The Omega Existence

Chapter 14

Ben roused from his bed, his mind still half asleep and his vision blurred. He glanced down to discover he was in a nightgown. Exploring his surroundings ben noticed a familiar pinewood desk with a bright monitor screen running. The black executive chair on wheels was facing him as if someone had been sitting there watching him. Ben recognised his childhood room and his old bed. He could see the mismatched wardrobe, doors hanging open to reveal shirts shoved onto coat hangers and jeans piled in a mess on the ground.

The clanging ring of church bells echoed from down the road. Checking the clock Ben gasped as he saw the time, five past nine! He had to get to church studies! Ben ran out the room and down the stairs opening the front door and rushing into the front yard, without a single pause to change from his nightgown. A golden light glared down at him as he stepped outside, burning his eyes and blinding him. The clanging of the church bells began again, they were calling him now, waiting for him.

Ignoring the blinding light, Ben opened the towering metal gate in his front yard and passed through the small brick opening that lay before him. Ben stopped running and looked back to discover his street gone, his house now a faded memory, he was alone once again. Sounds of flowing water filled his ears until suddenly he was knee-deep in a crystal clear and tranquil lake. It spread from one side to the other for as far as Ben could see, except behind him a small stone dam had been built, stopping the water from continuing into the expanse of water beyond. The church bells rang again followed by the soft sound of children’s laughter.

“Hello!” Ben called out, to be answered only with the echo of his own cry.

“Hello!” Ben called again, still with no reply.

A solid ring of a, much larger bell rang true and clear, echoing within Ben as if he were standing beneath it. It was followed immediately by the golden light again glaring down from the sky above, blinding him in its glare. Looking down to hide his eyes from the glare Ben noticed the lake now had a current, a steadily increasing one. A glance to the dam was enough for him to be sure the small, loosely laid rocks wouldn’t hold.

Something tore at his shin like the small bite of a knife piercing skin. He looked down to see a tiny nugget of gold float past him. He followed the piece as it made its way towards the dam. Another bite tore into the back of his right leg, and he watched another piece of gold, this time a thin wire of gold slip past him. Ben looked back towards where the river flowed from and stood awestruck as he saw a barrage of gold floating down towards him, carrying with it a current that had begun to grow faster and stronger.

It wasn’t long before Ben was hurdling rocks of gold the size of his chest, diving and rolling in and out of the water like a madman in an attempt to avoid getting smashed against the damn. He didn’t want to go to the dam, something deep inside told him that was the worst place for him to be, and so he ran, ran towards the oncoming missiles of gold as if his life depended on it.

“You’re not saving anyone!” A voice echoed throughout the lake as if the very air could speak. Ben couldn’t understand what the voice meant so he didn’t bother to reply. His desperate struggle to survive was all he could focus on, if only there were somewhere he could rest.

“All those lives lost!” The voice emerged again before fading with a chuckle. Ben couldn’t stop now he jumped aside to avoid another large rock of gold, his foot slipped as he landed, stepping on a smaller piece of gold under the water, Ben braced for the fall with his hands. Water rushed up his nose and down his throat, the taste of metal and salt flooding his throat. He pushed himself up again coughing up water to see the largest rock so far, glittering in gold smash against his face, his arms hugging it like a giant ball he suddenly heard a desperate cry rise from the golden rock, like a man trapped inside, so wild with fear his voice had become but a shriek of hysterical fear.