6 The Well

There was only darkness. In the middle of all of it was a young woman. Her hair was long and straight, her skin was as white and beautiful as porcelain, and her figure was amazing. She was stunning until one saw her horrifying scars.

She turned and looked around. There was nothing beneath her feet but she could still walk. She walked and walked but the darkness was endless. Her empty lifeless eyes observed the never-ending darkness, which was calling out to her and haunting her. She could hear it's longing for her. It was like a million voices calling for her.

[Come. Come. Become our queen. You are the perfect shadow.]

The darkness mourned and yearned for her as if death had separated them.

Her emotionless voice echoed out saying, "No I don't need the darkness I only need myself. I don't need the gods I only need my strength. I don't need mercy I only need my will. Ah. But… where is my will? Oh. That's right I almost forgot. It was destroyed. Hmm. What can replace my will? I guess that would be my caged heart."

She smiled at the last phrase. It was perfect. It was she. She was broken. She was scarred. She was caged.

She was the dying heart.

The darkness was silenced. She was neither light nor darkness. She felt she was nothing but she didn't know that the darkness wanted her because she was something. She was unique, she was special, and she was dangerous.

She was a hidden gem that could fight against the odds and choose her own fate. The fact that she no longer cared made her all the more important it made her susceptible to take advantage of. She was vulnerable and weak but carried a strong soul. It allowed her to reincarnate with her memories. If they could have her, they could enter the world once again and spread more greed, more death, and more discrimination. However, she hated all of that. She never wanted to live again. She was fine in this darkness.

[Its all the same. The darkness here is at least more peaceful than when I was alive. Living is a torture, it is like hell and death is like heaven. I am lonely here but haven't I always been. Why should I live again?]

The darkness neared her to convince her but she rejected all its advances.

In the end, she could be nothing more than an empty corpse and thus it left convinced that what it thought was a gem was instead a rock.

It was right. She was a rock.

There was no time but she didn't care.

Eternity seemed simple enough.

However, in eternal darkness what can one do other than think. She started reminiscing about her past and no matter how much she tried to look, it would always start and end in despair. She cried even in death but instead of crystal, clear tears, what gushed out of her eyes was black dark substance that evaporated half way down her face.

[Why do I keep thinking about my past? It can only bring me suffering.

I thought death would be my release but it turns out I will never be rid of my memories.

Maybe if I start all over, it can all be forgotten. This can be the only way out. I might be destined with my bad luck but surely I can forget at least this much.]

She walked on darkness until she found a deep well full of stars and it asked her, "What do you want?"

The moment she heard that, she cried more than she had ever cried while she was alive. Her tears were overflowing to the point in which they couldn't evaporate on time. One of her tears managed to fall on the well. The sorrow it contained was so pure and immense that the water in the well trembled. Her heart was transparent and easy to read but it was broken and caged. The stars in the well shook and the smallest one flew into her body. After it entered, the stars dispersed and the well pulled her in.

Moments later, she felt as though she had disappeared. She didn't know how much time had passed until she was able to feel some of her limbs. They felt unfamiliar to her but she didn't dwell on it since she needed to get out and be reborn. She tried many methods but every time she kicked or punched, she would end up exhausted. It was as if something was restraining her. She felt frustrated but there was nothing she could do. She waited a long time. Most of her time was wasted on sleeping but it was fine because she could feel herself regaining strength. Eventually as she kicked, she found a way out.

[Finally, I can now go back and find a way to be reincarnated. That dumb well only tricked me.]

She followed the light and made her way out.

She was greeted with terrifying screams.

[WTH! Am I finally in Hell?

F**k, the well brought me to hell. I should have known. What can you expect after death?]

Soon she realized that she could open her eyes. She looked up at a beautifully decorated ceiling and squirmed to get out of the cage that held her.

But….. Was she really in a cage?

Her lifeless eyes tried to evaluate what was happening. Everything was so chaotic and noisy.

What was happening?