Short Stories

Story 10: The third question

-I exist.

She repeated. Out loud. As if to refute her own doubts. She inhaled deeper, as per instructions, but found herself choking on the giant gulp of air. "Damn right I exist." This bodily function, this reflux, this materiality, this event...it confirmed her existence. Yes, her body was fabricated ...somehow and put on this earth...somehow. She well and truly lived inside this vessel. She felt the vessel now. She embodied it. Or...something did. The time came for the next step.

-Who am I? 

"Don't control the answers, don't make up an outcome" 

She let it unfold for her. This time, it was the opposite of materiality. She was stardust, she was pure energy, she was one. She was no-one. And she was everyone. She was right there. Everywhere and nowhere. She felt no attachments. Not even to the vessel. There was no third question. She had to awaken from the trance and do as it was dictated. She tied her heavy winter boots and went out shoveling the driveway.

-Why do you do this?

Her boyfriend was standing behind her readily offering his help.

-Huh? What do you mean?- was she still in her trance?

-I mean, why do you this if you don't like it?

"The third question. This should be it." She thought to herself and kept shoveling.