In the back seat of the classroom next to the window, I stare off towards the outside. Gray clouds stretch far across the sky, the sun beam in the shrouds of it, shining through enough to give the day a sort of vibrant feeling, despite the incoming rain.
In any second now a sun shower will wipe this carefree day of mines into damp... I envy the one who actually brought an umbrella, today. -
Catching my attention as i started to look back at my teacher's boring lesson; my entire body pauses, spotting a purely white bird. That very same bird pace its black shadowy toes back and forward, standing outside the window rails. It tilts their small crow like head in the opposite way of mines, strangely taking note of my every move with the pearl red eyes it wields.
This type of bird, it wasn't something I seen before, like a dove or an albatross. This creature is a bird abnormal from any species.
I continue to watch this bird, following their strange dance moves. Out of color, that very bird I have no clue of, freeze in place, spread out its wings, jumping off the railing. The moment it leaps backwards, the drizzle from the gray above slows down, soon caught in some sort of stasis.
I break my eyes off of the bird, I shoot up from my chair, not believing what was plainly visible.
- Inside the classroom , I chart my eyes across the entire room. I then rub my eyes to clear my vision in order to search again. The teacher's desk, the chairs student sat in, and the fishes that swam in a bowl of water, all vanish... -
I face back to the window, finding the same little white bird unfrozen, fazing through the window. It flutters it feathers once, landing over on the room doorknob.
It looks at me, and I look at it. The creature I just met, who I believe is the reason for this current phenomenon, wants me to follow it. It was the only thing I can consider when approaching it.
Reaching for the doorknob, the little white bird ghost through the door, reappearing on the other side.
When stepping into the doorway, my hand jitters a bit and my breath was taken away. I no longer stood inside the school, as I thought. I find myself in the center of a gray brick like floor.
And then, sighting a staircase far out in the distant, I levitate my eyes to where it reached. The structure circled around to its peak, narrowing at the far top, continuing to go on endlessly. I find myself lost in a stone tower. A gate way reaching to heaven's floors itself...
My white feathery friend, the one I believe to have left me in the middle of my wonder, fly three staircases up. The creature wanted me to follow it up there.
I slightly shift my eyes behind me. The door was no longer there. I have no clue of where I was... I have no clue where theses stairs may lead... I have no way back home...
It was only moments ago when I sat in a classroom, bored to the brim. Even so-
I abandon every thought of turning back, knowing there were no other choice but up.
When I take the first step, the bird I was supposed to follow was already out of my eyes reach. I now naively walk this path alone...
Time felt like eternity each step that I took, I eventually forgetting what drove me to keep going up these stairs...
Images of the steps behind me begin to fade into endless light. But the fact is; I no longer cared...
If the path I take leads me somewhere far from earth, that town where I was no one and a world who snuff all the things that gave me hope, I felt I had nothing more to lose. It's my will to continue to go further... The thought of leaving it all behind, redemption for my past sins. -
Or maybe... Maybe I died back there in that classroom. Death would explain such a beautiful morning. Hell, this could all be an illusion of the afterlife. A level of empty stairs. Even if that is true, I can't stop thinking of continuing up. I wouldn't want to turn back now either...
After what felt like centuries, dragging my feet along each stone tablet, I finally reach the top or what I believe to be the end point.
Clouds seep through where the stairs stop, and the white bird gazes at me from the last step, perking up a level backwards. in my sight and knowing exactly what it wanted, I use the last of my strength to brush through the clouds. -
Head poking through catching an image which create much dread in my heart the moment I lay eyes on them, an eerie, deformed looking creature that blacken the sky above the clouds, locks eyes with me. -
This creature has goat black horns that twirls to the neck of it, long skeletal fingers, fleshy eyeballs in every hole of their body and a cow shape skull for a head, that mouth stretch far on each side, showing their humongous pointy teeth. It was a hideous thing that twist and turn my stomach.
"My child..." Its voice is worse, rising in a demonic tone, echoing me into submission.
I fall to my knees on the cloud flooring, stomach upsetting and my brain fuzzing, high on fear.
"You have broken the chains that held your spirit, ascending pass the tower trail by pure desire." The being flesh squirms and twitches as they spoke down to me. "For that, I would like to ask you; If there were a giving chance for you to take my throne as God, will you?"
I couldn't say a word at its presence, lost, searching for a way to respond, but came up mute. Even after all the strangeness that happen, following a bird from my classroom window, leading to the top of this tower to something that claims to be a higher being, their question stuck out to me the most.
"A chance... To take your throne?" I look up at the creature, they lean their gigantic head closer to my head, which was the size of the tip of their pinky, making its height and authority, known.
"To become God." The creature let out, rot chilling my entire face from the embrace of its demonic voice, causing me to cup my hand over my mouth and nose.
Their breath reek of stale iron and decay. But that's not what cause me to vomit in my hands. The moment he said to become God, my entire reality was shatter, realizing what this being is. They are the God of this universe, our true creator... And they offer me the chance to take the authority. All for climbing a tower.
"Ah, this one vomit at my image..." I look up at the intrigue God. "You see," It continues to chatter, "Most are driven to prayer or even suicide. Vomit is a new one for me... Am I that detested by you? Do you wish to be shown something, more to comfort?"
I pull myself up from the ground after wiping the vomit off my face, glaring at the creature, who claims to be God. "No." I reply fully straightening up my stance, brushing off the scene of me puking at its presence. "I want to know more... If I did have a chance, I would."
That creature who intimidated me earlier lock all eyes onto me, hearing the response it wanted. "Very well. Now tell me, the day you achieve my throne, what world would you desire? What do you envision?"
With its hand fully out to me, it showed an image of earth. "Most desire destruction." The earth was shatter into many pieces. "And other's desire flourishment." The image of the earth was resorted to its formal glory but more greenery, representing earths growth and betterment. "What ideas match your dream?"
The ideas that match my dream... World fame, riches, destruction, a better chance in life, none of those was near what I ever wish for as a child.
I never needed money, nor do I desire to be loved by others or conquer. And destruction, death of another... I have no specific enemy.
But...- My eyes shift to ground, clenching my hand into a fist. - The more thought I gave on god's question, the more my true desire reach at my heart then out my mouth. Directing my attention back up at God,
"Is it possible to bring back the dead?" I ask what I truly wish for.
The creature entire head rose up more intrigued than last time, "Ah yes, that is another desire that could be answered once God. Many have had the same desire as you. What kind of person is this one that makes you wish to revive them?"
"Someone dear to me... Someone that I lost years ago..." I reply glimpsing away from God to the clouds below us.
"How unfortunate... To think one of my children, suffer a lost. I gave many gracious gifts to people, but fail to direct my attention to you, I wish for you to forgive me."
Shifting to a more humanoid form, God was able to rest their skeletal hand on my shoulder. We reach eye level, seeing it took the form of a twisted version of myself, maybe to show a more human expression towards my grief.
"This form will do for now; we have important things to discuss." With a snap of its finger, a table was set up with two glasses of water on top of it, creating a calmer atmosphere than the donning image it presented me with.
"Usually, I send players to the Eternal ball room after giving me their answer, once they climb the tower," Pulling out the chair for me it took a seat across from it. "But since you are the last to join, I wish to refresh and settle down. Curiosity on human behavior if you will."
Once I sat down, the image it took swap from a disturbing melty flesh version of me to a woman with black hair, wearing a purple suite and having violet eyes that match the rose pin up in her hair.
"Change of mind, I wish to show a more personal image of mines to you." God spoke no longer holding a demonic tone as it did with the other two forms.
Thier beauty was unmatched to any girl I seen. Truly divine. "Is this your true form?" I couldn't help but ask and wonder, completely amaze by their sudden charm.
"Oh lord, not at all. But I am glad to see you enjoy this one better, even I get tired of holding up the form of a demon."
They confirm the other image was a hoax also. Maybe God true form was something more reality shattering.
God took a drink from their glass, behaving in a lady like manner, placing it back upon the table, pacing their breath after to speak, "I would like to show you something." laying their hand out, they reveal the picture of earth again, but this time split in two. "As you can see, the moment you left the chains of your vessel, I began to demolish the old world. A large number perished, leaving you and those who are in the Eternal ball room, the remaining humans."
It spoke so naturally, informing me that the humans that were left behind was erase from existence, leaving me and those in a place they call the eternal ballroom, the only one's alive.
"What is this, eternal ballroom?" I ask the question that held the most value to me at the moment.
"My, right to the eternal ballroom, do you not care of the people you left behind?"
"What people?" I stared at the being emptily.
"Fair enough..." The being takes another sip from the glass cup. "Anyhow, of course, Just like you, those who wait at the Eternal Ballroom was chosen by me to participate to become God. I didn't see anything in particular in this batch, just call it a last-minute retrieval for more players. Kind of how you would add the one who always sit on the bench during a game, only because your team is getting exhausted."
Basically, what God is trying to get across to me is that me and a hand full of other's were chosen at random, with little reason, in order to participate in some kind of game to become God...
"Dose that bother you?" They ask reading what I felt.
I take a drink from the glass myself this time, putting it back down after a gulp, "I would be lying if I said it didn't bother me, but either way... " I look at the sun that was still shining beautifully in the distance. "I appreciate this chance you have giving me."
God crack a grin, shutting their hand, vanishing the image of current earth state. "Well, I'm glad you're willing to talk to me. The ones I've chosen to play this game, prefer to keep their distance and show me no praise, even despite the gifts I have given them."
The being spoke of chosen and unchosen throughout this entire conversation as if I was just their adopted child and those chosen by them was the real ones. They also seem to confirm the thought I had of this being some sort of game for them.
"So, it is true. This is some sort of game to become God."
God gave out a devious smile to my observation. "You certainly catch on quickly." With a snap of their finger, doors rose up from the clouded floors. "Each of these doors lead to a specific room in the Eternal Ballroom. There, you will meet your partner and I'll explain the majority of the rules to this game. That is, if you don't wish to ask any other questions."
I look at the doors then back at God who took form as a lady. I held no other questions but about the game. Everything that happen made no type of sense and that bird I saw earlier was never mentioned by them. still, I feel I know enough from her to go through one of these doors, wanting the full concept of the game itself.
I push back the chair I sat in from the table, standing, downing the last of the water giving to me, staring off to the door that caught my attention the most. The one with the same image of the white bird I have been following throughout the entire time I arrive. I was drawn to it like a moth to flame. Looking back at God once, I take a step through that door, without a thought of going back to my old world...