Chapter 2: Welcome To The Land of the Dead

Nessie's POV

The nice skeleton lady took me to a place called the department of family reunions. I was told to sit in the waiting room while they tried to locate my family. I was not the only one there. There were several other new arrivals as well. Each one looking as lost and confused as I felt. I looked down at my bony skeleton hands wondering how on earth this could have happened. I should've listened to my family. I should have stayed with my family. I should never have run away. If I never ran away then I never would have gotten killed. This was all my fault!

I would never see my family again. I felt tears forming in my eyes. I fought hard to keep myself from falling apart into a million little pieces. I wanted my mother and father more than I ever could have imagined. I wanted my mom to hold me tight and tell me that everything was going to be okay. But I knew that it would never be okay. I would never again see my family. I buried my face in my hands because the brimming tears were making it harder and harder to see. I didn't want anyone to see me cry.

Suddenly I felt something pulling at my shirt. I looked up and saw the strange fluorescent multicolored bird creature thing that had led me across the marigold bridge to this strange place. The creature stood on my lap and looked at me with sad eyes. Then it nuzzled my face with it's feathery body. I didn't know what this creature was. It certainly was not any animal that I had ever seen before in my life. It certainly was not any living creature that I had ever studied about in the biology lessons my family would give me. Certainly not in any nature documentary that I'd ever seen before.

"What are you?" The bird tilted it's head to one side.

"Well whatever you are I like you. I think I will name you Enzo,"

"Renesmee Cullen?" I glanced up when I heard my name being called. It was a different skeleton person. It was a man this time. "I'm sorry kid but I can't seem to find any record of anyone with that last name here. What is your mother's maiden name? Maybe we can locate her relatives here,"

I sighed. "Swan," I doubted that they would be able to find my mother's relatives here as well. I watched in despair as he returned back to what I assumed was his office. I watched as slowly everyone else in the room successfully reunited with their long dead relatives. I tried not to cry when I remembered that I would never have such a happy reunion. Then I was the last one there. It was just Enzo and I.

"Renesmee?"

"Yes,"

" My name is Senor Fuentes. I am sorry kid but I was unable to locate your mother's family as well,"

"I was afraid of that,"

"What part of Mexico are you from?"

"I'm not from Mexico,"

"Oh," he said. "Well that would explain a lot,"

"Well I'm glad that someone understands what's going on because I sure as hell don't,"

He shook his head. "This is a really unfortunate accident but there is nothing we can do about it. You see every country has it's own version of the land of the dead. When someone dies they go to their country's version of the land of the dead. However, on the rare occasion that someone dies outside of the country they reside in they get sent to the version belonging to the country they were visiting when they died,"

"So if I would have died in America, where I live, or lived, I would have been sent to the American version of this place?"

"That is exactly right my child. Unfortunately we have no way to send you to the American land of the dead. Contact with the other land of the dead realms is strictly forbidden. You're lucky that you're at least fluent in Spanish. Others are not so lucky,"

"So there is nothing that I can do?"

"Unfortunately no but at least you have your aljebrije here with you,"

"My what?" I asked in confusion.

"Your aljebrije," he pointed out Enzo. "Your spirit creature. They guide souls on their journey. They are also the only creatures who can travel to the land of the living when it's not dia de Muertos. Of course they look slightly different in the living world. Mysterious creatures they are,"

"So what is going to happen to me?" I asked.

"Since you're a child we are going to have to put you in the orphanage and-"

"No!" I shouted and stood up as fast as I could.

"Renesmee you do not have a choice in the matter. You are a child and-"

"I don't care!" I ran as fast as I could out of the office. I quickly realized that I had retained my half vampire speed and agility. I quickly and easily evaded the officers as they tried to capture me. The baffled look on all their faces was absolutely priceless. I laughed for the first time since arriving in this strange place.

I zipped through town as fast as I could. I was surprised when I glanced back and saw Enzo flying right behind me. He really was no ordinary bird. Aljerbrije? Spirit guide? I couldn't keep up with everything. This was way too much for one girl to take in on her first day in the after life.

Suddenly I slammed right into something. The force of it so strong that it caused my body to literally fall apart into a pile of bones.

"Hey!" I heard someone scream. "Watch where you're going?" I watched in amazement as the man literally reassembled his own body.

"I'm sorry I-"

"Woah you're a kid,"

"Yes I am a kid. How did you do that? Reassemble like that I mean?"

"You must be new here?"

"Yes I am. Can you please help me?"

Once I was literally put back together I apologized to the man for crashing into him.

"So where is your family kid?" he asked.

"I have no family here,"

"Oh," he said. "So you're an orphan? I'm surprised they didn't put you in the orphanage,"

"They tried to but I didn't want to stay there,"

"How old are you?"

"tw-twelve," I didn't want to have to explain my half vampire half human status so I needed to keep up the lie I told everyone in the living world.

"So what is your plan then? Who is going to take care of you,"

"No one I guess,"

He smiled at me. "Well I know a place where you can stay kid. There's actually a place for people like us. People that don't have family,"

"Really?"

"Yeah there's a place for people like us with no family. So we consider each other family instead,"

"Beats being in an orphanage,"

"I'm Hector by the way," he held out his bony hand for me to shake.

"Renesmee. But most people call me Nessie,"

"That is the weirdest name I have ever heard,"

"Yeah my mother wanted to give me a unique name," I felt like I was going to start crying when I thought of my mother again. I wondered how she was doing. I wondered how she and my father would react when they found out that I had been killed. I wondered what was going on back home in the land of the living.

Please Review