Jason stared down the barrel of the Glock G19 that was pointed to his head by the cigar baby masked man that had come into the GStart moments ago, and without wasting a moment the dude had already wiped out his package. No foreplay just straight to the hard bit huh? That's just my luck. Jason dully thought as the man demanded for the second time for him to give him what was in the drawer and a pack of cigs.
Jason sighed, so much for this job he thought as he opened the register. Gathering up all the bills starting with the large ones on the left he made his way down the register without even trying to stall, his life was on the line after all, or at least what was left of it anyway. If it wasn't for his crippling fear of death he would have already let this man shoot him for the two hundred bucks that was in the drawer. But alas he was bored as it was and he had no plans to have a date with oblivion yet.
Putting the money in a plastic bag as though it was the man's daily groceries he turned around to grab the smokes when he suddenly heard a loud crashing noise and a scream from behind him. Nearly jumping out of his skin, Jason turned to see that a young man, from the Dippin Donuts that was conjoined with the gas station, had smashed a coffee pot full of hot coffee against the head of the robber which caused the man to fall to the ground, now shrieking in agony with his hands over his face.
Everyone in the gas station that was stuck there with Jason started to cheer for the young hero. Yeah wave it off, Jason thought in contempt as the boy tried to wave it off like it was nothing but the smile on his face gave him away. *psht not like I was the one at risk or anything. At least I get to keep my job he thought as he put the money back in the register. Wait isn't company policy to comply? Jason sighed, he was never at risk so it was all good. He had just got done putting the ones back in place when he noticed out of the corner of his eye that someone was missing. Jason quickly looked up and saw the man holding his badly burned and cut face leaning up against the soda machines. Jason almost laughed, he looked like a goblin from one of his favorite games, even had the same grimace and murderous look in his eyes as he's holding the gun. GUN! Jason did a mental double take as he noticed the man still had the gun in his hand. But Jason wasn't the one the barrel was facing anymore, not only that but he was about to shoot the poor kid! The kid that still had stuff to live for. Probably even a girlfriend. And what about me?
Jason felt his body move before he even thought about what was next. He rounded the corner of the counter, adrenaline pumping through his veins he could see the finger on the trigger begin to pull. Just be selfish, run away! His feet began to move, his heart in his throat with what felt like a string pulling him away from danger yet the footsteps he took got him closer to the boy. There's no time, you tried! The muscles in his legs seemed to scream at him to stop as he braced to jump. Fuck! The weight lifted from his legs as well as from Jason's shoulders as he flung himself across the room. A gunshot rang through the room and Jason felt a shove from behind as he fell on top of the boy. The gas station was quiet but Jason could feel the people feet of the people as they probably rushed the man. All he could see was the face of the boy he had saved, the fading in his vision tipped him off on the situation.
The boy looked up at his hero feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude toward the man who saved his life. "Thank you mister-" the boy was cut off as the man coughed blood on his face.
Man is this really the way I'm going to go out, Jason thought once he felt the pain erupted from below his left shoulder blade as the sound of the gunshot rattled his brain as he fell. He hardly noticed the boy beneath him, not even hearing his thanks, the pain had completely taken over his mind, the blood specks littering his vision getting bigger and bigger until he could only see darkness. So oblivion it is. Kinda disappointing but it was nothing out of my expectations Jason thought as he felt himself float in the darkness.
Well it was more of a sense of being than an actual feeling of floating, Jason tried shaking his head to disperse his scattered thoughts but found he couldn't. Great so he gets to experience going mad in endless darkness. Again just my luck Jason thought, depressed. "Only the mad ones ever get labeled as great!" A booming voice that shook the eternal darkness rang out. Jason felt as though his entire being rippled in conjunction with the space which felt as if he was the oceans surface. If he could shake he would have been having a stroke with the anxiety he felt. God? Jason feebly asked, still trying to hold himself together.
"Sorry my child I just make myself laugh sometimes, gets a little lonely you know." The voice said but this time inside of Jason's mind rather than the empty space. "I forget that spirits can hardly handle my presence, let alone my voice!" Suddenly a blue face appeared before Jason peering at what Jason guessed was his spirit as the voice said. The face studied him and he returned the favor. And Jason had one word for it... freaky. It felt like he was looking at himself as a silhouette but the more he looked at it he knew his face didn't look like that. It was almost a suffocating amount of familiarity mixed with a sense of something forgotten.
The face pulled back, looking toward the sky with its mouth ajar, while the sound of laughter echoed through Jason's head. "I forget that you don't know the inside joke around these parts. Its kinda strange knowing but not at the same time, you lose track!" The voice said with a hint of hysteria lingering. The blue face acted out a cough "right what I mean is, you are me!" The face zoomed closer for dramatic effect as it said that. The lips on the face turned down at the lack of emotion it received at its big reveal. "Ah come on not even a little surprise?!" It cried in fake indignation, "not at all what I have come to expect from a piece of my existence." The face ranted as it swayed around in the darkness obviously throwing a fit.
Jason smiled as he watched the comical reaction of God, at least he wasn't bored he thought. The face paused in midair after it heard that thought. It glanced over, smiling, with almost a star like gleam in its eye, "Bored aye? Maybe you are a piece of me after all..." Its smile vanished "Also don't call me God, period. I'm not your people's self imposed deity. All of my pieces are born with the answer of who I am but no one realizes! I'll give you a hint, who are you?" The face didn't have eyes but Jason swore it was giving him puppy dog eyes as if begging him to get it right.
Jason thought for a moment, who are you? Some hint that is, he glared at the still begging face. No use getting angry about it. Who are you? Who am I? WHO AM I? I'M ME! Jason bursted out. The face slowly turned from pouting to wearing a grandiose smile, eyelessly beaming at Jason. "Wow you actually got it, normally it takes a man of great enlightenment such as the monks to reach it, not your average gas station employee. Naw quite a few get it but you catch on quicker than most. It comes from your questioning of existence. Not many can see all this and still question me, let alone want to offend me" The face gave a horrified expression as it realized it may have offended him. Jason mentally nodded, its okay he thought. I've had thirty-five years of existential crisis's and a hint of narcissism to help me, I just go with the flow.
The face began its silent hearty laugh once again, this time not even playing in Jason's head so he got to just watch a snickering face in what felt like being stuck in a silent film. Strange. That was it. Jason waited for the face to finish feeling the proverbial clock ticking. The face finally finishing, a stream of stars running out of its left eye slowly dissipated away as it collected itself. It coughed, silent, coughed again, "Right, I'm Me nice to meet you. Sorry I don't do this very often so I make the best of it, I'm sure I'd understand. So as you've probably been wondering what I mean by the exact nature of what I am. Well to put it simply every living thing is a piece of me or rather my consciousness." Me paused as it sensed Jason's confusion. "On even simpler terms, all living things are like a set of eyes or maybe you could say everyone has a channel on my television."
Me floated to the right bringing Jason's attention to 3 white lines lined up in rows, vibrating as though they were guitar strings. "By peering into this I re-enter my eternal dream and can sense everything at once." The face turned sad and said "My only enjoyment in existence." And with that statement Jason felt at one with Me. He understood what Me went through because that's what he lived with his whole life. The next movie, the next game, the next anime. Anything to stave off the boredom but there's always an end. But that was thirty-five years to his eternity. Suddenly his suffering seemed so small in comparison. He couldn't help but feel his burden lighten off his shoulders at this realization as though the weight of his life's depression didn't matter anymore.
Suddenly Jason could move his body as though his grief were shackles holding him in place. Jason floated toward Me holding his hand out, realizing it was a stupid notion quickly after doing it and dropped his hand in embarrassment. Me chuckled at the attempted understanding what he was trying to do. "I'm really sorry my life was so boring. I can't help but feel bad that you had to experience my boredom with yours." Jason did the only thing he could think of and bowed to Me in solidarity.
Me started to laugh again. "You really are a strange individual." Me got a serious look on its face as it suddenly began pondering something. "I have a proposition that I believe would bring great enjoyment to us both if you're game?" Me asked smiling as he was already sure of the answer. I've got nothing better to do, sarcastically thought Jason already knowing what he was going to ask. "Good, Good." Remarked Me offhandedly as he floated away as though pacing.
"It won't be without peril, but then again nothing in life is. But the reward for you, oh my friend the reward." Jason couldn't help but lean forward in anticipation hanging on Me's every word. "In short I have a small problem that you could deal with. Alright enough suspense! Would you like to be reincarnated on a different world with magic?" Suddenly the sound of ooooo's of a crowd came from the darkness as though they were tempted by the offer themselves.
Jason couldn't help but fully laugh for the first time in years, maybe even decades. While it was refreshing, and the offer was really tempting he couldn't help but notice the not so subtle "peril" and "small problem" of Me. Me stopped showboating as he was sure he was going to get a definite yes before having to explain. "Once again showing me how different you are. As you so expertly perceived it's a fairly big You problem but as I said, a small Me problem. There may or may not be a demon lord there that found out how to use my negative energy and is devastating a world with war." Jason turned and began flying away into the darkness, its actually kinda nice here now that I can move.
"Hey now" Me said as he stopped in front of Jason stopping his flight. I'm not doing it, period. Jason thought staring at Me, annoyed that it would even think he would think that would be fun! If that's a small Me problem what could you list under peril, Jason asked? "Haha, well for one if you reincarnate your soul will be tethered to that body meaning if it dies so do you. Permanently." Jason started flying in the opposite direction again, not making it a fraction of the distance this time, having already been caught before.
Me angrily shook its head up and down, "Stop doing that!" Me took a deep breath calming itself. "Look it'll be far more fun than being trapped here for all eternity, especially since you cant use my... hmm tv I guess... Besides I'm not going to throw my new favorite self to the wolves." Me winked his eye socket. "I'm going to leave all my gifts a secret for my own entertainment though." Jason slowly started to back up. Why did he get the sense of finality it those words. Excuse me- Jason tried to think but Me cut him off. "And don't worry I'll send you twenty years before the Demon King starts his war. That should give you plenty enough time!" Now wait a moment- but as soon as Jason started to angrily move toward Me his essence dissipated from that existential plane of existence.
Me stared at the spot Jason vanished for a moment waving his face goodbye "hope you enjoyed your stay in the fifth dimension." Me suddenly felt very sad having said goodbye to his first interesting self in a while. But Me quickly perked up as he began to float back toward the lines. Now its time for the show of a lifetime. "He was the first one to move in this dimension after all!" And Me slowly merged its face back with the white lines and began to experience its reality once more. Just as Jason took in his first breath of air staring angrily up toward the ceiling, throwing his tiny hands in a fit as he began to cry.