The pain that my body invited, faded and dissipated. My eyes shot open only to realize that I was alone. Alone in a place with no space. No big; no small. No sound; no light. No smell; no taste. Only thing that I sensed was my neck muscles straining as my head arched back in the path of a downward parabola. My torso was no longer there. I was free falling at a questionable speed. It felt like my body was connected to an anchor to aid my plunge. Where were my legs? I attempted to contort my body to a position where I could turn my head to see what was beneath me— or if there was anything beneath me. I could now suddenly see my legs. They were rising. My two feet were like two kites on my thin legs that were slowly rising out in front of me and above my head. There was my abdomen; splayed out ahead of me. I was unable to make out the edges of my waist because of the fluttering of my shirt in the wind, as I fell. Realization had dawned. I could feel nothing under me. Even the air was nowhere. My hands were flapping by my side— two noodles I had no control of.
With my chest tightening, I managed to force my eyes shut to brace for impact. I was powerless against gravity.
To my amazement, my free fall came to an abrupt stop. There was no impact. I was still in a horizontal position suspended in the air inches from a ground I cannot see. Everything around me was as black as a blind man's eyesight during the daytime. My body dropped to the ground as if my puppet strings were snipped by the dullest of shears. I got to my feet quickly, but did not know where I was or what direction to look. How does one explain my whereabouts?
Looking every direction was the same— darkness. After awhile I noticed a small silhouette off in the distance. It was a silhouette of a figure. I walked towards the general direction of it. Every step I took, the figure's size stayed the same. Countless minutes of walking came and left, but still no progression. I was inside a void. I ceased my attempts. Obviously, any plans to do anything was not up to me.
The glow from the figure could have been a half mile away. The light being emitted disappeared and reappeared to the right of where it was originally like lightning. It kept doing the same movements and I kept watching. Impressively, it started to disappear and reappear faster and faster all in a rotating manner around me. Suddenly, I noticed the distance between the figure and I was closing in. Closer and closer it got. The closer it got, the faster its rotation was around me. The figure unexpectedly stayed in one place and then approached me. It was a light, but in the shape of a human. The being stopped in front of me at arm's length. There was a rush of feelings transferred to me. Everything I felt was pain.
The light being emitted from the figure slowly started to dim while its true features became visible. As the light became no more, I was sure that a woman was in front of me. Sadness and torment had been at work. With no more light shining, the person stood in front of me with their head down. Her hair was hanging down covering their face.
A voice, far and near, echoed throughout the endless space. I could not make out any of the words.
"Why?...", the woman's ghastly voice traveled with reverberation.
"Wh-why what?", I asked.
"Why are you here?", she answered.
The being's head lifted upright and her hair found itself back in its natural position. In front of me was Charlene. How can she be alive in front of me? A look of confusion was visible on my face.
"Charlene?....", I asked. There was no answer from her. I proceeded with, "What happened to you that night? What did I do to you?"
Without movement from her mouth, a voice echoed and said, "It was not you who killed me. I took my own life that night. I could not take another day of getting beaten. The man you come to know as Bryant is worse than he appears. He's the one that made me kill myself. Even though I'm in this place of darkness, I am more happier. I don't have to be afraid. At least afraid of him anymore."
Charlene stepped closer to me and placed her hand on my cheek and caressed it. Her voice became softer and more heavenly. "Please avenge me. He has to be punished for every time he inflicted pain onto me. Please, I need you to go back. It is not your time to be here. You have to—"
"CLEAR!", a voice yelled out.
A bright and blinding white light overcame me and made itself known. I was no longer in the darkness. I was inside of an operating room. I can hear and see everything. A series of beeping could be heard. Countless long and short tones manifested themselves.
I was standing as I watched someone in a hospital bed being tended to. It was not looking good. As I walked closer, I noticed no one was acknowledging that I was there. I was side by side, with the nurses, as if we were on the line of scrimmage and there was not even a glance at me.
As I walked closer to the bed, I noticed it was me laying there. Lifeless and motionless!
"Start performing CPR!", the doctor yelled.
"Put the pads on the patient! Are the pads in place?
Get ready to pause CPR!
—Pause CPR to analyze the heart's electrical activity."
"Nothing, Doctor." a nurse replied.
"Resume CPR!" said the doctor. "Prepare for shock!"
"I'm clear. You're clear. Everyone is clear Doctor.", one cardiovascular nurse chimed.
"Shocking! CLEAR! Resume CPR and start chest compressions!", the specialist urged.
A long tone was heard on the Holter monitor. All attempts to bring my body back to a viable state has flatlined. The cardiologist and all the helping hands in the room looked helpless. One by one, started to accept my demise. All hopes of seeing tomorrow is hopeless. It was the sight of the Doctor studying a large digital clock across the operating room. It only displayed time in the 24 hour format.
He sighed and stated, "Please record the time of death is 21:14."
I watched in disappointment as my lifeless body gave no indication of activity.
"Come on! I'm not ready to go!", I pleaded to the team.
"Please. PLEASE!"
I looked up staring beyond the ceiling with my hands together and interlaced. I hope God is listening.
"Please don't take me away just yet. I'm not ready. Please.", I begged.
My projected body seemed to fizzle, fade, and start its process to merge with my physical self. Closer and closer I moved, involuntarily, as I was ushered by an unseen force. My vision transitioned back to darkness; all sound went mute. The beginning of a new life was conceived and a rebirth was given. I was now once again one with my anatomy.
I opened my eyes as if I was jumpstarted by lightning. Life was my spark and the vital signs monitor went from its dormant state back to life. The flatline began to dance and the rhythm gave the operating room light it hasn't seen before. As my eyes closed, the Doctor and the rest of the staff listened in disbelief and briskly assumed their positions to denounce the death in the room.
