So what happened then ?

Sorry if I'm a bit incoherent just now. I've had rather a nasty shock - it wasn't the snake. It looks like someone really wanted me out of the way, for some reason, so they poisoned me when no-one was looking. Maybe they spiked my drink or something. I don't know what with just yet. Apparently they're waiting for "toxicology" or something to get back to them. Last thing I heard that could take a couple of days. Great.
So now here I am, still feeling more than a bit lost, and all I've got to think about is who could hate me that much to want me dead - what's worse, so far, I've only got one name coming up - like a bad penny - oh, that's a bit of a give away, isn't it. Well, who else could it be? Who else would want to ? Nobody else I can think of would be that bothered - I know they might not cry too much about me not being there, but to actually do something - no, would be far too much of an effort - and not a nice thing to do either. We may make bitchy comments about each other, but there's no way any of them would take it that far. Apart from the fact they wouldn't know how to, anyway. I know I wouldn't.
One of the problems with being dead is it cuts out any opportunity for the sort of detective work that would sort this out - well, at least any stuff that involves physically touching things. Like looking for clues, that sort of thing. Not that I'd normally be into that, not my idea of a good time messing with that stuff, but in this case, I think I'd make an exception. It's kind of important to me - as in personal. Very personal. So how do I find out what happened and maybe see who did it? I know one of his friends was recording it all, on some sort of video thing, and I reckon there might just be the odd bit on there that might show someone messing with the drinks. If I'm lucky, that is. That's my best bet - provided they actually got them on camera, which might be a bit optimistic, given all the other stuff that was going on.
I can't actually go up there and watch the video, though. All I can do is hang around, feeling like someone's bit on the side - just waiting for them to say or do something. Plus you only get an hour or so away from the underworld at a time. The chances of that coinciding with someone playing that video are a bit slim.
Why ? I don't think it's a video that gets played a lot. For some reason, you kind of get the impression he isn't that keen on watching the love of his life being bitten by a snake and dropping down dead. Not exactly what he wanted to watch, I reckon. Not at all like the wedding video he must have been planning for. I may have been wearing white, well cream actually, but that's where it stops. No comparison.
And what's more, no-one up there can hear a word you say, so you're wasting your time trying to drop hints. "Go on, try playing that video where your fiancee dies, watch it over and over again so you can see what else might be going on in the background. Try looking over there by the drinks tray" Even if he could hear me, chances are he wouldn't do it. I wouldn't if I were him.
His friends are the same, no point dropping hints to them either. Believe me, I tried. Absolutely pointless. Deaf, the lot of them, and dumb too, but that's just men for you. Typical. No idea.

It's getting to me quite a bit, this not knowing who did it. There's acouple of reasons for that - part of me's a bit worried that even if I do get back( which I hope is what happens at the end of this), there's no guarantee they won't try it again. Whoever they are. Great. So it could happen again. If I can't work out who and why, I won't know what to look out for. What's more, I don't think anyone can get rescued from the underworld more than once after they've died - so even if I get back this time, I'll have to be on my toes pretty much all of the time to make sure it doesn't happen again - and then I'd really end up dead - and permanently, too. So it's really important that I find out who did it and sort them out. Which isn't easy to do from down here.

The next thing I start thinking about is what's he up to, how's he feeling - is he missing me ? Well, for a start, he does seem dead upset - when I'm up there he spends a lot of time beating himself up about what happened, and saying how it's all his fault, how he never should have done it, obviously feeling very sorry for me - and for himself - so OK, I say, hold on to that feeling, that's pretty much the effect I wanted to have - but it's not quite right, now, somehow, it was all supposed to be a game and now it's dead serious. Well, it is to me anyway.
What I really, really want to know is when he's going to come down here to try and bring me back like he promised. The worrying thing is it might be if, which I don't want to think too hard about.
So I'm saying "come and fetch me, like now, please, I'm waiting....hello ? Are you too busy or something ?
If there's an answer, I don't hear it.

All right, I do know that if he doesn't show up, I get to go back anyway - and if that's how it turns out I think it'll be interesting listening to him explain why he didn't - while I'm busy detaching his bits with an axe and scissors and stitching them to his forehead. Or somewhere equally obvious to the general public. Well, he'd deserve it, wouldn't he, having promised and all.
But what if he doesn't care enough to try - where does that leave me ? OK, so I'm back up there, but I'm not sure what the point of it all is. It would prove he didn't care enough, and I'd be left with nothing. It was supposed to test him, not me. This is really difficult for me. Then I think about what happens if he does show up and manages to mess it up on the way back up there so I end up here permanently ? That's something else I don't want to think about. Don't think I could stand it.

So how long exactly am I supposed to wait for him to show up? - days ? weeks ? months? years ? I've realised that my deal with the man down here didn't say how long I had to wait before I could get away, and now he won't say. I did ask him.
Could be a while, he says, just hang around a bit, I'll let you know when it's time. Persephone waited quite a long time, he says, and even then she still has to come back and stay for a bit. Fancy a pomegranate? And he laughs. I don't think that's funny.
In fact the whole set-up isn't funny - no fun at all. Dead people are more than a bit creepy, they're always touching you up ( well, me anyway) - and given you haven't actually got a body and nor have they, it's only the thought that counts, but believe me, they think it and you can feel it. What's more you can't threaten them - what are you going to say - stop it or I'll kill you ? - well, you can say it, but they just laugh at you and carry on anyway. I've tried. They do.

So now I'm going up there every chance I get, just to try to find out what's going on, what they're up to. Last time I went up they were sorting out my funeral - deciding who's going to say what - seriously upsetting from my perspective. And what's more, there's that Penny - she's in tears quite a bit and claiming she's dead upset too and wants to help him cope - so she's offering to read a poem or something - something by Sappho, she says - excuse me, but she'll do that over my dead body - and I'm begging him to say no, I want to do it myself, anyway you didn't really like her that much, and then I'm thinking how insensitive could she get - doesn't she realise he's grieving and you're all over him, then I'm thinking how insensitive is he, because the bastard let her - and I've just realised that's exactly what she will do - read it over my dead body - and there's nothing I can do about it. Not a nice feeling.

And now I've go to go back down again and face the dead people. I just wish he'd get a move on and come and rescue me - what's he waiting for ? It's been two days, and I don't think I can stand much more of this. Hurry up and fetch me! Now! Please. OK, I did say please. Pretty Please? Please do it. Soon. Help me. Please.