Alexis was already out of the building.

Andie ran towards her.

"Do you know that guy?" she asked Alexis as she pointed in the man's direction.

Alexis looked to where her finger was pointing and turned to her with furrowed brows. She slapped her arm afterwards.

"Andie, stop scaring me..." Alexis said with a shaky voice.

"Y-you can't see him?" Her eyes grew wider.

Alexis shook her head and tugged her.

She turned to the man in black again, who was now following them.

"H-he's following us," Andie whispered.

"Were you that hungry?" Alexis laughed. "Your imagination is really something."

They crossed the street. Alexis dropped her pouch in the middle of the road, so she let her go to pick it up. Then, there was this vehicle fast approaching her colleague. Andie's body froze from where she stood when she saw Alexis being hit by

a car. "A-Alexis!" she screamed.

She wanted to go to her, to attend to her, but her feet would not move. Then the man chasing them approached Alexis's body. He took out a card from his pocket that immediately turned into ash. Andie was beyond shocked. What was happening? Who was this man who showed up to do such magic? Or could it be that she was hallucinating again, just like when she woke up from her five years of coma?

Suddenly, she felt dizzy. The last thing that she registered in her mind was the screams and the siren approaching.

SHE woke up with a jolt and found herself inside the emergency room, lying on a hospital bed. Jenna, her workmate, was sitting at the edge of the bed with a hand propped on her forehead. "A-Alexis, where is she?"

Jenna raised her head and looked at her. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Alexis... I saw her being hit by a car... How is she?"

Andie's tears welled up when Jenna slowly shook her head. "She didn't make it..."

She cupped her mouth. "Alexis..."

"Excuse me."

Andie looked at the police officer that approached her bed. "Yes?"

"I'd like to get your statement regarding the incident. Have you seen the plate number of the car?"

"I didn't see it. All I know is that it was a black sedan," she told the officer.

He wrote something in his journal. "Thanks."

Andie saw a familiar figure passed by. It was the same man who chased them before the accident. Does he have something to do with the accident? There is only one way to replace out. She was about to leave the bed when Jenna held her by the arm.

"Where are you going? I called your mom and she's on her way here to pick you up."

י

But she has no time to explain to Jenna. Andie left the emergency room and tailed the man in a black suit until she found herself at the hospital's rooftop. He stood there as if he was waiting for her. "Who are you?" She narrowed her eyes on him. "Why did you chase us?"

Andie's fists clenched when she saw his lips twitched.

"So, you lost your memories once again."

Andie cupped her head when it suddenly throbbed. First, it was Jonathan. And now, this guy. But his guy was giving her a different vibe. There was no strange feeling. Which made her wonder. And why in the world was she the only person who could see him?

"I'm sorry." She looked at him again after recovering from the sudden headache. "I have amnesia so I couldn't remember you."

His lips twitched again, and it annoyed her to the bones.

"Well, whether you have amnesia or none, you wouldn't be able to recognize me. A soul doesn't get to retain its memories once it returns to its body. Sadly, we are part of those memories."

We? Who was he referring to? Were there lots of them?

"W-what are you talking about?" Andie asked, puzzled. "Who are you?"

"Do you really wanna know?" He arrogantly cocked his head to the side.

"Yes..." She pressed her lips together.

"I'm a grim reaper. I escort the souls to the afterlife. And oh, I just escorted your friend a while ago."

Her eyes widened in shock. She was not sure if she would believe him. He must be some kind of freak roaming around the city. Andie's first thought should be running away from him, but there was this growing curiosity.

"You may tell them about me," he told her. "Others wouldn't believe you, but there are few who will..."

And just like that, he disappeared from her sight. She could not believe what she just witnessed.

Andie flinched when she felt something warm grasped her arm.

"Andie."

"Elaija, did you see that?"

"Dear..." He sighed. "You should go home. You're mom's waiting for you downstairs."

Elaija took off his coat and wrapped it on her shoulders.

SHE tried all the sleeping positions, but she could not sleep that night. That grim reaper guy kept on bugging her mind. Andie was not dumb not to know what it meant to be a grim reaper. Some believe in them. Some say they were just mythical creatures. But there was one thing that she was sure of, she has a gift. Based on her research before she went to bed, those with this thing called gift could see the grim reapers. But when did she acquire that ability? Andie sat up.

If she really has the ability to see a grim reaper, it only meant that she can predict someone's death.

She embraced herself as she felt the chills crept all throughout her body.

A year ago, she woke up from a five-year coma with no memories. She was trying her best to put her life back into place. And now what? She can predict someone's death. That was ridiculous! Who would believe her? People might think that she was sick... in the head.

Andie left her bed and went out of her room. She headed to the kitchen to get a glass of cold water. Maybe cold water will help her pull herself together.

"Mom?" She found her stepmom in the kitchen.

"You're still up?"

She nodded in response before sauntering to the refrigerator. Andie took bottled water and sat on the stool beside her stepmom.

"Are you having insomnia again?" her stepmom asked after a while.

"It's just that..." She heaved a sigh. "There's something that bothers me."

Andie turned to her stepmom. She was having seconds thoughts if she would tell her what she saw.

"Mom... do you believe in supernatural beings?"

Her stepmom sighed and sipped her tea afterwards.

"My brother Reno, his son, and even Jonathan, they all have this gift to "

"Jonathan?" That name caught her attention. Was it a coincidence that her stepmom knew someone with the same name, or she was referring to the same person? "Who's Jonathan, Mom?" "H-he's my son. You're step-brother..."

Andie's brows furrowed. "You haven't mentioned him before."

"H-he's not living with us. I thought it wasn't necessary to include him."

"But still, he's family, right?" Her stepmom just stared at Andie with her mouth wide open. "Are we... close to each other?"

So, her step-brother might be that Jonathan. But why did he say something... She shut her eyes and tried to remember what he said the last time they met, but her memory failed her again. "Jonathan left home because he was jealous of you."

"E-eh?"

"You should go back to bed, Andie. It's not good to stay up late when you have work on the next day." Her stepmom caressed her back.

Andie was about to leave the kitchen when she saw a shadow passed by in the dining room.

"M-mom... did you see that?" she asked in a low tone.

"See what?" She held her by the arm and pulled her. "Andie, what did you see?"

She did not answer and stormed out of the kitchen instead.

"How did you get in here?" she asked the grim reaper, who was now climbing up the staircase as if he lives in their house.

Andie hugged her body when she felt it shaking in fear. The fact that he saw him in their house only meant that someone's about to die.

"Andie, hija..."

"Mom..." She stood in front of her stepmom to cover her. "I don't know if you'll gonna believe me, but there's someone here that only I can see..." "W-what?" Her stepmom's eyes grew wider, and color instantly left her face. "Your dad! Your dad!"

They both ran to his father's room on the first floor.

"Alejandro! Alejandro! Wake up!"

They both rocked her father's body to wake him up.

"Why?" her dad drawled as he opened his eyes.

Andie palmed her chest and slowly drew her breath. She felt relieved that everyone was safe. Then, she went out of the room to check on the grim reaper. But he was already gone. She did not get a decent sleep that night.

ANDIE stood in front of a three-story building that serves as the headquarters of an organization called The Gifted. Her stepmom told her that his brother was the one who started the organization, and she could replace Jonathan there. Yes, her stepmom told her that her step-brother could help her understand what was happening with her. She took a deep breath and went in. To her amazement, there was this feeling of familiarity the moment she set her feet inside the headquarters. "Hello... Is anybody here?" Her eyes roamed around the first floor, and she found no one. Then, her gaze reverted to the staircase when she heard footsteps approaching.

"You're here... I supposed your memories are back."

Andie was stunned for a moment when he saw the man who stalked her from days ago. So, her hunch was right that the stalker and her step-brother were the same people. Perhaps it was not a coincidence. He must have been following her around because they knew each other.

Jonathan sauntered towards her and stopped only a few feet away from her.

"N-no... not yet." She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. "I-I... ah... I came here because I need help. M-mom said you're the one who could help me with my problem."

His expressions changed from serious to curious.

"What kind of help do you need?" he asked with a knotted forehead.

"I can see the grim reaper."

Jonathan crossed their little distance and grasped her arms. He looked at her straight in the eyes, and she swore that his stare turned her knees into jelly.

What is the meaning of this? Why am I feeling this way? Focus, Andie!

"When did you see the grim reaper?" he asked anxiously.

"L-last night... and then, someone died," Andie explained. "Please help me... I'm scared that the next time I see him, someone close to me will die. "I saw him twice last night. He showed up at our house too!"

His hand reached her cheek and cupped it. His palm was warm, and it brought calm to her senses.

"Stay with me," he told her afterwards.

"W-what?" She blinked twice.

"We didn't know when he would show up again. I can't help you when you're far from me, so we need to stay close to each other."

"Mom said you're my step-brother. Does it mean that you'll stay in our "

"No," Jonathan cut her off. "You'll stay at my place."