Nouthing and nowhere

He found himself surrounded by pitch black emptiness and a¬ feeling of loss, like something had been taken from him unjustly. "Where am I?" his voice echoed into the perfect darkness. He tried to orient himself, but he couldn't. As far as he could tell, he was in a total void. There was no sound but his own breathing. It was the kind of silence that surrounds you with an invisible veil, and starts at you from behind its hidden curtain, the kind that makes you feel uneasy, even thought there’s nothing to be uneasy about. He tried to remember what happened last, but he couldn't. He did remember being in a coffee shop, and leaving, but that felt like it happened eons ago. He couldn't even remember his own name. It’s like that feeling you get, when you wake up, and you’re not where you expect yourself to be. Only it wouldn’t go away. His mind couldn’t wrap its logic around where ever he was. Am I dreaming? No, this is too real. Am I dead? He didn't feel dead, not that he would know. If this was death this seemed like a boring afterlife.
He was wearing a t-shirt and jeans, he felt his watch, and turned on its LCD light. Its light barely punctured the darkness. Normally it could at least illuminate 3 or 4 feet, yet it barley seemed to penetrate a few inches. The time showed 12:03 am.
He knelt down and felt the floor, it was perfectly smooth smoother than glass, and the floor was the same temperature as everything else too. Not cold, or hot. But it was perfectly between. He might think that this was odd, if he hadn’t woken up in perfect darkness?
Wait, did I wake up? He didn’t remember waking up. It was like he was just here. He had to come from some where, but he couldn’t remember where. Well, there had to be something to this, it can’t be all nothing. In fact, now that he thought about it, his voice had echoed. To have his voice echo, there needed to be something for it to bounce off of. A wall, a box, a coffee maker, well, even a wall would be something.
He yelled as loud as he could "HELLO!" and sure enough, the voice echoed back. This proves that there has to be something. That’s how it works, sound waves need something to bounce off.
He decided to walk, hoping to run into something. And walk he did. His footsteps sounded muffled against the barren floor. He kept on walking for what felt like hours, checking his watch; the time showed 12:62 am. He looked at it again. ... 12:63 ... It’s never done that before. He tried setting it to military time, hoping that it would reset itself in the process. 00:63. He decided that the idea that his watch was broken was the least of his worries. If he walked that much, and only an hour had passed, it must be broken.
Why haven’t I gotten anywhere? He should have run into whatever his voice was echoing by now. He yield again "HELLO!" and as before, his voice echoed. The sound wasn't closer, nor furthers. Just an echo. he sat down on the barren floor. Even though he had walked so far, he wasn't thirsty or tired. Dose anything ever change here?
He had to find out where he was. Maybe he could retrace his steps? He thought back to the coffee shop. It was like reliving a memory, sliding into a dream.

There he was ordering his coffee, and leaving. He glanced down at his watch, 9:45 pm. It was dark out, and the street. The road seemed empty; he looked down at his cup as he crossed. But, as he was halfway across the street, he heard something. It was loud and coming for him, but his brain didn't make the connection. He looked up at the approaching car. All he saw was a white blur coming right for him. For a split second he felt panic surge through his veins. The car slammed its breaks but the impact still hit him right on. This must be it, this is where I die. But he didn’t. He found himself in the air, and then on the pavement. It happened so fast he wasn't sure what happened. He found himself staring into the sky. "Oh my god!" a woman’s voice cried. Davis turned his head to look over. There was blood everywhere, and it hurt so much, it was unbearable. Someone ran up to him “Are you okay, are you okay?” they hit his shoulders. “I GOT HIT WITH A FUCKING CAR!” yelling eased his pain, but only a little. It was the only thing that would help. “THEY HIT ME WITH A FUCKING CAR!”. He couldn’t tell how long it was before someone came, it couldn’t have been long, but it felt like an eternity had passed, with him laying on the street shouting. A man ran up to him. “Don’t worry! Help will come”.  He looked again into his own blood. He started to feel sleepy, and the pain started to fade to numbness. He wanted to go to sleep so badly.  “You need to stay with us sir” He tried, he really did, but he couldn’t “Sir, what’s your name?” the voice echoed in. “Davis” The words floated out of his mouth. He couldn’t quite think clearly. “Why did they hit me with a fucking car?” he murmured. He was dying. He knew it. He could feel it. He could almost touch it in front of him. “I’m not ready” he moaned. He wasn’t ready. He hadn’t had enough coffee, read enough books, he hadn’t gotten drunk enough, he hadn’t had enough sex, he hadn’t lived enough. All wanted was more time.  One day would do. Just one day. That’s all I need.
Don’t worry you’re not going to die. Today is not the day. He couldn’t quite tell what said it. He wasn’t quite thinking it. Or quite hearing it. It was crystal clear, but it felt like the voice came from so far away. It must have been the first responder, speaking from the world of the living.
He felt the compressions of CPR on his chest and the breathing of life into his lungs. Great closest thing to action I get all week is with another guy.
He woke in a cold sweat, gasping for air. He opened his eyes, still expecting to see more than the darkness above him. Despite sleeping on a cold hard floor, with no pillow nor blanket, he didn’t hurt at all. So I’m dead? This can’t be the afterlife. There has to be more. There just has to be. Maybe this is hell? Davis didn’t see any fire and brimstone, but he figured that an eternity of this would be worse. He tried to think back to what he had done wrong to get here, but, as far as Davis could think, he was a good person. There has to be a reason why I’m here. Something I did? Maybe. Despite seeing the car crash, he hadn’t learned anything. Only his name, Davis.
Maybe I didn’t die there? Maybe I survived? Yeah, I must have survived. I bet I’m in a hospital right now. He closed his eyes, and tried to wake up. This time it was more like he was living it, but without control, like seeing a movie in first person.
"He's lost a lot of blood, I don't think he’s going to make it."
"Quick, some IV stat,” Davis opened his eyes; two paramedics were standing over him.
"Hey, I think he's awake," one said
"Impossible," the other paramedic replied.
"I’m awake," Davis said, slowly getting up, but he was bound to the stretcher.
"Don't try and move," one said, "Are you okay?"
"I think," He saw his watch out of the corner of his eye, It showed 9:58
"We need to ask you some questions."
"He's in no condition to answer questions!" Though Davis didn’t feel like he was in danger, he couldn’t quite put his thumb on it, he knew had lost a lot of blood, and that he could only be barely alive now, but he felt fine. It was odd, but he felt almost safe right now; he still hurt like hell, but he didn’t care, and he had no idea why.
“You know, I almost think I can make it on my own.”
“Are you insane? You got hit by a car, legally considered deadly weapons, you probably broke multiple bones, you lost god knows how much blood, and you want to just walk it off?” The paramedic said in a sarcastic tone
“Yeah, I don’t understand it either.”
“Look, we can’t under any good sense let you out. Besides we’re almost there anyways,” The other paramedic said holding a needle. The ambulance hit a bump, Davis felt a sharp pain, and it threw him back into the void.
“I survived!” He yelled. But wait, then why am I here? Maybe I’m in surgery right now, and this is the pain killers working their magic? But even a dream would have something. He got up, and stretched his back, it ached slightly. Maybe I died in surgery? Maybe I died years later, and I’m just remerging it now? “Maybe I didn’t die?”
He saw no harm in thinking aloud. It’s not like any one could hear him here. Well, whatever here was, it couldn’t be reality. Reality has bounds. Reality has rules. This place seems to have neither. My voice echoes of a barrier that really isn’t here. Davis decided not to think of this as a place. Places are defined by what’s in them. And the only thing here was him.
He thought of this, whatever it was. How big was it? Was it endless? He couldn’t walk anywhere. “But is that because theirs no where to go? Or because I'm not really moving?” There really wasn’t anyway to tell. Guess it didn’t really matter. Ether way he was stuck. Trapped in a prison with no walls, bounded to nowhere, by nothing. He had to know what put him here. He had to know why, and how. He closed his eyes, and instead of letting himself wander into the memories he force himself ahead.
He plunged back into reality. It wasn’t the slipping into a dream like before. It was violent, like being hit by a flash flood. Memories passed through him, life coffee running threw a filter, most passed by like they were never there. All he knew were the memories that were left behind. He felt the first one; it was like a stab to the chest. Back in the void, his body jerked. The sounds pored in. Yelling, lots of yelling. He tried to make it all sound clear. But he only grasped at passing bye words “WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?” “PULL IT OUT! PULL IT OUT!” the paramedical cried. Then the sight. He looked down at his chest to see the pain, to find a needle sticking through it. He couldn’t focus on anything else. And for a split second, he almost returned to the void, but he felt more pulling him into reality. The there was movement, and talking. But he couldn’t hear it, there was too much at once for him to handle. From what he could tell, he was being moved into surgery, they were going to take out the needle, and look at the car crash would. He didn’t quite hear it, he more understood. It was like reading his own thoughts at the time, but not reality. Then it was calm, then numbness. then pressure on his chest, it moved around. He could only guess it was the surgery. He enjoyed this little slow down, it was a nice break from the flash of memories that happened before. And, he soon found himself in looking at the tiled ceiling of a hospital.
“Oh, you’re up.”
“Yeah.” He felt a little drowsy. “Well, all and all, I say you are pretty lucky, Mr. Ward. Do you know what you have been through today?”
“I think, I survived a car crash, and an accident in the ambulance”
“Yes, the needle went right through your heart. We’re all surprised you made it. Almost makes you want to believe in a higher power.”
“I guess.”
“Well, now all you need to do is sit tight and rest. Your brother brought you a change of clothing, I said you wouldn’t be up for another hour, but, you’re up now, so, may I go get him?”
“Sure” The doctor left.

“Hey, I heard what you have been through, when they said they didn’t know if you could make it, I rushed here. Had to explainto some traffic cops that I my brother might die in the hospital any moment.” He and his brother were never all that close, but, they say death brings us all together.
“Well, I admire your optimism” Davis said sarcastically
“So, your okay?”
“Sure am, I feel perfectly fine” Davis felt great considering what had happened.
“100%?”
“100%”
“Well, I got you a change of clothing. I figure the old one are ruined”
“May I change now?”
“Yeah sure. I’ll be in the lobby, seeing it all on the 11 o’ clock news. It’s amazing how fast they can get these stories up.” Davis changed into a t-shirt and jeans. He missed the feel of the watch on his wrist. The doctor said rest, but he felt alive. He felt more alive then he thought you could ever feel. He felt immortal.
He walked down the hall, and into the lobby, it was small, and his brother watched the news. Davis ignored the newscaster, and poured a cup of coffee out of the machine. Davis figured he could catch up with his brother later. He wanted to go for walk, get some fresh air. Davis considered checking with the doctors, but they would have just told him to rest. And, Davis didn’t need rest.
Davis walked out the front door. The night was cold and damp. He drank some of his coffee; it wasn’t that great, not bad, but nothing wonderful. Someone walked out of the hospital behind him. He wore a white button shirt, and a black tie, and black pants. He wasn’t old, 25 maybe, but Davis felt the wisdom of many lives when he looked into the man’s eyes.
“Hey, you look like you been though one hell of a day,” The man said.
“Oh yeah.”
“Well, at least it will be over soon, only about 3 more minutes.”
“Yeah..”
“Well, I’m not here to take up your time Davis, I just wanted a quick chat before we go.”
“What? How do you know my name?” But the man was gone. Where the hell did he go? maybe I’m just. Maybe they had given him some painkillers and they were playing tricks on his mind. Who was that? How did he know my name?
He walked for a bit, and crossed the street. He felt sick, and drained. Like the life had escaped him. He just wanted to lie down, but, he ignored the feeling.
He glanced down at his watch, 11:59.The road seemed empty; he looked down at his cup as he crossed. But, as he was halfway across the street, he heard something. It was loud and coming for him he looked to see a sight he had seen before. But it stopped. No breaks, no slowing down. It just stopped. It was a moment before Davis had realized that he couldn’t move. He was stuck there, frozen along with the car.
The man walked up to Davis. “This is how it ends Davis. This is how it was meant to end. That car hits you, and you die. But, I’m sure you have questions. And I’m sure I have answers. Who am I? I, my friend, am a Reaper. A god of death and life. What happened? 14 hours ago, you got hit by this very same car. But, instead of dying you lived. Why? Because you asked for life. But, Why then are you dying now? You only asked for one day. Some ask for years, to die an old man. Some ask for some one else to live instead of them. But, you only asked for one day, It’s not my fault your doctors took up all your time. And, this is the big question. What happens to you after this car you? Where do you go? Nowhere. Well, rather, Nothing and Nowhere. You see, when someone increases there life supernaturally, when they do die, they enter the void. For extra life you are granted the ultimate immortality, After this, you will never die again. Oh, and you can keep the watch. Consider it a gift from your formal life. Life that bounded you where you soon will be.”
Time started, and he felt the impact of the car. It slammed his breaks, but he found himself in the air. Then the ground.  Paramedics were quick to respond this time, but, they could do nothing. Davis saw the sky before he left.
He found himself surrounded by pitch black, emptiness, and a¬ feeling of loss, like something had been taken from him unjustly.

Fin.