It was pitch dark, darker than the darkest color. I couldn't see anything, I couldn't hear anything. It was like I was floating in an endless river. I couldn't tell if I was on the ground, nor if I was on any surface. I was just floating.
'Am I dead?'
The words sank in, as I knew I wasn't dead. If I was dead, then I wouldn't be able to hear my thoughts, but something was strange, I couldn't feel any wind, nor hear a single sound. It was like… I was in a void of nothingness.
'Where in the world am I?'
At this point, I couldn't even tell if my eyes were opened or not, because of how pitch black everything was.
I tried to speak but my voice couldn't be heard, I tried again but still nothing, no matter how much I tried talking, I couldn't hear myself.
'Am I a ghost? Because I'm certain I died on that train. If I did die then is this the after-life? Or perhaps, what it's supposed to be like.'
I wouldn't know because I've never died. But it was strange, I couldn't feel my legs nor my hands—I didn't even know if I have any limbs.
Just as I was about to think more of it, a light suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It was small, in a far distance but I could see it.
With this, I confirmed my eyes were open, but still I was unable to feel anything.
The light flickered on and off, like it was trying to tell me something, but I couldn't figure out what it meant.
Just then, another light at the same distance appeared. Now they were two lights, glowing, or rather dancing I would say. They displayed pure gold and brown colors almost identical to stars.
'But what would the stars be doing in a place like this?'
The words sank in my head and for a moment I thought of various possible places I could be while witnessing the stars in front of me.
There was none.
I quickly brushed the thought off, as another star appeared, then another, and another. They kept appearing until there were a dozen stars, more than I could count.
At this point, the darkness was lit by millions of stars and I could see everything in place. I was surrounded by beautiful glowing stars, each cascading with their own unique colors.
I didn't know why they were here or what was happening, but one thing was certain, this wasn't an ordinary sight.
'Am I in space?'
I tried to look at myself to see if I had any limb, but there was nothing. I didn't see any legs, nor hands. It didn't even seem like I had a body.
Although, I could feel myself floating—around the void. I didn't know this earlier because it was dark, but now I see. I was moving.
It felt like I was a dust, or perhaps a particle from something. No body, no voice, only a vision and a consciousness.
This was unreal.
While I was thinking of what I didn't even know to think about, a voice cut through the silence.
"YOU HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED!"
The voice was grand. It carried a heavy pressure with it, like gravity itself was being dragged as it spoke. But there was no gravity, if anything the laws of physics didn't apply here.
I tried looking around to identify where the voice came from, but I couldn't make out any figure or being.
'I don't even know what I was looking for.'
"SPEAK OR CAN'T YOU TALK?!"
The voice spoke again—a male voice, with such authority and power. At this point, I didn't know what to do or say. I couldn't speak, and even if I tried it wouldn't hear anything, so how did it except me to respond?
'No I can't speak. Who are you?'
I replied within my thoughts, not like it was going to answer me but that was all I had.
However, I was wrong.
"OH… MY BAD!" the voice said, with a disappointed tone. "IT SEEM LIKE WE TOOK AWAY YOUR ABILITY TO TALK, IT'S PROBABLY A MISTAKE FROM ON OF THE STAFFS!"
'One of the staff? What is this thing even talking about. And also it can hear my thoughts?'
"YES I CAN HEAR YOU THOUGHTS. BUT THAT'S ONLY LIMITED BECAUSE YOU ARE HERE."
At this point I was puzzled. Not sure why I was confused though. Was it because a random nothing was talking to me? Or that it could hear my inner thoughts?
It didn't make sense, but there was nothing I could do, than go along with it.
'And what exactly is this place if I may ask?'
"OH THAT? I-"
As the voice was about to speak, I interrupted it.
'Wait! You haven't answered my first question. Answer that first, then you can answer the latter.'
The voice chuckled at my request as if what I said was funny.
"HAHA… YOU ARE A FUNNY ONE. NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY MADAM &@#$+$($- CHOSE YOU!"
'What just happened? At some point I didn't understand what it said.'
"FINE. I WILL ANSWER YOUR FIRST QUESTION!"
The voice paused for a while as though it was about to say something important. But I guess it's valid, because it was about to say its name.
"JUST WAIT A SECOND, I'M TRYING TO PUT BACK MY BELT!"
'What? Is it in the toilet or something.'
I was puzzled by its statement, as that sounded rather unlikely. But anything at this point was possible.
"YEAH, I'LL SOON BE OUT."
'Oh, I forgot it could hear my thughts!'
After the voice spoke, I didn't hear from it again and after a while, another voice came.
"SIR @$&&--$--$ WHAT ARE YOU DOING? HAVE YOU ATTENDED TO YOUR TASK YET?"
A female voice spoke, and it felt like she was talking to someone else, and just like the previous time, I couldn't understand a part of the sentence.
'Hello?! Is someone there?'
I decided to say something since the previous voice left me for time I couldn't even comprehend.
My guess 20 seconds?
Ha! Who am I kidding, I'm in a void with no gravity, what makes me think there will be time?
"WHAT?! SO YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED YOUR TASK AFTER ALL, AND YOU ARE TALKING A DUMP?!!!"
The female voice shouted and from what the previous voice said about a 'belt', I was certain she was talking to him.
"I'M SORRY LADY &#+#+-# BUT I JUST COULDN'T HOLD IT ANYMORE!"
'Just who are these people?'
*_*
After what felt like an eternity of loneliness, with no words from both voices, I started to feel like I was going to be stuck here for a while.
However, I did gather some Information from that small conversation. If I was dead, then those people are probably the ones to lead me to the gate on the other side.
But one thing was stuck in my thoughts.
'What did the male voice mean when it said; it could see why ___ chose me?'
That didn't make sense, for one I didn't hear the lady's name and the second who could this lady be?
I thought for a while, then I remembered something I missed during the period of my death.
'The lady from the train?!'
'The lady disappeared after I went to save her son; which he wasn't. There was no sign of her jumping out of the train because all windows were intact and even if she tried she wouldn't be able to break the glass.'
The whole theory got stuck in my head as I became certain that everything all started from that moment.
'Who was the lady? And why did she disappear?'
I wasn't certain since this was all just a useless theory I came up with on the spot. However, something was indeed fishy.
Just then the voice kicked in again, carrying with it a massive shiver in the void.
"HA… APOLOGIES I'M BACK, LADY &#+#+-# SURE GAVE ME A LOT OF TALKING."
There it is again.
"NOW BACK TO WHERE WE WERE. MY NAME IS @$&&--$--$ AND I AM YOUR GUIDANCE TO YOUR NEXT WORLD."
I was puzzled, curious by its statement, and then decided to ask.
'Next world? What do you mean?'
There was a brief pause, then the voice spoke again. This time whining.
"UGH… I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M DOING THIS YET AGAIN. I'LL JUST SUM IT UP FOR YOU. FIRSTLY, WHEN YOU DIED YOUR SOUL WAS INCOMPLETE-!"
'Hold o-'
I was about to interrupt the voice at the mention of 'incomplete' however it has already caught on, and interrupted me first.
"LET ME FINISH, THEN YOU CAN ASK YOUR QUESTIONS!"
I was silent.
"WHEN I SAY INCOMPLETE, I MEANT YOUR SOUL HADN'T ACCOMPLISHED IT'S SWORN TASK AND IT WAS UNABLE TO PASS ON TO THE NEXT LIFE, SO IT LINGERED. SO IT'S OUT JOB TO TAKE THOSE SOULS AND GIVE THEM A NEW PURPOSE TO COMPLETE, SO THE CIRCLE WOULDN'T BE BROKEN. IS THAT CLEAR?!"
'Um… yes?'
To be honest, it wasn't, but I wasn't ready to make it go back and repeat everything it had just said. Although, I did get a little message from what it spoke about.
'And is there a place or world you would be sending me to? I mean you mentioned something about that earlier.'
"YES THERE IS. AND IT WOULD BE A WORLD JUST SIMILAR TO YOURS, YOU WILL AWAKEN THERE AND LIVE A LIFE WITH ANOTHER PURPOSE, ONE YOU ARE PRIVILEGED TO PICK YOURSELF!"
'So let me get this straight. Not only will I be reborn, but also, I'll be able to pick my own destiny?'
"EXACTLY!"
'And this new world, am I going to be reborn as a baby or as an already grown person?'
"THAT IS NOT SOMETHING I CAN DECIDE. THAT'S THE WORK OF THE HIGHER UPS. MY JOB IS TO LAY YOU THE RIGHT INFORMATION AND THEY WILL TAKE CARE OF THE REST."
I paused for a while, trying to put the entire piece together. If I was going to another world, then it would either be a Reincarnation or Transmigration—based on what I'd seen in novel.
But now I didn't exactly know which one. And it said something about this next world would be exactly as my previous one.
Does that mean there would be technology and stuff. Ugh, why isn't it a fantasy one where I wouldn't have to get a low paying job to survive.
'So is there anything else I should know?'
As I asked, there was a bit of hesitation in the voice as though it wanted to say something but was prevented from.
"NO THERE ISN'T. NOW BE PREPARED, FOR YOU ABOUT TO GO YOUR NEXT LIFE. AND REMEMBER, CHOSE A PART THAT YOU WOULD COMPLETE AND TRY NOT TO DIE AGAIN BEFORE IT'S COMPLETED."
Why does it sound like it's scolding me?
'Right!'
'One question though, if I may ask?'
"GO ON!"
'Why am I in a void of stars. It's almost identical to that of the space in my previous world?'
"UM… THAT I DON'T KNOW. IT'S PROBABLY A PLACE THAT COMES FROM THE SOUL'S INNER CORE. LIKE A DESIRE TO BE IN A CERTAIN PLACE. FOR EXAMPLE, FOR SOME PEOPLE IT WOULD BE A RIVER, OTHERS A FIELD OF GRASS, OR EVEN A CLUB BUILDING. IT'S THERE SOUL'S CHOICE. AND FOR YOU, IT IS SPACE."
'Oh I get it now. So this place was created from my inner most desire.'
"EXACTLY. NOW IT'S TIME FOR YOUR DEPARTURE."
I got ready as the words left the voice, although it wasn't as though there were anything to get ready for, than my consciousness.
My vision lingered on the stars, the silence taking over, and just then each star began fading, disappearing into nothingness, bringing the darkness to its peak again.
Although, while other stars had disappeared one remained, and I could instantly tell it was the first one to appear. It flickered again, just like earlier, and this time I was certain it was telling me something, but I still couldn't understand it's meaning
"YOU WILL ARRIVE IN 5, 4, 3, 2, OH SHIT!"
There was a sound countdown from the voice and just as it was about to hit 1, the last star exploded, and for a moment the entire space was lit by a stellar light.
My vision flickered at the beautiful view it created. Beautiful, yet it carried with it a heavy feeling. Before I knew it I was been pulled backwards, far away from where the star had exploded.
Was it message? I couldn't tell, but I could still here the voice ranting in panic.
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? CAN'T YOU EVER DO SOMETHING RIGHT? YOU HAVE JUST MADE A VERY IMPORTANT SOUL LOST IN THE VOID OF NOTHINGNESS AND IT CAN'T BE RETRIEVE. OH WHAT AM I GOING TO TELL MADAM &@#$+$($-? WHAT AM I GOING TO TELL THE HIGHER UPS?"
The voice was ranting all and all about what a fuck up had occured. It would seem like the plan of the place I was supposed to be sent too had been breached and there was nothing they could do about it.
So what it going to happen to me? What would become of me?
The voice began to faded as I was drifting away from my initial position. I didn't know what was going on, or what was going to happen. But for some reason I felt calm and though everything was going to be alright.
Just then, I saw the same star again.
'I thought it had exploded.'
Was this a sign of hope? Or something even more? I couldn't tell. At this point my vision was getting blurred, while the star before me got further and further away, to the point where I would see anything anymore.
It began pitch dark once more.
•
•
•
I could hear the sound of chanting, no singing. The voice of a bird singing a marvelous melody.
I couldn't see, but I could hear.
'What's going on?'
I could hear my thoughts, and I knew I wasn't dead. I could feel something, it was hot—more like 'heat'. I tried opening my eyes and for a second it opened, but then it closed. I tried to open it opened again but it closed back.
I took a moment and tried again, this time it opened.
Before me was a beautiful blue and white image. The blue was grand and general, while the white were a lot and separated—moving in the same order. It was bright and familiar. I recognized it.
"Wait! that's the sky!"