Chapter Text
There was nothing but smoke. Frank looked around trying to spot any people who crowded around when he fell down, shapes of brick walls, anything. But he could see only clouds of smoke floating above and below, everywhere around him.
“What’s going on?” Frank asked. His voice sounded muffled and weak.
“I think you already know.” This voice, on the contrary, was strong and deep, coming out of everywhere.
Frank touched his stomach and winced from pain. He was stabbed. Some guy at the show just stabbed him.
“Oh my god,” Frank shook his head. “That's impossible.”
“Bold of you to think so.”
Frank looked around, trying to find the sound source. Suddenly, the smoke right in front of him started to thicken. Now Frank could distinguish the head and shoulders. He took a step back. A man was a bit taller than Frank, most of his face was covered in the shadow of the hood. Frank could see only pale chin and thin lips. His silhouette was vague and blended in with the smoke around. The man was wearing a plain black hoodie. What the Hell? Frank thought.
“So tell me what is going on.” The man's tone was cold and commanding. His voice no longer sounded everywhere. It concentrated on his barely moving lips.
“I died,” Frank replied quietly. “Right?”
“Right.” The man echoed.
“And now what?”
“You have a choice.”
Frank raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“Never heard of anything like that.”
“Only a handful have.”
“And what is it? Going to heaven or haunting the Earth as a ghost? I'm torn.”
The man smirked and it made Frank shiver.
“Hell,” the man started and everything in Frank went numb. “Or a chance to deserve Heaven. One hundred years of service at the Black Parade.”
“What is this service?”
“Protecting people from doubts, fears, temptations and everything that represents them.” The man uttered slowly. “You’re used to the word ‘demons’, I believe.”
“One hundred years?”
“Your chance to earn mercy.”
“But I was killed. Don't I get a free pass upstairs?”
“It doesn’t make much difference anymore.”
Frank breathed out loudly. One hundred years. Sounded huge in comparison to Frank’s twenty-six, but probably not so much compared to eternity in Hell.
“Protecting means… killing these… demons?”
“If you want to put it this way, then yes.”
“I’ve never killed in my life.”
“Well, your life is over. You can start a new one however you like.”
Frank wasn’t ready for this. Nobody had warned him about life-changing decisions he would have to make after his life was over.
“I’ll take my chance.”
“Are you making this decision voluntarily?” The man held out a hand to Frank.
“Yes.” Frank replied after a long pause and took the hand cautiously. Suddenly, his own hand cramped as if he pulled it out of the pocket in the cold.
“I accept it.”