Chapter Six
All around me was darkness and though I felt a surface below me, I also had the sensation that there was nothing truly there. Yet even with that, ghosts of whispers seemed to surround me. Was this what it was like to be dead? There was nothing here. I always assumed there would be something more, some sort of reward of punishment based on what decisions were made in life. I didn’t want to be here. Then his voice pierced through the darkness enveloping me, acting as a beacon, showing me the way out. It truly simulated light, and I even found my shadow stretching behind me. I wandered down the path created by the light of his voice, unable to see anything around me. I felt lost with nothing except a steady murmuring to lead me on. His voice was magnetic and I could do nothing but follow him, all in the hope that he would free me from this nothingness.
"Come, you have slept enough for now. It is time to wake and begin your new life, fulfill your new destiny. Open your eyes and leave the darkness behind."
My eyes opened slowly and it took a few moments for my gaze to focus on anything. Dark blue eyes met my gaze and then I saw a small smile form on his lips. It was Thanos, of that I was certain. Was it odd that I recognized him solely from his eyes and lips? "Good, you're awake." He shifted in his seat and leaned forward towards me.
"Where…where am I?" My words were hushed and strained, as if I had not spoken in quite some time. Flashes of memory crossed my mind, reminding me of my trial and sentence for a crime I was certain I hadn’t committed.
"You are safe…and in your new home. I know it will be strange at first but I hope you do come to think of it as your home." Thanos was gentle and intense at the same time. The hope he had spoken of dripped through his words, completely validating them as truth. The tone hinted at a sincerity I rarely heard from the Leaders.
I started to sit up but found that I didn't have the strength. As I began to fall I felt an arm against my back and Thanos helped me sit up, moving the pillows around me to keep me up. That gesture made me think of the identical situation with Alaula, though she had responded in the opposite, forcing me down rather than assisting me. "But…I thought…I was…"
"Dead?" He shook his head. "No, it was not your time to die. The Leaders think they can play God, that they can choose who lives and who dies. It is not their decision to make."
"And you think it's yours?" I asked. I couldn’t help it. Though Thanos had made me feel that I could trust him and he wouldn’t harm me, I also wondered if he too was just as mighty and privileged as Samuel and the rest of them.
"I merely help enforce the will of Fate. I do not try and save those who are not meant to be saved. In time I hope you will understand that. It is not my wish to force anything on you." His answer was simple but at least answered my question, even if it left me with many more.
I could see the sincerity in his eyes. There was something about him that drew me in, an air of power that surrounded him. Unlike the Leaders though, he did not flaunt his authority. All of this I could tell just by looking at him, by gazing into those eyes that were almost the color of sapphires, the alluring color of the evening sky.
I blinked and looked away from him, trying not to stare. But every time I saw him it was like I couldn't help it, like I lost control of myself. Why did he have such an effect on me? It was the strangest feeling I had ever experienced, a light tingling over my body, and yet I couldn't say it was painful or uncomfortable. Quite the opposite in fact. I really enjoyed the pleasantness of it. The feeling almost made me giddy, which actually was an unusual feeling for me.
Then he cleared his throat, as if his current thoughts would make whatever was going on more awkward. "I am afraid that I still do not know your name."
I had to keep myself from laughing and instead looked back over at him, meeting his gaze for our official introduction. "Tamesis."
He smiled and this time his smile was bright and showed off perfect white teeth. "'Dark One,'" he replied, as if pleased by that fact. "That is highly appropriate. I am Thanos."
"I know who you are already,” I admitted. It was only right that he was aware that I had kept the information to myself. “I heard you talking with the Leaders a few days ago."
"A week ago actually. You have been resting for a couple days now."
I stared at him and blinked a few times. Wow, I hadn't expected that answer. So in the past week I had slept for almost five days straight. Clearly my body was trying to tell me something. "I…but I still feel so tired, as if I haven't slept in months."
He nodded knowingly. "I had to take you to the brink of death in order to get you away from them. It will take a little time to recover. I should leave and allow you to rest. We will talk more later." Thanos stood up from the chair and moved away from my bedside.
As he walked to the door I almost called out to stop him, not really wanting to be alone again. I swallowed the noise as it bubbled up in my throat. The door closed and I felt alone. The room was almost completely empty: a bed, a chair, and a small bedside table being the only furniture. The walls were painted a warm earthy brown, something I never would have seen in a Resurrector facility.
It was quite cozy and homey though. I felt safe. Was it weird to feel so safe around someone I knew so little about? Perhaps, but I could overlook that. As an added bonus, the bed was more comfortable than the one I had at the Resurrector facilities. It had a deep mattress that completely molded to me no matter which direction I turned. After a few moments of looking around the room I took Thanos's advice. Closing my eyes, I cuddled underneath the warm covers and drifted off to sleep.
Project Death: Resurrection Page 17