He quietly shut Marcey’s door before proceeding downstairs to the kitchen with his laptop.

His woman was tired. She had a long day. Was referring to Marcey as his woman sexist? He thought before quickly digressing the thought.

He opened his word processor…

“Just write whatever,” He urged himself before he started typing. “Something about a guy approaching a bright cavern.”

---

He approached the large, illuminated cavern but paused before crossing into the light.

He wanted to return. To reverse through the darkness and hopefully to his dog and his cool apartment. And his rare 32 bit game system where he started, but never finished, several classic role playing games.

The light was warm. Inviting. Intoxicating. He felt himself being drawn into it.

“You seem troubled,” His guide’s voice said.

“I change my mind,” He said.

His winged Guide revealed itself in the darkness. A silhouette with wings with only his bright, blue green piercing the darkness.

Guide only revealed himself to nag or chastise.

“Nothing back there for you,” His Guide said.

He reached his hand into the light.

His hand disappeared before the light quickly spread up his arm and to his face. He could feel himself disappearing. Assimilating into the light.

He used all his strength he could must to free his arm from the light.

He managed to free himself, but it felt as if a piece of remained within the white void.

“What happens in the white place?” He asked.

“I don’t know,” His guide replied. “Guides aren’t allowed to cross.”

“Why don’t you know?” I asked.

No answer from the guide. Even after several seconds of silence no answer.

He was disappointed. And annoyed.

“We’ve been traveling for centuries,” He said.

“Minutes,” Guide answered.

“What?” He asked, flabbergasted by Guide’s reply.

“You’ve only been here minutes,” Guide said.

“Impossible,” He said. “What about… the…”

He lost his train of thought. He knew he had something important to say. Something important to remember about where they were and how far they travelled.

He took a step back from the light.

“No,” He said as he staggered away from the light. “Can’t.”

“The longer you wait, the more you’ll fade,” Guide said. “You’ll cease to exist.”

“I’ll take my chances,” He said.

“You won’t make it in time,” Guide warned. “You wo-”

Guide’s voice vanished. And so did its winged silhouette and glowing green eyes. And so did the illuminated cavern.

Everything vanished. Everything including a piece of himself that was taken by the white void. He could see that he was still whole but didn’t at all feel like he was.

And he was alone, once again, in the dark cavern.

Those video games better be worth it, he thought. He wasn’t ready to travel back since he felt his existence starting to fade, but what other choice did he have. The guide got him there, and he wasn’t confident he had the strength of aptitude to find a way back to his dog, cool apartment, and video games. And Chinese food. He’d miss Chinese too much.

“I’m sorry,” He called out to the guide and he started to head back in the direction from whence he came.