Aether

I remember the darkness.

I remember dying.

The unyielding darkness consumed my soul. The ravenous tendrils of shadow wrapped their grips around my arms and legs, and I struggled. I stumbled blindly through the opaque. Endless black stretched before me in every direction, and I felt as if I was drowning, with no sense of direction toward the surface. Suddenly, I was falling, the wind swept past me and my heart leapt into my throat. My chest tightened, and I struggled to breathe against thick fog.

Beep…Beep…Beep. I heard in the distance, echoing throughout the cavernous purgatory I was standing in. My chest hurt; my ribcage ached. I felt dissociated from my body.

"We're losing her! You have to upload now." A voice shouted, it echoed in my head and I covered my ears to shut out the sharp noise. I floated, listening to the steady beep in the background. The beeping was getting more erratic, it was an alarm siren blaring in my head.

"Please don't go, don't leave me!" A little girl cried. My heart wrenched, I screamed out in frustration, running blindly around through the darkness.

"Emily?" I shouted. I fell to my hands and knees,

Pain engulfed me. I cried out, my screams echoing in the vast emptiness. I curled in on myself, covering my head. I held my ears to drown out the cacophonous symphony assailing my senses. I huddled there in the dark for what felt like hours, rocking to myself, hugging my knees to my chest.

Finally, there was silence. I felt nothing, I was floating free. I noticed a small light in the distance. It was growing larger and larger as I shuffled toward it, raising up to my feet. I felt warm tingles on my skin as I approached the light, warm air. I smelled wild grass and summer flowers. I could see my pale hands illuminated before me; they emitted a soft glow. My white skin was translucent in the light. My delicate arm reached out toward the light.

I saw a field in the distance, illuminated in the sunlight. Filled with gorgeous orange and pink flowers. The wind gently blew. I saw butterflies fluttering and birds flitting about. Great Oak and willow trees lined the fertile valley.

As soon as it started, the light shut off. Everything was black again. I cried out and reached forward.

"No!" I gasped. I struggled to breathe. I felt a pressure closing in on me, shadowy tendrils wrapping around my limbs. I struggled and pulled to no avail.

"No!" I shouted again.

I was falling. The sound of a steady flatline echoing in the dark.

That was the day I died, but perhaps I should start the story from the beginning.

Rain cascaded from the heavens, spattering against the glass windowpanes of the office building. I gazed out the window, lost in thought. I tapped my fingers on mahogany desk. I stared at the bookshelves that lined the walls, the various degrees from prestigious universities that hung behind the desk.

"Ms. Meadows, I'm afraid we need your answer today." A gruff voice spoke. I looked up at the man sitting across from me. He was large in build, at least six feet tall and sat hunched over his desk, his hands folded neatly in front of him. His ocean blue eyes narrowed on my face, his black hair and beard were trim and neat. He wore an expensive suit, that reeked of wealth. I continued to tap my fingers on the desk. I stared down at the stack of papers on the desk before me.

"Why are you offering this to me? You're an entertainment company, I didn't think they got involved in private loans." I said. The papers that laid before me I'd read through a dozen times.

"We are experimenting with character creation at Hyperion Studios. We need research subjects that meet a certain criterion. You do. If you sign this agreement, should anything happen to you, you donate your body to us." He stated. He pushed a pen toward me.

"And if I sign this, I get the $50,000." I clarified, raising a brow. He nodded.

"Or your beneficiary, should the unfortunate occur." He smiled. I frowned, what an odd time to smile. I sighed and rubbed my temples. I was literally signing my life away. I hesitated, reaching for the pen. I bit my lower lip. I thought of Emily at home, wondering where our next meal was coming from. I thought of the nights huddled in the cold, unable to afford to turn on the heat. Some months we barely kept the roof over our heads.

I signed the papers. The man gave another tooth baring smile and lifted the papers, he shuffled them together and stamped them with his seal.

"Excellent. Expect a transfer within a few hours. Do you have any questions for me?" He inquired. I sighed and smirked at him.

"Are there any you're allowed to answer?" I responded. He smirked and shook his head. I nodded and stood from my seat.

"Then I'll be on my way, and I'll count my blessings." I sauntered out the door.

The rusty key groaned as it made its way into the deadbolt of our apartment. The door creaked as I pushed it open to reveal the small, cramped space I called home. The entirety of the apartment was one room. A tiny, ratty brown couch lie in the center of the room, near a small outdated TV. The kitchenette was also outdated and appeared it was from the 70's, a few pans lined the counters waiting to be washed. A large well-used mattress was shoved into the corner piled with blankets. I threw my purse down on the linoleum countertop.

A small force crashed into me, I let out a breath and laughed as tiny arms wrapped around my waist. I wrapped my arms around Emily and stroked her mousy brown curls. I looked down into bright silver-gray eyes that matched my own.

"Fayre, welcome home!" She squealed and stepped back. I smiled.

"How was your day, kiddo?" I said, moving into the living room and plopping down on the old couch. She scrunched up her nose and pointed to the pile of books on the coffee table in front of the TV.

"So much homework! School was boring. I started cooking dinner." I got up off of the couch and meandered my way into the kitchen, I saw a pot with pasta on to boil. I stirred it with the wooden spoon on the counter.

"How was your meeting?" Emily prodded, poking me in my side. I stuck my tongue out at her and bopped her on her nose.

"It was boring, but our luck might be turning around soon." I said with a smile. She smiled and leaned against the counter; she placed her hand on her chin as if she was thinking deeply.

"What's the first thing we should get?" She mused. I snorted and wagged a finger at her.

"We can't go blowing it!" I warned. She blushed and nodded. She wrung her hands together.

"I know, it's more of a game. What is the one thing you want more than anything right now?" She said. "I would really love a teddy bear." She said softly. I softened and placed my hand on her head, rubbing it affectionately. For thirteen, she'd seen so much hardship and few comforts.

"We'll get you a teddy bear. Hmm… What would I want?" I thought carefully. "I think I'd get us new winter coats." I said. She scrunched her nose up in distaste.

"That's no fun!" She giggled. I laughed and shrugged. It's what we needed.

We ate in companionable silence, I turned on the TV to a news station and she was puttering away at her homework on the table. The news was dreary lately, various business tycoons involved in one scandal or another. The CEO of Hyperion Studios was doing an interview about their new VR technology.

"We are breaking barriers in immersive technology, and within the next years we could see a release to the general public, rather than just beta players. We are breaking grounds for humanity in opening up virtual worlds." The interview went on.

When it grew dark outside, I asked Em to brush her teeth and get in bed, she tucked herself in without complaint and drifted off to sleep. I kissed her forehead and tucked the blankets in around her.

Soon it will get better. I thought.

I went to the large full-length mirror next to the bed. I stared at the reflection that greeted me, assessing my appearance. My thick, loose black curls fell in waves down my back, my pale translucent skin contrasted sharply with the raven locks. My eyes were an illuminating silver, pale and shining. My bow shaped red lips puckered. I ran my fingers through my hair.

I changed into a white V-neck shirt, and tight black jeans. I threw a sleek leather jacket over my shirt. I tossed my hair to the side to fluff it up, I lined my eyes with kohl and painted my lips a deep crimson. I slid on a pair of black boots.

I slung my purse across my chest and turned to stare at Em sleeping soundly in the corner of the room. I grabbed my keys and opened our creaky front door. I slipped out silently and dashed off into the night.