[ WP ] When people die , they end up in a pub between dimensions before reincarnating in some other world . Your spouse killed you and then commited suicide . You meet in the pub ...

I've worked here since the last landlord decided to move on and passed the place down to me. Once day I suppose i'll be ready to move on too, but for now I quite like it here and I try to run a decent establishment. 
 
 When I was alive, I always wanted to run a pub. I'm not sure why I did n't, I guess I got caught up in life and it seemed like it would be too hard to figure out, but here things are much easier. The taps don ’ t run dry, the kegs are always full and the customers… well, there ’ s not much point in making them pay, as they don ’ t have any money and there ’ s nowhere to spend it if they did. 
 
 The place, as best as I understand it, is somewhere in between worlds. I don ’ t know what ’ s beyond here as I ’ ve never been. A lot of people, like me, seem to need a little time to consider things when they die, get themselves in some sort of order and then when they are ready, they finally move on. It ’ s often quite quick, people come in, have a drink, ask a few questions and then they head back out the door. Others, like myself, or Frank in the corner, have been here for a while. 
 
 Actually Frank has been here even longer than I have, but when I asked him why he didn ’ t take over after the last landlord, he simply waved away the question. “ Not my job ” He muttered with a half smile, before ordering another pint and retreating into his corner. 
 
 The girl, when she came in, has a shocked look on her face. It ’ s not uncommon, most people are a little surprised and so I lifted a hand and waved her over to the bar. 
 
 “ Where am… ” 
 
 I don ’ t like to be rude, but by the nature of this place, I don ’ t get much repeat business and so I tend to try to get the niceties out of the way first. Everyone wants to know the same things anyway and so I interrupted her to get them out the way. 
 
 “ Welcome to the Halfway House. Yes, I ’ m afraid you ’ re dead, but no, this isn ’ t the afterlife, or at least not the one that you ’ ll end up with. No, I don ’ t know what that afterlife will be like, I ’ m just another soul who is caught midway, but I work here serving drinks. You can leave any time and move on to your next life, or stay for a drink and get over dying for a bit. Drinks are free, yes I have everything. Yes that means anything. No, I have no idea what ’ s going on back on earth and no idea where we are, when we are or anything about what this place is. So, can I get you a drink? ” 
 
 She looked at me for a few moments with big confused eyes and then slipped onto a barstool. “ Something hard please. ” It wasn ’ t an uncommon request. German fruit spirits are both easy to drink and very alcoholic and they went down easily with her and she held her glass out for another drink. “ How did I die? ” 
 
 I shrugged. “ No idea, what ’ s the last thing you remember. ” 
 
 She looked vacant for a moment. “ I think… I think a nursing home? ” 
 
 I tried not to grin. “ Sounds like you made it to old age, kudos. ” 
 
 She looked down at her body. “ But I ’ m young… how did, how am I… ” 
 
 I shrugged again. “ Guess you wanted to be this age. ” 
 
 She spend a moment looking at her hands before drinking the next drink I ’ d put in front of her. Leaning back she let out a sigh and for the first time, as she relaxed, I could see how attractive she had been. It was kind of possible to see people here at all points in their lives and I ’ d got into the habit of looking over the whole lifetime of a person to see how they changed, it was something to do for fun. 
 
 She finally looked back at me. “ I wonder why I would have chosen to be this… ” 
 
 “ Hello Ruth. ” Her whole body froze as those two words were spoken. As if turned by an invisible force she rotated on her seat to look down the line to where Frank sat watching her closely. “ I ’ ve been waiting for you. ” 
 
 “ Fr…Frank? ” her whole body had stiffened and I could see the hairs on her arm were standing on end. “ Is that… how is… ” She trailed off quietly and a tear slowly traced down her cheek. 
 
 “ Hello Ruth. ” He said again, his voice almost a whisper. “ Thank you for coming. ” He stood and walked over to her, but stopped just short of her and stood, awkwardly. Frank had always looked like an old man to me; when I looked through his life his childhood had been clear and I could see a young man in his early life, but mostly he ’ d just looked old and defeated. Now though, he looked different, he was the young man who had seemed so… brief. 
 
 He reached out to Ruth and she looked at his hand for a long time before finally taking it and letting him pull her to her feet and wrapping her in his arms. They held each other fiercely, tears flowing freely down both of their faces. 
 
 At last she spoke, although she did not loosen her grip. Her voice was half muffled in his shoulder. “ Why Frank, why did you have to leave me behind? ” 
 
 His head shook. “ I ’ m so sorry Ruth. I was stupid and couldn ’ t see another way out. I didn ’ t mean to leave you, I thought you ’ d be better without me. ” 
 
 “ I never stopped Frank, I never stopped loving you. ” 
 
 He pulled her even tighter and his voice cracked with pain. “ I ’ m so, so sorry. ” 
 
 After a few minutes more they finally pulled apart and she sat down heavily on the seat. He stayed standing, but they kept their gaze on each other. I had stood back, trying not to intrude, but at last it felt like I could speak again. “ Are you okay, would either of you like another drink? ” 
 
 Frank looked from me to her, but she shook her head. “ I don ’ t need one now. I don ’ t need anything else. ” 
 
 He held his hand out again and she took it and stood; now I could see them both clearly, young, happy and in love. Hand in hand they walked to the door and he opened it for her, although she did not let go of his hand. She passed through and he followed, only pausing for half a moment to look back at me, smile and wave; he was finally moving on. 
 
 

