Mark Johnson was your typical teenage boy. He was an 18 year old who just entered his senior year of high school with life ready to send him on a wild ride very soon. Most know that life after high school can get very exciting but Mark didn’t subscribe to that idea. To him, his life was pretty boring and it would continue to be this way even after he graduated.
Mark didn’t have much to complain about in life. He had parents who loved him deeply, a younger sister and younger brother who looked up to him, and he even had a girlfriend who was head over heels for him. Everything sounded like a dream but Mark couldn’t see it that way. For him, his life was boring and needed a change.
Our story begins on a relaxing Friday evening. Mark had finished class and was now in his room, lying down and shutting his eyes for a little bit. There was nothing better to do and Mark believed that this was the best way to pass some time. It was while he drifted asleep that he heard a voice speaking to him. The voice was muffled as everything around him went back, only to reveal a strange looking room not too long after.
Finding himself in this strange room, Mark was confused. He knew he fell asleep and it made sense to assume this was all a dream but it felt too real. Nothing about what he saw or felt made him believe that this was some dream but there was nothing Mark could do. Ahead of him sat a black chair that seemed to be facing forwards. Around it was the black void that Mark seemed to be able to walk through. Approaching the chair, he inspected it before feeling the urge to sit down in it. As he did so, nothing seemed to change about the world around him. It wasn’t until a little bit longer that Mark heard the voice from earlier, this time it was clear to hear.
“Mark. You seem unsatisfied with life? Care to share your thoughts with me, my child?” The voice said as Mark looked around, a bit confused and scared.
“Hello? Is someone there?” Mark called out as the voice began to chuckle. His voice was slight distorted and deep but not in the sense of some scary horror film character.
“Shhhh. Settle down my child. I’m here and I’ve always been here. Please, tell me about your life.” Mark felt like this was all too strange for him but what could he do. This voice clearly knew him and there was nowhere for Mark to run.
“I mean it’s alright. I’m not homeless or sick but besides that it’s nothing special.” The voice laughed again.
“My child, every life is special. Perhaps you need to experience that for yourself.”
“What the hell does that even mean? Who the hell are you and where the hell am I?” Mark started to grow frustrated as he stood up and looked around, hoping to figure out where the voice was coming from.
“So much fight in you, my child. Perhaps you’ll enjoy this next part.” Without saying a word, a loud snap echoed throughout the place as Mark grabbed his ears to muffle some of the sound. The entire world around him shook. “You will now be given the chance to live a life that isn’t yours. Perhaps someone else will enjoy your life a bit more as well.”
