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The only reason some people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory.
Paul Fix
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Black timelessness. It surrounded me. Engulfed me. Became a part of me. I was floating in an orb remaining in slow motion. Cold and painfully desolate. Filled with the sort of silence that pushed even the strongest of wills into that point of no return. I reached out in final desperation, but nothing lay before me. It hit me all at once like a nuclear explosion. There was no escape.

What crime had I committed to desreve this abhorrent fate? My memories were even more mysterious than the realm I was trapped within. The most recent memory that preceded my arrival was walking home. It seemed like an eternity had passed since then, but, for all I knew, it could have been an hour ago.

The lack of human contact and quiet had an almost pleasant beginning. It allowed me to collect my thoughts and relax without the usual interruptions. But the unavoidable basic instinct of paranoia permeated me eventually. Outlandish thoughts of apparitions and demons clandestinely stalking me, the ax murderer sitting behind me waiting for an opportune moment to turn me into an amputee and other even more gruesome images floated through my mind. I was no longer mildly afraid. I was terrified.

Then, the voice entered the orb that was my prison. It flowed like warm molasses around me. I did not cower or attempt to escape it, though. I couldn't hear the words, but the intent and tone were obvious. Someone somewhere was on my side. My hand began glowing. I could feel the gentle touch of the voice's owner. It brought the realm of black death into a temporary flash of light. It rekindled that assurance I would find my way out of this dungeon of impending doom.

The warmth and glow mitigated, draining from me in small amounts. I felt like a leaky faucet of sorts. I missed the sweet murmur and warmth. The darkness crept out of its hiding place slowly, allowing me to relish those few moments, as if to say it was an accident never to occur again. I fought with rejunvenated strength and confidence. Time crept by, each second lingering on for an eternity. I finally lost count and had to be content with the company of my own thoughts. Maybe that voice, the ray of light into this forsaken realm, was a freak accident.

When I had again nearly lost hope, another voice entered my orb. This one expressed sorrow and disbelief. I was drowned in a deluge of its tears and bittersweet song of mourning. This voice was very different from the first.

It touched me. Liquid flames flowed freely through and around me. I was a human torch, chasing all of the darkness into oblivion. The voice's words became audible, then crystal clear.

"How can you be here? I watched them...no, I let them...end it all. I'm sorry..." The empathy I had acquired was dull and vague, but the guilt he felt came through strong and harsh.

"Don't blame yourself." I reached out almost hesistantly in the direction of the voice. This was all so new, and I was unaware of what consequences the actions taken would have.

"You can hear me?" His confusion swirled around within me in a pool of dull gray.

"Let me bring you to me." My arms spread and beckoned my herald of hope to join me. 'What are you doing? It's not your place to trap others here...but it feels so natural. So right,' I argued within my mind.

His willingness wavered for a moment before he leapt into my arms, succumbing completely to the forces surrounding us. Human torches collided, causing a breathtaking display of rainbow sparks of light, flashes and whirls. Our thoughts and emotions mingled, then merged into a cocktail of ambivalence.

I saw life through the eyes of a hurt and lonely young man hiding behind a mask of sarcasm and self-confidence. His memories were painful and few brought him happiness. Blood and horrid creatures ruined his childhood and stole those years of sweet ignorance most of us experience. Even his joyful memories brought pain. They were all a blur, like a movie in fast forward mode. The thought of him actually going through years of torment and suffering brought tears to my eyes.

It ended as suddenly as it had began. The chaos cleared and darkness faded. I stood facing him, our fingers intertwined. I no longer heard his thoughts or felt his emotions, but we still shared an intimacy unprecedented in my life. We stared into each others eyes, and I couldn't bring myself to look away. His eyes were blue, warm but hardened by all that he had been through.

"Are you all right?" He was the first to speak. He seemed to recognize me, but I hadn't ever seen him before in my recollection.

I glanced around us. We seemed to be suspended in the sky. There was no ground below me, yet it felt solid. This was a very strange place. I looked down at my body. I felt no pain and appeared to have come out of this unscathed. I still didn't feel great, though. "I've been better. How are you?"

"I'm okay. What is this place?" He took a step away from me and turned in a complete circle.

"I don't know. I was just floating in...a void a few seconds ago and then, the next thing I know, I'm here with you."

"You were sick. You came aboard our ship, and we rescued you."

"Your ship? What do you mean?"

"You're aboard the Andromeda Ascendant, the last of the Commonwealth Starships. My name is Harper."

"I'm...Lise. Yeah, that's my name." I was feeling a little groggy, like I'd just come out of anesthesia.

"We've got to hurry so we can get back before Trance does."

"Who's Trance? And you know where we're supposed to be going?"

"I'll tell you about all that when we get there. Did you see any doors or anything when you were in that place where I found you?" He crossed his arms across his chest pensively.

"It was really dark and creepy. I don't think there were any doors." I started moving my foot along the solid sky-ground. There was a gap in it. "There's a hole in the sky."

"We've got to jump through it." He was already crouched down, finding the hole's edges.

"What?" I wondered if he had gone out of his mind.

"Trust me. Jump."

"You want me to trust you when I barely know your name?"

He grinned and grabbed me around my waist. He sent us both plummeting through the sky. This was one of my least favorite sensations, and having to experience for more than a couple of seconds wasn't very pleasant. There was a rocky ground far below us, but growing closer rapidly. 'We're going to die!' I thought as we were seconds from impact.