Hereafter by Jennifer Snyder Page A

eyes darted around wildly.
    “Why am I here? What purpose does this serve? Shouldn’t I be allowed to leave?” he asked Val in a harsh tone.
    And then, I remembered where I had seen this place before… It was the place of Jet’s death, of his murder .
    I reached out to place a hand on his forearm in an attempt to comfort him, but a strange sensation coursed through me. I watched as Jet’s eyes remained focused on a log near the river. The rage and suffering I could clearly see he felt emanated off him in steady waves. I could taste it as it coated the inside of my mouth. I swore I could hear Purgatory sigh with relief and pleasure at the taste of Jet’s emotions lingering in the air. The entire scenery surrounding us seemed to dim and flicker in sync with his flaring nostrils as though it had somehow grown attached to him in the mere seconds since the scenery had changed.
    “Jet, I—” I was unable to finish my sentence, startled by the sight of him and Val fading out.
    Then, they were gone and I was floating through whiteness, clasping my mother’s hand.
     
     

 
     
    PART TWO ~ JET
     
     

 
     
    CHAPTER FOURTEEN
     
    I heard Rowan saying my name, but I couldn’t respond. I couldn’t even look at her. Anger was the only thing I could feel. It was the only thing I could think about as Purgatory picked at the box I’d tucked my desire for revenge in long ago. It chipped away at its exterior, releasing my pent up emotions until they threatened to consume me.
    “What is this? What’s happening?” I asked Val in a voice that sounded more like a growl than I’d intended.
    She smirked at me. “Looks like Purgatory isn’t done having fun yet.”
    A burgundy and gray tent appeared a few feet in front of us out of thin air. Then, a campfire and three folding chairs followed. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. This couldn’t be happening. What was the point? Was I too far gone? Had Purgatory latched onto my soul and now I was doomed to be tormented here, at the scene of my death, for eternity?
    When I opened my eyes, I saw myself sitting in one of the three chairs. Night had descended and I was passed out. I knew what was about to happen. I didn’t want to see it. I didn’t want to be here. This was insane. Why was I meant to relive this again? Wasn’t once enough?
    “Cute friend,” Val said as she made herself comfortable on the ground not too far from where I stood.
    “Don’t sit down. Help me find my way back!” The panic swelling within me laced each of my words more than I liked, and I saw it twist her lips into another irritating smirk. She was enjoying this.
    “If you were meant to go back, you would have…obviously,” Val paused and gestured around to our new surroundings, “you’re not.”
    “No sleeping allowed!” a husky voice I remembered distinctly grunted. The words wrapped around me, each syllable caressing the anger Purgatory seemed hell bent on releasing from inside me, lulling it out further. I closed my eyes, hoping it would be enough to keep it all in. Another grunt made its way to my ears. It echoed through my mind endlessly until I snapped my eyes opened once more.
    I watched as I was thrown into the river. My eyes zeroed in on the guy who tossed me, taking note of his twisted smile of satisfaction. His overgrown muscles bulged, and his eyes flashed with power and rage all at once.
    Purgatory had won then. At the sight of his enjoyment, all of my anger was released.
    My emotions came off me in wisps that visibly danced through the air. The sky darkened, and I couldn’t tell any longer who was fueling whom with rage and torment—me or Purgatory.
    Even though my mind told me there was nothing I could do and there was no way to stop what had already happened, my feet still moved forward on their own accord, and my hands still clenched at my sides ready for action. I reached the scene just as my memory-self rushed up the bank from in the water and I was sure my