1 Void

The sound of my ebony sneakers lightly hitting the pavement was the only sound filling the road. Every once in a while, I would hear the sway of the trees and the chirps of birds.

The sidewalk felt desolate and devoid; no cars or people enjoyed moving about at this period. It was especially late. The moon was seated between the clouds, radiating her dim blue glow on the tree canopies.

It was a pleasant sight; to be honest, this is one of the rare perks of working a night shift. Also, getting to blast my music while scrubbing dishes nothing beats that.

I strolled, not in a rush to get home, and I was enjoying the silence. Eventually, making it to my doorstep. I grabbed my rusty old apartment keys inside my backpack and unlocked the door.

Taking off my shoes, I walked into the living room. It was dark, the only light source being a sitcom playing on the tv. Though I couldn't hear it, most likely muted. My mother was napping on the old couch with just a blanket and pillow, and her snores were so loud. I could help but laugh a bit, looking at her mouth wide open. To this day, I will never understand how a bug hasn't flown in her mouth when she sleeps.

As if she felt my presence, she awakened from her shuteye, looking lost for a bit before her gaze concentrated on me. The woman yawned a couple of times before pulling a cig and lighter from only god knows where. She brought the cigarette to her mouth and lit it with quick and trained movements as if she had been doing it for years.

After a couple of hits, she Looked at me and said, "Dinners in the fridge if you're hungry."

"Thanks, ma. What you make.?" I asked, surprised.

She ashed her cigarette before looking back at me and smirking, saying, "Look and see."

Slightly intrigued, I went into the kitchen and opened the fridge door. My eyes slightly rose. Since dad left, mom hadn't cooked anything since it brought back painful memories.

My mouth started to water just by looking at it. The rich and creamy whole wheat pasta dish was filled layer by layer with fresh onions and garlic lathered in a succulent sauce topped with high-quality mozzarella.

My favorite lasagna!

If any of my friends saw me at this moment, they would be surprised. I didn't notice, but my lips slightly curved up in what could only be called a smirk.

My stomach growled, cueing me to tug out the dish and begin heating it pronto and walk out of the kitchen with my food in hand. I hugged my mom, which got a laugh out of her and went to my room.

My room was very plain nothing stood out, only a bed and desk but I believed that's all you needed. Pulling my chair ver towards my desk, I sat down. My muscles finally released the built-up tension of having to be perfect at work or risk losing my job. And I couldn't afford that.

Digging through my pockets, I found my phone and started eating. The lasagna was perfect, and every bite had my mouth watering. Ten minutes hadn't even passed before the plate was clean, no crumbs in sight. I continued watching videos for a bit before checking the time and seeing that it was very late. I did the mature thing and decided to get some shuteye. I put my phone on the charger near my lamp. And jumped into bed at that exact moment, the world became black. Space still existed, but the world had no matter in sight. I could see in this darkness somehow, but there was no light; it was the strangest thing I had experienced. I couldn't move my legs. There was no ground beneath my feet, just an infinite void.

What the fuck!? I was having a hard time processing this.

I was baffled. Never having been in such a situation, I didn't know what to do. However, I was quick thinking and tried looking around for clues. Still, it was empty darkness; The clues led me nowhere.

It was just me and the twilight. I could not discern how much time had passed while in this world of emptiness, but I knew I was starting to go crazy. I missed earth, but most importantly, I missed my family.

I felt trapped, and my anxiety was flaring. Dark thoughts popped up in my head, such as I must be dead or I'm going never to see my family. The ideas kept coming, and I tried my best to combat them. However, I'm only human and could not hold out for eternity.

After numerous years, I gave up attempting to hold back my negative thoughts and let them flow in my mind. At this point, I could keep my mind calm and never let negative or intrusive thoughts affect me. Accepting my situation wasn't weighing down my spirit.

I discerned a new sense of tranquility I had never felt before. The anxiety and self-doubt that had infested my mind had left my subconscious.

I could think of nothing for such long periods and be perfectly fine. Ultimately, eons and eons of time had passed in this void, and I was still standing in the same position, sporting the same clothes. The only thing altering was my mindset and temperament.

Eventually, a dimly; light screen appeared in front of my face. Slowly opening my eyes, I gazed at the content. The screen had boxes with text inside, and the first one read "Killer instinct." the second one read "Body supremacy." and the third "Fighting instinct."

Mhm.