The story of Sarah part 1

Sarah whimpered softly while lying motionless in a fetal position in the corner of a padded room.

He thoughts kept churning around and around uncontrollably.

She wasn't insane, she had to hold onto that thought. It was everyone else who had gone insane, it had to be.

Dead people didn't come back to life. They just didn't. They couldn't, except in movies.

Anything was possible in movies after all.

Danny didn't come back as a zombie, but she could clearly remember him dying, then a less than a week ago, he was suddenly back 2 days ago, as if nothing had happened at all. It had to be some kind of sick joke.

Her broken arm and leg were for some strange reason no longer broken either. The entire accident had somehow been... erased?.

The memory of the accident kept replaying itself in her memories again and again. Mocking her with its stark harsh reality, while the world wasn't, couldn't be real.

They had been on their way to her new apartment. She's been really happy that day, Her promotion had come through, and she had been transferred to another facility to become its logistics manager.

Her former job had been good to her. Managing the service technicians schedules and inventories had been the perfect fit for someone with her talents.

Images of the accident flashed to the forefront of her mind again. Banishing the happy thoughts, bringing forth another round of whimpering. It hurt, hurt so much.

The image of the swerving trailer while it's driver wide-eyed and panicked tried hard to regain control. The hard sideswipe that threw her brother's car over the guardrail, and the vomit-inducing roll down the hillside.

Around and around, ever faster and faster, until the sudden stop.

Her memories had turned empty at that point. Serious concussion they said.

A miracle that it hadn't been worse they said. She didn't agree... “It was a curse, the entire accident had been a curse,” She mumbled to herself before she disappeared into the hell of her memories again.

When she came too, she had been upside down, the belt strap digging painfully into her thighs.

A dull ache throbbing through her right leg, combined with the strange angle it had, underneath where the belt held her thigh firmly against the seat, told her it was broken. badly broken.

A dripping sound to her left had caught her attention then. making her look over at Danny Danny had been sitting. At first, she didn't comprehend what she was seeing. The dripping came off the end of a branch only a couple of inches, no, a few centimeters away from her head. Her job had forced her to learn metric after all.

The distraction was short lasting. Her eyes had followed the branch towards the source of the wetness causing the dripping. A pool of some dark liquid had already pooled on the inside of the roof, just above her head.

It was Danny, the source was Danny. A broken branch was protruding from his neck, blood seeping lazily from the exit wound. She remembers screaming then, and voices. Voices of people she didn't know. “Are you alright?” “Oh my God! It's horrible!” “Shut up, she can hear you, idiot!” “Someone call the emergency services!”

The last voice had been a deep calm baritone, commanding, as if it could bend everyone to obey it's owners commands.

She had met him afterward. A strong man in an army uniform. Grey streaks in his hair showing his advanced age. He had brought flowers, A huge bouquet of white fragrant lilies.

She had been rude to him then. Ignoring his presence, just waiting for him to leave. She hadn't talked to anyone at all for a couple of days at that point.

He had been patient, very patient with her. Sitting there for hours waiting for her to respond to his presence.

She had finally broken down and asked why, and he had simply answered, “I don't leave people behind when they are hurt.”

She had cried then. Cried, shouted, and cursed. Cursed the world for being so cruel.

He had kept coming back too. Every day he had come, supporting her, and consoling her when needed.

She could remember the hurt faces of her mom and dad when she refused to talk with them.

She couldn't face them after the accident. Their grieving faces was too much to handle.

She had seen John talk to them. So calm and dependable. Her dad nodding at his words, seeming to calm down before they had left together.

They all thought she was mad now. They thought that nothing had happened and that she had lost her mind when she had started to cry and scream. Danny was dead, it had to be an impostor taking his place.

Suddenly she felt a calming warmth flow through her mind, spreading through entire being, and making everything glow. Soothing her anguished mind and making reality slowly fade away into nothing.

After what felt like no time at all, other people faded into view around her. Ethereal fog swirled a flowed lazily around them in a slow ebb and flow drawn around them by some invisible current in an eerily quiet mesmerizing dance.

“John?” she whispered, Recognizing John as one of the people she could see in this eerie place. “I.. Is that you?”

“Sarah!” John replied. “What are you doing here?”

"What is this place, John?" Sara questioned.

“This place appears to be a place for the dead.” He replied with an apologetic smile.

“The dead?” doubt creeping through her, she didn't think she had died there in that padded room. Had he died then? impossible, he had been as healthy as someone half is age easy “But you can't be dead!”

“How else can we explain what happened?” John replied.

“I clearly remember your loss, and then it suddenly was as if it didn't happen.”

“It is the same for all of us here,” An old lady clad in a nun's habit interrupted.

“This must be my punishment for losing my way.”

“I'm pleased to tell you that such is not the case,”

A soothing female voice said from somewhere out of sight in the fog, causing everyone to turn towards its source.

“None of you are here to be punished, but to be given a new chance at life.”

It was a soft, yet commanding male voice this time.

“Lord forgive my presumptuousness!” The nun had fallen to her knees, hands folded in supplication towards the beings emerging slowly from somewhere beyond the fog.

The fog swirled away from them, making a clear path for the 4 stately beings entering the clear area around the people present.

The fairly tall one in the front especially caught her eye. His deep blue eyes that seemed to be filled with so much wisdom and power caused her heart to skip a beat. His golden skin glowing with barely subdued power, making her shiver in trepidation.

“Calm your heart, my child,” The female goddess said to the kneeling nun.

“There is no need for supplication here. We are the ones who have come to you asking for favors this time.”

“what can we, mere mortals have that might interest divine beings such as you?” the nun continued. Still not getting up.

“In due time child,” the goddess replied.

“My name is Týr,” The blue-eyed God said, interrupting whatever else the nun wanted to say.

“We are sorry, but your world is going to end soon.”

“We cannot prevent the inevitable,” He continued,

“But for now the gods are trying to keep the world alive for long enough to let humanity start anew in a new world.”

“Is that the cause of our confused memories?” John asked beside her.

“Yes,” The tall one nodded.

“Reality itself is breaking apart, there is not much time left.”

“what would you have us do then?” Sarah asked, trying to get back to a semblance of her senses.

Knowing full well, that if she did, she would likely go back to screaming and cowering, like she was doing right before she ended up here.

“We will offer you a new world to live in,” The Goddess answered.

“There is a price, however, we cannot let you bring the madness of the old world with you.”

“What does that mean?” A big broad-shouldered man rumbled from the back of the group.

“It means that you have to leave your old lives and memories behind,” Týr replied.

“It means that you have to start afresh from the beginning of time, in an untamed world untouched by human hands.”

“What happens if we refuse?” The man asked, his voice cracking a bit as if he had recently been crying a lot.

“You will go back to where you were before we summoned you here,” The short member of the group of Gods rumbled. His voice more than a match for the big man despite his diminutive size.

The thought of going back to that madness made Sarah whimper a bit in fear.

She couldn't go back to that. It hurt too much.

“I accept!” She stated loudly, letting the idea of salvation in forgetfulness roll over her with a sense of relief.

“I accept too,” John nodded beside her, taking her hand.

“I have lived a long life in the old world, and there is nobody left who needs me there.”

“Thank you,” Sarah whispered quietly, having him along made her feel safe in her choice.

He would make everything turn out alright like he had before.

“I'm in for another chance at a life with adventure.” A young girl at the back exclaimed, setting off a series of asserting answers.

Nobody seemed to want to go back, rather preferring to take a chance on the unknown future offered.

“I see we have chosen well,” Týr smiled.

“Sarah, will you please step forward?”

Sara did as she was told, and went before him and bowed down.

“For your sharp mind and analytical abilities, I bestow upon you the mantle of rulership.” Týr put his hand on her head, and she could feel a power surge through her, burning away her painful memories. The only thing remaining a soothing warmth in her heart.

“With the right to rule, comes responsibility. Lead well and act responsibly with the power given.”

“John, Please step forward,” Týr called out. John responded just as she did, and Týr bestowed upon him the strength to protect that which he held dear.

The last one Týr called forth was a petite Asian looking girl named Eve.

He bestowed upon her the gift of knowledge and power to alter the world.

When he stepped back, the tall green haired God stepped forward and took his place before he called out the names Jane and Alex.

Jane was the eager girl from before, and the man was a broad-shouldered bear of a man. Huge muscles and calloused brown hand witnessing a life of hard labor lived out in the sun.

“I am the God Oxylus, and I bestow upon you the gifts of nature. May your senses be keen, and never betray you.”

Oxylus then stepped back and the short bearded God stepped forward.

“Josh and Bob, please come forth!” He said in a brisk tone of voice.

When the 2 hugely different men stood before the short God, Sarah had to hold back a tiny laugh at the comical sight. Bob was a big man by all accounts, by most standards, even huge, while Josh, while not small at all, was like a child next to him.

The God was shorter still, and seeing him give his blessings to the 2 men reminded her of children playing at being lords and servants, with a comically short lord.

“I bestow upon you the gift of creation. May your hard work and creativity guide your hands to craft works of art that can last until the end of time.” The God finished his blessing.

The Goddess stepped in front of the kneeling nun, who had still not moved at all from her position as if she was in prayer.

“Felicia my child.” The goddess started. “All your sins have been forgiven ages ago.”

“Thank you my Goddess,” The nun answered, raising her head to look at her with brimming eyes.

“My name is Anahita my child,” The Goddess replied.

“I am sorry, but my gift is both a curse and a blessing, Please accept the curse of the oracle, May the future you behold be a gentle one, and let its visions guide you well.”

“I accept your gift with all my heart, may I be your faithful servant until the end of my days,” Felicia replied in a humble tone.

“It is time to go, my people, the new world awaits.” Týr waved his hand, and the strange place and the Gods they met within it, faded away as if it was all a dream.