The man slowly rose from the garbage, his business suit creased and filthy from the aftermath, with a half-filled bottle of vodka tightly clenched in his right hand. A wide smile was spread across his face, and his eyes were so lethargic it seemed as though he could fall into a deep slumber anytime soon. With every step, he swayed side to side, bumping into walls as he stumbled out of the alley.
Ultimately, the man staggered out onto the sidewalk, barely able to stand upright. His vision was a haze, with one glance all he could make out were the lights in the street, while people and cars appeared as moving shadows. The man staggered backward once more, gaining his footing just after, then he raised the vodka bottle to his lips, tilted his head back, and took a swig.
At that moment while he was chugging down the vodka, his eyes caught a glimpse of the moon, and it slowly widened in a mesmeric manner. It may have been because he was drunk or some otherworldly event happening just then, yet he couldn't help but stare at the vivid two moons up in the starless night skies. Suddenly…the man let go of the vodka bottle, and it shattered on the concrete floor.
"Argghhh!" He screamed, clutching his head as a sudden pang surged through it, threatening to rip it in two. At that moment, a bold but yet calm female voice rang in his head.
Found you!
Immediately after that, the man's pain slowly eased. And upon raising his head, he was greeted by a rather pleasing sight: a beautiful, slender woman standing in the middle of the road—something about her appearance called out to him, urging him to approach her, but he was too stunned to comply.
The woman raised her right arm, extended her hand towards him, and addressed him by his full name.
Ronan Albert, come with me,
The woman's voice was quite soothing, and immediately after the command was issued, Ronan complied—every step drawing him closer and closer to her.
That's right, keep coming.
In his state of trance, Ronan successfully made his way to the woman, oblivious of his surroundings. He then reached to take the woman's hand, his eyes fixated on her serene, radiant face.
"Hey! Look out!" An ear-splitting scream called out from behind.
Ronan quickly snapped out of his trance and turned to ascertain the source of the scream. At that moment his vision was flooded by a blinding whiteness, and the shrill whine of a sudden brake rang out. Ronan stood there frozen like a deer staring at headlights, and soon he realized he was in the middle of the road.
There was a collision, and upon impact, everything went black, his exit was swift, painless—sudden, like the snap of a dream.
~ ~ ~
When Ronan came to, he found himself in a silent, cold, dark abyss, only his consciousness dared to linger. For the first time in a long while, he was sober. His first instinct was to open his eyes, but his attempt was fruitless. Then he attempted to move his body, only to realize he couldn't feel even the faintest of sensations…and he began to panic.
What's happening? I can't move, and I can't open my eyes either. Where am I…?
Then it all came rushing back: the beautiful lady with a serene, radiant smile, standing in the middle of the road… the headlights that flooded his vision… and the shrill whine that followed just before everything went black, all played vividly in his head; thus, putting an end to his questions, and his panic as well.
Oh, I see…I died. But if my thoughts are still active does that mean I'm in a state sort of in-between life and death… ah, whatever…
As someone who was extremely good at problem solving, Ronan initially hoped to understand his situation, however, it finally dawned on him that death wasn't just a state of being, but the absolute end of all existence. The futility of it all made him give in to the allure of the abyss, and the once chilling cold became comforting, causing his consciousness to slowly begin to drift deeper and deeper into a state of eternal rest.
Well… I guess that's it, then. There's no need to stress over it… I'm so tired…I think I should rest for a bit.
Then, sound returned—birds tweeting, leaves rustling, air whistling. Like someone cranked the volume from zero to hundred. The sound was overwhelming for Ronan, making it impossible for him to find solace in the abyss.
Goddamnit, why is it so loud!
Just then, a very soothing, yet familiar voice called out to him.
Ronan Albert, wake up!
And upon hearing the voice, Ronan could tell it belonged to the woman that had reached out to him that night. Her voice resonated more with him, silencing the others. And soon after, rays of light pierced through the darkness, flooding his vision.
Now it's too damn bright, what's going on?!
Ronan Albert, wake up! The woman's voice rang once more, demanding Ronan be freed by the abyss, allowed to grace the world of the living once more.
When the brightness subsided, he had successfully been pulled out of the abyss. He could feel his limbs, and he was able to open his eyes. As the world slowly came into focus, Ronan found himself face-to-face with an owl…staring back at him. He was stunned—utterly frozen, too afraid to move a muscle.
Staring back into the owl's huge eyes, Ronan felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine, as it began to overwhelm him. The owl's big black eyes bore a striking resemblance to the abyss, and as he gazed at it, his heart began to race. Although their staring contest only lasted for a few seconds, to Ronan it felt like an hour.
Suddenly, the bird tilted its head and, to Ronan's surprise, words flowed seamlessly out of its beak as it moved, "Good, you are finally awake," it said.