Five women stepped forward wearing their customary attire. Doning deep purple robes with the golden shawl-like headdresses, and the red iridescent collar that spread to their shoulders.
Five daggers were raised above me while they chanted, and I watched helplessly as the blades approached all at once, at my head, my hands, and my feet all at the same time. I felt the universe tearing me into pieces and then putting me back together one atom at a time.
People say that when they die, they see a blinding light. Sorry, to disappoint but all I saw was pitch-black darkness. An endless void and a numbing silence.
They had succeeded in their endeavour.
Whatever they thought I deserved, they had delivered.
People also say that they meet their loved ones. The ones that have left the living realm. That they are reunited with the ones that they held closest to their heart. I know it's a bit of a downer because it wasn't my case.
It appeared to be infinite and finite at the same time. I could see walls where there were none. I could feel them closing in on me, or it was just my mind that was so scrambled that it struggled to grasp things.
Eighteen years. That is all I was given. The chips have fallen and fate had spoken.
They say you cannot escape fate, for it has been woven since the dawn of time. And you're nothing more than one little insignificant thread in the tapestry of the universe. One amongst gazillions. Some threads shine brighter than others, but in the end, we all end up six feet underground. Or in my case on a slab of stone, being crucified. For what sins, it still evades me.
" Lily," A disembodied voice called to me from the darkness. I look around disoriented and panicked. Maybe there was a god after all.
" God?" I was skeptical but at this point, I had nothing to lose.
" Lily," The voice sounded desperate, concerned. I didn't recognise the voice. I didn't think I'd heard it before.
I didn't know many people who would show this kind of concern.
So, maybe it wasn't God.
" God damn it," The voice sounded frustrated.
Definitely, not God.
If I was dead, was I being privy to another dimension where I still lived? Oh, my head began to throb. Not because of the mind-numbing possibilities. It actually ached.
" Give her time. He didn't have what he needed. He most likely wasn't successful,"
The piercing pain inside my skull got sharper and angrier. I felt my knees go weak, and the need to curl up the floor crawled inside me like a snake in its burrow.
I succumbed to the darkness and let it envelop me like a blanket. It was quiet all around me and for once inside my head too.
I don't remember for how long, but it was the most peace I had in a very long time. The pain had dulled to a thrumming throb inside my skull but was bearable. Something you could easily ignore and move on with your life.
I could still hear muffled muttering but I didn't quite understand what it was said, nor I made an effort to understand. Another thing to easily ignore and enjoy my peace.
I didn't know it was possible to fall asleep when you're dead, but I did.
When I came to, it was no longer dark, but a sliver of silvery glow trickled through what was meant to be a window. But it was nothing more than a hole in a wall. I was no longer underground.
To ascertain, I felt with the palm of my hand and fisted sheets. I had almost forgotten how it felt to lie on a bed. Not the most comfortable, but that didn't change the fact that I had one. And for some reason that made me smile.
If I was dead and finally made it into heaven, then it looked nice enough to spend an eternity in there.
There was a slight brittle breeze sweeping through the room, but the fire burning in the corner provided enough heat to keep it comfortable and above freezing.
My stomach grumbled, and in response, I heard a long-drawn yawn. Curious, I lift my head to get a better view of the room, and of my companion. As long as there were no chains involved, I was prepared to call this a win.
Curled up in front of the fire, a ball of fur lazed with its nose tucked under one of its paws. I assumed it was an animal. Mrs Pinsley's cat sometimes did that in the colder days during the cold season.
Looking around, I see an opening leading somewhere else. One final look and I realise that I'm in some sort of cave or a system of caves.
Curiouser, I push myself further up on the bed but flop back on it with a grunt. I don't have the necessary strength to even sit on the bed.
The sound of footsteps puts me on high alert and I close my eyes and lay there motionless.
Whoever this person is, I do not know. Even if I'm not chained to the floor, who is to say that they won't harm me?
The idea of me still being alive hasn't sunk in just yet.
I'm alive.
My eyes snap open at that thought, and all the events of that day flood back through me.
" You need to breathe in and out. Slowly," The man says, as he approaches the bed, holding a bowl of food and water in his hands. And I realise that I'm heaving harshly, struggling to catch my breath.
Closing my eyes, I draw a deep breath in and release slowly.
" Eat. Will talk after," He places the food and water on the small table and proceeds to help me lean against to wall. After he'd fluffed the pillows, he returned holding the bowl and the glass of water.
" Which one do you want first? The food or the water? I know you need both. But one thing at a time, babe," Babe? My eyes must've popped out of their sockets because he started to laugh.
" Sorry. Force of habit," He says as a way of explaining himself.
" I've been stuck in these caves for nearly four months now. I miss the ladies. And you're the first human I've seen in a while," He finally lifts the water to my lips, and lets me take a small sip.
" You can't have too much at once. You'll feel sick, " He places the glass back on the table and begins to spoon some food.
" Soup. Doesn't taste like much. I'm running low on rations, but it will have to do for now," He seems sombre as he says. And I have a feeling that he wasn't there by choice.
The first spoonful of soup fell into my stomach, pretty like a boulder in a bucket of water. I practically heard the mouthful when it reached its destination and my stomach grumbled louder.
" I'm glad one of us likes it. To be honest with you, never it will be too soon, before I eat soup again," Another spoonful of soup was brought to my lips, and I focused all my attention on studying his features.
He looked in his early twenties, with a full head of brown reddish hair, soft waves, and green eyes rimmed with a darker shade of green. Wide forehead framed with a widow's peak hairline. So, unusual for a man to have that type of hairline.
His smiles were toothy and open. I had never met anyone quite like him. He was brimming with joy even if he was stuck in the middle of nowhere. Either that or I had found my soul mate and he was just as crazy as I was.
" All done," He graces me with another toothy grin, gets up and leaves me alone with my thoughts.
The soup wasn't the best, but it was more than I could have asked for from a stranger.