Chapter 8
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Alex felt like he was floating in a great river as he came to. Everything around him was the perfect temperature and felt so comforting that all he wanted to do was relax and sleep in for as long as he could. Then with his eyes still closed, he noticed a strange swirling, whirling noise and felt as if he was being pulled along by a great flow. His comfort changed to dizzy disorientation as he finally opened his eyes and all around him was a sense of strange movement. Clouds and forms of hazy shadows danced here and there. Finally, something came close and Alex realized with surprise that it was a shiny fish!
[Whats a fish doing here!? And how can it be swimming in the air like this?] Alex wonders in astonishment as his own body reacts and darts forward with almost no effort and no sense of moving his arms or legs.
[What is going on?] Alex tries to look around at his body but only accomplishes spinning himself in a rough circle.
A sudden realization hits him, [Is this water? Am I drowning?] Alex closes his eyes again as he thinks, [Guess it won't be long before I see that old grumpy grandpa again.] But no matter how long he waited for the end, Alex felt no sense of needing to breathe. In fact, he didn't even feel wet.
Yet another thought hit him, [Am I a fish? Wait, do fish even have eyelids?] He blinks a few times at this thought.
Before Alex could think too deeply about fish lids, a large fast moving shadow draws close heading right for him. [Is that a shark!?] Alex instinctively moves his body trying to run away. In just a moment he is overtaken by the large creature and somehow dragged away by it.
In a state of panic, Alex moves his wide-open eyes taking in all he can as the monster-sized shark harries him back and forth blocking every attempt at escape. [Is it trying to take me to a shark meeting? Fish are friends, not food!] Alex yells out in his mind. Just then Alex is drawn to something on the shark's skin. Before Alex realizes what he has done, the oddly compelling creature that was attached to the shark disappeared into his own mouth. As Alex feels the contentment that comes when he eats a tasty filling meal, he comes to the conclusion that he must be a cleaner fish. The shark doesn't want to eat Alex but wants him to eat the parasites feeding on its flesh.
Still feeling a sense of panic at being so close to a man-eater, Alex does his best guided by instinct to accommodate the shark's wishes. Finally, the monster moves on and Alex is free to swim toward a blurry wall that resolves itself into a great coral reef. [I can't stop myself from eating those things. But it's so demeaning and gross. Am I being punished by that old man? I couldn't remember who I was when I was that pig like I can now. Why is that?]
All these thoughts went through his head as Alex got closer and closer to the reef. Before long he found himself trying to decide where in the reef he should go. [I don't see any other sharks or other fish being cleaned around the area so I can't tell where I should head to.] He decided to just swim around exploring the wonders of his new world.
All around him Alex could see colorful coral and mottled rock teaming with marine wildlife. Most of the fish were so bizarre looking that he couldn't tell which end had the mouth. [Speaking of mouths, I should figure out how to get more food for later.] Alex thought and inwardly cringed.
As Alex swam closer to a towering outcropping of coral, he couldn't help but marvel, [There are fish everywhere!] If his eyes could be wider they would be. In his amazement, he failed to take note of an area devoid of any of the other fish and brazenly swam right through the middle of it. When he neared the border of this no man's land he noticed the school of fish ahead of him start to move rapidly away as if in fright.
[Whats going on? Are they afraid of me?] He suddenly felt a bad premonition and turned his body to look behind him and froze at the sight of a giant moray eel coming right for him. His heart nearly stopped for good before something within his mind screamed for him to run!
[If I'm a cleaner fish, why is it trying to eat me? Maybe it was already cleaned by those dam*ed shrimp!] His mind kept racing as he swam as furiously as he could away. His panic turned to dread as he realized all the other fish around him were still running for their lives to get away from him which probably meant the eel was right on his tail! He dared not slow to look back and silently cursed the bulk of his body.
[Do I look that tasty to you!? I used to eat eels like you for dinner! Ah, maybe that's why...] Alex realized that he couldn't outrun the d*mn monster and didn't have the courage to slow down long enough to look for a hiding spot among the coral. He wasn't even sure if he could hide from the eel. He certainly wasn't outrunning it! He could feel its shadow, like the shadow of death, steadily overwhelming him. Alex finally darted to his left and got an eyeful of the monstrous eel within inches of the tip of his own tail.
[This thing is huge! Why does it want a little fish like me!? Why? Why? Why? Fu*k! Fu*k! Fu*k!] In a last-ditch effort he swam as close to the reef as he could even scraping his tender flesh as he hugged the surface polyps of a bright orange coral. It was his momentum that carried him along as his body started jerking and convulsing refusing to obey his will. [Ah... I feel so numb. What happened?] His mind had become lethargic almost instantly after brushing the orange coral and his body started drifting down to the sandy bed between two outcroppings.
By the time the eel had found its way to and eaten his corpse, Alex was already back in the white space fuming at the old man.
"Why do you keep sending me to these dangerous places!? I've had enough of all this dying! Aren't you the almighty God!? Can't you send me somewhere safe!?"
The old man stood there giving Alex a dark look receiving this outburst in silence while fiddling with his own beard as usual.
"Are you done?" The old man asked and continued without waiting for Alex to answer. "I have been trying to send you to safe places and have tried to give you good lives. But I am done trying to figure this out. I have wasted too much of my time and energy on you and achieved nothing for it!" The old man throws up his arms in frustration and starts shooting bolts of lightning all around the space in seemingly random directions.
Alex was trembling and feared for his life but was not dissuaded by this show of force. As Alex stepped forward opening his mouth to yell some more the old man turned to him and hurled another orb. Alex saw the glint of light but couldn't dodge and was once again thrown into another world with another life.
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Alex felt like he was floating in a great river as he came to. Everything around him was the perfect temperature and felt so comforting that all he wanted to do was relax and sleep in for as long as he could. Then with his eyes still closed, he noticed a strange swirling, whirling noise and felt as if he was being pulled along by a great flow. His comfort changed to dizzy disorientation as he finally opened his eyes and all around him was a sense of strange movement. Clouds and forms of hazy shadows danced here and there. Finally, something came close and Alex realized with surprise that it was a shiny fish!
[Whats a fish doing here!? And how can it be swimming in the air like this?] Alex wonders in astonishment as his own body reacts and darts forward with almost no effort and no sense of moving his arms or legs.
[What is going on?] Alex tries to look around at his body but only accomplishes spinning himself in a rough circle.
A sudden realization hits him, [Is this water? Am I drowning?] Alex closes his eyes again as he thinks, [Guess it won't be long before I see that old grumpy grandpa again.] But no matter how long he waited for the end, Alex felt no sense of needing to breathe. In fact, he didn't even feel wet.
Yet another thought hit him, [Am I a fish? Wait, do fish even have eyelids?] He blinks a few times at this thought.
Before Alex could think too deeply about fish lids, a large fast moving shadow draws close heading right for him. [Is that a shark!?] Alex instinctively moves his body trying to run away. In just a moment he is overtaken by the large creature and somehow dragged away by it.
In a state of panic, Alex moves his wide-open eyes taking in all he can as the monster-sized shark harries him back and forth blocking every attempt at escape. [Is it trying to take me to a shark meeting? Fish are friends, not food!] Alex yells out in his mind. Just then Alex is drawn to something on the shark's skin. Before Alex realizes what he has done, the oddly compelling creature that was attached to the shark disappeared into his own mouth. As Alex feels the contentment that comes when he eats a tasty filling meal, he comes to the conclusion that he must be a cleaner fish. The shark doesn't want to eat Alex but wants him to eat the parasites feeding on its flesh.
Still feeling a sense of panic at being so close to a man-eater, Alex does his best guided by instinct to accommodate the shark's wishes. Finally, the monster moves on and Alex is free to swim toward a blurry wall that resolves itself into a great coral reef. [I can't stop myself from eating those things. But it's so demeaning and gross. Am I being punished by that old man? I couldn't remember who I was when I was that pig like I can now. Why is that?]
All these thoughts went through his head as Alex got closer and closer to the reef. Before long he found himself trying to decide where in the reef he should go. [I don't see any other sharks or other fish being cleaned around the area so I can't tell where I should head to.] He decided to just swim around exploring the wonders of his new world.
All around him Alex could see colorful coral and mottled rock teaming with marine wildlife. Most of the fish were so bizarre looking that he couldn't tell which end had the mouth. [Speaking of mouths, I should figure out how to get more food for later.] Alex thought and inwardly cringed.
As Alex swam closer to a towering outcropping of coral, he couldn't help but marvel, [There are fish everywhere!] If his eyes could be wider they would be. In his amazement, he failed to take note of an area devoid of any of the other fish and brazenly swam right through the middle of it. When he neared the border of this no man's land he noticed the school of fish ahead of him start to move rapidly away as if in fright.
[Whats going on? Are they afraid of me?] He suddenly felt a bad premonition and turned his body to look behind him and froze at the sight of a giant moray eel coming right for him. His heart nearly stopped for good before something within his mind screamed for him to run!
[If I'm a cleaner fish, why is it trying to eat me? Maybe it was already cleaned by those dam*ed shrimp!] His mind kept racing as he swam as furiously as he could away. His panic turned to dread as he realized all the other fish around him were still running for their lives to get away from him which probably meant the eel was right on his tail! He dared not slow to look back and silently cursed the bulk of his body.
[Do I look that tasty to you!? I used to eat eels like you for dinner! Ah, maybe that's why...] Alex realized that he couldn't outrun the d*mn monster and didn't have the courage to slow down long enough to look for a hiding spot among the coral. He wasn't even sure if he could hide from the eel. He certainly wasn't outrunning it! He could feel its shadow, like the shadow of death, steadily overwhelming him. Alex finally darted to his left and got an eyeful of the monstrous eel within inches of the tip of his own tail.
[This thing is huge! Why does it want a little fish like me!? Why? Why? Why? Fu*k! Fu*k! Fu*k!] In a last-ditch effort he swam as close to the reef as he could even scraping his tender flesh as he hugged the surface polyps of a bright orange coral. It was his momentum that carried him along as his body started jerking and convulsing refusing to obey his will. [Ah... I feel so numb. What happened?] His mind had become lethargic almost instantly after brushing the orange coral and his body started drifting down to the sandy bed between two outcroppings.
By the time the eel had found its way to and eaten his corpse, Alex was already back in the white space fuming at the old man.
"Why do you keep sending me to these dangerous places!? I've had enough of all this dying! Aren't you the almighty God!? Can't you send me somewhere safe!?"
The old man stood there giving Alex a dark look receiving this outburst in silence while fiddling with his own beard as usual.
"Are you done?" The old man asked and continued without waiting for Alex to answer. "I have been trying to send you to safe places and have tried to give you good lives. But I am done trying to figure this out. I have wasted too much of my time and energy on you and achieved nothing for it!" The old man throws up his arms in frustration and starts shooting bolts of lightning all around the space in seemingly random directions.
Alex was trembling and feared for his life but was not dissuaded by this show of force. As Alex stepped forward opening his mouth to yell some more the old man turned to him and hurled another orb. Alex saw the glint of light but couldn't dodge and was once again thrown into another world with another life.
Alex felt like he was floating in a great river as he came to. Everything around him was the perfect temperature and felt so comforting that all he wanted to do was relax and sleep in for as long as he could. Then with his eyes still closed, he noticed a strange swirling, whirling noise and felt as if he was being pulled along by a great flow. His comfort changed to dizzy disorientation as he finally opened his eyes and all around him was a sense of strange movement. Clouds and forms of hazy shadows danced here and there. Finally, something came close and Alex realized with surprise that it was a shiny fish!Whats a fish doing here!? And how can it be swimming in the air like this? Alex wonders in astonishment as his own body reacts and darts forward with almost no effort and no sense of moving his arms or legs.What is going on? Alex tries to look around at his body but only accomplishes spinning himself in a rough circle.A sudden realization hits him, Is this water? Am I drowning? Alex closes his eyes again as he thinks, Guess it won't be long before I see that old grumpy grandpa again. But no matter how long he waited for the end, Alex felt no sense of needing to breathe. In fact, he didn't even feel wet.Yet another thought hit him, Am I a fish? Wait, do fish even have eyelids? He blinks a few times at this thought.Before Alex could think too deeply about fish lids, a large fast moving shadow draws close heading right for him. Is that a shark!? Alex instinctively moves his body trying to run away. In just a moment he is overtaken by the large creature and somehow dragged away by it.In a state of panic, Alex moves his wide-open eyes taking in all he can as the monster-sized shark harries him back and forth blocking every attempt at escape. Is it trying to take me to a shark meeting? Fish are friends, not food! Alex yells out in his mind. Just then Alex is drawn to something on the shark's skin. Before Alex realizes what he has done, the oddly compelling creature that was attached to the shark disappeared into his own mouth. As Alex feels the contentment that comes when he eats a tasty filling meal, he comes to the conclusion that he must be a cleaner fish. The shark doesn't want to eat Alex but wants him to eat the parasites feeding on its flesh.Still feeling a sense of panic at being so close to a man-eater, Alex does his best guided by instinct to accommodate the shark's wishes. Finally, the monster moves on and Alex is free to swim toward a blurry wall that resolves itself into a great coral reef. I can't stop myself from eating those things. But it's so demeaning and gross. Am I being punished by that old man? I couldn't remember who I was when I was that pig like I can now. Why is that?All these thoughts went through his head as Alex got closer and closer to the reef. Before long he found himself trying to decide where in the reef he should go. I don't see any other sharks or other fish being cleaned around the area so I can't tell where I should head to. He decided to just swim around exploring the wonders of his new world.All around him Alex could see colorful coral and mottled rock teaming with marine wildlife. Most of the fish were so bizarre looking that he couldn't tell which end had the mouth. Speaking of mouths, I should figure out how to get more food for later. Alex thought and inwardly cringed.As Alex swam closer to a towering outcropping of coral, he couldn't help but marvel, There are fish everywhere! If his eyes could be wider they would be. In his amazement, he failed to take note of an area devoid of any of the other fish and brazenly swam right through the middle of it. When he neared the border of this no man's land he noticed the school of fish ahead of him start to move rapidly away as if in fright.Whats going on? Are they afraid of me? He suddenly felt a bad premonition and turned his body to look behind him and froze at the sight of a giant moray eel coming right for him. His heart nearly stopped for good before something within his mind screamed for him to run!If I'm a cleaner fish, why is it trying to eat me? Maybe it was already cleaned by those dam*ed shrimp! His mind kept racing as he swam as furiously as he could away. His panic turned to dread as he realized all the other fish around him were still running for their lives to get away from him which probably meant the eel was right on his tail! He dared not slow to look back and silently cursed the bulk of his body.Do I look that tasty to you!? I used to eat eels like you for dinner! Ah, maybe that's why... Alex realized that he couldn't outrun the d*mn monster and didn't have the courage to slow down long enough to look for a hiding spot among the coral. He wasn't even sure if he could hide from the eel. He certainly wasn't outrunning it! He could feel its shadow, like the shadow of death, steadily overwhelming him. Alex finally darted to his left and got an eyeful of the monstrous eel within inches of the tip of his own tail.This thing is huge! Why does it want a little fish like me!? Why? Why? Why? Fu*k! Fu*k! Fu*k! In a last-ditch effort he swam as close to the reef as he could even scraping his tender flesh as he hugged the surface polyps of a bright orange coral. It was his momentum that carried him along as his body started jerking and convulsing refusing to obey his will. Ah... I feel so numb. What happened? His mind had become lethargic almost instantly after brushing the orange coral and his body started drifting down to the sandy bed between two outcroppings.By the time the eel had found its way to and eaten his corpse, Alex was already back in the white space fuming at the old man."Why do you keep sending me to these dangerous places!? I've had enough of all this dying! Aren't you the almighty God!? Can't you send me somewhere safe!?"The old man stood there giving Alex a dark look receiving this outburst in silence while fiddling with his own beard as usual."Are you done?" The old man asked and continued without waiting for Alex to answer. "I have been trying to send you to safe places and have tried to give you good lives. But I am done trying to figure this out. I have wasted too much of my time and energy on you and achieved nothing for it!" The old man throws up his arms in frustration and starts shooting bolts of lightning all around the space in seemingly random directions.Alex was trembling and feared for his life but was not dissuaded by this show of force. As Alex stepped forward opening his mouth to yell some more the old man turned to him and hurled another orb. Alex saw the glint of light but couldn't dodge and was once again thrown into another world with another life.
