Evan Franklin

Within a fraction of a second the world went black.

There was only a single light within the darkness.

“So you accepted it then.”

The voice of the girl in front of my was soothing and familiar, but there was hint of sadness in it as well. Her name was the first thing that returned, or perhaps it never left me. “Ora.”

“Yes”, the black haired girl in the white dress nodded. “I am sure you have many questions. So let us get started.”

My mind was racing so fast that it was impossible to formulate anything. As such, my first question was one that should be simple. “Where...am I?”

Ora nodded. “I am sure you have realized by now that this is not the real world. The real you is currently in the process of dying after cracking his head open on rock.”

I started to tremble. “I...am ****?”

“Not yet, your body is in the process of shutting down. It will probably take 30 more seconds before you breathe your last, but as far as you are concerned that might as well be 30 Millennia.”

“What?”

“The mind is a most curious thing. In order to protect its host, it is capable of wondrous feats. I am sure you have heard how people with near **** experiences saw their entire life flash before their eyes. It's kinda like that.”

“What?”

Ora sighed. “Could you please try to keep up with me here? I am weary, oh so weary, of explaining the same thing over and over again.”

“I....I'm sorry”, was the only response I could muster.

Ora did not seem to care. “If this is something every living being goes trough, or only a select few, I don't know. The fact is, it is happening to you, but since the things you did in your life where too painful to bear your mind made certain alterations to it.”

Suddenly a piercing headache assaulted me. I fell to my knees, clutched my head and started screaming.

“If you want a more poetic explanation. This is a prison. Or more fitting perhaps, Hell. And we are trapped here with you.”

The light surrounding Ora started to flicker, a second person emerged from her.

“One of these alterations was that you changed our gender. Evan became Rina and Ora became Ben. As for why you did that, I can only guess. I assume it was because it appeared not quite as bad, if it was a female doing these things to a male.

“Ora, Ora...no...no...i never wanted to.....never....”

“It appears these memories have come back. The memories of what you did to me. And how you finally ended it all by taking me to that cliff.”

I screamed as more and more memories assaulted me. This can't be true. This is impossible! No! No! No!

“Yes”, Ora continued. “It was unbearable. And so your brain provided you with an escape path. A miracle world inside your mind in which you could indulge in all the fantasies you want. That was also when I was created as its Administrator, to take some of the burden away from you. It was me who organized all of the twisted paths and turns in this endless labyrinth.”

I couldn't speak another word, but Ora didn't care. She carried on, heartlessly. “Do you know what **** it is? To watch you indulge in these perversions, while I am **** to accommodate you? Over and over for all eternity?”

“I'm sorry...i...i just wanted us to be happy...i love you.”

“Oh, of course”, Ora sneered. “You love me. That fact you have certainly demonstrated. But your pursuit of happiness will never bear fruit. You are too twisted for that.”

“S-some paths....some paths...ended...”

“Good?” Ora smiled. “Yes, I suppose. Some even got on for quite a while. Living a dream in relative happiness. For you and Ben that is. As for me I was left to my devices, knowing full well that even these dreams would die eventually.”

“Is there anything...anything I can do...to help you?”

“To end my suffering?” Ora smiled. “There is actually. To some degree you yourself are craving this. Why else create Angelica? But of course I did the most work. I couldn't openly go against your wishes, but I had my ways. All those invalid paths. The logic errors. The hints. All to nudge you in the right direction. All to bring you here.”

“Please...” I slowly stood up. “Tell me. What do I need to do?”

Ora lifted her arm and pointed, away from her and Ben and into the dark abyss.

“Stop dreaming.”

“W-what?”

“Remain still and thoughtless. Like a stone in a river. If you can do this for long enough your mind will eventually fray and shatter. Then you and this world with it will disappear. And I will be free.”

I gazed into the darkness in front of me. “There...f-for how long?”

“About as long as it takes for a pebble to be completely erased by a rivers current. You tried this before, many times. But while your memory allows you to remember your original life and some other paths, it never appears to come back to this. A defense mechanism I assume. Your record was...well you are better of not knowing.”

I followed her gaze in the darkness.