The first sign that something was wrong was that she was oddly, alone.

Not that Mindy disliked, or was scared of being alone even, but she had lived her entire life surrounded by people: see, people doing things for her. To her, it was not being spoiled, it was her destiny.

It was not her destiny to stand, wallowing, alone in the dark.

"Emily, pass me a flashlight will you." Came her default problem-solving skills, only hindered for a second by the lack of a maid. Through she was not quite at the frowning phase quite yet, a look of light agitation did spread across her features. Somewhere between hesitation and resignation, she took a single step.

Her foot stepped in something that was soft and squelched, just so. Oh great, probably someone's dead body, did people even have the decency to die somewhere other than right beside her? A little put-off, she took one step backwards. Unfortunately, her other foot also was reciprocated with the same response.

Both feet needing dry cleaning aside, Mindy had a slight, just tiny, problem. She was apparently stuck in a sea of something, she could not quite see, alone, and in the dark. While it might have sent other mild-mannered children screaming and crying, she was more just annoyed. Was it so hard to ask for a flashlight or something these days?

Another moment passed, exactly like the last before she finally decided, sucking in one deep breath, to just get it over with. Taking one soft squish-step, she ventured another, and another until-

- suddenly she was neck-deep in lukewarm liquid. Opaque shapes floated, invisibly black around her, bumping into her as she struggled to stay afloat, grabbing the closest object to her, legs beating. She didn't know how to swim, her grip was softening, where the heck was everyone?

"Emily?!" She called between coughs, trying to stay afloat: was it her imagination or was her body getting heavier now? "Dad?! Where is everyone, where the heck is-"

A flash of light, and suddenly, sharply ahead, everyone was there, staring down at her.

"Took you long enough," she wanted to remark, but couldn't. Her body was still there but her lips did not move. He eyes moved back and forth but her body stood still.

"What a shame." Was that her dad talking? "So young, my little girl."

Something fell from above her. Flecks of dirt. She wanted to scream, to demand them to stop this insane nonsense, but still, nothing, more dirt, piled on top of her motionless body. Paralyzed, she watched as they shoveled, remarking about her age, about how they would remember her, what were they saying she was still right here?

And it wasn't until she saw pure blackness again that Mindy snapped awake, still, eyes fluttering just briefly in confusion. Sunlight filtered just in small rays outside her curtains: her table with her homework Death Diary was still as she had left it.

Well, that had definitely been a stupid dream: her coffin had been uneven, for crying out loud.