Hey guys, how's it going! I have to ask, where are you while you're reading this? Me? I'm standing in a pure white room, there isn't anything to be seen anywhere around me. How'd I get here? Same as anyone else. I went to the light at the end of the tunnel. I bought the big one. Put plainly? I died.
Death.
It's something we all are bound to experience someday. For some, they have a very late death, possibly even a hundred years after their birth. For others, death comes early, be it in their first year, or within the first twenty years, due to outside forces. For me, it was the latter. You see, I died at 18. A second year college student at Stanford in Palo Alto, California, USA. I was a bit of a genius, got along well with others, and participated in all kinds of community service activities. Due to a disease I was born with, I already knew I wouldn't live too long, probably no longer than 40 years, maybe 60 if I stayed ridiculously healthy. I had a weak body due to it, and was also asthmatic. However, even with all of that, I didn't expect to die THIS early, at the age of 18! And especially from my rather... unusual...and saddening cause of death. I wasn't hit by a car, saving a kid playing with a ball in the street, and would've been perfectly fine regardless; nor did I get stabbed by a creepy yandere stalker girl on my way home; and I definitely didn't die from some random gang violence or mugging, trying to save a girl. Nope, none of those remotely cool or interesting deaths for me. Here's what the Emergency Medical Technician (or EMT for short) said in regards to my death:
"18 year old African-American, Male, cause of death: Splattering of brain matter all over the pavement from bike riding without a helmet. He appears to have slipped on a bag of... Pft... dirty diapers left out for trash day on the side of the street. Had he been wearing a helmet, he would've come out alive at least... or had he been paying attention... according to eyewitnesses at the time, he appeared to have been in a rush to get somewhere, hence riding without a helmet..."
Yep. You read right. Diapers. I was killed by diapers. Of all things. Go ahead. Laugh it up. I myself don't even know whether to laugh or cry. Sad isn't it? God on the other hand, was laughing it up.
"Damn, I knew that someone would die from those diapers that random guy left on the side of the road. But it was supposed to be the guy riding behind you, who was a drug dealer that turned all his buyers into addicts and milked them for everything! But no! You had to be in a rush to get laid! HAHAHA! And you still died a virgin!"
Yep. My obituary will now read: "Death by dirty diapers in a rush to a woman's house to get laid" Moral of the story, wear helmets on your bikes kids!
"Wait, what happened to the guy behind me?" I ask, curious.
"Ahhh, that's the funny thing. Even in death, you continue helping others. The cops and EMTs that rushed to the scene stopped the guy to ask him some questions regarding his lack of attempt to call emergency crews to your aid, and why he was in such a rush to leave the scene. Seeing his shifty behavior, he got subjected to a full body search, and they caught him with all of his "products", putting him under arrest, and using the found money to put those he sold to in counseling to help them come off the drugs.
Dope is nasty stuff. When I made the plant, I didn't expect it to be used like that. The Devil seems to have had other plans for it though, and by that time, it was too late. But, I have to look at it as an exercise of free will," he explains, appearing slightly miffed by the whole idea.
"Wait, Old Scratch is real?" I kind of figured he was, seeing God and all... but I have to ask the question at least.
"Yes, as real as the tensions over LGBT and their rights."
"And your view on that?"
"Free will." He shrugs. "Enough questioning me, it's time to get down to you. What am I going to do with you...?”
"Hey, please don't tell me you don't have space for me in Heaven or something, so I've got to go to Hell," I ask, now thoroughly worried about my future prospects.
"Hahaha, no. I'm not going to do that to you. Yet."
'Yet?' I ask myself. 'Does that mean it's still a possibility?'
"Yes, it is a possibility," God replies to my unasked question.
You could've parked a car in my mouth with how low my jaw dropped.
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"Hey, Omnipotence here, remember?" I nodded, I just never thought of the practical application of such a status. "Ok, so you have two choices.
1. Go to Heaven, and sit there for all of eternity, until something happens, and it's time for the final battle with the Devil.
2. I can reincarnate you, and give you "a little" help on your way, to make things more interesting, putting you in one of my other dimensions, where they are less technologically advanced, yet have swords, magic, dragons, Oh my! But you get the point."
I thought about it for a moment. I can sit with the Omnipotent God for an eternity, or go back into a life of uncertainty and choices, and forge a path of my own making. As a reader, you should already know what I chose, or I wouldn't have a story to tell you.
"I'll have what's behind door number 2, God!" I replied, replicating a response from a game show.
"Smartass. I already knew you'd choose that anyways." Whoa, God cursed at me. "Yes, I did, but all in good humor, and this you know, so let's move on already. I don't have all the time in the world to help an interesting soul you know?"
"Right. Out of curiosity, how much help is 'a little,'" I query.
"On a scale of one to ten? In a cosmic scale? A 5. Why cosmic? If I put it on your one to ten scale, the scale would be shattered so badly, even the atomic structure of it would cease to exist."
'So wait, how is that a little? Not that I'm complaining...'
"The word, "little" is an opinionated word, not a fact. Therefore, what is “a little" to me, is beyond comprehension for you."
There was a flash of blinding light. After it faded away, what appeared before me was a single throne, sitting in the middle of the white space. It was pure white gold, with large armrests, shaped like roaring dragons taking flight, and an enormous backing to the chair. Sitting in it was what would undoubtedly be called the most beautiful being in existence. He had 12 massive, pure white wings with long, flowing black hair, reaching his waist. He had small, tight lips, an unblemished face, with the coloring of freshly fallen snow and high cheekbones. Reading this description, one might think he was extremely effeminate, but that would be dead wrong. His golden eyes gave off a sheer, domineering might that said "I am not one to be fucked with even on the worse of days". His mouth however, was quirked into a smirk. As for his body, he was built like an athlete, around 6 feet tall, well-muscled, but not grossly so, and dressed in a white toga. The being before me, is undoubtedly, the Big Man himself.
"Now," He says, "I am out of time for you, so I will send you off to my archangels who will help you set up for your new reality. Know this, I don't normally reincarnate people, but your circumstances were a bit special, what with your personality, the amusing way you died, and the fact that you were a virgin." He smirks at this. "Even with all of this, you helped others as much as you could, and didn't disrespect your Earthly parents. Know I am proud of you, my son. Now, off you go."
He waved his hand, and a black hole appeared beneath my feet, making me fall through and lose consciousness. As I fade, I hear him say one last thing.
"Know this, I am always watching you, and wishing you the best."
That's the end of my prologue! It was a bit long, but that's acceptable! This is my first time writing my own story, and despite the obvious outside references, no, this is not a fanfic, but it does take bits and pieces from other popular works. Do you recognize what I've used so far? A bit of help would be appreciated, like pointing out grammatical errors (I hope there aren't too many, English is my native language after all) as well as tips on what points to improve! I have a very clear of where I want my character to go, but no clear idea of how I want him to get there. And I intentionally avoided naming him, as he will receive a new one in the next world anyways. Could someone direct me to where I can find the coding instructions for tables, italics, and the like? I would like to incorporate those into my story. Anyways, hope you enjoyed the read! I will not update for quite some time in all likelihood, as I am in college, and we are nearing final preparations. And I want to write a good story. So that's all I wanted to say! Skoll out!