"God please!" I couldn’t help but snap. Before I could even utter another word, the creature was already making his way towards me. I watched it crawl at me like a starving spider, stopping only a hair away from my face. Never breaking eye contact. Its presence felt personal and sadistic, like everything it had done was to get a rise of fear out of me. The creature's face was made mostly of a flaky flesh, large bulging reflective black eyes, and maybe a tiny slimy opening for a mouth. Every glance I took at it was met with a threatening gaze right back.

Before I knew it, I couldn’t feel anything. Most of...me...feels hollow and vacant, like I was dreaming again. In fact, I couldn’t move at all. As much as I tried, I only managed to get out a struggling huff of air. I just sat, sat watching as the creature rose its long arms and stretched it's long milky fingers to its face. Its fingers glided over the hole I could only assume to be its mouth. Why?

All of a sudden, it raised its other arm and dove its long fingers into my forehead like a curious child diving in a toy box. In and out, up and down, left and right; I could feel every movement of its fingers poking, prodding, and even weaving through my skin and into my head. It's like a dream where nothing foggy. I felt it's hands moving faster with every descent into my skull. I heard it make slurping sounds that grew louder and louder to the point where it seemed like giggling. The creature’s bulbous eyes soon drifted down to the part of my chest where my heart would be. I watched as the tips of its fingers brushed my eyelids closed. It began to just hum to me afterward, lulling me into calming darkness.

Sometime later...

"Child! Awaken!" preached a proud mysterious voice."Do not sleep for so long, there is plenty of time to do so in your future. Or maybe not?" The voice snickered. "Awaken boy! You have much to live for. Death can be quite an experience. Or so I'm lead to believe." It continued.

I can hear a voice... , everything sounds like it’s underwater but I hear it! I opened my eyes towards the sound of the voice but I could hardly make out anything between the blurs and patches of light. "God?" I asked once again.

"I needed some time but you sleep faaaar too much. Instead, I reached into your head and woke you up." The voice boasted with excitement.

I didn't have to open my eyes to know that what I had gone through was no dream. The weird numbness from before was still there, but less so. I still couldn't scream if I wanted too. I just feel warm and weirdly peaceful instead. It's strange...my clothes feels tinier; like I’ve grown taller and maybe stronger. Just bizarre. It’s like I woke up from the best sleep any person can have yet I’m stuck to this bed. "What's happening?" I asked aloud.

"Your new strength should be coming through to you...now. Perhaps I should say, my strength." Laughed the silhouette.

This "strength", it definitely feels different. My vision was coming back to me too, as everything else seems to be. As my vision came to, I found myself sitting between two pillows at the head of the bed again with a person looking right at me. Actually, it's many faces. Something with shifting faces was standing to the left of my bed. One second one face, and next another. It even moved erratically left or right when I blinked, just like the creature before it. What was that creature? Who is this? This new thing wore many faces, sometimes even two at the same time. I couldn’t help but shoot up in my seat. I may not feel scared but I know that something like this can’t be safe.

"Your face!? Who's f-faces? It's-" I struggled in asking. "Faces dear boy! They are faces...and their mine..." It corrected proudly. "By-the-way you are dead!?" It said quickly under its breath, smiling wider now than ever before. “What!?” I couldn’t help but scream loudly. “Yes! Your dead!?" It confirmed with a thundering voice. My stomach dropped to the floor and my mouth fell alongside it. I knew it. "Haha! Nope! Just kidding...you're alive but...sort-of." It laughed hysterically. Hunched over, it waited eagerly for my response.

I couldn't believe it. This thing was screwing with me? I could see it found itself incredibly hilarious. It just struggled to maintain any kind of composure. At the very least, this thing somewhat resembles a human or humans. It’s crazt but maybe it knew where I was and why.

“How am I alive?” I asked in a spontaneous burst of bravery. The creature immediately stopped laughing in response. I watched as it’s many happy faces slowly blended into a frowning one, like sand being carried by a gentle gust of wind. I tried looking away momentarily because I didn’t want to make it angrier. While it looked somewhat human, I know it wasn’t. I took a quick glance to see if it was missing any arms or legs or if it had extra. To my surprise, the faces weren’t the only thing that was strange about this thing. While it had two arms and two legs, it did wear a dark black robe from head to toe with a generous amount of patches and holes all over. The strange thing is that in these holes there were shining yellow glowing gems, rusting rotating gears, and short golden pipes that seemed embedded within it. A machine? The creature was so close to me I can hear it's heart ticking from its seemingly mechanical chest. Its presence was accompanied by a burning smell of oil, rusted metal, and maybe even blood. The creature seemed to have come from a rich society, like something I was used to. Its clothes seemed kinda familiar. Under its robe, it is as well dressed as my father, only riddled with mechanical protrusions that would have my mother running in excitement. This thing...what is it? It is the epitome of excellence and amazement, it's beauty unmatched, the afterlife's shining example. What! This isn't me thinking that! No that's not you. I'm saying it because I'm in your head.

"I don't like to examined like a hooker with her undergarments down." I somehow said aloud as I laughed even more hysterically than before. "You're in my head!? You're talking as me! With me! While staring at me!" I said in some kind of amazement. "You were staring and I figured I see what you were thinking. You know you should really brush your teeth more often, I could still taste your morning breath in my mouth." It spoke while smacking its lips. "Anyway...what's the matter, boy? What kind of Genesis did you call for?" It spoke out with a wide smile.

The creature's face settled into that of a male. He looked older, but not quite elderly. Just a face you'd see passing by on the sidewalk, except his eyes, one was golden brown, with what appears to gears inside of it, and the other was pitch black. "You read minds?" I asked. "No just yours." It smiled. "We are going to be closer than you think." I said because I was proud to be in front of the grandiose celestial body even though I was inferior in every way. "Ok. Now I'm done. I can't do it too long anyway." I laughed maniacally once again.

"You're the... pale creature?" I accused. "Well, I would have begun with my name, but yes I am that disgusting creature. I was that creature. It's an ugly form I know, but it does well to pass through worlds such as your own." He explained casually. "Worlds?" I thought to myself.

When the man spoke, his booming voice would raise an eerie chorus of whispers that would surround him like an echo. Also, when he moved in any direction, even a little bit, a mysterious music box would shuffle along the ground like a dog beside him. The man's face, or should I say faces, would repeatedly blend together at different speeds, making it so his many faces would be blurred together with his emotions. He- or even she- is extremely unpredictable. I’m never going to know whether he is reading my mind or not. I’m forced to obey.

Suddenly, the creature clapped its hands and raised his left hand from behind his back. “Take a gander child.” He instructed, his eyes pointing behind him. The creature put a torn top-hat on his head and began digging inside his robe, feeling around for screws; or so it mumbled. Eventually, he found an odd handful of golden triangle-shaped screws and placed them around the rim of his hat neatly and gently. I noticed he settled it's many faces into a young smiling woman while he fumbled with the screws above his head. "The darn thing never stays on your head. So I screwed them in." She explained in a fit of laughter. "Who are you?" I asked. "Uh-uh, I'm not done." She interjected quickly.

She raised her right hand and extended her second finger next to her mouth. She then blew gently into a hollow opening in her finger where her nail would be. What came out was a soothing ghostly kind of music, like a fairy tale and horror movie combined. When the music became loud enough, she gave life to the screws on her head. One-by-one they lined up to a wobbling dance and twisted themselves into her skull right through her hat. "Why? One must not forget one's self when traversing worlds. Your identity helps keep you from being shred to pieces." She warned, taking a breath from playing the strange finger instrument. With so many faces, does she even know who she is? What does she want from me?

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Enough with the fear!" She commanded while resting her right hand to my heart. I felt yet another wave of sedation. My emotions once again forcibly rammed to the back of my mind. I don’t know even know if she or I did it this time. However, I did know it was the only way I would be able to push forward. I needed to find my parents. Find my home.

"If I don't numb you from time to time you'll run away like a sobbing child who just had his parents murdered in front of him. That wouldn't be productive would it?" She explained, leaning yet again closer to me. "Emotions make you see all sorts of things? Right?" She continued mocking.

All of sudden, her face began morphing into something -someone- else. Someone very beautiful. She turned into a light-skinned woman with an aura similar to what I would see in pictures of God. While her eyes stayed the same, she was so beautiful it was hard to even think straight and she knew it. She reached into my pocket before I could stop her while whistling the same disturbing tune the music box once echoed and began rummaging through it. I couldn’t stop her. I don't know why but I just can’t. After a couple of seconds, she pulled out a small but odd silver key. The key was decorated with bursting vines and glistening exotic flowers like some sort of miniature masterpiece sculpture.

To my surprise, the amazing part of the key wasn't the art; just like her finger, the key was also a flute. When she blew into it, it's sound was nothing short of angelic. Listening to the key -if only for a second- would spring my body with a rush of energy that just felt pure and warm. "Never really knew how to master this thing anyway. Keep it, you'll need this." She said while putting the key back into my pocket. "How did it get there?" I thought to myself.

"Is... is this death?" I asked. "Death?! One word surely does it no justice. Boy, your definition of death is incomprehensible to everything but one. Unfortunately, I am not worthy to speak of...its nature." She explained ominously. "But I am dead right?! How is my door missing? Why do I not have a reflection? Where are my parents!?" I blurted out in a single breath. She began to stare at me with a look of utter disappointment. "Am I still alive?! Tell me!" I shouted once more. "Is it not obvious boy!? Would you be talking to me if you were dead! An end absolutely cannot be now. You are far too capable for such a pitiful end. As of now, you are useful child and vastly more capable than you can comprehend." She scolded with a fiery passion, even the gears around her body rotated faster.

”You’re a brighter kid than most.” She admitted. She put her hand onto my bed and sat beside me.”But I’m not here to make you feel good about yourself.” She spoke firmly. "Are you here to bring me back my parents?" I asked hopefully. "No. But I can take you to them." She replied just as I finished asking. "What do you mean? I answered. I was met with a very wide smile, her right goldeneye started whistling away in her socket as the eye itself rotated in a frenzy. Hot steam escaped her nostrils like a dragon and her hollowed eye ignited in a tiny flame.

"Let me explain it in a way even a child such as yourself may understand. Your grief and regret summoned me, such is the nature of what you humans call a near-death experience. I decided to pull you out before you became accepted into a realm of passing. Therefore you are neither alive nor dead, you are simply with me. Right now. Your parents are bursting with life elsewhere although you may not reach that location due to our current predicament of not being entirely alive or quite dead. Right now your options are to finish dying an agonizing death in this burning room and face an after-life searching aimlessly for your parents or...OR.... make a deal with me and take on a task that will lead you right into your parent's arms. Potentially." She explained with a deep breath and a sigh of relief.

"I'm just one per-" I tried stating. "And I am just one being as well! What of it? I saved you right? One is a strange number indeed! Just how much damage can a single person do? Well, that’s a question from those of you who aren’t of much help would ask. One person can save many and harm just as much. You tell me what you believe one can do." She defiantly retaliated.

“I’m sorry. You’re right.” I murmured. “Don’t apologize child. All of us have the privilege to be wrong.” She assured. “Don’t let my temptation be yours.” She whispered while walking her fingers gently up my hand and to my shoulders.

Slowly, she leaned forward and brushed her red tongue along my right shoulder into the crevasse of my neck. I could feel my hair beginning to stand as her warm tongue brushed higher up my neck. “Don’t let temptation fool you.” She whispered sensually. I found her face to be right in front of mine as if she was ready to kiss me. I felt my body jerk back but her right hand grabbed me from behind and shoved me closer. Her puckered red lips began to descend towards mine and I… I could just watch. What should I do? Just as I felt her hot breath on my bottom lip her face began to wisp away into another. Laughter emerged from deep inside her. She’s changing. This time, it doesn’t appear to be changing into a person’s face. As the remainder of the previous face wisped away I could make-up only a bright white underneath, like the creature through the mirror. Seconds later, her face turned completely white with only black holes for eyes and a smile so sinister and wide, it was almost as large as her bottom jaw. This thing is horrifying. My skin shrunk, my heart slowed, and my body turned cold at a glimpse...and yet… somehow my body is scared but my mind wasn't, so… I guess I’ll just close my eyes. “Humans are susceptible to simple things. Do be careful.” Cautioned the creature.

I nodded my head quickly, just to get this thing away from me. I know I can’t be scared right now but my body won’t stop trying to shrivel up. Every second hearing that voice is a second I’m fighting curling up into a ball and yelling. It took notice of my misery quickly and blended it’s face to the lady just before.

"You may have noticed your body jumped about two to maybe three human years or-so. Maybe there are some changes. Or maybe not." She mocked with a smile while rubbing the top of my head. "I'm older!?" I yelped in shock. "Well, when you put it like that. Yes!" She continued laughing loudly. "Such is the price for holding and exploring one's mind and suppressing one's emotions. Time is always the toll." It warned.

"Older..." I thought to myself out loud. "That's what I said." It confirmed. "Give me my emotions back! I don't want to be any older!" I demanded in a fit of anger. “Well, it seems you already are.” It grinned. “ Demanding is what may be your doom. Please don't flatter yourself. I talk to you to present a deal. This is not a friendly visit. That being said, nothing is stopping me from letting you burn in this room." It threatened, inching closer to me again.

Its face began changing again to that of an older man. It's anger shifting through countless faces, each more terrifying and expressive than the last.

"Where are my emotions!?" I shouted desperately. "RELAX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Exploded his voice like an echoing thunderclap. "Relax. It's not all your emotion, just the ones that would get in the way of a certain deal that... I have yet to present. But if you harking to get some back...I WILL GIVE YOU A TASTE AGAIN..." He warned.

He poked his finger into my chest, pouring my emotions into me like a burning soup and before I knew it I was on the brink of collapsing into a pile of tears. He's right. I no longer knew what life is or can be. I can’t keep up with it. Everything is painful. ...it’s hard to even think. I rushed my back to the wall and sank my legs concrete to the bed. Everything in my mind is moving so fast it hurt to breathe. In a last-ditch effort, I turned my head to the man and yelled: "What do I have to do to see my parents again!?"I trembled, tears now rushing down my cheeks. "Skipping the wine and getting straight to the meat!? I'm glad you are considering the deal! I love it! He pounded his chest and laughed hysterically. "I am the second chance of which you speak! I am the light of which you must now seak. I am your way. I am your life. Never forget where you are because of me.” He roared with authority. Now before we get into the details of this deal, I must explain the conundrum that is this room as it will be particularly useful in our arrangement." He continued, his voice now low and calming.

I nodded my head again. I just want to see my parents. I don’t care how I feel anymore. I’ll say yes to anything at this point. This monster craziness needs to end now. How much further can I go anyway?

"This room is the very same room you were in once before, only before the flame and tragedy. The time in which I took away from you is being used to manipulate the time in this very room. Now, why am I explaining this to you? Well as you can imagine we are running a bit short on time here so I can't explain for too long but super tragic and long story short... you will return here eventually." He explained enthusiastically. "I will?" I asked sorrowfully. "Oh most certainly. Be it for safety or when I summon you, but you will. The purpose of this room will become clearer as time goes on. However, this room will once again become engulfed in flames, blood, and tragedy the longer you stay in here, accelerating faster each second. The longer I keep you on this plane of existence, the faster this room will fall victim to the fate of its real-life counterpart, thus ending your life in the aforementioned agonizing death. Leave and come back, and the room will reset." He explained in a fit of passionate threats.

"Your decisions come to a split! What shall you choose? Do you want to see your parents again boy? Or do you accept your end for what it is and burn in this room. The choice is nothing but your own. But you must hurry! I only hid the flames from your eyes, so that you may speak to me without the deadly pressure of the looming flames below. You are not safe. The danger of the flame is most certainly still here." He enthusiastically persuaded. "What do you want from me!?" I lashed out anxiously. "An answer child! Your life depends on it!" He commanded furiously, his face melding viciously between old and young.

"H-how can I see my parents again?" I begged once again.