It started when the homeless man reached out his hand to me. Being a naturally good-intentioned citizen, I reached my hand back in an effort to help him stand.
A flash of light.
A sear of pain.
And then .. nothing.
Blinking my eyes a few times, I tried to gather my senses again. A strange feeling of existence combined with a perpetual purgatory draped over me. To this day, I still can't quite explain it. I suddenly heard the sobs and wails of millions of people that I could not see. Every teardrop crashed on my skin like acid, burning me alive and making me wish for death .. Only, as I would soon realize, I was only wishing for myself.
The homeless man, with a gentle, amber light glowing from the inside of his chest, peered at me through the calmest eyes I have ever seen. For a moment, I could have sworn I saw Enlightenment. His voice rippled the stagnant air surrounding us, but I wasn't disturbed by it; his tone matched his gaze.
"Thank you." I stared at him blankly, unsure of why this strange being was showing me gratitude, but could not will myself to talk. "For freeing me," he further explained. Again, I blinked. "For over a thousand years, I have been guiding newly-formed souls to their earned destinations. I have been listening to the despair of their loved ones, left behind, night and day. I have earned my own place in Paradise. He thought it time," he whispered, pointing upwards with his eyes. With a serene smile, he began to fade. "Now, it is your turn."
"T-t-turn to do what?" I managed to mutter. The stranger's smile curled into the faintest of smirks.
"To guide. To continue the cycle that all mortals fear, but all must succumb to. No one is above it. No one can escape it. You are finally a necessary part of this world," he said quietly. I clenched my jaw at his last sentence; how could he have known? My eyes must have given me away for he reached out his hand again and, placing it on my shoulder, he murmured, "Thank you," before fading away completely. Even with him gone, I felt his fingers lingering on my body.
"I suppose you're wondering what's happened?" I heard a voice thunder from behind me. "I will reveal it all to you, in time. But, for now, you have a job to do."
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