Out of the Depths

"Have I died?" She asked in a trembling voice, looking about her. It had only felt like minutes since she'd last closed her eyes. Yet everything looked so different, she didn't recognize anything in this place she'd called home.
The man turned to look back at her. "That depends, sweetheart." He said in a low tone. "Do you want to remain dead?"
Remain. Dead? She was DEAD! She didn't feel dead! "I'm not dead." She whispered.
He shook his head. "You are for now."
"No I'm not!" Her voice rose shrilly. "I can't be! I have so many--!" She cut off sobbing. She didn't know what she had many off, her memory was so foggy. She shouldn't be dead yet. She was meant for more.
"You're meant for more than wandering around lost, little one." The man said holding out his hand to hers. "Let me help you."
"Help me how?" She whispered brushing at her cheeks though they were not wet.
"Find you a new purpose." He said calmly, hand still outreached. "Your sort always get a second chance. If you choose to take it."
A second chance? "Will it hurt?" She asked holding her hand to her chest. Staring at his outreached one.
"Maybe a bit worse than how you died." He admitted after a minute.
She shivered. Died. She couldn't be dead! Yet she vaguely remembered being slammed into from behind like a bulldozer ramming her over and squishing her flat. How could it be worse than that?
"I don't have all day, little one. You need to choose."
"Choose life?"
He nodded. "A second chance. You were taken too soon."
She bit her lip, fingers twitching. There had to be a catch. But she desperately wanted to end this nightmare. She wasn't dead! She reached out and grabbed his hand.
He smiled, his hand warm on hers. For the first time she could feel another's hand again! "Welcome back child." He said, squeezing hers tightly. He suddenly stepped forward, a flash of metal darting into her chest.
She screamed, her face of hope twisting into agony as she convulsed.
"I told you...it would hurt worse." His voice drifted past her, as the warmth of his hand faded from hers.
She struggled, eyes dimming, trying to find what pierced her heart. Her hands closed around...nothing. She fell to her knees. Bruising them against the rocky beach front. She coughed, spewing out sea water from her burning lungs.
Water flowed around her, terror rose with it, and with legs that moved like lead, she splashed her way further up onto the beach, collapsing just out of range of the crashing waves that had brought her out of its depths.

-Inspiration from Article about Cabbies in Japan picking up Ghost Passengers from the 2011 Tsunami.