First ||| https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1331674161/ Prev ||| https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1332074444/ Next ||| https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1332920574/ Jessi watched as the other people ate. They had come to learn that Angler was the one who looks like if Michael Jackson was a siren, and the love angel was Cupid, everything was pink with him. Penn had a small appetite, barely having anything, while Cupid had the largest, simple as that. Jessi would have thought Penn ate more though, especially due to his softer figure. Jessi wasn’t hungry. For some odd reason, they felt their stomach flip and twist but simply eating made it feel so much worse. They weren’t even handed a plate like the others were. They were just supposed to sit there it seemed while the others conversed. That sent a bad taste of oil to Jessi’s mouth. They stood up, about to grab themself a plate before the angel grabbed their arm. “You aren’t supposed to do that. You can’t eat.” Jessi found that really stupid. Their eyebrows furrowed and their nose scrunched, it was a picture of confusion and disgust. “What do you mean I can’t eat. I can eat, I have a jaw, don’t I? I have a stomach.” “You don’t though.” Rakhil said blandly, twisting the meatless pasta on their fork. “You don’t have a stomach, you run on electricity and photosynthesis, was it?” She was met with a nod from Angler. “Why is my stomach flipping then?” Jessi was even more confused now. They experienced nervous sensations in their stomach, the bubbling of stomach acid and everything. “Lift your undershirt.” Angler pointed to Jessi’s turtleneck, and they followed orders. This was all to find a sort of lava lamp-like structure replacing the lower half of their torso. It looked cool, but for a stomach? It made Jessi taste the oil stronger. Oh, they were messed up. Jessi was going to be sick, they felt sick, they needed to go. Right now. Please, let them go. Excuses, excuses uhm… “I think I forgot something in Rakhil’s room. Bye.” They started running down the hall, bursting through the healer’s curtains and glanced out the window to see nothing but the void they were trapped in. They swallowed their pride and will before jumping. It was a freefall, a descent into possibly worse territory than before, but it didn’t matter. Anything was better than this stupid mechanical body they were trapped in and the people who they didn’t know. It was a freefall for a few minutes. Why did Jessi hear glass cracking? They glanced around for a minute before breaking through the barrier between life and death, now descending into the Earth that she knew. They were above New York, apparently. Not the city New York, but the miles of fields near the big cities. At least it shows this religion was based in America. Just when was the question, Jessi didn’t have much time to think as they fell into the thin layer of snow. It was thinner than their death time. They couldn’t feel the grass under their hands, just a tingle up their arm mimicking sensation. It was a simulation of life Jessi didn’t like. It would have been better if they just didn’t feel their arm at all, but beggars can’t be choosers. But they didn’t even ask for this life. They didn’t ask to be selected, they were thrown in headfirst, and now, suddenly, they were in unfamiliar territory except “oh, I’m in New York” with a half dysfunctional body! It was stupid! Jessi felt the tears well up, they hoped the fall killed them. They wish the fall had been fatal. But no, Jessi didn’t feel a single stupid thing when they landed on the layer of snow. NO! It was stupid. Jessi barely contained the rage, fear, regret, they should have escaped the building filling with monoxide, but they didn’t. They pulled up the dead grass out of rage, tears barely making a dent in the snow. Their hands were now snow covered, cold and shivering. There were no sounds in the distance. No one was there, it was just pure field. What time was it? Jessi scrambled for their phone. No. It wasn’t in their pocket. They can’t contact anyone, huh? The tears ran hot down their face. It was dark and lonely, why did they jump out that window? It really was all their fault, huh. They shivered in the cold, near-winter air. They now were crouched in the middle of the field, on top of a hill. They could see a house, but the lights were off. It was probably abandoned knowing how quiet it was down here. Not like the people could have seen them though, assuming this is like those movies about the guardians. Jessi wanted hypothermia. They just wanted to freeze her other biological half off so it would just all be over. They just wanted it all done. Their tears hurt against their burn, literally rubbing salt in the wound of their now seemingly forever existence.
A coat was wrapped around their shoulders. It was warm and soothing. Not like a lullaby, but more of an embrace from someone you haven’t seen in a long while. Jessi turned their head to see Penn there, now crouched next to them. His glasses were fogged up, Jessi could only see what they believed to be those heterochromic eyes they saw earlier. “I never usually saw this part of New York.” Penn admitted. He fiddled with the necklace he wore. “It was always the bigger cities.” He gestured south to the bustling, world famous New York City. “Trust me, it’s worse than advertised. All the loud noises, people shouting, and bright lights isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. It certainly wasn’t mine.” Penn adjusted the trench around Jessi’s shoulders, glancing over their shivering form. “You look cold.” “I am.” They admitted. “Aren’t you cold as well?” Jessi had to admit, they were a little worried for him. Not that they would say it out loud or anything, but Penn was being nice to them, and all he was getting in return was sarcasm. Maybe it was time to respect their elders. “No, miss. I have feathers.” Penn rolled up his sleeve, revealing some of the feathery, light grey plume. He really did have an ace up his sleeve, literally. “Look, Jess. I was like this too on my first day. I didn’t jump out a window or anything, but I did run back to Earth to possibly get frostbite.” He laughed at his attempt of freedom, now seeming foolish looking back. “I died for a reason, I was a devout Christian, I didn’t want to be a religion that seemingly hadn’t existed.” “Then what happened?” Jessi was interested, the bolts in their hand had no longer been fiddled with, now untouched by them. “You simply didn’t just die again, right?” “I did. Twenty-three times over. Nothing worked, I just woke up a few days later as good as new.” He now sat down instead of crouched, looking to the landscape in front of them. “Wasn’t until Bolt sat me down and said ‘Pennsylven, this is your life now. You can either take it away or embrace it and others.’ And I couldn’t say no. Otherwise, what resides in limbo?” “Nothing, it’s a vacuum.” Jessi whispered. Rakhil had told them that, it was just a void that seemed like it held something, but it never did. “So, you stayed?” Something about that confused Jessi. But then again, there he was, supposed ‘god of wisdom’. He was barely alive, yes. He looked tired and worn, but there he was. “Why not? The only thing you can do best is care. The greatest sin is making someone feel like they don’t deserve the beautiful gift of life, or even what comes after, this includes yourself. You deserve your position just as much as we do, you just haven’t seen it yes.” Penn put it simply, like there was no other truth. Jessi hadn’t considered it a sin to be humble about their situation, they were just saying that someone else deserved it more. Penn had seen right through it. “You matter, Jessica.” Jessi felt the tears flow again. They swallowed a lump in their throat to prevent the waterworks, but it didn’t really work. Instead, Penn pulled Jessi to his chest, letting them hug the usually oversensitive bird-like man. His feathers were warm, or at least what feathers Jessi could feel from his neck. “Thank you.” They caught themself whispering against the evening. “You’re so sweet.” “You’re welcome.” He stood up, helping Jessi up with a gentle pull. He cleaned his glasses to look Jessi in their almond shaped eyes. “Are you ready to head back now? They’re worried about you.” He was already holding their hands in his, the eyes on his neck and the back of his hands were opened now. All sets of eyes shared the same caring expression as the main two. Jessi nodded. They then found themself at the same spot they were at the beginning of this personal battle in hell, at the table, with the others who ate and laughed. The man beside them, Penn, held their hand under the table, much like a father would. They were still wearing his trench, it was well insulated on the inside, like he got cold everywhere. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.
