God Has Other Plans

Chapter 1

Budump, budump, budump.

W-what... is that a heartbeat? Everything around me was silent except for the sound of the heartbeat. Who's heart am I listening to? I-it can't be mine. I start to hear the sound of birds chirping and feeling unknown warmth. Slowly, warmth shined over my eyes, causing me to try to roll over to face away. As I tried to move, I was met with instant pain. Fear took over my mind as my eyes shot open, and I sat up only to bend over, clenching my eyes shut in pain.

"This feels like Rheumatoid arthritis all over again," I said through clenched teeth. Holding still, and taking in shallow deep breaths, the pain starts to subside. One I was sure the pain felt tolerable, I opened my eyes to meet with lush green grass. A feeling of awh and confusion washes over me as a hesitant hand reaches out and rakes fingers through the blades of grass. I then took notice that I am still wearing the overly sized Navy blue shirt. There were a few dark spots on the sleeves that were a bit hard to see. But the smell that came from them told me that it was most likely blood. Looking up the sleeves the spots become larger and more noticeable.

With furrowed brows, I painfully lifted a hand to my neck, where it felt wet and sticky, then slowly moved the hand up through the short locks to the center of the back of my head. Flinching in pain when touching an indent as if a small chunk of flesh was taken from your scalp, not as if a bullet had been shot into my brain.

"I-I... I can't be alive... right?" A ray of sunlight hits my eyes. Raising a hand to block the damn light, I finally took a look at my surroundings. "A garden?" In front of me were patches of grass surrounding what looked like a form of water feature. In the middle of the feature was a platform that rose above the water with a symbol in the middle. A few trees, bushes and large-leafed plants littered the area, along with a few patches of flowers. Looking behind me, I was met with a formidable and impressive looking building that one could only describe as a castle or fortress. Quiet a beautiful one at that. "Where the hell am I? Can't be in heaven right? I think I wouldn't be looking like this and feel pain if I was." Glancing at the water that was in the shallow pool, it looked so clean and clear. Pushing myself onto my knees asI crawled, inching closer to the water and feeling curious to see what I currently looked like.

Reaching the edge of the water, I was able to make out my reflection and my face scrunched up in disgust at my appearance. Streaks of blood caked my face, along with large bruises. My right eye looked pretty swollen with the bruise and it looked like a blood vessel or two had popped.

"I look like shit," I mumbled as I dip the tips of my fingers into the water, feeling myself falling into a daze as I watch the water ripple. The image of my father in panic and distress flashes through my head. Tears gather to the rim of my eyes at the thought of his panicked and distressed face. "God must be playing a cruel trick on me," I said to myself as I retract my fingers. The ripples settled and I could make out a figure that seemed to be slowly walking towards me. An old-looking man in black and white robes, hood over his head. My body tensed as I saw him reach out a hand towards me to touch my shoulder.

"shakhs shabb." (1) The man spoke, in a deep tone that spooked me. Out of instinct my body quickly twisted around to face the man, but I was instantly met with pain rippling through my entire body.

"Ghauh!" My body fell to the grass curling into myself. The man froze for a second before kneeling down on a knee in front of my crippled body.

"ahdiiy ya tifl la 'urid 'an 'awdhik."(2) The man spoke in a soft tone as he again reached out to me. He rests his hand on my blood-stained shoulder causing me to flinch in pain, my breathing becoming slightly labored. "hnak , 'ant bi'amanin." (3) He whispers soothingly in Arabian. Looking up at the man I would make you his face from under his hood. His skin showed his age with wrinkles around the bridge of his nose and eyes, along with his beard that was shades of white and gray. But what really caught my attention was the man's right eye. It was pale and murky, showing the signs of being blind in the one eye. In truth, I didn't really think he looked all too threatening. But from recent events, finding myself in a place I don't know, and an overactive brain, every part of my being told me to try and get away. Slowly he reaches his other hand out towards my head, but I again flinch and move away from it. My mouth opens as if to talk but it suddenly felt difficult to speak.