Prologue
I felt like I had just submerged into an extremely deep pool of water, and something was smothering my body so I wouldn't be able to move. The only sort of movement my body made was sinking; sinking down to the bottom of nothingness.
There was only darkness, but I did not fear it. The darkness was like a native homeland, and something in the back of my mind was telling me that I was suppose to be here, while the other one told me that my job was not done. I was not destined for this life, she told me, I was meant to have a greater purpose in life; there was only death at this place. This voice—the nourishing voice of honeydew—was like a lullaby, but the tune was indifferent to me. I could only hear her words.
Follow the light, she whispered. Let your arms stretch and find an opening.
I had arms? This discovery was astounding to me, but I still could not move this body within all of the darkness. No, it was not the darkness that was stopping me. It was myself. This body was none that I had ever imagined, and in fact, I was almost sure that this body wasn't real. In a way, this body was nothing but a capsule to my fragile soul, but what puzzled me was why I had been brought to such a suffocating place. My job was not yet done, and this time it was myself telling me this. My voice was not a delicate humming sound like the superior melancholy voice. Instead, it was a small feeble sound, like the leftover water dripping out of … of… now what was that silver thing called? It was like a cylinder, hollow, and hung over a square basin. I couldn't remember what the word was, but I could definitely picture the raindrop dripping out of it, and the pitch of the sound was like my voice.
My job was not done? But what more could there be?
Something caught my attention. I felt a horrifying feeling flow through my body—no, not my body, it was this body—and I was sure that a memory wanted to play right now, but nothing in my mind had came to view. This body was not strong enough to learn the difficult things of the past. Even just trying to recall what the silver thing was made me shiver, especially since it lead to so much emotion; something this body could barely handle. The only two I could feel in this capsule was either fear or nothingness. Anything that tried to register through this mind of darkness was unable, and this was exactly why the neighbors that were surrounding me had not been able to wake up yet. The only time I seem to remember waking up was a long interval ago, when something high and disturbing was clobbering against something heavy. Why did theses things have to be so noisy? They're … they're barbaric.
You will learn soon enough, little one, the voice chided, then, continued with plea. Please, stretch your arms.
I can't, my mentality was a weak cry of agony. Although I wanted to please this sweet chorus, I couldn't find what I was looking for. I needed a push, no, that couldn't have been it. I needed something shiny. Something bright.
Reach!
The frustration through my mind was building magnitude, for I couldn't understand what the voice had meant. There was a loud sound, then, an illuminating shed of light. I winced for the first time in ages, then, a strange thing came to view. I was not sure of what this species was, but the beckoning smile that spread made my soul unstable. Butterflies, my mind told me. Why would there be butterflies in this place?
To my amazement, I realized that I was crowded with others like myself, but their eyes were nowhere to be found, and they seemed to be unaware of the voice that flowed through receptacle. No, that wasn't it, I told myself with assurance. The words were in my mind, but they did not belong to me. There was another faint voice in the distance, but this one was deeper. It was asking something, but I never understood what language he had been speaking. Then, my neighbors each opened their eyes, each one with a sinister mind. Their voices were in sync with mine, and I could hear their murderous threats. A sound of cackling bells escaped their vocal cords, and I knew the thing in front of me was doomed.
Panic. I could feel the pain rush through my body as I heard the mortifying words. These emotions swelling around me were just too much to handle, and this is why I guessed that none of these creatures—on which I have refused to call my brothers—could not comprehend why I wasn't going after the person. They all tried to push their way past me, but my arms sprawled first. I couldn't let them go near that being.
Before I knew it, everything that had appeared before me in the darkness was gone. What a relief.
The voices were not too far, but still were unable to hear; a side conversation, a memory reminded me.
From the instant the consciousness had become aware of life, I was almost positive that I was already going to hate my surroundings. The place was cold—too cold for the body's liking—the continuous single sound wave was intolerable, and the light of the room was unbearable, even if my eyelids were sewed together. I was aware that this body already hated the odor that the room created. It was like a hellhole created for nothing but suffering, and yet, I could figuratively see the potential of it to be resourceful. But it was still a hellhole. I winced as a shuffling noise came towards me, then, a peculiar sound caught my ears. It was as if they knew that I was already awake.
