USA, Louisiana.. a small town in north-east Louisiana.. if you see a little-bitty tiny dot with the name 'Oak Grove' beside it.. in the most north-east corner of Louisiana.. fifteen minute drive north.. and you' ve crossed into the state of Arkansas..
Or if you would have drove fifteen minutes east instead of north.. you would have crossed over the Mississippi-Louisiana state line.. so that gives you a pretty good general location of the town of my birth..
Unfortunately it wouldn't be the town of my untimely and unexpected death.. nope.. for I would not die in a town.. no.. I would be eventually crushed.. by a section.. of thirty-two inch.. steel.. heavy-wall.. industrial pipe.. for a natural gas line.. being lay'n.. from just north of the cities.. Odessa and Midland.. of the state of Texas..
Over a thousand miles away from my place of birth.. Bastrop.. Louisiana.. where the closest 'safe' hospital was for me to be born at.. forty miles west.. by north-west from where my family had lived for generations.. Oak Grove..
My family has worked as surveyors.. for pipelines and gas or oil facilities.. being built all across this great country on the continent of North America.. for atleast two generations..
If my children take up the mantle.. that would make.. three generations of my family.. to feed and provide for their families.. working as pipeline surveyors.. see Oak Grove is poor.. poor as dirt.. total population.. barely over two thousand.. average gross income per capita per family for a year.. less than ten thousand dollars a year..
there's just no real paying jobs.. in Oak Grove or anywhere near it.. so while the people who choose to work in Oak Grove make ten thousand dollars a year.. I started out as a 'rod-man' which was the lowest man on the 'totem-pole'.. making what those in Oak grove..worked a year for.. I made in a month.. I did nothing but pack bundles of wooden stakes.. then carry them up the mountains of West Virginia..
Or across the deserts of West Texas.. swamps of south Louisiana.. down around Baton Rouge.. or Tibbedaux.. the Everglades of Florida.. fuck I get that nauseous feeling every time I think of when I 'work'd' there.. I walked up on a dead body without a head.. not long after that.. still on the same project I saw the 'headless' corpse on.. I almost stepped on the biggest python I've ever seen.. the fucker was atleast ten feet long and two to three feet wide around..
Anywho, back to what I was talking back before I went off subject for a bit.. I started out making ten thousand dollars every month.. thats twelve times what I would have earned working a month in Oak Grove.. instead of working in these dangerous jobs..
Been a lot of dangerous places.. dangerous terrains.. working in a very hazardous career.. but I was well paid like I said.. and now I don't have a body left to send home to my parents.. that section of pipe.. weigh tens of thousands of pounds.. when the 'Komoda' excavators that were lifting the section tipped.. that was it.. one of the operators didn't extend his 'boom' on his excavator all the way out like he should have..
Now the pipes falling.. as soon as it lands on me.. thats it.. so much weight.. my head will pop and shoot right of my shoulders.. up in the air towards the heavens themselves.. reaches its peak height of its short flight.. then falling.. all whilst my body will be crushed and explode to nothing but splatter'd meat paste.. ending my first life.. trust I've seen it.. I know what will happen from experience.. and so beings the next chapter of life.. I see a tunnel with bright light radiating from then end of it.. as I reach the light I take the final step.. the blinding light recedes and fades away out of existence..
I find my surroundings returning to a lightness that my eyes can afford to see clearly in.. only to meet another pair of eyes facing me.. everything else is shrouded by darkness.. I see only eyes.. staring at me.. staring into me.. staring through me..
"Hmm.. yes come on in.. let's get you on your way onto the next plane.. don't speak.. your words won't change anything here.. hmm.. let's see.. yes.. here we are.. hmm a fulfilling life.. you've certainly experience much through your 'middling-of-length' life.. ahh.. where do we send you.. ahh yes.. the 'Last Kingdom' from Netflix.. if your speaking of television show.. the 'Saxon Stories' by Benard Cornwell.. if we speak of the books.. yes a perfect world to live for you..
It is known.. hmm.. proficicency system seems most compatible for your next life.. ok.. let's where what year or point of the time-line to insert you in at.. ok you and your half-brother.. Uhtred.. who you will be the same age as.. ten years of age. it will be written that you followed Uhtred to the battle of 'Eoforwich' where you and him will both be taken as slaves by Ragnar the 'fearless'.. you will have your previous life's memories.. you will be gifted all around.. spiritually.. physically.. mentally.. plus you'll have your proficiency system.. so all it will take is a little hard work and plenty of exercise.. hmm.. so be it.. good luck to you.. have fun.. 'too-dle-die-ta-di-da'.. yes let's sign here.. there.. it is written.." 'death' or whoever that was tells me..
Ok.. the 'last kingdom'.. Proficiency system.. I think I know what that will mean.. same age as Uhtred.. gifted all around.. taken as slaves.. but it's cool.. just gotta slap Sven around a little when he rips off Thyra's top.. the maybe future 'one-eye' Sven or maybe not.. or maybe he will just 'dead' Sven..
Won't know till we get there.. now will we..I'll have to see how best to accomplish my goals in my new life.. yes.. Uhtred truly spoke the truth.. destiny is all..