Stolen Destiny

Death and Rebirth

Liam was just sitting on his couch reading a book when the end started. His parents were visiting his sister in college so he was home by himself. He was trying to entertain himself since the power had just gone out and so he was laying on his stomach with a flashlight pointed at the pages of his book. There was a tornado two towns over, but there were still strong winds in the area that knocked a power pole over. The winds weren't supposed to become a tornado though. The tornado had passed. Nothing indicated he was in horrific danger.

Liam didn't know this was his last time he would be in his home. The last time he saw his parents was this morning, when they said bye and left him cash for supper. The last time he had seen his sister was when she left for college months ago. He never got to say goodbye.

It started with a warning.

Emergency alert

National Weather Service: Tornado Warning in the area. Take shelter immediately in a basement if possible.

"Shit."

Liam scrambled off the couch grabbing his phone and book. He bolted down the stairs skipping a step or two in his rush. He went to the bathroom and curled up in the tub to hide.

Then came the winds.

He heard as it came towards his house. He heard his home that he had grown up ripped apart piece by piece. He saw the roof of the bathroom rip open and he felt himself lift off the ground as the ferocious wind took him. He started freaking out since everything had spiraled out of control so quickly.

Next came the pain.

He felt as he was tossed around. He felt himself hit by debris. Sometimes a piece of metal from a car torn apart. Another, a small rock that was taken by the wind. It didn't matter all Liam knew was pain.

Finally, came death.

He felt the tornado dissipate after some time. He felt the wind speed past him as he slowly, but surely fell. Falling and falling and falling until he felt his body smack something and then it all went black. His life was gone in a flash. Everything he knew disappeared.

Death was weird. It was cold then warm, everything and nothing at all, bright but dark. It just existed.

Then the cold went away and it was just warm. The dark was gone, but replaced with red.

Liam didn't understand it, but what was he supposed to do? There was nothing he could do to change the situation or make it better. So he simply existed.

Slowly sounds started to come. Chuckles and talking, but it was muffled and it was only here and there.

Next, the warmth went away and the cool returned. Liam felt uncomfortable it was distressing and although he was eighteen he felt he could barely handle a little cold.

"Is the afterlife supposed to be this weird and miserable? Am I in hell, cause if so I guess it could be worse."

Liam started to hear crying. He was trying to pinpoint the location of the sound when he realized it was coming from himself. He was the one crying.

Then he was swaddled in something and it was warm again. He heard a small voice sing to him. No words, just a soft sweet melody. He felt comforted and slowly everything went quiet and it all became silent.

Later the noise picked up again and colors started to become more defined. He could see more than red. Noises became clearer. It wasn't muffled anymore and he could vaguely understand words.

He still felt uncomfortable at the smallest things and felt a strange urge to cry. Liam didn't like how he felt and tried to keep it under control, but failed constantly. It was distressing to put it bluntly.