I woke up. When I opened my eyes I saw darkness, it was not dark but above me was only darkness, no sky, no ceiling, no stars, and no moon, just nothing. I didn’t feel any pain, and my body seemed fine from what I could feel. I sat up.

  When I sat up it was like I was behind a stage, to my right there were curtains. I could see the other said across from me there were also curtains. Though it was not dark the space between the two curtains had more light coming in, I could also hear voices. I got up, careful not to make too much noise. It was a habit from childhood that has served me well in my line of work, if you could call it work. As I inched closer to the opening of the stage I could hear voices. I stop near the end of the curtains and listen…

  *sob* *sob* *sob*

  Cried the girl.

  *pant* *pant* *pant*

  Heaved the boy.

  “Who are you!?!?”

  Yelled the second boy.

  I didn’t dare peak out around the curtain. Ignorance is bliss as they say.

  “You all died.”

  The tone of the speaker was calm and matter of fact. Though I think I could detect a bit annoyance in it. It was not one of the three previous voices so I assumed that it was the voice of the person who the second boy yelled at.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  “ I am god, and you are dead. Nothing will change the fact that you died but you can be alive again if you three comply with what I will ask of you.”

  I could hear the sharp intake of air from the kids. I myself just stifled it. I caught on to something that this “god” said, a few something in fact. I felt that my best bet right now was to stay where I was. Information is power.

  “Here are the contracts, sign with your blood and you will live again. Don’t sign and well your dead, figure the rest out yourself.” I heard the swish of fabric as though the person gestured. I then heard a rumble as though a gate opened. I think I also heard the tinkle of water.

  Then there was the shuffling of papers and a few gasp. I got the picture that some signing of deals took place.

  “Good choice children, now I won’t make you do all this work without giving you any tools. You have one sentence to write out what you want to be able to do in your life. I won’t make you a god, but godlike powers are not out of the question.”

  For the first time I hear one of the boys speak, pretty sure it was the second one. The one who yelled?

  “Can it really be anything?”

  The person answered.

  “It can be anything, but I get to decide how the your tool works. I have to balance everything don’t I? Oh, you still have to use your blood, so careful with the run-on sentences.”

  Once more I hear the shuffling of papers. Now I can smell the blood in the air, they must be using quite a bit of it. They are probably at least 20 meters from me, finally the shuffling and scribbling stops. I wonder what they used to write.

  “Excellent, now we are done. Go to the left hallway, the forty-second door on the left side is the one you want. Shoo.”

  I hear scampering and then opening and closing of a door, then nothing. Well not for long as the sound of the gate closing echoes out. Then it sounds like a lock clicking into place after a key is turned.

  “Haah…”

  “Such a pain in the ass, I just want to play my games in peace. I hate all this extra work.”

  I just heard something outrages coming from a self-proclaimed god.

  I hear footsteps going to the right side of the room, then a *poof*, then something like fiddling with cushions and a *click*.

  *tap* *tap* *tap*

  I hear a tapping noise. It seems this person is actually playing a game of some kind. Most likely on a tablet, since I don’t hear a keyboard and you don’t usually tap on a controller. The tapping is slow and pondering, like he is making a selection or picking a new piece of equipment. I wait until there is a long pause in his selection. Even if this person is not a god I don’t want to anger it by interrupting in the middle of its pastime. Better wait until there is a loading section.

  There is a pause.

  There is no tapping.

  I level my breathing.

  I prepare myself for what’s to come as I take a step towards the light.