Death To Reality

The Voice In The Darkness

James woke up suddenly. James was shocked out of his dreams. He saw something, something unnerving, but he didn't know what it was. It was dark, cold and empty. Just James, just alone.

He woke up, turned to his left and look at his digital alarm clock, 2:47, it read. This wasn't strange for James. Whenever he woke, he saw the same thing, 2:47. It was as if when he was in the dark and whenever he tried to sleep, time seemed to stop. So, as he did whenever this happened, he got out of bed and went to his living room.

He walked into the darkness and to the wide expanse of emptiness. This was different to James' living room. The room was usually small, warm and light. Full of mid-range furniture and walls covered in posters. He tried to fill it with best things he could find.The complete opposite. This didn't bother James, it never crossed his mind. He was at peace, for the first time since Megan had passed away. He was at ease. He walked into the darkness and carried on walking. This had no beginning and seemed to have no end. He didn't worry about what was going to and what had happened. This was strange for James as he had been scared of the dark ever since he was a child.

"James, James, come here James.", called out a voice, softly, from the darkness.

James recognised the voice but he didn't know who it was.

"James, it is me, James. Don't be shy James.", the voice spoke again. It spoke gently, in a caring way and quietly. It spoke quietly yet it shouted out loud.

"Who...who is it? I know you but I also don't. Reveal yourself, voice.", James shouted. He started to worry. He was confused. However, he understood.

He walked in a straight line towards the oncoming light in the darkness. The more he walked the bigger the light became. He started to run towards the light but all he did was fall over himself.

The ground he stood on was cold, hard and wet. It was as if it was concrete after it had rained. When he fell, he was not wet nor even a bit damp. He felt the ground again with his hand but this time it was scorching hot. Like concrete on a summer day.

Suddenly, music, music from his childhood started playing out of nowhere. It was a nursery rhyme, but again he could not work out what it was. He understood it was significant but he didn't know what it was. It had a steady rhythm when sung. That is why he loved it as a child.

"What is this place?", murmured James, "It seems familiar but also so foreign.".

"This is a place of the near future.", the voice replied.

"How come you heard that? I didn't say that out loud, I only murmured it.", James asked the voice.

"I know the past, the present and even the distant future. I know everything you have done and everything you will do.", stated the voice, "Now you will go back, wake up and something will happen that I am not allowed to say. You will meet me again soon though.".

James tried to respond but a noise rang in his head. A ringing sound, getting louder, getting closer. The light that was light in front of him became smaller and dimmer. As if it was moving away from James. As if James was moving backwards while he wasn't moving at all.

The noise was louder than the voice in the darkness. Getting louder by the second. James had finally realised what it was. It was his alarm.