The creature pulled on my shoulder. I thought about running away from the thing, but I realized quickly, that it's grip was absolute. I don't know how but the three fingers holding my shoulder were stiff as a wall. It was dragging me into the reality breaking hole which quickly closed behind us and left us in total darkness. I wanted to ask what was happening but my newfound ability to speak was suppressed by a growing feeling of dread.
"You must have many questions, they always do. 'What are you? ', 'Where are we going? ', 'Is this Hell? '. The last one is my favorite.
I will try to answer them, after all it will be a long way."
We where walking in absolute darkness. I couldn't even see my own hand in front of me but the thing seemed to know exactly where we are.
"Just two simple rules.
1st, don't try to run. Inobedience will only cost you points, and we already started counting.
2nd, only speak to watchers if you are asked to. If you didn't realize, I am one of these watchers."
The feeling of dread that stopped my word before started to lift, as if it was commanded by this watcher.
"So, explanation round. What am I should now be clear. I am a watcher and your supervisor. If you make problems I will be the one to punish you."
The feeling of dread came flooding back with his words and started to choke me for just a second, before fading away again.
"Is this Hell. No. This isn't Hell, or Heaven, or Valhalla or any other resting place for souls. You tried to leave the line of purgatory, so your soul was extracted from the cycle of life and death. No Heaven, no Hell no Reincarnation. Your soul now belongs to a company that specializes in storytelling.
You will work for this company as long as your soul can stay in one piece. If you can no longer be, you vanish." the watcher started snickering again.
The watcher told me more that I had to accept.
I had to address him with "Boss".
My new name was "Lost".
I have to sustain my soul with "food", which I had to buy with points.
And lastly, points are rewarded through jobs, which where assigned to me by Boss.
After a walk that felt like an eternity Boss suddenly stopped.
"We are here!"
I heard a shallow thump after which a blinding light parted the darkness in front of me.
"Your new workplace!"
Boss pulled me into the the light. After my eyes adjusted to it I could see a place, that was comparable to a boot camp. Fences separated gigantic barracks and between every fenced of area was a watchtower with a picture on it.
"I will be in this tower."
Boss pointed at a tower with three headed dog on it.
"My unit is called Cerberus, so every time you hear the name Cerberus mentioned you have to respond. You will be residing in this place with the others of the Cerberus unit."
Boss opened up a gate next to the watchtower and shoved me into it. The barrack was compared to others of its kind relatively small and also had the Cerberus logo on it.
"Our unit is pretty new, so don't worry about the size. If you want to find out how fast you can run, the gate will always be open.
If you have any questions, don't bother asking me and lastly, if I call for you you have to met me at this place."
Boss pointed at an empty field inside of the fenced of area.
"We will see us in a bit, go and make yourself at home." Boss laughed and walked to his tower, leaving me alone in the fenced of area belonging to the Cerberus unit.
Before I could really look around I heard someone shout.
"Hey, new one!"
From the main building a huge person walked towards me. He was wearing something that looked like prisoners garb and had red scales over his bare head and hands.
"Welcome to the Cerberus unit, your new home till... Well till you are no more."
He came closer and reached out his scaly hand to me. With a closer look I could see, that his hands had something like claws instead of nails.
"So, another humanoid. Boss really seems to like this look, not that it really matters around here. You can call me 'Fallen'. I act as something like the spokesperson for our unit."
I grabbed Fallens hand and looked up into his face. He had bags under his eyes but a sincere smile. It also looked like the scales didn't cover his face instead he had a more "human" looking face with red skin.
"Don't worry, I don't bite and I also can't spew fire." He chuckled a bit and then continued: "So how did Boss call you?"
"Lost", I answered.
"Good Lost, now that we now each other, how about getting you dressed first?"
I looked down on myself and realized that I wasn't wearing anything. I quickly jumped away from fallen and tried to hide my chest and private parts. I felt my face getting hot. Fallen chuckled.
"Don't worry, you are still undefined so there isn't even anything to see."
I stopped and looked down on myself again. I wasn't really human. I was more like a puppet. I had no discernable male or female features, it was all just flat skin.
I screamed in shock: "What is this. Why am I like this?"
Fallen slowly approached me and put his hand on my shoulder.
"Like I tried to tell you, you are not defined yet."
Fallen started to pull me into the direction of the main building. Confused as I am I didn't resist and followed. Fallens grip wasn't anything like Bosses, it was more gentle and suggestive instead of cold and absolute.
"And you won't have a finite shape while you are undefined. Your body can only have a 'design' when you start to remember."
We reached the main building. Fallen opened the door and shoved me inside.
"So while you don't remember I can still give you clothing without being to inappropriate."
Fallen pulled me farther into the barrack. It felt dead inside, no posters, no windows, the only light came from hanging lamps. We entered a long corridor with many doors on each side. Each door had a small plate next to it with runic symbols of different kind.
After not to long we reached the end of the corridor. Fallen stopped and pointed at the last door. "This is your room." The metal plate next to this door was empty.
"Inside is a small shelf with clothes, a mirror, a sink and a bed. Please get dressed and come out again, I still have some stuff to teach you." Fallen opened the door for me and walked down the hallway again. "I will be in the first room to the left from the entrance."
I entered my chamber. Fallen didn't exaggerate with his explanation of the room. To the left is a bed, in front of me is a shelf and to my right is a sink with a mirror.
I am trying to understand my situation but nothing here makes sense. Why am I here, where was I beforehand and did I really die?
Well if what I saw from my first encounter with boss was right, I really am dead. But why was I attacked? Did I do something wrong? Am I being punished?
It probably doesn't matter right now.
I looked at the shelf and took out the only thing inside of it. A prisoners outfit just like Fallen is wearing one. Only pants and a shirt nothing else. Is Fallen walking around barefoot? I put both over my non descriptive body, it fits perfectly. Afterwards I look inside the mirror. I had black hair that grew into my face. Everything else of me was, just like my body, non descriptive or maybe bland. If I had meet myself on the street, I wouldn't have remembered me. Not even my eye color seemed to be specific. What is this color, is it brown? I stared more and more at my reflection until my head suddenly started to hurt. It probably isn't a good idea to force it. With this rather unsatisfying look at myself I left my room and walked towards where Fallen said he would be.