Long Live L'Manberg

Chapter 15: Limbo

Tommy opened his eyes, or at least he thought he did. 

He opened them again, his heart racing in confusion. Why couldn't he see? Again and again, he tried, but he was still met with nothing but darkness. His body was relieved of tension when he realized the world around him was just one vast black abyss.

"Huh," he thought out loud. "So this is death."

But something wasn't right. This couldn't be it. There was nothing here! Wasn't the afterlife supposed to be filled with rich blue skies and lush gardens? It was awfully bleak compared to what he had read about in books. He spun in circles, desperately looking for a sign of life in this abyss of ink. Was this heaven? Hell? Neither? Tommy took a few steps forward, but it didn't make a difference. Only a dark sea of inky black lay ahead of him for miles, it was almost depressing.

"Hello?!" Tommy's cry for help was enveloped by the nothingness surrounding him. It was almost like space, sound didn't travel far if it did at all.

The boy's heart began to sink, an overwhelming feeling of sadness causing him to become incredibly lonely. He missed his brother, his friends, his life. The worst part of it all was that he could never get it back. You only live once, and what a waste it all was.

His body crumpled to the ground, his arms cradling his legs close to his head as he sat down, burying his face into his knees. This wasn't fair- it couldn't end like this. There was nothing for him here. If he was being completely honest with himself, he would have rather had to take a dip in the infamous lake of fire than be stuck in this bleak afterlife. Even if it meant suffering, he would at least have something. He could at least feel alive.

Before he could conjure up another thought, the ground before him vanished as he fell deep into the void. He let out an ear-piercing shriek as he plunged forward into the abyss. It consumed him like a black hole, the world beginning to close up like a vortex. Visions of bright white suddenly scorched his eyes as he desperately tried to shield himself from going blind.

After only being departed for a few seconds, Tommy could feel his back collide with something soft and cushiony, a rush of adrenaline entering his body. The smell of rain entered his lungs as he began to slowly inhale and exhale, his heart beginning to beat once again.

Welcome home.