Have you ever wondered what happens to you when you die? Do you go to heaven or hell based on what you did in your life, like is believed in christianity? Or maybe you reincarnate, like is believed in hinduism or Buddhism? The answer is a lot more tragic than you might think.
.
.
Pain. This is the first sense I'm able to register. I'm in pain and in an excruciating amount of it too. My sense of my surroundings is warped. I'm unable to think because of this pain, unable to feel anything else. How long has it been? My sense of time is in disarray and the pain doesn't stop.
Make it stop.
Make it stop.
I want it to stop!
My eyes jerk open and the pain instantly vanishes. Pant, pant, pant. I feel my lips tremble violently. I quickly look around to recognize where I am, left, right, front, back, repeat. Where is this place? Why am I here? It's strange, I can't seem to remember. No, that not right. Why can't I remember what this place is or why im here.
Think, think, think.
Gasp.
I clench my hands onto my head. Pain flooded my skull. Intense throbbing and sharp jabs where all I felt. Just as quickly is it appeared, it left. What was that? That pain, why did it happen? Pant, pant, pant. Who was that? I looked around again just to be met with the scenery I started with. Oh, that's my breathing.
Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breath out. I repeated this until I felt my chest, which I hadn't realized was tightened, relax. Before anything, I need to understand where I am.
I stood up, using the ground as a brace. My legs felt weak, as if I hadn't used them in a while. The place I was in wasn't a place that could be called hospitable, that's for sure. I'm in some kind of cave but it's not completely dark. This is strange as I see no lights source or any hole that could lead outside. The ground is rocky so I must be careful, lest I fall down and injure myself.
The only way out seems to be the passage right in front. On one hand, if I go through it, I might be able to escape from here and maybe find someone willing to help me. On the other, I have no idea what I might encounter when I try to leave, perhaps it would be better to stay still and wait for someone to rescue me.
What should I pick? Should I leave or should I wait? I have to think very carefully about this. It's either go into the unknown by myself or wait in a place I'm familiar with for rescue that might not even come. I rummage through my head for the pros and cons of both options and compare. Finally my eyes open again but this time, with clarity.
I take slow and careful steps around the cave, the soles of my feet hits the rocks on the ground, oh, I'm barefoot. I take a closer look at what I'm wearing. It seems to be a long white gown like those you wear in hospitals. I seem to be wearing shorts under them too. I take my eyes off myself and start looking around again.
Something on the far corner of the cave catches my eyes. As I move towards the item I start to relize what it is. It's a bag! Hopefully one full of supplies. I kneel down and start opening the bag. It looks like it has a med kit, a water bottle filled with water, some protein bars, a flashlight, a crowbar, and a folding knife. These are going to be helpful. I put the bag around my shoulder and move to see if I can find anything else.
Well, I guess this is it. I take a deep breath in and out to relax my anxiety.
Left foot, right foot
Left foot, right foot
I continue this until I take my first step out the cave and into the unknown.