Darkness. Nothing. Endless.

As I floated in the dark void I found myself in, I slowly felt as if I was waking up from a long nap.

I tried to open my eyes, but all I could see was darkness. There was nothing.

I felt as if I was floating on clouds. I could feel nothing.

'Wha... W-where... am I?' I thought to myself in a haze.

I tried to force my arms to move. Nothing happened. I felt nothing.

'Huh?! M-my arms?! My legs?! I can't feel anything!'

I tried to scream, I heard nothing. I tried to move, I felt nothing. I tried everything, nothing happened.

'Is... is this what death feels like? A-alright, just calm down,' I thought to myself.

I tried my best to calm down and think about this rationally. Obviously, that was hard.

'Alright, ok, this is fine. Everything is fine... Oh my God everything is not fine! Is this hell? I remember the... crash. Did I die and go to hell?'

I tried to rationalize what was happening. The inky black void around me was ever present. Just my thoughts in this endless abyss for what felt like hours.

Slowly but surely, the terror turned to sadness.

'I guess this is just what happens after death. I... i lost so much. All those people who cared about me. My grandma who depended on me... gone. Forever.'

I felt sorrow welling up from deep within me. I wanted to cry. I wanted to cry more than anything. Everything I lost, all the people I would never see again, everything was gone.

Suddenly, I felt another presence in the void. Something else was here with me. I felt its presence all around me.

It spoke, but didn't speak. I heard it, but didn't hear anything. It was like the presence was thinking with me. I could hear it directly without really hearing anything.

'Hello, human,' the voice spat, 'to answer your previous question, no, this is not hell. Your soul is being communicated with directly in a place between life and death. A kind of purgatory, if that helps your pathetic mind rationalize it any better.'

'Wha-?! What are you?! WHO are you?! Why are you here?!' I asked, fear rising rapidly.

'Silence!' the voice said with so much power I could feel it, 'Now, with your impertinent babbling out of the way, stay quiet when I am talking to you.'

The voice continued to float around, seemingly both everywhere and nowhere.

'To answer your main question, yes, you did die,' it said, 'I managed to save your soul from the collision of the two metal... cars, I believe. I saved you because I was bored. I noticed a soul being stripped from its body and thought of a wonderful idea to entertain myself. I have a wager for you.'

'A... wager? F-for what?' I asked timidly.

'You will find out in due time, worm,' the voice said agitated, 'If you manage to, lets say, impress me, I will place you back at the site of the collision, granting you a second chance. However, if you fail, you shall be stuck wherever I send you. Forever. I will give you some time alone to think this over. Do not keep me waiting, human.'

The voice spat that final word with such venom and vitriol that I mentally winced.

As I fully thought about what was said to me, the gravity of it all began to set it. My mind spiraled as my thoughts became scattered.

'This can't be real! A chance to do it over? To not die? This has to be a dream! This can't be real! That's impossible! This whole thing is impossible! It has to be a hallucination!.. but it all feels so real. There's no way this can be real... can it?'

I thought this over and over, always coming to the same conclusion. If there was any chance to get a do over, no matter how small or unlikely, I had to take it.

This may be fake, but it feels as real as all the people I'd left behind. All that I had lost. Maybe, just maybe, I can get a second chance.

I knew my choice. I had to at least try. Even if this was my mind desperately trying to hold onto hope, I had to do something.

'Yes, I agree to whatever you want,' I said timidly, 'but can I ask one thing. Why? Why did you save me? Why did you offer this to me?'

The presence returned at once, seemingly pleased with my answer.

'Very good,' the voice said, 'I knew you would say that. Don't think I'm doing this out of the kindness of my heart or because I think you deserve it, you mean less than nothing to me, I'm only doing this because I'm bored. Nothing more, nothing less.'

Hearing this, I quickly replied, 'Alright, wherever. Truth be told, I don't even know if this is real or not, but if there's any chance to go back I have to take it. I have nothing else left to lose. Worst that happens is that you're my imagination and I wind up floating alone again.'

I heard laughter. The voice was laughing at me.

'Hahahahahaha! Oh, how little you know!' The voice said mockingly, 'Human, this is far from the worst that could happen. Be warned, if you die again while in the other world, I will not save you twice. You are nothing but a source of entertainment for me.'

Fear filled me. I truly had no clue what was about to happen. I would either be thrust somewhere I had no clue about, or be stuck floating in this dark purgatory forever.

'I-I figured,' I said, voice wavering heavily, 'I have to do this though. Not for me, but for others.' I'm terrified. I still don't know for sure if you are even real, but if you are, if there's any chance, I have to. I said yes and ment it. When will you be sending me?'

I heard the voice laugh once again.

It's tone turned malevolent as it said, "Oh, so eager. Well then, why don't I just send you now.'

As soon as it said this, I felt as if I was plummeting. Falling faster and faster down. Where I wasn't sure. I felt fear filling me. I had no clue where I was going nor what would be there.

I felt my body return. I flailed my arms and legs uselessly as I plummeted further and further into the unknown. I screamed as loud as loud as I possibly could, falling farther and farther and farther down into an unknown world.

Suddenly, it stopped. I felt not pain, but exhaustion. I felt tired. Very tired. My mind slowed as I lay, struggling to open my eyes. My thoughts became sluggish as I felt consciousness leaving me.

"D-did I... make... it?" I asked softly.

I cracked my eyes open slightly, the light blinding me briefly, forcing them closed again. I blinked, trying to look around but only seeing blurs of green and brown.

I could barely think anymore, consciousness slipping away from me faster and faster. I could barely make out a brief flash of pink crowding my vision before my eyes closed once again.

I heard the voice one more time before fully losing consciousness.

'Yes, human, you made it,' it said with a sneer, 'best not disappoint me now. I will be watching you. You'll know exactly what to do once you awaken. Welcome, William, to your dream turned nightmare.'

As my consciousness fully slipped and I fell into a deep sleep, embracing the darkness once more. I had no clue what would await me once I awoke, but I knew one thing for certain.

I was fucking terrified.

END CHAPTER 1

Alright, so I miiiiight have been lying when I said the prologue would be the shortest chapter haha! This is that, "I am transitioning between worlds," chapter. I also wanted to set up the conflict for later. I couldn't think of a way to shove this with the other parts because I had something else planned for the other characters and wanted to not just leave them to do nothing. Slapping this on top of that wouldn't fit too well in my opinion.

Honestly, I'm not sure how to feel about this part. I was confused on how to show it in a way that made sense. I think I did a decent job, but I'm not really sure. I hope everyone will enjoy regardless though! Any criticism and ways to improve are highly appreciated!

Anyways, feel free to review with criticism or suggestions if you'd like! I appreciate all the reviews sooooo much! I already learned a valuable lesson from a review and improved this story immensely from it! I'll be reading them all! That's it for now! Expect the next part whenever it gets finished! -Zerif