Tall Tale: God's Plan

Where the hell am I?

Glancing around my surroundings I am clueless as to why I am in what seems to be a child's hospital room.

Walking over to the door I go to flip on the lights 

"I wouldn't do that," a voice called out, causing me to pause.

Oh goodie, potential answers.

"Why? I like to be able to see my surround-..." I began to say before my voice cut off.

I couldn't turn on the light.

I didn't have a hand.

Or anything.

All at once it came back to me, the crash, the blood, the pain, all of it.

My death.

I died.

I'm dead.

Or at least I should be.

Somehow turning to face my the source of the voice I am met by the sight of a older gentleman with grey-ish-silver hair leaning over the child's bed.

"Who are you," I somehow ask.

"A Divine being."

"God?"

"Something similar."

"Something similar?" I repeat.

 "I'm not clarifying," he clarified 

"Ah… cool. That's cool… yeah."

This isn't uncomfortable at all.

Out of the blue I suddenly began to shrink or sink, not sure?

"OH! You're running out of time," he says before picking me up in the palm of his hands… somehow.

I don't know.

I'm trying to understand.

It's not working.

"Alright listen up, you're dead, but you weren't supposed to die. So no afterlife for you.

"What!"

"I'm sorry. But do not fret, I will not abandon you," he said trying to reassure me.

"How am I not supposed to fret? I was always told I'd die and then go to an afterlife! Now you're telling me not only does it actually exist, but I'm not allowed in. How am I supposed to react?

"I apologi-"

"Hell no, I don't want that. I want an explanation!"

"If that's what you wish.

When your world came into creation, so did I. I was given a book that was supposed to help me guide your world, it had everything that had happened and will happen in it."

A book that literally has all the answers, sounds nice.

"It is," my godly holder said suddenly.

Don't do that.

"My apologies."

"Alright so what's this book have to say about me?"

"This."

"Huh?"

"This is the solution. Even this conversation is in the book."

"This is apart of the book? But you said I wasn't supposed to die?"

"You weren't. The book rewrote itself."

The book that has all of the answers, not only wrong, but rewrote itself after the fact.

That's not good.

"Has this ever happened before?"

"No."

"That book is a fraud!"

"I know."

Huh? Wasn't expecting him to agree with me. Was sort of expecting him to stubbornly refuse to even entertain the idea.

"You know? Explain."

"I been thinking about it a lot."

This isn't a recent development.

"No it isn't," dejected he slumped backwards into a chair, still holding my soul.

"What am I supposed to do now?"

Hold on.

None of this is about me?

"Why do all this then? Why drag me out here if you don't trust the book anymore?"

"I don't know… I just thought, that maybe… I don't know why I brought you to a completely different world just because a book told me to."

He just sounded depressed, like his reality was caving in on all sides.

"Don't suppose I could take a look at this book?" I ask.

"OH yes! That's a good idea, a mortal perspective could be just what I need to see the next step."

Wow, you really don't want all the responsibility?

Pulling an enormous book from nowhere he opened the book before showing me where he left off. The contents of the page was everything that had happened up to him picking me up and walking over to the child. Then the page ended.

"What's on the next page?" I ask.

"I don't know."

"Guess we'll just have to find out."

The two of us look on as he reached out to turn the page.

It was empty.

The next page was empty.

The rest of the book was empty.

"Can you take me to my world's afterlife?"

He didn't respond.

For a very long time.

"Are you sure?" He spoke, breaking the silence.

"Huh?"

"Are you sure you want to go to your world's afterlife? I could send you anywhere else. Damn the consequences."

"Ohh, I like the sound of that, any suggestions?"

"Anything, just name it and I'll find it," he spoke as he stood up with a new-found fire behind his eyes.

No clue what you just when through but I like this new you, not that I really knew the old one.

"I have an idea, how about I stay with you?"

"With me? Why would you want that?

"You look after my world don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Then let me help you, I'll be your advisor."

He look like he was just about to shoot me down before stopping himself.

"Sure, why not. Not like there's a book telling me what I should and shouldn't do."

"Couldn't have said it any better myself."

............

the what-if tale of a Sozo and a inexperienced God.