Alive

'What is that feeling on my neck? It hurts, but it doesn't? I CAN'T FEEL ANYTHING!' Evan's thoughts started serene and drastically turned to panic as reality set in. He didn't see his life flash before his eyes, or any bright light. He saw the upside-down feet of the man who had just cut his head off. He wanted to scream but couldn't. He wanted to run or swing his arms, or anything, yet couldn't even feel his body. The only thing he could do was open and close his mouth, not making a single sound.

The strange man gripped his hair and lifted his head, looking Evan eye to eye. His eyes were a bright blue, almost luminescent, with dark tendrils flowing out from the pupil. They were quite striking and memorable. As Evan's vision started to fade, starting from the edges of sight moving inward, he could see those dark tendrils whipping back and forth through the blue irises.

'That's not human.' This was Evan's last thought before the black finally took over.

[Host's body had been damaged beyond repair.]

[Integrating programing with host's consciousness.]

[Searching for adequate energy source for transfer.]

'I'm not dead?' Evan was confused. He didn't see anything he thought he would at the end. Just black. He couldn't feel anything either, yet instead of feeling panic or dread, he felt calm. He felt at peace.

'No, he definitely cut my head off. So, how am I even thinking right now? What in the hell is that voice in my head? What's it programing?' Evan was full of questions and no one to ask except for himself.

[Energy source located.]

[Energy source being integrated.]

'Energy source? Oh my god, don't tell me Jeremy turned me into a fucking robot!' Evan was starting to panic. That feeling of calm and peace quickly drifted away. As the calm drifted, he felt a burn enter his mind. No mind is the wrong thing, it felt like fire was in his head. Only if his head was everywhere in his body. It wasn't the same as a burning in your body, it felt like his entire being was just thrown into a deep fat fryer. It was like being boiled from the inside and frying oil burning on the out.

[Successfully integrated energy. Prepare for transmigration.]

'What the hell is transmigr-AAAAHHHHHH!' The pain before was just an appetizer to what he was experiencing now.

The pain seemed to last forever and be over in an instant. At the same time, Evan could feel an odd pull at him and for the first time could finally see something. Seeing was the wrong term, it was more of a feeling that he could visualize. What he saw was himself, but it was him as a small child, before his parents started using drugs. It was him the last time he was truly happy, not happy for a reason, but happy as a person.

The moment he saw it he knew what it was. This is his soul. The true him. Showing him the last time, he truly was himself and not just surviving but actually living. This is how he felt right before he died, but I guess death can ruin happiness pretty quickly.

The moment he recognized what he was staring at he felt the small child version of himself melt into whatever the conscious part of his mind is.

[Soul integration process started. Estimated time to success is 10 milliseconds.]

[Soul integration process completed. Memory retention granted. Intelligence retention granted. Soul refinement stats given- 10.]

[Soul placement search in progress.]

'I don't know what any of this is. I've seen my soul, and now I'm sharing my body with fucking Siri.' Evan was more frustrated than confused right now. Frustrated because he didn't know what was going on at all. Frustrated because he couldn't do anything. Frustrated because he wasted his life grinding for money instead of living and making meaningful connections, and now there was no time left.

[Soul placement location found. Researching potential integration of host into body.]

[New body is perfect match for soul replacement. Please stand-by.]

Then instead of the severe pain he felt before, he could feel a vibrating sensation mixed with a soft touch of needles. It felt the same as when you would have a limb's feeling come back after it fell asleep. It was a comfortable feeling but not relaxing.

Slowly Evan could actually feel something, it was something on his back. Something hard. He was laying on the floor, it was wooden. Then a slight breeze hit his face, bringing excitement into his heart. Skin, he had skin again. Then a major pain in his stomach hit him, along with a mouth so dry he could feel his tongue ragged with open sores.

[Soul integration process complete. Host's new body suffers from dehydration.]

[Required Task- Save your life.]

[Program has successfully integrated host's consciousness and soul into a new body after death. New body is on verge of death due to dehydration. Program cannot extract water to new body. Host must drink liquid to survive.]

[Time Limit: 3 minutes.]

'What the fuck? I'm fucking dying again? No, I am not going to die from a little lack of water. I have survived worse from my parents. I got this.' Evan was determined not to die. He was tired of knocking on deaths door. He was ready to give up when cancer hit, but now that he had felt true happiness, he refused to give up.

Evan finally opened his eyes and saw a small shack. It was one large room, with only 3 doors. There was a small bed in the room with a bookshelf next to it, only 2 books laying there. A small copper pot was sitting in the corner. Next to the pot was a stack of napkins. There was no electronics, not even a light bulb was seen.

'Where in the hell am I? A third world country?' Evan thought. 'Fuck, if it is then there won't be any running water. That means no sinks, hell not even a toilet. So, where the hell am I gonna get some water?' Evan started to panic.

He looked around the room by him, hoping to see anything even wet. That's when he saw it. Around the bottom of the copper pot was a water-stained ring slightly next to the pot.

'Please no.' was the only thing he could think. He knew they didn't have running water in places like this. That means they use chamber pots. Chamber pots are disgusting pails of water that multiple people will use to clean themselves with. Usually just wet a cloth with the water, wipe your unmentionables, rinse, and repeat. That was clearly what this copper pot sitting in the corner was for. He almost gagged at the thought of drinking it.

[Time remaining: 1 minute.]

'Fuck it. I'm not gonna die this time.' He was determined to survive. Almost like he had a new drive to live. Something he never had in his last life. Sure, he strived for a better life, but if it wasn't for his mother forcing him to try and live, he was ready to give up when he was diagnosed with cancer. Yet now, he was almost being pulled by the need to survive.

He pulled himself off of the floor, every muscle in this frail body screaming at him, and hobbled his way to the corner of the room. As he got close to the chamber pot he lost his footing, falling face first into the disgusting concoction of pubic hair and butt sweat.