Time seemed to slow as the gun fired. Tom, the man holding the gun appeared to flinch as the round left the barrel. It was kind of pitiful actually. I could see as the bullet cut through the air distorting it in a mesmerizing blast pattern.

It seems tom’s aim had been off as the bullet slowly began to drill into my gut about two inches above by belly button. Panic was the first thing that entered my mind. Soon though it was replaced by that calmness that I had also felt when I had that final argument with my parents or when Sandra told me about how her friend was a tiny bit more than that.

I the metal bullet burrow into my flesh and pass through a rib on the way out the other side. Then the searing pain as the shockwave travelled through the surrounding flesh shredding it.

With a jolt, time seemed to speed up again as I slumped against the wall behind me that the bullet had dug into. I then slowly slid down the wall leaving a vertical streak in my blood on the wall like some impressionist art piece.

I glanced up at Tom who had a look of horror on his face as it dawned on him that he had just killed his best friend. I could tell that I was quickly losing blood due to the bitter cold engulfing my body. It hurt. It hurt so much. In that moment it felt like I was alone drifting through the void, doomed to be there for an eternity.

With my last bit of willpower, I forced myself to stay lucid and raised my head to look my killer in the eyes. It had only been about three seconds since the gunshot and the expression of terror was still plastered on his face.

He soon scrambled over to me and said in a tone so full of desperation that it made him look slightly funny. “No. No. No. This wasn’t supposed to happen. You were just supposed to give it to me.”

He was now sobbing intensely as he tried to put pressure on the wound. The whole scene seemed surreal to me causing me to let out a chuckle. It was a bit more jovial than I had expected causing him to pause and look me in the face.

Staring directly into his eyes I said with exertion while cupping his cheek with my bloodied palm. “Tommie…” I choked as a bubble of blood came up my throat. “Go. If the police catch you. Think of What Gloria or your kids will do.”

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I paused and he tried to say something, but I continued. “It’s in my back pocket. Take it. Give it to Dimitri and live a life with your family and know this…I forgive you.”

He just nodded rapidly as he reached into my back pocket and pulled out a thumb drive. He then said while sobbing, “I’m so sorry Riley.” And he soon darted out the door leaving me to die in solitude. My head slumped to the side as he did so. I truly did forgive him. Like I had with Sandra and my folks. Well, my dad anyway. What mum did to me was just evil. They were just people stuck in a cruel world and when it came to it, they all cared about themselves more than others. I guess this is just what happens to those who don’t.

My vision was becoming black as the ringtone of my phone began to chime out from where it had been tossed in the scuffle with Tom. It was the opening to Rasputin. A fitting final melody to die to I suppose.

My last thought before passing on was that this song was still a killer.

…

All I saw was black. Not the kind of black caused by a lack of light but the kind caused by true nothingness. Something about it just dug at me. I was unable to move or do anything. It was as if I lacked a body. It felt like I was staring at this nothingness forever when I heard a voice in my head.

“Oh, this one is interesting.” Said the voice.

I tried to speak in response and demand to know where this was. Is it hell. I’ve never though that I’d ever done anything bad enough to go to hell and this definitely wasn’t heaven. Maybe this is how it is. Just floating in nothing for forever. I was again distracted from my demented ramblings when I heard a slightly different second voice.

“Yes, indeed.” Replied the second voice.

“It appears he is the hundred billionth sapient to die in his prime verse. That makes him eligible for becoming a drifter.” Stated the first voice.

The second voice then replied, “I believe it is advanced enough to at least understand us as well due to its reaction at our presence. It seems to at least have the adequate intelligence required and its verse also has an ample supply of material for the process.”

There were a few seconds of silence before the first voice said. “Fine it is agreed then let’s give it the ability to use its different forms and the powers that come with each.”

“Yes, that is adequate. Let’s hurry this along. It has only been here a few seconds but due to its weak nature it is already beginning to degrade. It will require sometime to repair once it has arrived. Let’s send it to a place it is familiar with first so it may figure out its circumstances. It will only remember us hazily however.” Said the Second voice with a bit of sadness in its echoes.

The first one hummed in agreement before saying, “That is for the best. Bye now.”

I felt a weight I didn’t know was there lift off me as I lost consciousness or whatever that was…