Event ~ Unbound

I opened my eyes.

It felt like countless ages had gone by since I had tried this.

Was it all a dream?

Nah, couldn't have been. This was my reality.

Countless eras had gone by. People, good and bad, had lived and died. There were times of prosperity, and times of depression. The world had been pushed to the brink time and time again, but the humans who had lived on that azure marble had always found a way to bounce back. It was just their nature. They had always lived like this.

But now, the era of humans was over. Not due to their own shortcomings, no. The world, rather, space around them had evolved, and they were unable to adapt. The sun swallowed the planet whole as it expanded.

And of course, this would continue until it eventually turned into a red giant, and collapsed in on itself, condensing into a white dwarf before poofing into the graceful hands of nothingness.

And once again, I was alone.

Why hadn't I passed on, like the rest of them? What made me so different?

I balled my fists, screaming into nothingness. I knew my voice wouldn't register, but I screamed anyway.

This wasn't fair.

I missed them.

I hated being the youngest in my family. Mother and Father never got a chance to see me grow up. Everyone else graduated from college, and here I was, two days from graduating high school.

There's no one to celebrate my achievement. Bummer.

I blinked my eyes, as I drifted through the vast nothingness. Just me, myself and I. The remains of our solar system had vanished ages ago, unlike me.

I was cursed with this immortal body, doomed to spend the rest of my days searching for the affection I could never received, simply because it did not exist.

I thought of my rival, way back when. She was a pompous girl, always trying to get the better of me. Occasionally we would punch each other's throats in, but deep down, I'm sure she felt the same respect I did for her.

Never once did I get the chance to thank her for being my friend. How regretful, I am.

I strained my eyes into the black night, desperately trying to see if there were any stars left. My hope knew no boundaries, as I didn't exactly have a choice.

How far was Alpha Centauri again? Was the system still operational, even?

Shrugging and sighing, I drifted. Sure, I had control, but at this point, it didn't matter. All I had to do was go where my current velocity would take me.

Even if it took me to the edge of the universe.

I was completely fine with that. Life had no meaning if I was the only one left.

...

I craved affection. Desperately.

I needed a hug, a kiss. A pat on the head, someone to ruffle my silver locks.

But not a single person existed to do such things, not anymore.

The only person left to do that was, well, me. And sadly, I was the last person I'd ever ask to do that to myself.

They say before you can love others, you must love yourself, but I think that's bullshit. I'm the only reason I'm even in this mess to begin with.

I curse the day I was born. Even hell would be better than this monotonous purgatorium.

Wait.

Sound wasn't supposed to transmit through space, but I heard something.

Ah!

A black hole!

Please, render my body from my soul! Make me return to the dust I was formed!

As I felt my body being pulled in by its force, I closed my eyes and smiled.

Yes.

You might think I'm some kind of lunatic, sure. But when you get to my age, you'll understand that there isn't much in life if all of your friends have ceased to exist.

Because, my good reader, my only friend, let me give it to you straight. A godlike body ain't worth shit in the long run. Unless, of course, you're physically ill or a sociopath.

Having friends and other people around who love and cherish you is already godlike.

At least, that's what I thought, as my body was rendered into spaghetti. The everlasting void drew me in, and pulled me apart, head to toe. Closing my eyes, I sighed in triumph.

Guys, I'm coming. Please wait for me.

Nothing but the roar of silence.

Still nothing.

Nothing.

But

It wasn't killing me.

I'm still here.

I'm still awake.

Why am I still awake?

The void eventually stopped, spitting me out on the other side before disappearing.

I screamed in anger. Just my luck. The only person in recorded history to survive a black hole. How is this even possible?

Still bound to the ever present torture that is my life, I sagged my shoulders, part defeat and part acceptance. There was no escaping it. The only person who would ever live to infinity would be me, and I hated it.

Every trial, my body would overcome it, but my brain would eventually turn to mush, cursed with the loss of everything I ever lo-

My body stopped floating forward, as my back hit something. What the hell?

I turned myself around, trying to push. It seemed like there was an infinite space in front of me, but there also was a wall I could feel?

Wait, wait! I...

I made it.

The edge of the universe.

There was only one thing I could do, to end the madness.

This was a new beginning. No more monotony, at least? Was this the barrier between heaven and earth? Or earth and hell?

Didn't matter. I needed something new.

I reeled back and punched it.

A visible crack in reality formed, so I punched it again.

Once more.

And stepping through that crack, I began my life anew.