Date: July 16, 2025
On this day, time had just ~stopped! Paul doesn't know what happened, everything was confusing. "Am I dreaming?" Paul thought. But as he started moving, as he started to look closely, slowly but surely, reality had sunk in.
He stood up from the floating position he had. He saw that he was only inches away from death, however he was saved! Except~ was he? He is now stuck in a world where he has nothing, no one, and no time.
He tried shaking his head, "maybe this is all just an illusion" he thought. He shook his head, pinched himself, slapped himself, thinking...No, hoping, it was all a dream. But the more he tried, the less it helped, the more desperate it becomes.
What would he do? What could he do? He had to clear his thoughts. So he walked, he walked and walked and walked, until he saw something, someone, familiar.
It was Jasmine, the beautiful Jasmine, that is about to be robbed of her belongings. She owned a bag with the logo "LV" on it, an expensive and high quality bag worth thousands.
The amazing thing was, Jasmine was ready to punch the robber with her fists instinctively. Paul thought, "is she always this feisty?"
Paul knew that the right thing to do was to help her. He took one of the robbers shoe laces and tied its arms behind its back. Then took the other shoelace to tie the robbers feet.
Paul smiled, he was amazed that even in a situation where time was stopped, he saw her being herself.
Although he had just saved Jasmine, Paul left that street still feeling more confused. He walked again until he reached his house.
He stayed in there, for a long time. "Maybe I should just sleep this off," he thought. Alas, he could not sleep, not even a wink, he doesn't even feel tired. He was forced to be trapped in this space with nothing to do, and nothing else to think about.
To Paul, this was worse than if he were to go to prison. Far worse, because here, there is no one to talk to, nothing to look forward to, and nothing to do.
Its been 4 days, usually, he would be irritated that his apartment was hot. It didn't have any air conditioning, and even when he opens a window, it almost feels like it makes things worse.
But now, he could not feel anything, no warmth, no cold, nothing. Its as if he misses the heat that mother nature gave, and the sweat that would pour down from his head. He misses the ability to bathe, but nothing happens when he turns the faucet.
Have you ever tried solving a math problem that was levels too difficult for you? Have you ever tried to understand someone else's language? Have you ever tried to cook or make something you know nothing about without any instructions?
Not knowing how to start, where to start, or what to do? Not being familiar with anything, and just trying to do what you can, and in the end producing nothing but chaos?
Well, Paul's situation is similar, but much worse. In this world, or realm, or . . . dimension, where would he start? How would he start? And when will it end?
Now its been 13 days, he has been longing for something, anything, desperately looking for any sign of hope. He doesn't feel hungry even though he hasn't eaten, nor sleepy. All he does is think about how to fix this, and the consequences of not doing so.
He would be trapped in that world forever. Its like an ant trying to crawl out of a sealed iron box. No way out, imprisoned in this world of absolute neutrality and boredom. It can drive anyone insane, slowly but surely, if nothing is done about it.
Paul walked outside on that day, saying to himself, "it's been almost 2 weeks, huh?" He walked all day long, and found nothing but despair. He sat on a bench, its all he did afterwards, no, its all he could do.
But just as things were to hit its bleakest, just as he was losing hope, Paul saw that something was flashing. A light that existed a few meters to his left. A light, that essentially, gave hope to his darkness.
They say a stick is all it takes to give a drowning man hope. This was Paul's stick, he would definitely, never let this go. He started to run, he tiredly ran towards the light. Miserably moving his arms and legs, like a desperate man in a dessert finally finding water.
It was only 10 meters now, 8 meters, 5 meters, he is so close! He finally reached the light, it was flashing, and floating, with nothing to produce it. Like a light with no flashlight, or a fire without wood. It was just...there?
It was a square-like screen, like the one's you would see in a video game. The closer he looked at it, the more similar it became to an ''RPG'' status update screen.
On it though, all there was, is a red flashing light that was just begging to be pushed. The light had a word spelled out "pindot," meaning "press" in tagalog.
He touched the screen, and there was a voice that came out. "Hello? Is there anyone that can hear me?" It sounded like a robot-like woman, like a voice that was artificially created. Its sound is comparable to "siri" or "alexa," but just slightly more humanesque.
Paul cried laughing, for he finally heard something, someone. He didn't know what to do, but he knew that he had to say something, anything at all!
"Hi, I'm Paul, who is this?" It then answered, "Ah, yes, Paul? what is your location?"
"My location? What do you mean?" He asked for he did not know what to answer. "If you could tell me the country, city and street, that would be more than enough.
Paul didn't know his exact location, he did just walk aimlessly. He knew he was still in Manila, but there wasn't really anything too distinct about his location.
When he tried to say something, he hoped his answer would be enough for the person behind the voice that is asking him. "I'm in the Philippines, in the city of Manila."
"Alright sir, I have located you. In about 10 minutes, something will arrive at your current location." "Wait wha-" the call ends, and Paul is filled with questions. Who was that person? Is she like me? Was she the one responsible for all of this?
There was much doubt, but Paul couldn't hide the relief, maybe even joy, of finally hearing someone. He was reassured that he wasn't alone, that there could be a light in the midst of this darkness.
His heart was beating faster and faster, anticipation of the arrival. He waited 10 minutes, possibly the longest 10 minutes of his life.
Its been ten minutes now, and yet nothing had seemingly arrived. He's nervous, maybe this was all still just a mistake, maybe the previous events never really happened and he was just being crazy.
Paul looked at the screen again, maybe there was a hint on it, yet there was nothing. He was anxious, "where is it? Has it arrived already?" Paul questioned while looking down and walking in circles.
But as he was looking down on the ground, he noticed a black dot, getting bigger and bigger. "What is that?" Paul said, trying to look closely. That is until he realized that, it could be something that was falling.
He looked up, and there it was, "is that it? is that the thing that needed to arrive?" He watched it fall down, slowly, from the sky.
Paul caught it in his hand as it was landing. But the item itself wasn't exactly what he expected. He wondered, "why is it a striped piece of cloth?"
As he was inspecting the cloth, he noticed that the screen was flashing yet again. Written on it was "wear the bandana." "Is this the bandana?" Paul said while holding the silky cloth with both hands.
He did as the screen told him, he took the cloth, and wrapped it around his brown haired head. As he put it on, he could feel all the hair on his body stand. He felt a sudden chill.
"What was that?" Paul said, while touching, feeling out the back of his head. "You will feel a shock of pain in approximately 10 seconds." He heard this, and wondered where it came from, for the screen was there no more! While looking left and right to see who was behind all of this.
"10, 9, 8" Paul hears the count down. If what he heard was true, then when the countdown was over, he would feel a great shock of pain.
He tried untying it, but it would not untie. He tried removing it by pulling it up and off his head. It didn't work, and now, Paul is nervous.
He shook his head, tried to pull it off, tear it off, but nothing worked.
"3, 2, 1, initiating phase 1 of mission "enigma switch"."
As soon as Paul heard this in his head, a sharp and shocking pain was flowing through his head. "Arghh!" Paul shouted as he tries to take it off again, and again, but he couldn't.
He couldn't feel his legs, and now his arms, and then his entire body. He was in so much pain that he passed out from it. It was a pain that could kill a grown bear, torture that's worse than being stomped by a hundred elephants. And a shock worse than the electric chair.
Its no wonder it mad him unconscious. No, its a miracle that he was even alive from such misery. But how? How can a mere human like Paul survive such a catastrophic agony?
While unconscious, he had a warm feeling. A feeling of temperature that isn't too hot, nor too cold, a perfect warmth.
A sensation that he had never felt before, but a comfort that hits closer to home more than anything. Its as if he were an egg that was sheltered and given warmth by the mother hen.
In addition, he had a vision, a dream you could call it, that was quite peculiar. Its as if he saw time rewinding right before his eyes. A clock turning counter clockwise, an hourglass's sand falling upwards.
He was spiraling down, seeing history right before his eyes, similar to when hitting the rewind button. He saw Marcos, then Mc Arthur, Hitler, Rizal, the Spaniards, all looking like puzzle pieces.
These puzzles pieces all had holes behind them, being filled, being completed. As though they are fulfilling their roles through the course of time, shaping the future one piece at a time!
A surreal experience, and yet a calmness he had not felt in years. He closed his eyes and felt the breeze of the wind. He took his first breath, and somehow, even that felt refreshing.
He tried open his eyes, wanting to see the paradise that was before him. Paul had noticed that his vision was practically good as new. A vision so clear that it seemed better than 20/20.
The first thing he saw was a cloth like object. He felt the soft and silky touch of its slightly wet surface. Someone was wiping his face in such a caring manner, as if he were being cleaned by an angel.
The person wiping him was a beautiful light skinned woman, with brown eyes, a gorgeous smile, wearing really old clothes.
The woman looked like she had just gone home from a costume party, or a festival. She was wearing clothes fit for a Filipina in the 1400's, with hair tied by a cloth, a long skirt with amazing braidwork on the waist that was split in the side, and a white, collarless top.
As the woman stood up, Paul saw that behind her was a straw-like roof. The type of roofs commonly seen in "bahay kubo's," and had thick, brown bamboos as the walls.
It looked very peaceful, as if the house itself was part of nature, like he had gotten close to it. The air he breathes is full of tranquility, and the bed he was laying on was warm and welcoming.
He felt relaxed, like he could lay there his entire life. That is, until he noticed there was something dropping on his head. A water-like liquid, that felt warm, and oddly familiar.
Paul looked up, but could only see as much as the roof. He felt that his bed moved slightly to the right. Now, its moving to the left, making him feel the breeze of the air around him.
Paul thought, "maybe I'm just laying in a duyan (hammock), and am being swept left and right by the air? Maybe the droplets are just the left over rain being blown?"
He continued his relaxation, but again, his "duyan" was moving, and this time, it wasn't left to right. He was moving, or more accurately being passed to someone, but by who? Di-Did the bed just...pass him to another person?
While the lady carrying him was walking closer to the door, he looked back to see what, or who, was his "bed."
He was in awe, because what he saw, was a gorgeous woman with silky black hair, wearing weaved clothes and had blood all over her. She had baggy eyes and a sweaty body, she was tired, as if she had not slept for days.
Hold on a moment, if the one that was carrying Paul was a woman that seemingly had just given birth, why was Paul on her arms moments ago?
Paul looked forward, he was pondering about the situation. There are so many questions in his mind, but, for a moment, Paul had seen something.
The most beautiful scene, far above those that he can imagine. Almost as if he were meant to see this, as if it was destiny that brought this scene to life.
But that moment went away the second he saw the puddle below him. He saw something that, well, was hard to digest. He tried waving at the puddle, hoping it he wasn't seeing his reflection.
His wave proved everything, it WAS his reflection on the puddle. He finally had an idea as to what is going on.
As his eyes widened, and his fists clenched, he realized...
He was reborn as a cute BABY?!