All characters, places, and events in Virtual Reality are fictional. Any similarities with real life people, places, and events is purely coincidental.
This episode contains topics that people may find disturbing. This episode contains the topic of suicide. Death is never the answer to anything. People care about you and it’d hurt those close to you. Reach out to someone you trust and/or a helpline if you are feeling suicidal don’t let suicidal thoughts get to you. List of Helplines
Dan, Corey, and Haddie stared out to the distance from the burning building.
“At the end of one chapter is but the beginning of a new chapter. And that time is here.” Dan said.
“What are we going to do for work now that the only place in Westview that’s hired in five years is done for?” Haddie queried.
“You two can help me manage my Virtual Reality world.” Dan replied.
“That would be nice. Let’s just hope that our ex-boss doesn’t come back from the grave and take jealousy fueled vengeance on us.” Corey said sarcastically.
“Haha, I can assure you he won’t come for us. At most he’d come for me if he had supernatural zombie powers.” Dan joked.
Dan sat on the fire escape railing with his legs crossed.
“That doesn’t look safe!” Haddie barked.
“Relax. I’ll be alright. Also… The Final Destination Effect is bullshit.” Dan replied confidently.
The railing broke making Dan sink into the sharp spike. He coughed blood, then fell off the fire escape unconscious.
“No!” Corey and Haddie both screamed.
It was too late, Dan had hit the concrete twenty stories below with a loud thud and a crack.
“Fuck!” Corey cried, “Danny! Why?!”
Corey looked down to the ground where Dan’s mangled body lay. No movement at all and a pool of blood spewing out of where the spike stabbed him.
“Please don’t be dead, Danny!” Corey yelled and sobbed at the same time.
“There is no way anyone could survive falling twenty stories and landing on concrete.” Haddie muttered.
Corey kicked the window on the side of the building resulting in it shattering all over the place.
* * * * *
Nia was sitting at the door of Dan’s house at the driveway. She was smoking a cigarette and looking to the distance.
There was a loud buzzing noise coming from Nia’s jorts.
She pulled out a phone from her jorts and looked at the screen. Dan’s number was calling. She clicked the accept call button and said “Hey, Dan what are you up to?”
“It’s Corey.” sobbed Corey’s voice.
“What the hell’s going on?” Nia barked.
“He’s dead….” Corey replied.
“Who’s dead?” Nia barked starting to get a feeling of dread.
“Dan….” Haddie’s voice cut in.
“Please tell me this is an elaborate prank and that Dan’s alright just sitting on the sideline.” Nia said.
“We wish it was.” Corey cried.
“No!” Nia screamed, “No! No no no no no no!”
“I’m sorry….” Corey continued.
“How’d he die?” Nia sobbed.
“He fell twenty stories and his final words made it sound like it was intentional.” Corey replied.
“Why’d he do it?” Nia continued.
“We don’t know.” Corey barked.
Nia continued sobbing into the phone.
“I think Dan wants us to continue his legacy, the Virtual Reality world. I also think Dan deserves a funeral.” Corey said.
“Yeah.” Nia sobbed.
“I’m going to prepare everything with Haddie and I’m going to reach out to everyone on Dan’s contacts list.” Corey muttered.
* * * * *
Devin was relaxing in a lounge chair with a beer in hand. He was on a two story high balcony of a large white marble mansion. On a table beside the lounge chair was a smartphone playing Summer Breeze by Type O Negative and an ashtray with a lit cigarette.
A loud chime sound abruptly paused Devin’s music. He then slouched up and grabbed the phone.
“Text message huh.” Devin barked.
He opened the message and started reading aloud.
“Hello Devin, it’s me Corey. Nia says it’d be best for you to deliver the message I’m about to forward to you. Everyone in your household is invited to join Dan’s funeral at Westview Cemetery….”
He paused for a moment to make sure he was reading it right.
“Can you forward this message in a way that’s not going to get everyone in a mental meltdown? Nia thinks that you as a military guy would make the punch in the stomach not hit as hard.”
Devin put his beer on the table next to him.
“Oh shit.” Devin barked.
Devin stood up and opened the door that lead into the mansion.
“Digby and Sherry you both need to see this. It’s very important that you see this.” Devin yelled.
“Can it wait?” Digby’s voice yelled from inside.
“C’mon Digby, I’m sure we can spare a few minutes to hop out and afterwards hop back into the spa.” replied Sherry’s voice in the distance.
“Fine.” Digby barked in the distance.
Devin heard two sets of footsteps approaching. After about a minute later Digby and Sherry walked through the open door soaking wet. Digby was only wearing black boxers and Sherry was wearing a white two piece bikini.
“What is it Devin?” Digby grumbled.
Devin showed Digby and Sherry the message he received on his phone.
“Dan’s dead?” Sherry said in shock while Digby just stood there with his mouth open.
Another pair of footsteps started approaching and then Clemenselmers and Aiden appeared in the doorway.
“What’s happening?” Aiden queried.
“You don’t want to. Look you and your siblings have had enough going on from the past however long that Derek scumbag was in your lives and you just got away from all the negativity.” Digby replied.
“I can handle that man. I’m alive right here and right now, aren’t I?” Aiden said.
“Yes, but going by what you and your sisters went through…” Digby said.
“I can handle it!” Aiden cut in.
“Fine. Look at the phone but don’t say anything about it to Clemenselmers.” Digby sighed while giving Aiden a look at the phone.
“I am alive right here, right now too.” Clemenselmers said.
“You don’t need to know what’s going on.” Digby barked.
“Come the fuck on Digby. You can’t hide this shit.” Devin barked.
“Yeah, come the fuck on Digby. You can’t hide this shit.” Aiden repeated.
“Aiden language.” Digby grumbled.
“Go ahead and swear your head off homie don’t listen to him. He needs a reminder who owns this place.” Devin barked.
“I agree with Devin and Aiden. You can’t just hide your friends death and pretend everything is sunshine and rainbows. Life is not entirely sunshine and rainbows. There’s no reasonable excuse as to why we all will be going out. That’s just disrespectful of Dan. If I was looking at what my friends were doing beyond the grave and I saw you doing what you are doing right here I’d be heartbroken.” Sherry barked.
“I’m sorry, Sherry.” Digby said.
“What happened to Dan?” Clemenselmers queried with a tear in their eye.
“We don’t know. Corey didn’t specify how he died.” Devin replied.
“Isn’t Corey a pathological liar?” Digby queried.
“Who the fuck lies about their friend dying, you fucking douchebag?” Devin barked.
“Sure Corey may be a liar at times, but I just don’t see him lying about something egregious like that.” Sherry added on.
“How do we know he’s not lying?” Digby queried.
“Uh, common decency maybe, you cunt?” Aiden said sarcastically.
“If Corey’s lying I’ll give you one billion dollars, if he’s telling the truth which everyone here believes he is you got to run around the busy parts of Westview naked and with a sign on your back that says ‘I’m a moron’. Let’s see who gets the last laugh eh? Bet?” Devin barked.
“Bet.” Digby barked.
* * * * *
One day later Nia was sitting on the porch of Dan’s house wearing a black suit and tie. She was resting her head on her hands and sobbing.
“Why did you have to die, Dan?” Nia muttered to herself.
There was a loud vibration coming from her pocket. She pulled out her phone and read the text that was sent to her.
‘Devin is on his way to pick you up.’ texted Corey.
Nia gave Corey a thumbs up reaction and sighed.
A few minutes later a black 2011 Porsche Panamera pulled up in the drive way.
Devin opened the drivers door and stepped out. He had a lit cigarette in his mouth and wore sunglasses and a black suit and tie.
Nia looked at Devin, stood up, walked over to Devin, gave him a hug (who also hugged her) and sobbed into his shoulder.
“I know what it’s like. Trust me you ain’t alone in this.” Devin whispered, “Eleven years ago my girlfriend also passed.”
“Oh damn. I’m sorry for you Devin.” Nia sobbed.
“It’s alright. If you need anyone that’s been through what you’re going through I’m here.” Devin replied.
Devin lifted Nia up with one arm.
“Your strong if you can do that.” Nia said.
“Let’s just say my military experience helped. I had a really rough commander. He forced everyone in my squadron to exercise while in excruciating pain. I never went to war but the training was extreme. The US required it if you are biologically male and between 18 to 25 years of age. The US considered people as pawns that can be freely disposed of. United States of America my ass. It was more like Authoritarian Dictatorship of America. I’m glad that Canada has control of the US now.” Devin barked.
“How come Dan never had to do any of that? He had a US citizenship.” Nia queried.
“Easy. First off he wouldn’t pass the fitness test. When I saw him at the airport he looked really scrawny. Second the US can’t just kidnap Canadian citizens and torture them. That’s a massive human rights violation that would give the US more penalties after their treatment of trans and non-binary people and huge ass tariffs and shit.” Devin replied.
“Dan’s trans.” Nia said.
“That’s an instant get out of military service free card.” Devin barked.
“At least my girlfriend wouldn’t get forced to go to some third world country and get his head blown off. He hates war and unnecessary violence.” Nia replied.
“Yeah, no one wants to risk their life. The end is a scary thing and no one truly knows what happens when that time comes. Don’t trust sketchy books from over 2000 years ago on what they say happens.” Devin continued.
“Yep. Like the Bible’s themselves stated our extinction would happen in the prophets life times and no one lives for thousands of years. I don’t think we’re extinct. So lies right in that book. The same books contradicts itself a lot. Love thy neighbor….” Nia barked.
“‘Love thy neighbor’ my ass. The books literally had their god say to kill every man, child, and non-virgin woman in a town to punish one rule breaker and take virgin women as sex slaves (Judges 21:10-14 New Living Translation and Exodus 21:7-11 New Living Translation). The same book series also says that the punishment for rape is for the offender to marry the victim they abused or if the victim doesn’t call for help they (both the offender and the victim) get stoned to death (Deuteronomy 22:28-29 New American Bible and Deuteronomy 22:23-24 New American Bible). Same book series also says to kill misbehaving children (Deuteronomy 21:18-21 King James Bible). This shit is why I’m a Satanist. I’m not going to hate people for their beliefs but I’m not going to believe in anything those beliefs say.” Devin barked.
“Satanic Temple Satanist philosophy is definitely far more tolerant. I’m not going to get stoned for being a black lesbian woman by those specific Satanists.” Nia replied.
“Exactly. One of the main tenets specify don’t be a fucking douchebag.” Devin barked.
Devin looked to his Porsche then back at Nia.
“We probably shouldn’t keep the others waiting. Also if you want to stay at my place for the time being after the funeral you’re fully welcome to settle in. I know that staying in the place owned by a dead friend would hurt a lot.” Devin said.
“I’d appreciate it.” Nia muttered.
* * * * *
Corey was leaning against the drivers door of his Lamborghini (which had it’s windshield replaced) while smoking a cigarette. He was dressed up in a black suit and black sunglasses. He was right in front of the entrance to East Westview Cemetery.
There was also a large red Ford Bronco right beside Corey’s Lamborghini. This is Digby’s new car.
Haddie (who was wearing the same clothes as Corey) walked out of the cemetery’s entrance, walked over to Corey and hugged him.
“I can’t believe this shit is happening.” Corey sighed.
“I can’t believe this shit’s happening either. I was not expecting to check Final Destination Effect getting disproven on my bingo card.” Haddie barked.
“You did say horror movies were bullshit to begin with.” Corey replied.
A minute later a hot pink Plymouth Barracuda parked between Corey’s Lamborghini and Digby’s Ford. Corey and Haddie could definitely hear the radio of the Plymouth playing Breed by Nirvana. The radio stopped and the car doors opened.
A black man and a Hispanic woman stepped out of the Plymouth and slammed the doors shut. Both people were wearing black suits as well. The man had short shaved jet black hair and the woman had long chestnut color hair.
They walked over to Corey and Haddie and the black man queried “Is Nia here?”
“Not yet. Devin’s picking her up.” Corey replied, “You’re her cousin AJ and that’s Rey with you I’m guessing?”
AJ nodded.
“How many people are we expecting to be here?” Haddie queried.
“Almost everyone is here. We’re just missing Nia, Devin, and two others.” Corey said, “Dan didn’t exactly have a ginormous friend group.”
A minute later Devin’s Porsche parked right beside Corey’s Lamborghini. Devin and Nia opened their doors and got out.
“There you two are! Finally! Devin you said you’d be back in twenty minutes. That was about two hours.” Corey barked.
“Yeah, yeah. Traffic was absolute shit.” Devin replied, “There was this one motherfucker who was going like five miles an hour on a sixty-five miles per hour road. There was another who had the audacity to block the whole road when their car broke down.”
“Of course. I despise those overly cautious and road hogging cunts.” Corey barked.
“Did Digby get the fireworks setup?” Devin queried.
“They should be setup. If they are half-assed though where a firework goes up someone’s rectum…. Oh ho ho ho ho ho, I’ll show him what a foot in the ass feels like.” Corey barked.
AJ walked up to Nia and hugged her.
“I absolutely get what you’re going through cuz. I also lost my best friend this year.” AJ said.
“You too?” Nia barked.
AJ nodded.
A minute later a black 64’ Impala parked right beside Devin’s Porsche. The drivers door opened and a blonde hair, blue eyed, suit and circular glasses wearing woman with multicolored star tattoos on the neck and a tattoo of a heart with the name Casey and an arrow the heart on their arm stepped out. The woman walked to the passengers door of her car and opened it.
A pile of beer cans spilled out onto the ground outside the car and a second woman also slumped out of the passenger door. This woman had had jet black hair, and a matching arm tattoo with the blonde hair woman that said Sid instead of Casey.
The blonde woman crouched down, started shaking the black hair woman, and started saying, “Casey! Casey wake up!”
Casey woke up revealing her green eyes and muttered “What happened, Sid?”
“The thirteen hour drive is over.” Sid replied.
Both Casey and Sid stood up while Corey stared at the couple.
“No offense Casey you look absolutely wasted. How much alcohol did you drink?” Corey said.
“Yeah. About twenty cans of beer.” Casey sighed.
“Can you toss me a cold one?” Corey queried.
“Uh, sure.” Casey replied.
She looked inside the Impala, grabbed an unopened beer, and tossed it overhead. Corey attempted to catch the can but it landed on the windshield of Corey’s Lamborghini smashing the newly replaced glass.
“Ohh whoever owns that car’s going to be mad.” AJ reacted.
Haddie glared at the broken window. She then flipped both the birds at the broken window and shouted “God fucking damn it I just paid to replace that!”
“I am so sorry about that. How much did that window cost?” Casey apologized while taking the beer, opening it, and then drinking it.
“Don’t bother. It’s my fault I can’t catch anything to save a life. Plus it’s my car. Plus the window would take you back by about the price of a new house.” Corey barked.
“It’s that expensive?!” Casey replied in shock.
“What car brand do you think it is?” Corey barked.
“Lamborghini?” Casey guessed.
“Bingo. These cars are obviously expensive. You don’t find many of them in Canada. You don’t find many mechanics who can replace windows on these either.” Corey replied.
Digby came out through the cemetery’s gates and said “The fireworks are ready. Yeah, Devin you’re right. I made the I’m a moron sign and I’ll streak across the town.”
“What’s he talking about?” Casey queried.
“Digby, good. Casey you don’t want to know.” Devin barked.
Corey glared at Digby and Devin and grumbled, “What’s he talking ‘bout?”
Digby glanced a glare at Devin and calmly said, “Don’t say it. Don’t say it!”
Devin smirked and barked, “He said Corey was a pathological liar for saying Dan died.”
Corey splashed Digby in the face with the cold beer in his hand. Everyone then scowled at Digby.
“Who lies about something that’s easily provable?” Casey barked.
“Just your loyal friend, Digby.” Corey said sarcastically.
“Shit.” Digby mumbled.
“C’mon let’s get the funeral started before I lose it. Everyone’s here.” Corey grumbled.
They all started walking through the gate and into the cemetery where waiting on the other side was a large closed wooden casket ready to be lowered into an empty grave as well as Sherry, Clemenselmers, and Aiden.
“You all stay there. Now onto what’s planned. We are spending 41 minutes listening to Dream Theater and then we’ll do an MCR song. After the music the departing gifts cause what other way to make people not forget you is to give away your shit from beyond the grave via what British people from the 1700s call a will. Modern day we just call it respect the notes in a notebook that says to give away your shit from the grave….” Corey started while he walked to the back edge of the fence.
“I prefer using the word will.” Devin interupted.
“We’re fucking calling it fucking respect the fucking notes in a fucking notebook that fucking says to fucking give away your fucking shit from the fucking grave!” Corey barked at high speed.
“Alright, alright. We’ll call it fucking respect the fucking notes in a fucking notebook that fucking says to fucking give away your fucking shit from the fucking grave.” Devin replied far slower than Corey.
“Wow, that was a lot of fucks.” Aiden said.
“There’s more where that came from if a certain jackass continues to piss me off.” Corey snapped.
“Me?” Devin queried.
“No! It’s fucking Digby.” Corey barked.
“Corey, you need to calm down. Like take a deep breath man. You don’t need to yell profanity constantly at people.” Sherry said calmly.
“Calm down…. I’ll calm the fuck down when I want to! Your fucking boyfriend pisses me the fuck off!” Corey yelled.
Corey took a long deep breath.
“I’m going to go outside and take a smoke break. I’ll be back when the Dream Theater song is about to end.” Corey said without snapping.
He pulled out a smartphone, opened an mp3 player app, set it to play Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence by Dream Theater with The Octavarian Orchestra, set the phone on casket, and walked out the gates.
Haddie walked up to Nia then pulled out from her pants and presented the notebook and the rusted metal plate that Dan had uncovered from where he used to work.
“What are these?” Nia queried.
“Before Dan died he said that these were for you.” Haddie replied.
Nia grabbed the notebook from Haddie and opened it to start reading it;
“To whoever receives this notebook, I apologize for what I put everyone through. I have to come clean. I know no one suspected a thing about this. My doctor diagnosed me with a rare incurable disease and said I only had a few weeks to live. I’ve been feeling most of the symptoms of it. The final symptom that would have killed me was extreme full body pain and the inability to move at all which happens a week before death. It’s hell and I didn’t want that scarring my friends for life. I know the other option I had isn’t that good either but hopefully it didn’t scar anyone as badly as me screaming in pain for one week straight. That’s why I burned down the place I worked at and fell from a couple stories intentionally. One, less mental scarring and two, less pain for me.”
“That explains why he was so confident about being alright and disproving the Final Destination Effect.” Haddie blurted.
Nia nodded, turned the page and continued reading.
“Knowing the end was coming, I wanted to do the things I dreamed of doing. I’ve always wanted to make a whole new reality that was better than this one. I accomplished that with a couple of my friends. I’ve also got to be with all the cool people in my life. I wished I could’ve spent more time with you all like we had been before the day I had to leave this plane of existence. I’d love it if my friends would continue maintaining the Virtual Reality world we created together. Now I’m going to say things that I was too scared to say when I was alive. The only thing people could do to me is things done to my body. Please don’t fuck my corpse like the guy in the Avenged Sevenfold music video for A Little Piece of Heaven did.”
Nia turned the page.
“Let’s start with my identity. I never felt like a man which my birth certificate says I am. I always felt awkward being referred to as male and I always got a voice in my head saying that it ain’t right. I don’t know if how I perceived myself was obvious or not so I’m throwing this here. I’ve also always wanted to change my name. Daniel is just so bland for me. I was thinking of changing to Jennifer Mae Sherly. The first two names based off two of my favorite video game characters that I wouldn’t get shat on for. Imagine I had Pizza in my name. God, that would make me hungry all the time haha. I would appreciate it if I was from now on referred as Jen with one n, Mae, Jenn with two n’s or Lady Mae. I know I probably won’t know if people will refer me like that in this state.”
Nia did another page turn.
“Now for the relationship part. I’ll keep this short since I pretty much said most of it above. Nia I appreciate that you let me stay with you when I got kicked out of my parents house without having anything to survive off of. I also appreciate that you moved in with me when I could afford a house. We’ve been together for like six years. We’ve grown on each other. And I’d like to say I love you. I’m sorry about everything that happened. I didn’t want to go so soon. I’m not scared of death. What I’m scared about is never seeing the people I care about again. No one knows what being dead is like. On a scientific stand point the brain gets turned off on death. You most likely wouldn’t know you are dead and you probably wouldn’t be sense or think of anything. I think all religion is bullcrap.“
Nia turned yet another page.
“Last thing on my mind that I’ve kept secret. Before I say it, I’m against the concept not the people that follow said concept. Fuck religion! Read Deuteronomy 22:28-29 and 22:23-24 of the New American Bible. Read Qur’an 65:4, 5:33, 9:29, 4:24, and 4:34. The Qur’an’s prophet was also a violent warlord and slave owner who married a six year old named Aisha. Anybody that uses religion to advocate for racism, misogyny, LGBTQ+phobia, murdering people for not believing in said religions/breaking said religions rules or messed up things with kids can piss off. Those religious standards are why I was scared of saying I’m trans because politics and religion dehumanize people like me cause they get all their energy and power destroying innocent lives.”
Haddie pulled out her phone, made a browser search, put the phone back in her pocket, and said “All of that is true and that is extremely screwed up.”
Nia nodded and continued reading.
“Hail Satanism which goes by science and moral ethics and not being a psychopathic ass. Now the last thing I’ll bring up, I’ve got one last thing to give everyone. Be sure to have the code on the metal plate in mind. You’ll need it. Then go to our Virtual Reality world. I won’t spoil the gift. I hope you all have the best in life and maybe we may come across each other in the future.”
Corey came back in to the cemetery.
“Now that is reasonable. I wouldn’t put people through hell either. It would have been better telling others first and maybe finding better solution though.” Corey said calmly.
Corey looked different he had a tired look on his face and the whites of his eyes were pink.
“Corey, how many cigarettes did you smoke?” Haddie queried.
Corey then held out his palms flat and had both palms about a few feet apart in height.
“That doesn’t answer the question.” Haddie barked.
Corey took out from his pocket four small black boxes with yellow stickers with a leaf and a circled 21+ on them.
“Where did you get weed from?” Haddie queried.
“Devin’s Porsche.” Corey replied.
“Oh oh oh you tried the good shit! That’s what I use to stay so chill most of the time.” Devin exclaimed.
“Yeah, and I feel a lot better now.” Corey replied, “I think it’s time to finish what we came here to do.”
Corey walked back up to the casket, picked up his phone, walked to the back fence, leaned on it and said, “Now’s the time for the grand finale. A stoned guy does the send-off. Keep the memories of the good times alive. We all got to carry on and continue the legacy and fulfill our friend’s wishes. Jenn thank you for all the good times and we’re honored to be asked to continue your legacy. We will fucking carry on.”
Corey set his phone to play Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance and started singing along.
When the song ended Corey shouted, “Cue the fireworks!”
Digby stuck a hand in a pocket and the firework launcher by Corey set off, sending the firework straight up Corey’s rear, and launching him into the air. Corey landed on the casket which leaned into the open grave where both Corey and the casket rolled over into the grave.
“He’s going to kill me.” Digby muttered.
“Oh that’s gotta hurt.” Devin barked.