I'm walking back home from the grcoery store, paper bags in hand, when I hear someone shout.

I turn. A man's staring at me with wide eyes, horror evident on his face.

I blink confused, when- something slams into me- and I'm disembodied. My senses are all... gone? It feels like I'm floating.

Out of body experience! Woo!

I feel as light as a feather. But can control my movements, unlike a feather.

Strange, I can feel I'm moving without an frame of referance. 

Am I in a coma? Did... a bus or something slam into me? Was that why that man was shouting at me?

Well, crap. That's not really great. If I'm left to my thoughts like this, without any feelings or sensations, I'm bound to go insane. It's just a matter of time.

Wait, something's coming. I can feel it. A presence. Which could be a hallucination, for all I know. Hallucination or not, it's giving me something to focus on rather than my thoughts. Might slow down the process of turning insane.

Or not.

I feel the presence wrap around me, like a warm blanket.

I feel love, and comfort.

Huh, interesting. It can affect my emotions. Well, I don't really have a physical body in this space... so I guess this is a sort of mental realm? 

A memory palace? Maybe I have a split personality that's trying to comfort me?

I immediately snort at the thought. When and how did I get a split personality? And why did I ever not notice it?

Wait, the presence is moving me. I can't help but mentally shudder at the warm feeling it's giving off. It feels really good.

Wait, what if I'm dead? Well, that would mean there's an afterlife, since I'm still thinking. It would also mean... that I would never see my friends again... except that I don't have any. I doubt my foster family is going to miss me either. 

I really wish I had more information.

And I'm guessing I'm going to heaven, since I doubt a demon-devil-something would give off comfy vibes. Can I speak to it? Well, If I'm dead, I don't have a mouth. If I'm not, I don't have access to it. And I would also be hallucinating.

So, think at it? 

Eh, why the hell not?

Hello?, I think as hard as I can. However that is possible, anyway.

I feel the presence being startled. Then- I feel as if there are couple hundred judges staring at me, trying to figure out what crimes I may or may not have commited.

Well, shit again. Did I do something wrong?

Greetings, mortal.

I mentally shudder again.

She had the most amazing voice I've ever heard, I think.

Definitely an Angel, I think.

And, well, apparantly with a love for dramatics.

The angel feels amused.

Oh, right, angel-being can hear my thoughts. Heh, does she think I'm crazy?

Worry not, mortal, I do not believe you to be insane. If you were, you would've been sent to Hell a long time ago. 

Well, that's that. I'm either frothing in a hospital bed somewhere, or turned into bloody gore. Exciting.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

I feel, rather than hear, a chuckle.

I'm afraid it is the latter, mortal. Worry not, for it is not the end of your journey. Francis was right, are an interesting one.

Okaaaaay, I'm dead. Or under a serious hallucination, that wants me to believe I'm dead, for some unfathomable reason. 

And what's that all about, 'not the end of my journey'? Speaking of which, where are we going?

My patience is gone, just like that. I feel we are moving excruciatingly slow.

And immediately as I think that, I feel as though someone has put a lasso around me, which is connected to a jet that has broke through the sonic barrier.

I wish that I had not screamed. Because that made the angel laugh like hell. Damn it. 

The angel stops, and with her, I stop too. Then I feel an immense surge of vertigo.

My senses slowly come back to me. Actually, just omniscience.

I am in a room. It is... also black, and without light. And I'm also still a floating entity, except, I can now control my movements.

The angel is gone, and with her, the comfortable feeling. Feelings of panic and anxiety fill me, and I scream like never before.

***

A old man, with wrinkles all over his face, sits at a table, hunched over. He's reading a book, holding a pair of glasses in front of him. You could hear him muttering from time to time.

He was the guardian of the Royal treasury. And, while it might not seem like it, this old man would make dragons cower at the mention of his name.

He was Archmage, Darrys. And he was the least accomplished in the mage circle. Least. Hence, he was sent here.

He heard the sound of something moving in the treasury.

He frowned.

"Is it those goddamned thieves again? I swear- can't they leave me to read in peace?" The man muttered grumpily as he got off his chair and went to the door.

He opened it, and an avalanche of gold, silver, and a variety of gems hit him. Yet, he was not moved in the slightest. If one looked closely, they could see fant blue lines around him.

He was burried up to the neck in a staggering amount of gold, and other precious resources. Then, one of this hands snapped upwards, catching a necklace.

The necklace was make out of carved ivory chains, and had a sapphire hanging off it. The sapphire was furiously virating, trying to escape from the old man's grasp. However, the old man wouldn't have any of that, and put an immobility spell on it.

One must take note, that an immobility spell was used in the worst of situations, as they were mentally draining. On the other hand, the old man looked just as fine as he did before, and the necklace turned rigid.

***

"....aaaah!" I said, finishing the last of my screams.

And since I didn't have a voicebox, I could have continued screaming. But, however, I was staring to get tired of screaming at walls. 

I'm starting to get tired of not having a body. It's grating. 

What if I tried imagining it?

I try recalling my body in full detail. Then recall the sensations I felt. And accomplish absolutely nothing.

I scream again.

Halfway through, something appears in the empty space. And I can see it. I zoom forward and see a small gold coin. It has the picture of a very ugly king on it. No offence to you, mister.

Where the hell did it come from? More importantly, is it useful? I mean, it's not as if there's a shop around here that can allow to buy body parts or something.

Hmm...

"Status!" I yell out.

Nothing. Well, I can't exactly stop there. I have read, a quite substantial amount of fantasy and LitRPG novels, so I'm not willing to give up on my hope just like that.

"Character sheet!" 

Nothing.

"Menu!"

Still nothing.

"Shop!"

Nope.

"Stupid freaking blue screen!"

Okay, now I'm starting to feel like an idiot.

Well, since that doesn't work, I can only give up and go back to the coin. 

Can I move it?

And it flies over to me.

Cool, at least that works.

I command it to do flip-flops. It does.

Huh. That works too. But... what exactly am I supposed to do with a moving coin? 

Hell, where am I?

I sigh. No use there. Can only continue to experiment with the coin.

Well, I can move it about. Can I change it's shape.

I try flattening off that smug, stupid and ugly face. It works. Only, I'm left with a disk of gold foil. Equally useless.

I try making it into a needle. Not exactly sure why I would need a needle, but this way, at least I have something to defend myself with in case somebody enters this place.

Ha Ha Ha! Beware my tiny needle!

Can I melt it?

....And it turns molten.

Yes, apparently I can. For what purpose, don't ask me. 

Now, I just have to figure out how I'm supposed to get out of here- with a goddamn golden blob. Turn back into into a needle, stupid floating blob.

Done.

And then bunch of clothes appears in my realm. To be precise, they're the undergarments of a woman. A very big woman.

What the...?