text: Growing up in a strictly religious family, Mindy was a rebellious teen. She decided to abandon religion, as she did not believe in the concept of any higher power creating or controlling the universe. Until middle school, she had gone to church every Sunday with her parents. She would even sometimes speak with the pastor afterwards. &#x200B; After a short lived singing career, she was an aspiring lawyer. While in law school, she would stay up late reading textbooks and case law, pretty normal for a law student. Every now and then she would think about the past, and how much has changed. From the most angelic voice in the church choir, to an atheist with a failed attempt at making a living off of music. Mindy doesn't regret chasing her dreams, at least she doesn't live a life of asking 'what if'. During one of these late nights, she remembers a conversation she had with her old pastor. A conversation about a dream. &#x200B; That Sunday morning, Mindy had woken in a misty forest, or so she thought. It felt so real, however it didn't make sense. The green fog was so thick you could feel it, and there was nothing but barren ground and towering lifeless gray trees as far as the eye could see, which wasn't very far. This seemed surreal to the girl who had never been outside bustling cities. She felt disoriented, her heart started racing, and her vision started to blur. During this she could clearly hear a quiet, almost whispering, raspy voice. &#x200B; "You will soon forget, yet eventually remember. A dark angel will ask you to complete a task with which you must comply. Failure will doom your soul to wander the desolate expanse, forgotten in the sands of time. God can't save you here." &#x200B; As she regained her balance and vision, she looked around and loudly asked "Who are you?". The sole response was the fading laughter of the mysterious voice. &#x200B; After this, her vision faded to black and she then drifted back to sleep, to then wake up in her bed like she did every other day. Later, she told her pastor about the dream and asked him what he thought of it. He told her it was a figment of her imagination, and he joked that if she keeps being this creative she can grow up to write horror novels. She agreed with him, and would soon forget about the dream convinced that it was just her wandering mind. &#x200B; As Mindy remembered this, she reflects on her new religious beliefs, or rather the lack of them. She no longer believes in the concept of humans having souls, or in angels of any kind. She is convinced, now more than ever, that the dream truly was just something her brain made up. As Mindy went to sleep that night, she was busy thinking about an upcoming exam. She knew this professor is a tough grader, yet she thinks she has prepared well. However, in the back of her mind, she can't quite forget the dream. She tells herself that this exam is more important than an old dream, however she can't quite shake the memory as she falls asleep. &#x200B; Sharply, Mindy feels awake. She cannot see or move, she feels like she is in a state of zero gravity. She is not supported by anything, yet she is not falling.