I woke up. I could feel my fingertips tingling against what I assumed was the cold, hard ground. My back was flat against the floor, so I knew I was facing up. I know my eyes were open but I couldn't see anything above me. It felt as if I had been sleeping but I don't remember falling asleep.
The cafe... the helicopter... then the exam room-- did I pass out? I asked a question in my mind that no one answered. More importantly, am I blind now? I fought against gravity to pull myself upright. A groan escaped me as every muscle from the neck down resisted my decision to move. I scanned the area. Red light illuminated the ground as far as the eye could see, casting shadows past pebbles and small mounds of dirt that littered the vicinity. Okay, good, not blind. Though it was nice to know that I wasn't blind, another worrying thought hit me. If I'm outside, I trail my hand along the dirt, dust, and rocks, the sensation grounding me, Where are the stars?
Grass? I sat bolt upright as I rubbed my eyes. I let out a wheezing gasp of a groan, Was I hit by a truck?! As the pain faded, I surveyed the area to find that I had been here before; it was that dream world. The place where I had seen the angel armor for the first time, the only time I had seen it talk. I was on a hilltop, looking over rolling fields of emerald that led off into blindingly white nothingness.
I got onto my feet and took a breath to shout out into the void but nothing came. The air left me and I felt warmth grow in my vocal cords as if I had screamed but no sounds escaped me. Had I lost my hearing?
"Oh, Jason..." A voice started, amused, "No need to scream. I have never been out of arms reach of you, now, have I?" It finished, at the very least dissuading my fears of deafness.
I turned to find the source of the voice and looking back at me was my armor; at least my armor in the form of a woman's silhouette. "You know, I think I would consider France out of arms reach," I answered, pretending to think on the question. "Then again, maybe there's some kind of language barrier between humans and whatever the hell you are!" I laughed incredulously, shaking my head.
The armor tilted her head, "I think we've covered what I am."
"Oh, right. God." I nodded, frustration building in me. "How could I forget?"
"Jason," She started slowly, "something is very wrong; why do you feel..." She looked around before circling me, nearly gliding as she moved over the grass, leaving a trail of opalescent material behind her, making each blade shimmer like diamonds. "Disconnected?"
The strange question hit me hard enough to make me drop my very subtle sarcasm, "I'm sorry?"
"You feel disconnected. From... Everything." She said with genuine concern in her voice. "I have never felt something like this."
"You are just as cryptic as when I awakened, you know that?" I groaned, rubbing my face forcefully with both hands, "Please, if you're going to be mysterious, at least follow up on what you're talking about with an explanation!"
"Jason!" She shouted; it was the first time I heard my armor raise its voice-- it didn't echo, but it rang out like chimes ringing in the distance, chasing her voice closely enough to be considered part of it. "This is no time for misunderstanding." She stepped closer to me, her eyeless head moving as if looking me up and down. "The connection I am speaking of is the connection to all things." She raised a glowing hand at her side with her fingertips pointing to the sky before strands of light grew from them, shooting in all directions like thousands of illuminating threads.
