Intention Man (title in progress)

Untitled

There was aching pain in every crevice and surface of Lev's body. His back, neck, head—it all pounded. That was what woke him up. Nothing else. All was quiet save for a faint roaring reminiscent of Fiutte.

Fiutte. Lev's eyes jolted like the rest of his body and sharp pain shot through him. What had happened? He searched his brain as he stared at unfamiliar surroundings. It was dark and chilly. Lev shivered as memories rushed into his fog mind. He had been falling. His clothes stuck to him—dripping wet. He'd swum Fiutte, hadn't he? Or at least somehow survived it. How was that possible? His heart dropped for a second as realization washed over him. He must be dead. That's what he'd been hoping for, wasn't it? But now that his wish had come true, he was much more afraid than he ever had been in his life.

Everything seemed darker in that moment although the sun was just peeking over the horizon. The horizon. Where was he? When one died was there a sun still? He shivered again, this time unable to stop. But if one was dead wouldn't all pain be gone? But there was only one explanation for this—for waking up. He must be dead. And that meant he would be in this unknown realm for the rest of...time, he supposed. That was another thought that struck a chord of fear deep within his heart.

For a few moments he just laid there on the ground, waiting to see if anything would happen. Was he alone in this world? The sky was above and dark—an endless expanse that seemed to go on forever like it never had before and it was frightening. Usually Lev found solace in the sky, in the stars—in thinking perhaps one day he would fly away. And he had flown. For a few breathtaking seconds. But he had plummeted. And it had all ended. Flying wasn't everything he'd imagined it to be.

He didn't feel any different from before his fall, besides at pain, and confused—or resigned. Was it possible that when one died they were given a second chance at life? But that would mean Serafina would have come back. Unless she'd already used her chance. Unless she was stuck here just like he was—wherever here was.

If there was even a minimal chance that Serafina was here, he would find her. So he pushed to a sitting position and rolled his joints around, testing things to make sure it all still worked.

Perhaps people who died were only given second chances if they could find their way out of this world. Whatever this world was. It was then that Lev realized how very unprepared he was to face death and what happened after death. Nobody ever really talked about that in Trealles and it was left to private thought or to be pushed back into the recesses of mind that are never explored. If he ever made it out of this supposed standstill, he would push for reforms. People had to think about this. Where were they going to end up? Being unprepared was something Lev never wished to be again.

As the sun rose higher, the sky got brighter, and the surroundings became clearer. Lev pushed to his feet and began walking. He was in a somewhat cramped alley—compared to what he was used to. On either side large buildings—houses, he presumed—flanked him. They towered high and ornate. Many of them were constructed out of bricks, and some in different shades of paneling. Lev remembered learning about houses like these in an early history class. In Trealles these houses had been replaced by the level terrace apartments, but that had been far before Lev was born.

Seeing these dwelling places up close was dreamlike. They'd always been beautiful in the lessons, but seeing them up close and in person was amazing. But if there were houses here, did that mean whoever didn't escape back to Trealles lived the duration of their second life here?

An unfamiliar noise plucked at his eardrums and he jumped. It was a strange sound. It almost sounded like somebody was calling for help—screaming. But it didn't sound quite human. The pitch fluctuated and Lev fought the desire to plug his ears.