This must be Heaven

“Ah, this must be Heaven,” I say, as I suddenly wake up.

I do not know where those words came from. I do not remember much, just that I must be in a very nice place. I stand in a long corridor, with hundreds of people in front of me, possibly thousands, with many more behind me. I can see what lies ahead though. A grand exit of ancient Roman architecture is erected at the end of the marble pathway. Beyond that gateway lies another world. A large grassy field, with a clear sunny sky just up ahead. Although strangely, the grass and sky are grey, while the sun is a deep red. I get closer to the exit.

“Ah, this must be Heaven,” I think to myself as I get closer.

Behind my, many men are sobbing, maybe they left something precious behind, but they should just get over that right? They’re moving on to a better place. They should be excited, as just up ahead, I hear yells and shouts of joy. As I yet again get closer, tears begin to form in my eyes too, for reasons unknown.

“Ah, this must be Heaven.”

I am now approaching the Archway. The stretching fields are now perfectly visible. I am close to reaching the beautiful sunlight. In front of me, I see perfect blades of grass, with the men I was speaking of before roaming the fields. Strangely, it seems as if not a single blade has been trampled. Each spike sticks perfectly up, even with so many people walking over them. There even appears to be horses with riders, galloping gracefully over the grass. They’re carrying long sticks too. Maybe they’re playing some sort of game?

“Ah, this must be Heaven.”

The man in front of me steps into the grass. He gleefully wails, for he has reached salvation. He slowly walks forwards, as I step into the sunlight. My skin is set alive, every nerve ending screams in delight.

“Ah, this must be Heaven.”

I step into the red grass, every sensory receptor in my feet gleefully shouts at my brain. Eventually, I can’t even feel them at all. Numbness isn’t a feeling I enjoy too well, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it.

“Ah, this must be Heaven”

I have been walking for hours now, no feeling on my exterior remains, just a burning sensation from inside. In the beginning, I was in a state of pure ecstasy, but maybe this is a little much now. I have no sense of direction. What am I supposed to do here?

“Ah, this must be Heaven.”

The words keep escaping my mouth, against my will. Off in the distance I see some horse riders. It looks like some of the other inmates are playing with them. Inmates? That’s a weird way of describing them. Why is that the word I chose? Maybe I’ll approach them and get a better look.

I am very uneasy for some reason. I must find out my purpose. It’ll take me a little bit to get to the horse riders though. Maybe then I’ll get a clue. Who am I? Why can’t I remember anything? I feel a sharp pain in my head, almost like a warning that I should stop trying to remember, and just be happy living in the moment.

The closer I get, the worse I feel. That must be a good sign. I now know that my memories must be painful, and that something is hiding them to protect me. But I must know. I have to.

“Ah, this must be Heaven,” my body forces me to say, almost as if it is a self defense mechanism.

I am beginning to shiver as I approach the rider. Previously, I would write it off as excitement, but now I know it is fear. I stare deep into its eyes, as if I’m being sucked into an abyss, and it looks through me down into my very soul. A spark ignites in my brain, and I remember just how dangerous this creature is. I take off running in the other direction.

I don’t make it very far though, exhaustion brings me to my knees. I’m lucky I can’t feel pain anymore.

“Oh, I remember now. I’m not in Heaven, I’m in Hell.”

Behind me, I hear a horse stop trotting. I’m too scared to turn around. I hear a voice.

“I’m sorry, it’s not your fault you’re here. You weren’t supposed to be put here, but all decisions are final. It cannot be undone.”

Tears stream from my eyes, and I scream out in anger. If for some reason I ever get to walk free again, I’ll make sure to give them a reason to put me here. I’ll imprint my rage on my soul. I hear a swishing noise, and everything goes dark.

“Ah, this must be Heaven,” I say, as I suddenly wake up. But this time, I remember everything. I’m forced to live through this torture again. And again. And again. My rage grows with each cycle, as this one comes to an end.

“Huh?” I look around, confused.

I am in a large outdoor stadium, populated by an incomprehensible amount of people. It feels as though I have just been born. A blank soul with no memories. Who am I? Do I even need to know? A large voice booms from the center of the stadium.

“Today marks the end of your journey. I, along with this realm will disappear. Go forth, and wherever you land, find your purpose and live a fulfilling life.”

I feel as though I am whisked away, when I land on a plane with countless others. A voice in my head tells me that I must be in a really nice place, yet my soul is filled with rage. I look at the others, and see that my sentiment is shared.

“Oh,” I say to myself. “This is Heaven.”

But soon it shall turn into Hell.