A small rock hovered in the stagnant and unchanging darkness, on that rock sat a lonely hollow shadow wearing the visage of man.
The shadows empty eyes stared across the vast darkness, watching the memories of countless long lost worlds circling round it's rock as broken pieces of glass reflecting what they once were.
The small insignificant rock the shadow sat on was it's entire world everything it knew, everything it ever saw, everything it ever experienced.
It all surmounted to a little rock.
Maybe even less than that, it didn't really know, it really didn't know anything, it had never once lived, never once been called by it's name, never once thought, It had never even breathed.
Yet it had still lived, it was still life.
But now watching these worlds which were filled with something other than darkness, something other than nothingness.
Worlds were everything seemed to have meaning, nothing was just born to die.
The shadow was in awe of the fleeting reflection, which showed him glimpses, of endless blue skies that sometimes cried, that were sometimes filled of little shining dots that illuminated the world, that were sometimes painted crimson by the falling sun, of large plains filled of green luscious grass that stretched far and wide touching the horizon.
Of worlds filled of water, were giant creatures lived beneath the sea.
Of worlds were the sky and earth were inverted.
Of worlds were the inhabitants were titans who could touch the very heavens.
Worlds which were nothing but a concept.
Worlds which were plagued by war and death.
A spark of light stood in it's empty eyes birthing forth a seed of thought and consciousness that took root in the lonely shadows very being.
The shadow had never once wanted for anything, never once had ambitions or a thought it could call it's own.
In the endless darkness, watching these short reflection, it had lived, lived more than it ever had now it had a wish.
It wished deep within were no being could hear, it wished to stay on that rock forever.
But Soon, one by one the floating shards of glass shattered into a million pieces, the shadow stretched out it's arm but then retracted back.
it seemed it's precious dream was ending.
A graceful white mask slid unto it's face hiding an unknown expression as the shadow lowered it's head.
The millions of shards circled round the shadow's little rock like a storm of stars, each showing an image of a million worlds as if rewarding the lonely shadow for it's affection.
As the shadow raised it's head the spark in it's empty eyes danced threatening to burn like a raging flame, it's pristine white mask crack revealing a fleeting smile that nothing would ever see.
A good ending to a wonderful dream.
...
Some distance away, a being of blue incandescent light stood behind the lonely shadow.
At first the light being was frightened by the shadow, it was completely empty, no thoughts, no emotion, no presence.
It was as if there was nothing there, just absolute emptiness such a thing could not be called a soul in fact it could not be called anything.
Worst than a corrupted soul, worst than a lost soul.
How could something be nothing.
It must have been a mistake or maybe a tragic experience that shattered it very being turning it to an echoe of what it used to be.
Whatever it was the being of light decided to ignore it and turned towards the black door standing in the distance.
The light being had spent time untold searching for the damn thing and he wasn't going to let it get stolen by anyone or anything.
It was his and his alone.
As he marched towards the door, a delightful smile spread across his face, it would periodically send an intense glare towards the shadow, making sure it hadn't made any moves to take his find.
But the shadow never moved, never flinched, it was as if it was oblivious to him, the all important door and everything else around it.
Well not everything.
The shadow was completely obsessed with the shattered mirrors that circled around the little rock and from time to time it would feel a strange emotion pulsating from the shadow to him and to the black door, even making the entire rock tremble slightly.
And then the being of light eyes widened.
'Was this his world, was that his door'
He gritted his teeth and stared at the rigid surface of the small rock, there were ten sets of footprints engraved on the grey sand.
That was wrong.
The being of light was sure he had been walking for hours, days even yet the door was neither closer nor further away.
He fell to his knees and let out a shriveled scream that echoed in the all consuming darkness.
He turned to the shadow, his eyes burning with hate and yelled his voice filled with unjust wrath "if you're nothing then dissappear already"
"What are you waiting for goddammit"
"Hurry up and die"
The shadow remained still and silent which only infuriated the being of light even more.
It stood up to it's feet and charged at the shadow, it's mind filled with selfish thoughts.
Do you know how much have sacrificed.
Do you know what I've had to do to reach here.
You do not, you have no idea, you are nothing, you have never even felt pain, loneliness, the weight of solitude, the blade of injustice.
You WILL dissappear even if I have have to kill you myself.
The furious beam of light was standing behind the shadow, staring down at it with a maddening gaze, it's light flared like a raging flame, it's arm became a blade of light and he brought it down on the unsuspecting shadow.....
But then he felt it, a strange pulsating feeling that took away all it's strength and left him feeling paralysed.
It was the feeling of joy.
It staggered barely able to stay on it's feet and mumbled to itself.
When
When did I forget
A reclusive memory flashed through his mind like lightling.
It could could still remember it, the burning hot muzzle of a gun being pushed hard into his head as the criminals threatened to unalive everyone in the the bank if their demands weren't met.
The police had agreed to give them everything they wanted but the bastard still pressed that muzzle hard against his head.
He frowned.
He had worked all his life for the things he wanted but never really got them.
So why, why was this criminal going to get everything they wanted.
Maybe they were in need, maybe they really needed the money.
But he didn't care.
He was in need too but no one ever cared, the world never cared, he worked and riled away his life only for it all to just be dust.
No one ever pay heed to his efforts yet all around him there were people winning in life everyday.
Whether in social media or people he knew.
Why couldn't it be him, what separated him from them, if it was effort then he would work everyday, living with the hope that maybe tomorrow might be his day.
But the day never came and that's when he understood.
They were lucky, whether they were at the right place at the right time or they said the right words or they did the right things.
Or when they were born.
He chuckled
Or was it fate.
Whatever it was, it drove his decision that day.
That day he sacrificed himself so the others would live and so those bastards would get nothing.
He could still remember the shock on their faces and the menacing smile that stretched across his face.
It was a shit life but he died happy.
At the end, the end was always more important than everything else really.
And then he met the eyes and they gave him two options either go to the afterlife or give a second life a chance.
After that he spent time untold searching for a door through the sickening darkness and In that time He had forgotten how it felt to feel anything other then pure bitterness.
And now that he found a door he couldn't even get to it.
Maybe he just go search for another.
He shook his head and stared at the shadow silently, from a single glance they might have looked like they came from different worlds.
But really there wasn't much of a difference between them.
Infact they were really all the same.
The being of light sat down on the grey sand, he decided that a moment, just a moment to rest, wasn't too much to ask for.
After all he had been searching for such a long time and now he was tired.
After a while more beings came to the little rock each different in size, how they looked and having their own stories.
But all ultimately the same.
They all tried to reach the door but never could, some stared at the being of light who was just sitting there as if it was insane but the enlightened light being paid them no heed.
And soon they all came to the same conclusion.
Before long the shadows small rock was no longer empty and desolate, iit was filled with beings of brilliant light.
And when the lonely shadows dream had ended they all gave way as the shadow walked towards the door, each step echoing behind him.
The beings of light watched with unbearable sadness then one said at the top of it's voice.
"I loved my family"
And the others followed soothe, each leaving behind words that were more precious than their existence to a shadow that didn't seem to care or acknowledge their existence.
But that didn't matter, they had acknowledged the shadows existence.
The shadow reached the door and halted then looked back to the the dispersing beings of light with hollow eyes.
The first being of light that stepped on the shadows little rock stepped out and said with a bit of melancholy in his voice
"I wish you good luck in your life.... fate be damned"
The shadow tilted its head then turned away and walked through the door.
Finally waking up.