A Kindling, Of Sorts [DISCONTINUED]

Prologue.

Cold. That was the first thing you remembered.

At some point; you felt like you were on top of the world, having suffered so much and finally gaining the courage to free yourself of it. Diving into the water and letting the cold embrace you. Cold water is the most efficient thief of heat. It takes what it does not need. This was the type of cold that seeped through every layer of skin, muscle and bone, only to settle in the tips of your fingers and ears. You were floating in what was basically the void: unnerving, emty, and cold.

So cold.

Opening your eyes was the hardest part, the stinging sensation that you get when you open them underwater didn't help. When you finally did, your ears were engulfed with echoed voices; screams of 'She's awake!' and 'She's okay!'. You believed they were meant as comforting words but they did nothing to console you. Even though your vision was blurry, you could still tell there was nothing to focus your eyes on. Just pitch black. There was no one here other than your shell of a body and those voices. You doubted you could call them 'somebody' though.

You always despised the dark; especially when all the lights went out in a storm. You would cry for your mother over the deafening sound of rain and thunder only to realise you were alone. You would always have a light on when you slept; afraid of every creak of the old, worn down floorboards. What was worse was when your mind started to wonder what hid in the darkness. That was always the worst part, the imagery of the different disfigured, inhuman creatures that lay just outside your bedroom door or in the corners of your room where the light just didn't reach. The darkness felt heavy, oppressive, almost supernatural. It was darker than vantablack, if that was even possible.

It seemed now, even with the 'comforting' words of the disembodied voices around you, the void was mocking you. Mocking you and your fear.

Was this death? Was this limbo? Were you in some version of Hell, where you would be forced to live out your greatest fear for the rest of eternity?

'No.'

All the crazed, excited voices of the void seemed to silence themselves at that singular voice. Your aching eardrums mentally thanked it for that.

'Do you want a second chance? Or do you wish to stay here?'

What...what did it mean by that? Were you actually dead?

'Let me repeat, do you want a second chance? Or, do you wish to stay here?'

Whatever this second chance is, it must be better than...this. The voices instantly protested,, spouting words of 'no!' and 'it has not been finished!'. Your ears even managed to pick up what sounded like someone...or something, crying.

The blur in your sight had started to ease, but again, you were only met with the void. You could see your body, shrouded in a slight white light, but nothing else. Speaking was horrible, again, the experience was just like you were underwater. The moment your mouth opened it was filled with liquid, your lungs starting to strain. You frantically bought your calloused, scared hands up to your throat, as if that would help. Tears formed and fell from your optics, starting to float away.

Weird.

Those voices just got louder and louder, coming closer, scrambling forwards, even if they seemingly had no physical body. A crushing weight came down on your chest, making breathing even harder of a task.

'NO'

'DON'T SAY ANYTHING'

'Calm down! We're here to help'

Surely, dying a second time, in the exact same way you had before, couldn't be better than this 'second chance' you had been offered...?

Dying a second time was a thing few if not any people could say they had done, you didn't wish to be a part of that percentage. Was death even possible here? Was this all a hallucination? Was this even real-?

"Yes!"

You screamed desperately into the void, more liquid spilling into your lungs. Anything to not experience death a second time over.

"I want a second chance!"

And suddenly, all was quiet. The weight had been lifted off your chest, and you no longer struggled to breathe.

'As you wish'

Truly, you didn't know what you wanted. You were oblivious to what would now be the worst choice of your death.

:)