The Map

At first, it was not even clear whether I was awake.

There was no bed beneath me, no ceiling above me, and no room to hold on to. I hung without direction in a darkness that was not empty. Small points of light floated everywhere, some alone, some in groups, connected by fine lines. At first they looked like stars. Then it became clear that they did not behave like stars.

They were below me.

The lines were paths. The bright patches were places. Walls, a courtyard, a forest, and a wide approach road ending at a heavy gate were visible below. Everything lay far too distant to make out properly, and yet enough could be seen. It was as though someone had laid a world on a table and bent me over it.

An attempt to turn my head did nothing. Nothing moved, not even my hands. Breathing was possible, but whether there was a body doing it remained uncertain.

Elias“What is this?”

My voice sounded thin. It did not belong in this darkness, and it did not sound like me. It seemed to stop somewhere in front of me, as though it had nowhere to go.

A part of the map brightened below me. The wide road before the gate drew closer. At the side of the courtyard stood a small chapel, half hidden by a wall. It did not look important. Only quiet. That was precisely why my gaze lingered on it.

Then something red flickered.

Not fire. More like a stain seeping through the world below for a moment. It was not on the map. It was in it. Before the stain could be examined more closely, a voice spoke.

VoiceDo not stay still for too long.

Flinching was impossible; no movement answered me. Even so, something inside me pulled tight.

Elias“Who is there?”

No answer. Only the world below me, slowly growing larger.

VoiceNot everything stays inside here, the voice said. Not anger. Not fear. Not what you hold on to when you should let go.

Elias“I do not understand a word.”

VoiceYou do not have to understand. Not yet.

The map tilted.

For a moment, my stomach seemed to remain behind. Then everything rushed toward me: the road, the gate, the walls. Wet stone, iron bars, and black shadows between houses flashed into view. Then came the impact.

It did not hurt.

That was the first thing that frightened me.