1 There is no Embrace only Darkness

"Beep! Beep! Honk! Woooosh."

Cars, bikes, and hoverboards of all kinds flew by Jason Walker as he casually strolled down the sidewalk, taking in the frigid autumn air of his hometown. Looking at all the high rise buildings, he started to wonder back to the days of old when everything was smaller and more homey.

"Why is it that every time I look at these buildings, do I suddenly think of these old memories of the past?" Jason mumbled to himself, even after thinking about what he said he chuckled a little, mostly because when he used the term 'old' he realized that he was also old. Jason just turned 85 just last week celebrating his own birthday as he had done multiple times in the past, alone.

Jason was a lonely old man but he did have a family of his own such as, two younger brothers and two younger sisters. He loved his siblings, it was just that they all had their own lives to live and Jason has been used to being alone for the majority of his life. It allowed him to see from multiple perspectives and to have his own view on life and understand certain aspects of what life could bring.

As Jason was casually strolling down the sidewalk taking in the sights, and was even thinking of new ideas for his new novel. He was startled slightly when someone quickly brushed by him.

'Now why was he in so much of a hurry?'

Thought Jason as he started to lose his idea he was having for his novel.

Well, Jason learned very quickly why that man was in such a hurry.

"Boooooooooooom!!!!!!!!"

"Ahhhhhhhhh"

"Holy shit!!!!"

"What just happened???"

There was an unbelievably loud explosion that occurred only about 75 meters from where Jason was. Both shocked, and terrified Jason tried to run as he is only human,

and never really experienced anything like this before. Jason was only a senior manager in the bank of his hometown, while writing novels on the side. He never had any training or experience to deal or handle this sort of situation at all.

As Jason was running scared out of his mind. He started to notice that his breathing was getting heavier, and shorter with each step that he took. When he finally decided to see why, Jason was utterly baffled?!?!

"Why, why is there a damn pole, sticking through my chest!?"

Jason didn't even feel or understand why, or when there was a pole in his chest, only that it finally clicked as he turned around. He saw a long, but big trail of blood that followed after him. When he finally acknowledged and saw what had happened, all sorts of pain, fear, anger, and weakness started to flow through Jason. As he slowly fell to the ground, the only thought that was running through his mind was 'at least when I die I should be embraced in the end by God, right?'

As the life inside of Jason was slowly coming to an end, he noticed that there was only a darkness that was closing in on him.

There was no embrace, no bright white light, or anything that was said by those who spouted those words. Only a never ending darkness that was cold and absolute. Even after that cold darkness took him for what he was worth, which wasn't really all that much to begin with. Jason suddenly felt like he was seeing things from a bird's eye view.

'Shouldn't I be dead, what the hell is going on???'

Jason thought, which was a little weird since he just died. Mostly, because what he was currently viewing was both painful, and kind of expected when he thought about it again.

'There are only very few people in my wake, was I truly that alone?'

Was the only thought that went through Jason's mind as he looked on at what transpired after what felt like seconds to him but, what looked like weeks had actually gone by. Why was he seeing this, why was this painful experience being shown to me. Was what continued to play in Jason's mind.

'Was I truly, truly that alone and not thought of, well damn this sucks.' Jason berated himself but, it didn't help his current situation at all, it only made him feel worse.

Even the thought that he was supposed to be embraced and welcomed into a supposed 'glorious kingdom' never happened. Was everything that he experienced as a child a lie or, was it never actually real to begin with.

'Well if anyone finds my journal that has my thoughts and perspectives will hopefully enjoy it I guess, if not then it'll probably be used as a fire starter.'

Jason continued to think, which felt like years, as he felt like he was drifting through the endless darkness. He was thinking if he ever had a chance to reincarnate, or live another life was that he never wanted to be or feel alone again. That was a sight that was thoroughly burned into his soul.

Jason wanted to be more outspoken, and to live life to the absolute fullest that he was able to achieve. He would achieve a level of happiness that he never had, and pursue it even if it killed him.

As those thoughts continued through Jason's mind, he wasn't able to sense or even see when a figure just appeared in the darkness.

"What the hell, when did you arrive?"

Jason questioned the being who appeared in the darkness. The figure should have been easily seen as whoever it was, was in an all white tuxedo, white gloves, white hood, and mask. The only thing that really caught Jason's intrigue besides all the white was the blood red tie.

"When did you get here?," questioned Jason.

The figure responded very casually as if just passing by.

"I've been here for quite some time, you just took Gods knows how long to notice."

Jason was baffled and slightly confused by the statement.

"What do you mean by that, are you saying I'm slow in the head, and di-did, you say Gods?" Jason replied angrily at first then was off put when the figure in front of him said 'Gods'.

"Well to answer your first question, it only took you 213 years to finally notice me so, congrats on that. Second no, you're definitely not slow in the head, that's quite normal here. And lastly, yes."

If Jason had a body at this moment his jaw would literally be on the floor while smoke would flow out of his head because of what the figure just told him.

"So you're saying that there are multiple Gods and not just the one 'Almighty' god then?" Jason asked like he was looking for some type of truth.

"There have always been multiple Gods, I don't know why the world you're from speaks that type of bullshit but, it does anyway." The figure responded very flatly, like it has been asked this question too many times to count. "And before you ask, yes, I am a God but I'm from a higher level of existence and power that could make all your worlds so called superior Gods look like children who couldn't even crawl."

Jason was floored.

"Then all the stories, tales, everything we are told was lies?" He asked the figure in front of him.

"Well both yes and no, some stories are absolutely true while some were just tales or stories told to scare the masses." The figure replied.

The information Jason just received sent waves upon waves of more questions, but asked the one question that was on his mind the moment he entered this never ending darkness.

"So when we die there is never an embrace, and the only thing that awaits us all is this never ending darkness?"

"There was never an embrace to begin with, and yes only this never ending darkness is what awaits all who die and even when one is born. You are both born in darkness and will then return to darkness in the end. The only time anything changes is when one meets the requirements to start anew, or enough time passes and they just fade away in the eternal darkness." The figure answered casually and asked Jason a question back.

"Now was what you said true about what you want cause if it is then you'll be sent off to achieve just that, and if you're lying or were just spouting nonsense then you'll continue to drift endlessly?" Asked the figure in white and blood red tie.

"Of course I meant what I said!" Jason replied with a firmness that came from the depth of his soul.

"Why wouldn't I mean that, that feeling, experience, and pain was something I wish to never experience again, I just don't ever want to feel that type of loneliness ever again." Jason replied with pain at the end.

'I never wish to experience that again, that hurt more than when that damn pole was in my chest' Jason thought.

"Good answer, and good resolve you'll need it for where you'll be heading!!"

The figure replied with what looked like a gleam in its eyes.

'Cause where your heading isn't as nice or soft as the last world.' The figure said but, not to Jason.

"Now good luck, and have a better start in this life because it'll be very, well I'm not gonna say." The figure laughed in the end as it waved its hand as Jason was sent to his brand new life.

"I hope he'll cause some chaos and fun for those in his next life, good luck kid you're definitely, and I really mean definitely, gonna need it."