There was a swishing sound that seemed to fill the room.
He wasn’t going to let it wake him up, after all it was probably just part of some weird dream he was having. He turned over. Slowly, he became aware of how hard his bed felt; hard and cold. The swishing continued. Was it wind? It didn’t sound like wind. Too close. Too much inside. He opened one eye and saw the blueness. His bedroom wasn’t blue! He lifted his head and looked around. The whole place… it wasn’t a room, it was a place. The whole place was filled with a soft, blue light. After blinking for a while he made out a large figure standing at the foot of his bed. Behind it, two great wings fanned slowly.
He sat up, rubbed his face and squinted. He couldn’t make out the figure’s facial features. With an effort he blurted, “Where am I?”
The voice, deep and soft, said, “You are here, with me.”
“Here? Am I dead?”
“You are.”
“This is only a dream isn’t it? I mean, I’ll wake up and all this will be gone, right?”
“No.”
“How? How did it happen?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t tell you that.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Well, won’t, if you like. It’s a protocol that we have to follow.”
“We? There are more of you?”
“Oh yes. Many more.”
“If this is real, I feel I have the right to know how I got here, how I … died.”
“It is your responsibility to know that.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I’ll explain. Every person is totally responsible for their own death.”
“What, even when somebody else causes it?”
“Yes.”
“Even when it is caused by accident.”
“Yes.”
“What about when some fatal disease takes them, even then?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“Yes, it’s the only way this works.”
“And if I can’t remember, what then?”
“You remain here, but, people always remember eventually.”
“Can I go back to sleep?”
“Yes. If you wish.”
He slumped back and buried his head in the pillow. Within moments an image formed, a memory. A small rectangular patch of multi-coloured light. He recognised the icons. The swishing was still there. He sat up quickly. “I’ve remembered!” he shouted.
“Good. You can move on.”
“Where am I going?”
The swishing grew louder. “To eternal damnation, two others died.”