I opened my eyes, startled, as if I had just woken up from a nightmare.
"W-Where am I?"
All I could see was… well, actually, I couldn't see anything at all. I was in a dark place. The darkest I had ever seen. There was no light, as if I were in the deepest abyss. But unlike an abyss, I could see myself.
Why can I see myself? That shouldn't be possible… and why am I naked?
When I looked down at my feet, I noticed something else: I was standing on the ground, but at the same time, I wasn't. Something was holding me up, but nothing was there. I couldn't feel the ground, and yet somehow, I could.
"What the hell is this?"
As conflicting as it was, I liked it. It was strange. No matter how strange it felt, if someone asked me, I'd say it was the most comfortable place I had ever stood, even though there was nothing there. I know that hearing that would instantly make me be labeled as crazy, but I didn't care. It was like flying.
"This is amazing!"
I jumped, laid down, rolled around. I felt great—the best I had ever felt in my life. It seemed like nothing else mattered, and I was at peace with that. Something as small as the sensation of flying was enough to entertain me.
"I could stay here forever. Flying is fu—"
Then it hit me. Wait… flying? I was flying.
And only now did all of this sound strange.
It was as if something snapped in my head—suddenly I was back to reality, well, as close to reality as I could be in that moment. Where am I? What am I doing here? Strangely, I can't remember. Actually... Who am I? Where are my memories? I was in a very strange situation, um... How would I explain it?... Think of it this way: how do you think you'd act if you were living your life on your way to work but you simply lost all your memories in the blink of an eye?
A lifetime of erased experiences and you can see it. Name, ID, place of birth, everything that identifies you just disappears from your head. Even the language you speak or think in starts to seem strange. It's like saying on instinct that you want to eat soup but thinking: what is soup? What is eating? All the words, phrases and sensations are spoken through a lifetime of experience with that language, but you don't know why.
"I-I have to get out of here."
I looked around desperately, searching for something, anything. But there was nothing to be seen. The comfort I had felt before turned into overwhelming anguish. I started running.
How can I run without a ground to step on?
Questions like this flooded my mind while I ran for what felt like days, months, years… and yet, at the same time, no time at all. I was exhausted, but I also felt like I could run forever.
It was as if I had crossed the whole world, and yet hadn't moved an inch. I could feel myself starting to lose my mind.
"What the hell is this place? Why am I here?"
Then I noticed something: a small white dot in the distance. The sight shocked me. "Was that always there?" It felt like no, but also yes. I was relieved to finally see something, but I was terrified—terrified beyond reason.
"This feels like a Creepypasta. Wait, what is a creepypasta? You know what? I'll think about this later."
Even so, I couldn't stop. I had to keep going. I ran toward the white dot, which grew larger every second. Then I realized—it was below the "ground." Even from far away, I could see it clearly, as if the ground itself were transparent.
Damn, how much longer do I have to run? It feels like I'm running for eter—
In the middle of that thought, I felt myself start to fall. Whatever had been holding me up was gone. It was like falling off a cliff. The fall felt endless, but eventually I hit something. Water—or at least, some liquid like it. I tried to swim to the surface, desperate for air. My chest burned, I thought I'd suffocate any second… but I never reached the surface.
I need to get up. I need to reach the surface. I need… to… reach the… surface?
And then it struck me—no, I didn't need to. I could breathe in this liquid, maybe just as well as on land. Maybe it was just my instincts screaming.
…
I stopped questioning and just accepted it. Acceptance was all I had left. I turned and saw the point of light—it was much larger now, beams of light bursting from it.
Here I go…
I swam downward, without stopping, without hesitation. I wasn't thinking anymore—I only wanted to reach it. I swam and swam. The tiny ball of light grew massive; I was getting closer.
Almost there! Almost there!…
I stretched out my hand toward the now enormous source of light, and when I touched it, the beams flared. The brightness consumed me. Suddenly, I couldn't breathe—I was drowning in the liquid. The light grew blinding, unbearable. The heat scorched my skin, and water flooded my lungs. Within minutes, I blacked out.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"