Not Everything Is As It Seems

Chapter 17 - Part A

I decide that I need to do something. I'm getting restless just sitting around. I stand up.

I start walking in a random direction in this endless darkness. I put one foot in front of the other. I keep doing this. I keep walking straight, although it feels like I'm walking around and around in circles.

I keep walking until I see a light. I walk quicker until I almost break out into a run. I want to get out of this darkness. It's miserable. It's like it wants to pull me down. It's like it wants to keep me captive and not let me escape.

I don't want to be a miserable captive!

I don't, and I won't let myself be!

I keep trudging forwards. It feels like the darkness is trying to pull me back. It's like tentacles are trying to stop me, to keep me in the darkness. It's horrifying.

Finally, I'm only a few feet away from the light. I can see images in the light. I can see people, although they are blurry; the closer I am though, the clearer I can see of them. I feel like I know these people. No! I know that I know these people.

I keep running forwards, yanking my arm away from the inky black tentacles, that I can now see. The tentacles look sickly. That doesn't make me stop though, it just makes me run faster!

Finally, I cross. I cross over to the side that has light. I notice that the black tentacles can't get past the light. That makes me relieved.

I then collapse, to my complete surprise. My head feels like something is pounding on it, trying to split my skull open. I know that that isn't what is happening though. Something is just happening too fast for me to catch and figure out.

I'm forced to close my eyes.

As soon as my eyes are closed, I see images flash across my vision, what is impossible as my eyes aren't open. I soon realise that they aren't images. They're memories. My memories. My memories are flashing across my vision, showing me everything that has happened in my life.

They are showing me all of the good and bad that has happened.

Time skip

I've just been sitting here for a long time. I don't know how long. I've not done anything since my memories ended. Well, I have reflected about my past.

I'm just too shocked to move. My eyes are open, and they only blink every so often. I may also be trembling slightly.

I know that I'm dead, I just don't know where I am or what to do now.

Aren't you meant to go to the underworld when you die? Or have I faded? Has something different happened?

I just don't know what to do.

I hear a voice calling my name. The voice is old, full of wisdom. The voice is also young. The voice seems to be ageless, not belonging to a specific age group. I recognise this voice. I stand up and turn around to see Void walking towards me.

"Void, did it work?" I ask, my voice quiet but tinged full hope.

"Yes, you did it." He replies to my complete relief.

It's only now that I notice something different about this room... thingy I'm in. There are now three doors. All the doors are identical, and blue. Even with that though, I can tell that behind each door is a different thing that leads to something.

I turn my attention back to Void.

"Where are we?" I ask.

"That's a complicated question." Void says. "We are nowhere and everywhere."