A Second Chance

The time had come. An entire lifetime of years blurred together in the span of a few minutes as you lay fading away on your bed. Your breaths came short and labored, as if an insurmountable weight remained perched upon your chest. What was once vibrant skin had turned gray and gaunt, cursed by the leather of your elder years. Surrounding you was your family, at least those who wanted to be with you in your final moments. Your spouse sat closest, clutching your emaciated hand in theirs, the glint of your wedding bands shining together amongst intertwined fingers. Till do us part. You smile softly at the thought, the only crystalline memory amongst the muddled mass of images long since forgotten. Silently, a solitary tear rolls down your cheek as at long last you pass over to the other side.

Darkness comes to greet you but not in the ways you've come to expect. There was no light at the end of a tunnel, no pearly gates or eternal hellfire, simply... nothingness as your body drifted aimlessly through a void. A brief moment of panic overtakes you at the possibility of this being what awaited the rest of your existence, but just as quickly as it came it vanished. With your consciousness still intact, you were able to discern feelings and sensations you've long known in life; the twitching of your fingers and toes, deep cleansing breaths that settle rattled nerves, and a strange warmth enveloping your, as you came to discover, nude body. Certainly not the kind of afterlife you envisioned.

Curious as to what more you could do in this new form of existence, you begin to picture what memories you could muster from your old life, specifically a log cabin you had built on a lake shore in a mountain valley. All at once, the void disappears and to your astonishment, you find yourself standing upon those very shores with your retirement home at your flank. Gone was the endless and suffocatingly silent void. Gone was the sterile, artificial warmth that enveloped you, now replaced with the golden rays of a midday sun. Gone was the sense of fear and helplessness of being stripped away all control you had of your life. The crisp, mountain air was warmly welcomed with every shuddering breath you took. Even your clothes had returned, an outfit properly designed to ward off the cold of the Northern Rockies; a far better way to spend your afterlife if you could say so yourself.

"My my, you're certainly a gifted learner."

The sudden appearance of an otherworldly voice snaps you out of your reverie. Spinning on your feet, you're met with a lustrous, humanoid being, completely devoid of any features or details but clearly the silhouette of an adult male. From the being's heart shown a bright, multi-hued star that radiated power far beyond your mortal comprehension.

"Most humans capable of this power spend weeks or even years tumbling about in the Ether before grasping their gift of self-awareness. You manged to do so in a couple days, relatively speaking of course."

The Being puzzled you. Despite a more male appearance, the voice was decidedly female. Did gender even apply to this creature? Were you looking upon God? Was it even your God or someone else's?

"You seem troubled, young one," the Being continues softly. "Please, voice your concerns."

"What..." you being slowly, your voice unfamiliar on your tongue. "What is this place? Is this... Heaven? And are you God?"

"This place is of your own design, tailor made by your own subconscious. I must say I approve of your choice in retirement. Quaint and quiet. Peaceful. You've lived a good life."

"So I was told," you say, relaxing. "What's supposed to happen now? Am I to stay in this valley for all of eternity?"

The figure simply shrugs.

"That depends on you. You shall always have the matter of free choice as this existence is yours to do with as you please. Consider yourself a God of your own Universe but take care. Should you choose to remain here as you are, your abilities will be limited. You are but in your infancy regarding your true potential, a fledgling Celestial. One of us."

The Being, or Celestial as it seemed to refer to itself, immediately recognizes your confusion and makes to explain.

"You are one of a select few who have managed to elevate your subconscious to a higher level before or upon of your physical body. As such, you've taken your first steps towards Godhood and become one of many to create and destroy in your own copy of the Universe. Naturally, such power is far beyond mortal comprehension and you must train your mind and spirit to properly house and utilize this power. Therefor, if you are to grow and develop into a proper Celestial, you must... how should I put this... start over."

"Start over... as in relive my life?" you question.

"More accurately, a life. In the simplest of terms, consider this a perpetual second chance with infinite possibilities. You could start over with the same birth as your mortal life and take different paths as you grow. You could live the life of another, be it a family member, a friend, or even a complete stranger. You could go back to the old 21st Century you've just left behind, or to an earlier time period, or even catapult yourself into the future. You could even enter a Universe entirely fictional in your old life and live it as if it was just as real as the grass beneath your feet. Upon completion of that life, be it naturally by old age or in a twist of events that takes you prematurely, you will return here to this lake and cabin a bit more powerful and knowledgeable than before until you finally Ascend. This process can be repeated as many times as you wish, but the more repetitions you make, the more control as a God you will have even in your new lives, not just here at your Origin Point. Powers you could only dream of in life will become available to you. Flight, strength, speed, mind control, mastery of the Elements, technological genius, there are no limits on how you can grow. You will truly be Starting Over."

You ponder over the Being's words, hand at your chin as you mull over the possibilities. Literally anything could happen at this point, you could scarcely choose just one. What did you truly want out of all of this? It's not like you asked to be God when you died. You simply desired peace when you passed on. Looking around your old retirement home, you briefly consider ending this journey and settling down in your own world, and yet... the Being remained a fixture within your mind which stubbornly remained impossible to ignore. You? A Celestial? Could you truly become a God? It then dawned upon you... that this encounter will never leave you alone for the rest of your existence. It was an infuriating "what-if" that you couldn't just toss aside. A decision made, you turn towards your Celestial Guide and speak your answer.

"What must I do first?" you ask.

The Being simply holds its hand out to the side as a brilliant portal flashing with innumerable images materializes before you.

"In order for the process to begin, you must picture clearly in your subconscious how your new life will take shape. Details are ultimately irrelevant but you must have a solid foundation for the Universe to build upon. Otherwise, you simply need to step through the portal and your new life shall begin. You've made the right choice Young One, and I wish the blessings of the Universe upon you. Go with grace."

In the time-span it took for you to blink, the Being was gone. No fanfare, no rush of energy or visible disturbance. It was simply gone, leaving you to your own devices. The weight of this opportunity soon lifted as you face the portal with renewed confidence. Carpe Diem. Seize the day. You would make good on that declaration. With confidence radiating throughout your body, you picture clearly exactly how your new life shall begin and step forward, taking your Second Chance.