"Welcome, Marcus." A deep voice cut through the darkness of my mind, and yanked me from its cold grasp. My vision blurred, and the world around me churned like I was on a boat causing my stomach to twist into a tight knot. A groggy moan escaped from my lips and a faint pain gripped my body. The last thing I remembered was lying on my bed, falling asleep after a long day at work. So where was I now?

As my vision slowly returned I saw a well-dressed man sitting before me in an otherwise barren white room that looked like it came straight out of a hospital. He had long jet black hair that was swept back and filled with gel. His eyes were the color of storm clouds and glimmered with traces of molten gold. The man's face was utterly flawless and was so perfect it was almost uncanny to stare at. But the thing that caught my eye was just how pale the man was. If the light was any brighter, I could have sworn I could see the veins under his skin.

After a moment of me staring at him, the corners of his lips swept upwards into a small smirk. He reached up to adjust his shimmering golden tie that stood in stark contrast to his black suit before clearing his throat. "If you are wondering who I am, well, my name is Malek. I am the Chief Overseer of this half of the galaxy."

Every fiber of my being strummed as he spoke, and threatened to push me through the chair I was sitting on, and into the ground below. "So, you're God?" I managed to stutter out. My mind was still reeling and trying to catch up. Where was I? This had to be a dream, right? I must have gotten sick at work, and this was just some wild hallucination. That or some one must have slipped something into my drink and now I was caught in some fever dream.

I only received an eye roll in response as he sat back into his chair and crossed his arms. "Not in the sense that you are thinking of. Though I am indirectly responsible for the various religions that have existed over the course of Earth's history. But that is a different story for another day." He explained as a table materialized in thin air with nothing but a soft thud as it hit the flood. With a quick gesture a large pitcher of a clear liquid and a few glasses appeared next. Slowly, he reached out, and grabbed the handle of the pitcher, revealing bone thin fingers, and what looked like freshly polished fingernails. "Water?" He asked softly as he took, which tore me from my spiraling thoughts. I nodded slightly and took the glass and sat back in my chair. Now that I had a chance to breathe, everything felt a little too real. Maybe it really was just some sort of dream.

His voice managed to pull me from my spiraling thoughts. This had to be a dream, I mean, that was the only way that I could explain this. "Sorry. This is just a lot to take in. I never thought I would see the day where I would meet the big man himself." Was I lying? I wasn’t sure, but if this was a dream, what harm would there be in going with the flow.

Malek once again gave me a dismissive wave. "Again, not what you think. I simply create life and watch it grow. It's the gods below me that tend to gather the religious masses. But that isn’t why you are here. I assume you think it’s a dream of some sort, no?”

I wrapped my fingers around the glass, and pulled it close to me. Carefully, I thought over my words as a strange feeling blossomed in my chest. "Well, either a dream or I’m dead. But I'm gonna lean toward the first one though." I never really considered my death to be a part of this, I mean, I was perfectly healthy!

That comment elicited a soft chuckle from the man. "No, I wish that myself. Sometimes I wish I could just open my eyes and see that this was all a dream.” His eyes faded slightly, as his tone became more wistful. But that only lasted for a fleeting second before he focused on me once more. “You died in your sleep Marcus. You had a hidden aneurysm that ruptured in the middle of the night."

His words slammed into my stomach and yanked the breath from my throat. There was no way that was true. This was a dream, God wasn’t real! Yes, I must be sick and this was just a fever dream. My stomach twisted in knots as bile rose from the pits of my stomach as my thoughts spiraled at light speed. Before I knew it, I was leaning over the table and emptying the contents of my stomach onto the white tiled floor. My throat burned, and my nose was dripping snot as I heaved until there was nothing else left.

I felt a hand reach out to my shoulder after what felt like an eternity, and all the pain I felt was taken away in a single pulse. What settled in its place though was nothing but the cold truth. The reality was that he wasn’t lying to me, I really was dead.

"I don't know what to say. Why am I here, though? Is this my judgment day?" I asked as I tore my eyes from the pile of bile. The acrid stench of vomit reached into my nose and my eyes watered once more. Nausea ballooned once more and I fought the desire to gag with all of the strength in my body. Did I live a decent enough life to get me into heaven? I really should have gone to church more. Hell, I should have prayed, and read the bible.

Malek chuckled softly and his voice changed to something more light-hearted as he walked away from me. "Oh, no. That's not why you are here. You were marked at birth, and now that you are free from mortal constraints, you can choose to embrace that mark. However, before I tell you about that, let's go for a little walk, shall we. It should help to clear the air a bit." A boom shook the room as he snapped his fingers. Like sand the room we were in blew away, leaving us standing on nothing but air. A sense of wonder filled me as I glanced around, and saw that we were standing above what looked to be a massive headquarters of some sort. I saw what looked to be humans, and then what looked to be elves. But there were so many different kinds of living biengs it made my mind reel.

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"This is my Administration Room; It allows me to access the status of every living being and planet within my domain." He explained to me quite excitedly, as he stood up and beckoned me to follow him. I stared down at the space he was walking on, and I tentatively touched the air with my naked foot. Much to my surprise, the air around where I was seated was hard and cold as ice.

I shivered slightly as I stood up and looked down to take the view in once more, and a flash of embarrassment coursed through me as I realized I was naked. Then shock, as I realized my body had changed drastically since I fell asleep.. My sun kissed skin was pulled tightly across my chest and stomach, revealing a very defined body. That was a shock, I hadn’t looked like that since high school. I waved my hand around where my stomach was and marveled at the fact that it no longer protruded. I admit I did let myself go after high school a bit. Though that was more due to depression, and a whole slew of familial issues that ruined my mind set.

"Are you sure this isn't a dream? That at any moment I would wake up and laugh at this in the morning?" I asked Malek as sadness crept into my voice, and denial started to grow within my chest. This all seemed to be a little too much to be real.

Malek stopped walking and turned to me and, with a sad expression, replied, "No, I'm afraid that this is all very real. The sooner you can accept it the better." He turned and continued walking across the empty air and I had no choice but to follow him, or be left behind.

We plodded along quietly in the air for a moment. It was almost as if I was being allowed to process what was happening. I still couldn't accept the fact that I was dead. I desperately regretted ever wanting to kill my self, and all the moments I skipped hanging out with my family. I’m ashamed to admit that it took me this long to understand the stuff my dad used to tell me. That there was more to life than video games, or staying holed up in my bedroom.

As we walked, and I was finally starting to process this bit of world shattering news, he decided to speak. "Now allow me to explain everything. You were selected by Alpha, the galactic superintendent to become an Administrator."

I knew what an administrator was but not in this context? But that was overshadowed by the fact that apparently there was a being that sat higher than the god I was talking to now. “Administrator? Superintendent?”

"An Administrator is a job that can be changed to suit your needs. You can be like me and oversee hundreds of planets and create unimaginable amounts of life, or you can spend it researching genetics, magic, or the fundamental laws of the universe. Really the possibilities are endless. It's a fantastic job if you choose to take it, of course." As he spoke, we approached a single stainless steel door that floated in the air. There were no identifiable marks on the door. Just a single sheet of metal, and a bronze door knob that hummed with power.

He stopped just as he reached it and gripped the bronze handle. "Trust me. I know what's going through your mind. Its a storm of questions like, why me, what does all of this mean."

A flushed quickly spread through my cheeks at his words. He was right. Why me, what about my family? I let out a defeated sigh and nodded my head in agreement to his words, "You're right. I can't believe any of this is actually happening. It just seems too good to be true. What about my life, my family?" As I spoke, I felt the start of tears appear at the corner of my eyes as the sadness grew in my chest. I really threw away my past life, didn't I? I had one chance to live, and I squandered it.

Malek turned to face me, and his piercing eyes came to rest on me. Yet, it seemed like his gaze was peeling apart every layer of my being. "When I was first chosen to become an Administrator, I faced the same dilemma. My life, my future, or this." His eyes lost focus for a moment as if he was lost in a memory before he came back, "and you do have a choice in the matter. You can accept this position, or I can remove the mark on your existence. You will wake up in your bed perfectly fine. You will go back to living your life the way you were before this, none the wiser to the greater universe.”

I was conflicted upon hearing that. I had a chance to go back to my life, but I wouldn’t remember this. So would my drive to live again vanish? Was it worth giving up a chance to be something greater? I could finally become something I could be proud of, instead of wasting away in a shitty part time job, and a life I was growing to hate. "What about my parents? What will happen to them if I take this role?"

He closed his eyes for a few seconds before speaking, " I could tell you the answer to that, but I don’t want to influence your future choice. This is the most important choice you will ever make, and I want it to be fully yours.”

Some part of me was happy that he didn’t tell me anything. If he did, I may have made a split second decision based solely on my parents. Now at least, I could actually weigh my choices. On the one hand I’d go back to a life I hated and lose a chance at something great. On the other hand, I'd lose everything, but I’d get something that was a literal once in a lifetime opportunity.

Once I put it like that, the answer was clear. I wouldn't go back to my past life. I would reach for the stars and do something great. This was my moment, and I wasn’t going to let it slip by. I may have let my life before this fall to the wayside as I sought to be lazy. But not anymore. "Alright, I've made my choice." I spoke firmly as I clamped down the well of emotions rising in my chest. I wouldn’t be able to say goodbye to my parents, or friends. But that was for the best.

Malek raised an eyebrow in response. "And what choice would that be?"

I let out a heavy sigh, "I will become an Administrator."

Malek nodded his head, and a faint smile appeared on the corner of his lips, "Good. Welcome to the real world." He pushed the door open, and it swung silently on its hinges, revealing a swirling violet vortex that crackled with electricity and unbidden power. It beckoned me forward like a long lost lover welcoming me into a new life.