Man oh man, I'd love to be a turtle.
I think about it almost every night and certainly in every waking moment.
To be a turtle would be like a dream coming true.
Sadly life didn't go as you wished.
I was a human in a world full of capitalism, Drugs, violence and a lack of choice to be a turtle.
So I lived day by day thinking and living as such.
Now I was 74. On the way I had kids and even had a fairly nice wife. She always loved my passions for turtles.
But in the end she was only my wife. Not a turtle.
Feeling the last measly breaths of air leave my lungs I looked deep into my wive and children's eyes.
"Take care of puby." I spoke almost in a whisper.
If I passed, they had to take care of puby, my turtle.
A warm embrace coddled me, dragging my eyes shut and dragging me into a calm darkness.
'Haaaah, finally. I wonder what happens now.' I thought.
Maybe I'd go to heaven or I'd be reborn.
I sat in the calm peace of death thinking about such for a moment.
'How long am I supposed to stay like this? How can I even think?' I had already gotten bored of thinking about what heaven was like. Shouldn't I be seeing some sort of holy light by now?.
Opening what felt like my eyes I realized I could still see.
But infront of me wasn't my wife nor my children. Instead what lay infront of me was an extremely large line.
The line felt comically long bouncing over peaks and stretching for miles.
Yet some how I could still see everything clearly, at the end of the line was a ticket booth.
Zooming out of the 10x vision I looked around me. I was at the absolute back of the line.
Infront of me was some sort of jellyfish creature with atleast ten jelly like limbs hanging from each side of it's body.
Loosely held in one of its purplish hands was a golden ticket.
The ticket looked quite appealing, it was an almost unreal shade of gold, it pulled in me in the more I looked at it.
HONK HONK
A loud honking sound erupted directly into my head, it wasn't like I heard it. It felt like it was shoved into my head.
Hello, Afterpartee's, welcome to death.
We apologize for the intrusion but we must remind you to hold onto your ticket, this is your very own personal admission from life. It is very important each afterpartee has a ticket.
A static voice spoke in a slightly joyful tone, it was weird having a voice in my head but it wasn't uncomfortable.
Looking down, I noticed my hand held to a fist, I slowly ungripped and noticed a slightly crumpled golden ticket unfold.
I don't get what that guy meant but this thing seemed pretty important.
Gripping my ticket I looked up and saw the massive line until the ticket booth.
'I guess I just wait now.' even though it felt like I was a mile away I could clearly see a 2d stickman stamping tickets at light speed.
At the rate he was going it wouldn't take too long until I was at the front.
'But this place, is it really death?' I thought while waiting
I mean I kind of expected more. But Instead it felt more like a carnival.
I mean what would even happen if I lost this ticket.
Just thinking about it made me laugh.
I stood in line for for what felt like a week, but I didn't get tired here so I really couldn't tell. But eventually I reached the ticket booth.
In his usual spot the stickman simply spoke two words.
"TICKET PLEASE." While it held its stick hand out. Ungripping my hand and slowly in crumpling the golden ticket I put it into the 2 beings hand gently.
Throwing the ticket into a small slot in the wall the ticket man gestured for me to walk into the tent.
Inside was a stool and a oldschool gamebox, it was entirely black in color besides the glowing words above the screen in bright gold: God.
Sitting down I looked into the box and waited for a moment. I wasn't sure if I should be doing or saying something.
Last thing I needed was to mess up before the show even began.
Seeing no reaction I looked down to where the controls should be. And surely enough a big green button and a big red button where.
I pressed the green button, there wasn't any great reason or anything I simply liked the color green.
Fwoosh
The screen on turned on with an odlly placed
Fwoosh sound.
It really was odd considering it was in my head.
On the screen a golden light had now shown brightly. On the screen two text where visible.
Begin.
And
Exit.
I was no rookie. Back in my edo period anime banaanza golden age. This was a clear sign of something magnificent to happen.
And it only took death!
'What a steal!'
Slamming my fist onto the green button I waited eagerly for what would happen.
The screen slowly shifted from its gold tones into a more calm and full grey.
On it a mask that looked reminiscent to the sun with many jagged edges around it faded in.
It took a moment but when the being had faded in fully it opened its eyes.
In it where the previous golden ray which had faded from before.
It felt unreal looking at it. Although the imagery was simple I felt like I was looking at something far beyond it.
Babbling around on what to say the being spoke before me. Not into my mind this time.
"Joffrey Tetrimin. I remember making you. Although I don't remember anything about this turtle nonsense. Give me a secondz will you."
Saying my name and saying something about turtles the god reached a grey hand forward and instantly though the screen.
Moving back slightly the hand made a pinching gesture and then it pulled.
"NOOOOO- MOM! MOM GET U-" I felt a tingle run down my spine as a thought crossed my mind almost silently.
Then I felt something. A deep emptiness.
It felt like I was forgetting something but I couldn't tell what.
"Er.. god? What'd you do?" I felt awkward speaking to what was supposed to be god. But I had too.
He must have done something important, after all why would God himself come so close to me.
I mean was this really even god? Was I just hallucinating?
"Calm yourself. I am God. There was a mental curse placed upon you, I had simply removed it."
"Mental curse?..I see.. so what is all this?" I spoke while running a hand through my hair.
I had no clue what this God meant by a mental curse, but it felt like a bit much to ask about what he meant right now.
"This is death. At the fair cost of life, each living being has been given a golden ticket. This ticket shall grant you one wish. And feel free to take as much time as you need. I assure death is a great place." The god spoke calmly through it's sun faced mask.
Hearing no response he spoke again.
"Would you like to make a wish now?" The God spoke in an inquiring tone.
"I'm not sure. I still feel like I'm missing something. Can I take my time!" Speaking to the screen was slightly awkward but thankfully the god agreed.
"So what did you mean by mental curse?" Sitting into eh silent aftermath a question presented itself.
"Hm? Yes, when you where a child your family was murdered. Your resentment, rage and anger where all converted into a deep love for turtles. I had known of this but I strictly prohibit myself from acting against life." The god spoke slowly while looking into my eyes through the screen.
The words registered in my head but I still couldn't understand what they meant.
I found what I was missing, it was turtles. But instead of the deep love and yearning I felt for them was replaced with a deep emptiness.
"Why was my family murdered?" Alot didn't make sense but I wanted to know this much.
I always heard growing up that I was a stray, thrown to an orphanage by my parents.
But if my family was murdered by someone, wouldn't that change everything? Was this the moment I became the protagonist?
Surely not... I wasnt a kid anymore.. I was 74.
I had long gotten overy parents abandonment, although I was still curious.
"Their lives where taken by an unorthodox group named "Tokens". They're a group of ticket users who made their wish to return to life. The details of why are a bit beyond me." The god spoke slowly, raising his hands into a shrug.
I listened keenly to what the 'God' said but I couldn't help but notice the strong boredom wafting off his words.
"Sorry? How can something be beyond you? Your god?" I asked in slightly reprieve.
"Alright, alright, it's quite a long story y'know?" The god said raising his hands ind defense, it was a little comocisl honestly.
"Haaa, your mother, Ivy Tetrimin was a human who had wished for another chance at life. This is a common wish for alot of the dead."
"However unlike many others your mother had TWO tickets! She had wished for another chance at life, and the ability to reverse time."
The god let out a mechanical laugh through the screen.
"A silly wish of course. After all if I gave such power to everyone then there'd be no power left for me! But I am a benevolent god. I had granted her ability but only for five seconds."
His laugh had died down now settling into a soft smile as he spoke.
"She lived her life well, discovering her abilities in her teens, since then she had grown into a magnificent cheat, using her abilities in every and any situation that benefited her."
"Soon enough she found a husband and gave birth to you. Whilst you where all eating one night the tokens had silently broken in beheaded your father, and kidnapped your mother, she was held hostage and forced to have many more children.
When the lack of time controlling gene was being noticed they silently disposed of her.
They had replaced your memories of it all with turtles." The god concluded placing his hands together and leaning into them.
He looked at me slowly and asked me a question?
"How does that make you feel?" He smirked slightly while watching me.
I was honestly at a loss for words, this was like finding out your dad was a power ranger. Except it was my mother. And how did she get two tickets? What If I got five?
Thinking about the gods question I didn't think much and answered.
"Bothered.. it bothers me. So they did all of that because they wanted her powers? Howd they even know?" I spoke in a whisper, it felt like no matter how quiet I spoke this God would hear it anyway.
"Ahh, don't think too much about that stuff. It's not good for the spirit. I'll leave you to think about what wish you want to make.
And make sure not to lose that ticket..."
The screen blinked off leaving me in the darkened tent.
Standing up I stared at the gamebox for a few minutes silently thinking.
Tapping it twice on the head I turned around and left for the exit with alot of thoughts on my mind.
1. Was that God?
2. Is this really death?
3. What the hell do I do wish for?
None of these had answers.
Pushing aside the the same curtain entrance I used to enter. But instead of the expected line extending for miles, was a bustling city filled with different colours and unique buildings.
The building where made of a bubbly pink material and parts of the road looked like cheese.
The sky was still blue but the usual dull or clouded sky was now a deep hue that beckoned you to look.
All types of people walked around. Some where slightly grotesque having jaws that lay open or beings standing upto 7ft tall with claws. Others looked like humans but where the size of a foot, almost like gnomes.
Everything seemed out of place and sort of mismatched. Yet it carried a distinct feeling of peace.
Every being seemed to walk in harmony.
Looking behind me the large tent from earlier was completely gone, now replaced by a loud bustling street.
"Welcome Afterpartee! First time dying?"
Before I could take another step I felt a large hand place itself around my shoulder.
Removing the hand I felt the odd texture before looking at who it was.
A tall black Panther, whith what seemed like overtly large smile. He wore an apron with a bowl of icecream and a folded hat with the same symbols.
I couldn't even find a smidge of shock in myself at the talking black Panther. Only a stacking feeling of confusion.
The panther's grin didn't falter, wide and practiced, like it had been worn for years.
"Come try some ice cream at Peanut's Big 'N Smalls. First scoop's free for first-timers."
I paused.
There were questions, too many. But none of them felt stable enough to ask. Everything here bent logic without breaking it. Even my own thoughts felt… rearranged.
"What is this place?" I asked, this was alot different from the long line or the tent.
The panther tilted his head, sucking his teeth, as if measuring something.
"Death. But alot of us call it Transit," he said.
"Name doesn't matter, what matters is what you do with your ticket."
My grip tightened instinctively.
Ticket.
Right.
Still there.
Still crumpled in my hand.
"Yeah, I'm not really sure what I'll wish for yet.. I already met… something," I said slowly. "Called itself God."
"Ah." The panther nodded immediately, unsurprised. "The booth. Yeah, that checks out."
"That checks out?" I frowned.
"What, you expected thunder? Choirs?" he chuckled. "Everyone sees it differently. Some hear a voice. Some see their loved ones. Others get a mirror. What about you?"
"I got a… game box."
"Ooh. A screen. Retro."
"I get one wish, right?" I said. "That's real?"
"Real as it gets here." He leaned in slightly.
"Spend it, and it's gone. Don't, and you stay."
"Stay and do what?"
The panther gestured outward.
The city pulsed quietly around us—beings talking, laughing, moving with purpose despite the absurdity of it all.
"Exist," he said simply. "Plenty of people never leave."
That sent something cold through me.
"Why?"
This time, the panther didn't answer immediately.
His smile stayed, but it thinned.
"Because life ain't so pretty."
Silence settled between us.
I looked down at the ticket again.
Even crumpled it's glow was still brilliant.
It pulled at my eyes the longer I stared.
There was something about it something mysterious.
"…Did people ever regret their wish?" I asked.
"All the time," he said immediately.
I looked back up at him.
"And staying?"
A pause.
"…Also that."
'Of course.'
Of course it wasn't simple.
I exhaled slowly, running a hand through my hair. It was nice being young again but the bad habit of rubbing my hair kept coming up.
"I still feel like I missing something important," I muttered.
The panther studied me for a moment, really studied me this time.
Then he straightened.
"Yeah," he said lightly. "That happens."
Not helpful. Not even slightly.
I turned away from him, eyes drifting back into the city.
Movement in every direction I laid my eyes, humans, aliens even a walking cow wasn't impossible to find.
This was death. Life, after life.
"…Fine," I said. "I'll try your ice cream."
The panther's grin snapped back to full strength instantly.
"Good choice."
He turned, already walking, not even checking if I'd follow.
I did. Not because I trusted him.
But because standing still here felt worse.
And as I walked, one thought lingered.
What should I wish for?