Chapter Six
I opened my eyes expecting the worst pain I’ve ever felt and let out the breath I was holding
when it never arrived. I looked around, shock beginning to set in. I was in some sort of room
although with the absence of color the room was endless. There were no walls or corners from
what I could see and as I began walking, nothing hindered my movement. I shielded my eyes for
the bright white was hurting my eyes.
“Where am I?” I asked to no one in particular. “Am I dead?”
“Not quite,” a voice said. It sounded familiar but when I turned around to see who spoke, no
one was there.
“What do you mean by not quite?”
“You are currently somewhat alive.”
“So again, where am I?”
“You are neither here nor there. The place is not important.”
“Then what is important?” I asked, I was beginning to get annoyed with the non-answers I
was being given.
“That is for you to decide.”
I stood there for a minute, not sure what to ask next but also not wanting to keep asking
useless questions.
“Why am I in this place then?” I asked, feeling confident that this was a good question and
would get me some answers.
“Excellent question child. You are here to be taught a lesson.”
“A lesson?” I yelled. “I think that I have been put through enough trials and tribulation in my
life and I would like to either get back to it and hope that the rest of my life is easier than it has been
or move on.”
“You have a choice, but once you have decided you must stick to it. If rules are broken the
consequences will be dire.”
“I’m listening.”
“In order to go back to your life you must use your lottery winnings on others. You are able to
take 10 million dollars to use how you see fit and the rest must be spent doing good. You are not
able to profit from what you spend on others and you are not able to cause anyone harm, either
personal or emotional. Finally, it must remain a secret. If anyone finds out that you have won the
money and that it was you who helped them, then you will perish.”
“What is my other option?” I needed to hear my other choice. There is no way I was going to
spend all of my money on other people, and especially when I couldn’t even get the recognition that
it was me.
“Your final choice would be to stay in this place until your scheduled departure time has
arrived.”
“My scheduled departure time? I’m not an airplane. Is this some kind of joke?” I was getting
hysterical now as my voice continued to rise.
“You must decide now.”
“I don’t know. I need some time.” I said. I began crying and shaking. My whole life and non-
life depended on my answer.
“Now,” the voice commanded.
“I want to live,” I whispered. I suddenly gasped and grabbed at my chest. “What’s going on?”
I felt another shock centered directly into my chest making me leap forward slightly.
“Remember child, it’s a secret. Tell no one, or suffer the consequences.”
The shock came again, this time more powerful than all the others followed by a man yelling.
“Serein! Come back to me Serein; I need you to come back to me. Serein!” he
yelled one last time and I must have imagined that it sounded like Zane; then for the
second time tonight, the darkness washed over me.
