"Nothing" is such a strange concept. In mathematics, its easy to show it as just a zero. A single, simplified, circular symbol, used to represent that null before normal numbers. Physically, we often think of it as darkness or void; maybe due to our ideas of outer space and the seemingly infinite expanses in-between, but that's not quite right either. Vast inky blackness would still be a "something" to see. 

 "Nothing" is normally a fragile infinity, often based on an observer's perspective in order to exist or be broken. 

That is, at least, when we are discussing normal Nothing. 

But if this was normal, I wouldn't be floating here trying to wrap my mind around it. It's nearly impossible to describe what I'm "not" seeing. I try to get my bearings, but even direction itself has ceased to exist, along with most of my senses. It's as if the Nothing is a broiling kaleidoscope of emptiness, devouring even concepts that would attempt to contain it within meaning or reason. 

It's smothering and all encompassing in it's sheer lack of. 

The exception, of course, being me. I'm an invader here. A blip of Something scarring the otherwise infinity of this abyss... and the worst part is, I think it's starting to notice. 

My disoriented mind tries to stagger through what life choices had led to this hellish event. 

Had I been a bad person?

Is karma real?

Am I dead?

But... no, that can't be right. I had seen what happened to me. 

--○--

It had been a normal Tuesday. I'd woken up late after snoozing my alarm clock too many times, downed a cup of orange juice, and ran to my morning lesson from the dorm rooms. Class was... normal. Or, at least, I think it was. I was still waking up, and pretty much all of my remaining brain power was stretched across that day's lesson plan. Tuesday was one of my more open days, and I didn't have any more classes until that evening, so I had planned to go sit at the lounge and bum some wifi while I chipped away at a few of my projects. Oh, I think I remember, I was thinking about how to start on one of the lesson plans when it happened!

 There was a guy I shared a class or two with. He was... honestly kind of creepy. Not "spooky" creepy, more like "the kind of guy you'd not leave alone with your drink" creepy. He'd stare at women until they were uncomfortable around him, had lots of anime girl themed hoodies and electronics, and had a kind of generally unwashed smell. Not quite the "literal ass" smell you find in only the most dedicated degenerates, but definitely close to "wet dog"... But I didn't put much merit in it. The guy got his group work done well and on time, and that was good enough in my book. His personal preferences were between him and his waifu-idol laptop. 

Regardless, when I saw him on the stairwell I was passing, I had started to nod his way, but my curt greeting was quickly forgotten. Someone was directly behind him. 

That, in and of itself isn't exactly exciting, we are in a college after all. There are lots of people. No, the issues were with "who" or even "what" this person was. Even floating here now I'm not entirely sure. No matter how hard I try, their face doesn't come to mind. I can't remember their gender, their hair color, nothing. But I do remember that they were smiling, and even the memory of it makes me shiver. They pushed my classmate down the stairwell while smiling with what seemed like far too many teeth. And a smile far too wide, well beyond biological limits. I can feel my self preservation screaming to not forget that face...and yet I have. The scene is still vividly there in my mind, but that person's face is like a hole burned through a photograph. 

Regardless, I had jumped up to help him then, trying to brace his fall before he started tumbling after the push. He was a pretty chubby dude, but I was fairly strong. I was bulky, broadshouldered, and worked out constantly to try and keep myself in shape and looking good. Perhaps that vanity is what lead me to overestimate my strength in that moment. 

I had been successful in pushing him to the side, turning a downstairs tumble into a quick knock against the guard rail, but unfortunately, I wasn't so lucky. The whole event felt like it had happened in slow motion. I remember spinning to the side, trying to brace for impact with my shoulder and cover my head. That definitely wasn't my first tumble, and after awhile you kind of figure out how to fall after all... but this was different. No impact ever came. 

I watched as the corner of the hall I was plummeting headfirst into seemed to magnify, folding in on itself into fractals of floor tiles and brickwork like the academy had split at the seam and reality was warping through the tear. And not just reality, I too fell through the corner of that hall, directly into this new Nothing I was now floating in. 

Now, thinking back on my last moments... that "Someone" that had pushed that poor guy-

Why did the last face he was making look so... mortified?

--○--

I was shaken from my musings, quite literally, when the abyss around me began vibrating. Or, maybe I was the only one vibrating? I'm not sure of much of anything here, but I wasn't left to ponder on it long.

¤̵̠̤̘̱͇̬͍̈́͒̂̍̉̽̕͝¡̵̳̑̆̈́¿̶̢̞͕̞̳̮̐̕°̵̨͉̞̻͙̜͎͈͔͍͓̑͊́́°̷̛͔̖̥̗̦̳̖̬̖͈͇͖̬̰͕̼̼̃̽̄̒̀̋̀̆̔͛͛̅̀̾̌͝•̸͙̥͊̄̆͒̒̾̍̀̿͆͘̚{̴̨͚̩͕̻͈͙̝͔͋̾̐͊͛̏̽͒̚͘͝ͅ*̷̢̛̘͇͖̺̣̥̣̪͎̉̔̀̏̒̏̉̏̕̚̚͝͝͝/̶̱̥͙͙̔̏̉̎̈́̇̓͝͠^̸̙͍͗̕<̵͈̟͇̳̦̄̂̓͂̐̓̆́͂̊́͐͘̚͝͠≯̺̓̓̔̈́͂̊̑̉̽͌̀͠͝!̵̪͔̄̈̓+̵̫̠͔̀̏̿̓̓͋͂̅̾̽̆̂͘̚͝×̵̲͍̖͈̩͉͚́̏̋͐̅

The cacophanous ripple suddenly shattered the Nothing, reverberating through the abyss. It sounded like wet funeral gravel, and tasted like the corner of a good book that you never read, but much older. I could feel snakes dancing on marionette strings between the ticks of an old metronome. 

The metallic taste of fresh blood broke me from my daze. My nose was bleeding? Had that just been a moment? Minutes? Hours? Longer?

&̴̗̬̗̖͚̼̱̑́̑͆͝%̵̡̛̠̯̊͌̋͌̓͛͆͊̈́̇̐̑͘͝!̷̣͈̣͙̰̫͍̝͍̭͑̒̓͒̈́͝!̷̙̼̂̽@̷̧̧̡̝͈̭̺̝̞͙̫̃̏̈́͛̆͠¤̴̢̧̣̙̼̳͇̞̈́͛̌̅̎̊̑̕ͅ¿̵̮͚̥̥͎̞̣̽̾͋̂̐̑͐̚ͅ¿̷̳͇̋̒͌̂̈̀̚¡̴̨̺̦̙͎͔̈́̏̅~̶̨̨̪̲̬̭̳̞̞̬̦̝̑͊̉͑̇̃̂͋͋̉̈̕`̴̺͈̬͉̟̿|̶̠̩̠̪̤̺͈̤̫̜̬̗̘̗͓͕̾̂̅̿̎̀͐͗͘͝{̸̛̼̮̘̠͉̫̥̬̬̪͇̲̥̣͛̓̇̑̂̿͌͌͋̈́̚͜͝͝¤̶̡̠̼͈͕̳̻̣͚͓͔̰̌̓̊͂̆̈́̄̓͋͌̈͘͝$̷̡̻̰͉̠̦̻̝̦͍̫̮̙̫̂̋͐̌̈́̓̌̓͂͊̑̆͂̕͘͝#̶̧̧̛͖̤̳͑̎̎͂̆͋͝͠͝≯̢̧͍̬͙̥̮̣̫̳̮̰̟͎̈́̎̀(̶̡̯̲̜̩͚͕̝̱̯́̐͒̈̍͂̀̂̓)̴̹̣͉̦̣͉̲̪̿?

It shuddered out between the cracks in the Nothing again, coming from everywhere and nowhere simultaneously. It ripped THROUGH me, and I felt the very reality that makes up my existence flicker like a candle. 

The sound felt like the screaming of stones and the faintest memory of blue. Eons were bleeding. 

I didn't understand, but somehow, I knew it had posed a question. Or something akin to a question. I shook the torpor from my mind faster this time. 

"I-I don't know!" I tried to shout into the void, hoping to drown out the gutteral rattle that still silently permeated my very flesh.

I know I made the words, felt them form on my lips, but it too was silent, swallowed by the abyss just like everything else.

Ÿ̶͚̼ ̵̨̹̒͝o̵͔̊ ̶̩̟̓u̷̬̻͂̀ ̶̧̮͑͌ ̵̱͘ȧ̸̺̣̇ ̵̹͈͌r̵̻͋͛ ̸̨̙̓e̵̮̚ ̶̗͋̕ ̸̡͈̐̈́n̵̦̆͠ ̶͕̬̀ō̷̠͔͊ ̶̱͛ţ̷̟̿ ̸̫̒̇ t̸̰̞̆ ̷͔̖̅h̶̢̓͐ ̴̳̒ẻ̸̪̇ ̷͓̭̄̀ ̵̊o̴̗̣̊ ̵͓̹̚t̷͙͐͘ ̸͎̇̃h̷͚̟́ ̵̣̂͠e̵͇̽͜ ̴̣́̈́r̶͚͌

It was not a question, but a statement this time. The sound was softer now, and it carried with it concepts I could finally grasp, though each word felt as though it threatened to overwrite my very conscious mind. 

"I... don't know who "The Other" is, but no, I guess I'm not them." I manage to finally express, the silent words still seemingly heard by whatever lived in this abyss. 

I̴̙͂ ̸̞͗Ñ̷̯ ̵̡͝T̴̗͋ ̵̙̀Ē̴͙ ̵̞̉R̴̬̿ ̵͇̽Ĕ̵͈ ̷̦͘S̴̭͊ ̴̲̚T̵̺̄ ̴̜͋I̶͇̒ ̶͔̀N̵̻̐ ̷̮͝G̵̨̀.

The "words" this time sounded almost spoken. Almost. It was closer to combining the sound of crackling embers and millions of tiny click, but it somehow managed to overlap into something that sounded like language. Whatever I was speaking to was adjusting to my presence and.. Suppressing itself? I could feel it, intrinsically. Maybe it wanted me to know how much it was doing to accomodate my continued existence here. I felt like an ant watching a human go to great lengths to not accidentally smush me into goo after I wound up on their arm. 

While that inane thought crossed my mind, the void began to.... jiggle? Warped may be a better word. The sheer impossibility of this whole "Not Realm" seems to keep leaving me incapable of normal, sane description. 

But, this wiggling of the Nothing came with "feelings". It took me a moment to shake my head clear of the overwhelming effects enough to realize that this warbling was laughter. Sort of.

A̵͑ͅn̵͓̆ ̸͕̔a̶̧͑n̶̩̅t̶̳̍?̵̗̆ ̴̗͑W̸͖̎h̷̟̕ą̶̿ẗ̸̨ ̴̗̈́ä̸̱́n̶͊͜ ̷̻͛a̸͕͝p̸̳͆t̶̮͑ ̶̝̈́â̷̻n̸̦͝á̵̳l̶̜͝o̸̠͠g̶͕̈́y̵̡͝,̶̨̉ ̴̡͐L̵̯̉i̵̬͌t̸̘͐ṭ̵̽l̵̋͜ê̶̱ ̷̪͐Ỏ̸͚n̵͓̊e̴̠͆.̶̹̈́ ̵͍̓

The void seemed amused, and it's tone shifting ever closer to human.

'She can read my mind?' I thought, panicked. Wait... "she"? Why would I think it's a "she"? That doesn't make any... 

Oh. I see. Because "She" prefers it. I could feel it now, the sway and subtle pushing of my feelings and perception. My mind was being pushed along. I was probably much calmer than I should have been in this situation as well... I suppose She is to Thank for that too?

"I̵ ̶c̸a̶n̴.̶ ̸T̸h̴o̸u̸g̷h̵ ̸i̶t̷s̸ hardly ̶"r̴e̴a̸d̵i̶n̸g̵".̷ ̴Y̴o̶u̴r̷ ̷k̵i̸n̸d̸ ̶c̴a̷n̵n̷o̸t̸ ̵h̸e̵l̸p̸ ̷b̴u̴t̵ ̴b̶r̶o̷a̴d̷c̸a̵s̷t̵ ̷t̶h̵e̴i̷r̵ ̷t̴h̵o̸u̴g̴h̸t̶s̵.̵ ̷I̶t̸ ̵is... disruptive. A̵n̸d̸ ̵you a̸r̵e̶ welcome" She said.

The previous cacophany was slowly reducing to a murmur. Her voice now echoed as if directly in front of me, no longer piercing my very existence. 

'What exactly do you... want from me? Am I dead?' I thought towards her. 

The void warbled again. Definitely laughter this time. 

"Dead? Oh my, your kind have a word for that?

Entropy and S̸͕̬̋h̶̟̜̽e̵͈̎͝d̴̥̫̒d̸̞̯͛͠i̸̱͂̎n̴̖̥͂g̴͔̣͆͆ ̷̦̎̊of the F̷̛̰l̷͛̀ͅę̵̗̇̓s̵̨̗̅h̶͙̙̃ ̸̠͕̉V̷̬̀͌e̴̗͍͆̿s̵͇͑s̸̪͚̏̚e̶͍̋̕ļ̸͙͆͠ !

What a novel concept! But no, you are still very entwined in your mortal coil." She chittered excitedly, the clicking momentarily breaking back into her speech like hundreds of angry insects. 

'And? What did you want with me?' I mentally asked after a hesitant pause. 

"Haha! Want? With you? Silly Ḽ̸̛̣͍̀̔̆̈́̎͑̕̕͝ị̵̠̭̘̼͍͈̪̟͒̊̉͠ͅt̷͈̗͇̻̘͇̙͐̆̓t̴̥̺̙̥̝̫̲̿̾̒͌̆̿̿͘͜͝l̸̜͕͙͚̳̳̮̯̞̑͂̉̐é̴̡̜͈̺̮͝ ̴̱̞̹̳̘̞͓̙̤͕̇̆͠Ţ̸͈̩̏̿h̸̡̳̫̭͉̫̭͊͌ḯ̶̭̳̣͖̮͔̈̂̒͐͛́͑̈̉̚n̵̡̰̤͕̳͉͕̙̞͓͇͊͋̆̈́̋̈́͊g̷̡̝͚̽̿̉̾̕."

Her words scraped against each other like stones. 

"Y̷̳̗̤͌ǒ̵̱̮u̶̩͉͆̈́̀ are the one who took this meeting! A stolen deal, a life un-earned. Haha! 

Ah. But I can see you didn't even know of your transgressions.

 How A̸̤͚̾͑̂ ̷̇͜D̸͖̟͝ ̴̖̾͋Ö̸̦́̈ ̷̙̞̿̀̒R̶͉͇̭̓̈́̾ ̸̱̗̹͆̄A̵̢̯̹͒ ̴̠̞͘B̵̘͙̻̚ ̸͎̜̘̋̐L̵̗̯̻̉ ̵̩͇̈̊̌E̵̛͇͋. "

The Nothing had shifted. The thick absence was now twisting on itself, an epicenter of coiling writhing tendrils that started and ended everywhere and nowhere at once. I could FEEL emotions broiling in the tempest around me. I couldn't even begin to understand most of them. Hell, I don't think a majority of them were even compatible with human mind, passing through me and leaving me in a stupor for a moment before both the feeling and my memories of them flee back into the writhing abyss.

'I-I'm sorry?' I try to convey the apology despite the barrage. 

"Oh, whatever for?" The voice whispered, as if a mere hair's breadth from my ear. 

I shuddered involuntarily, but pressed on.

"For... not being whoever is supposed to be here?" I try.

The coiling and twisting of the void began to slow. The tendrils seemed to almost be reaching for me in various Not Shapes and Not Sizes, like nerves-endings stringing through a void body. 

"Silly Little Thing. You need not apologize" the voiced murmered again. 

I felt the coiling Nothing shudder for a moment, her feelings conveyed this time were much more obvious as they washed over me like a tide.

'Excitement'.

It was during this epiphany that I watched the endless expanse of void suddenly split, a cavernous tear gouging through the plane just before me yet millions of miles away.

"So many eons wasted away waiting for another seed of chaos. You, little one. You defied. Better yet, you defied unknowingly! Haha! What fantastic distortions you bring. Do try your best to grow for me." She sighed, almost sensually, her masquerade finally sounding perfectly human... just in time for her to shatter the illusion. 

I watched in horror as the vibrantly yellow sclera rolled in the spatial tear, a blackened iris dilating like an eldritch aperture around the white hot pinprick of a pupil that fixated on me. I could only stare back hopelessly. The eye took up the entire horizon, like an apocalyptic sunset. 

"G̷̘̉̋͑̊R̶̤̱̒O̴̱̰̖͛͒̐͆Ŵ̸̝̺̩͎ ̶̨̫̹͚͗̉̔̊ ̴̘́́̇͌Ĺ̶͎̯̟Ḯ̶̘͓̫̗̚Ṭ̴̢̲͛͋́T̵͓͒̕͘L̴̡̻̰͓̋̆E̴̫̱͛̃̐̍ ̷̞̑̈̔͂ ̶̪̹̳̉S̸̜͓͙̭̈́͝Ě̴̦͓̂E̵͕̋D̸̟͇͚̣̚L̵͖̱͔͍̆͠I̸̢͇̫̔͆̆N̵̖̪̆͝Ǧ̶̭̊͂̋"

... And then my world went dark.  

 ---------------------○°○---------------------