Funeral In The Sky

Chapter 1: Strange

Breathing heavily, I round the next corner. Holding a torch in my hand, my thoughts are swirling rapidly like a tornado. I can hear a voice from afar. It’s calling out my name. But I can barely make out the sound since my heart is pounding so loudly inside my chest.

I am running away. But from what? From whom?

Whatever the reason is, I know I have to getaway as fast as I can so I keep running.

But suddenly I stop.

I’m catching my breath as I take in the sight before me. In front of me is a vast body of water. Is it a river? Or an ocean?

Whatever it is I know it is out of this world. Because no water on Earth will sparkle like a thousand diamonds under a dark velvet sky like this one.

And then I look down at the torch that I am holding. It's made of gold with silver markings engraved on it, and at the center of all the markings there is a word etched intricately.

Anagennisi. I don’t know the meaning of it.

At the edge of the shore, a little further to my right, there is a small boat. Looking at it I suddenly feel an unbearable sting in my chest like my heart is being squeezed and I can't breathe.

Suddenly I can hear that voice again. It is getting nearer and nearer. So without thinking, I immediately run to the boat, untie it from the pole and get in. I notice that the boat is made of wood but it is no ordinary boat. There are weird markings etched on the sides of it, the same markings that are etched on the torch that I am holding. And there was that strange word again, engraved magnificently along with the markings.

Seconds later, even though I am not rowing it, I can feel the boat slowly moving in the water and I am starting to drift away from the shore.

On closer look, the water appears to be more bizarre than it seems. It’s not fluid. It looks more like smoke and it's sparkling mysteriously underneath the sky.

I can hear the voice again. It's calling out my name.

I look at the torch that I am holding. It holds my purpose. I clutch it as tightly as I can as if I am about to do something unimaginable with it. I'm still catching my breath and I can hear the sound of my heart beating so fast.

Then, suddenly without thinking, I throw the torch to the inside of the boat. Immediately, it's engulfed by flame. And seconds later I am burning along with it.

That’s when fear suddenly kicks in. But there is something else. I try to dissect. Is it anger? No. It is pain, disappointment and sorrow, something so raw that it’s no surprise I am choosing death at this time.

Or am I?

I’m expecting to burn excruciatingly but to my surprise the flame is painless. And instead of pain I feel freedom, like my soul is rising. I feel extremely light, like a feather dancing in the wind, slowly being blown upwards. And the fire that is supposedly incinerating me from all directions feel more like water, bathing my body with explicit calmness.

While I am slowly being devoured by the rejuvenating fire, I notice the current goes downwards.

This is no ordinary river after all. Is this a waterfall?

I am being plummeted downwards along with the current in what appears to be a vortex, I realize. I’m rapidly burning and everything else around me is moving at the speed of light. I am surrounded by darkness. But at the end of the vortex, there is a blinding light. And I can faintly make out what's awaiting  below. It’s like a new place, full of dazzling tiny lights, trees and houses. I can also make out a blue ocean.

A new world?

In between all that is happening, I take one final glance at the place where I came from. And in the midst of all the chaos and darkness that were swirling around me I can faintly make out a figure of a man. He is calling out my name, but it's quite different.

"Athiananiel!"

               
                                 ~*~