text: Taking her hand, They guided her through the crowd to the front of the horde. Their grip was strong. Not enough to crush her hand, but enough to feel the bones press against one another uncomfortably. Weaving in and out of the random asteroidal persons, they came to the frontline. There, in front of them, She saw what everyone was gathering to look at. "What is it?" She asked. "Can't you see it?" They responded in a monotoned. "Its right there in front of you. Just reach out and touch it if you don't believe me.". As She stood there looking outwards. She saw nothing. Expanse of nothing. From top to bottom, left to right, there wasn't just nothing in view, but absolutely nothing. No color, wind, shade, smells or anything perceived by earthy beings. A void. "Touch what?" She inquired "There is nothing there to touch. There is nothing there at all. How am I to touch nothing?". They looked at her with no expression. "If you see nothing, you see something." They responded. "Do you not trust me?". She never doubted Them as long as She had know Them. They always explained what She did not understand and took the time to make sure She was safe in her understanding. "I trust you." She replied. With her right hand, She began to move it up and towards the void. Extending her index finger, and ever so gently and tapped the nothing. It wriggled like jello, causing a chain reaction of electricity and colors unknown to her and her comprehension of reality. She quickly pulled her hand back, but found it stuck against the invisible wall. The crowd stopped surging. The mass all stopped moving. They turned to look at her simultaneously and pointed at her. A low, guttural hum resonated throughout the congregation and a slight sway back and forth, commenced. Hmmmm... Hmmmm... "I can't break free!" She exclaimed "My hand is stuck! You lied to me! Break me free! Why are they doing that?!? STOP MAKING THAT NOISE AND HELP ME!" They looked at her with a half smirk and looked forward. The colors and lights began to pulsate; slowly at first, but then in speed and intensity. Shapes began to take form and they were terrifying to look upon. Turning her face away, They reached over, took her face in Their hands and raised it level with Theirs. "It is nothing." They said "How can you be affected by nothing?". "It has my hand!" She pleaded "I can't let go! Help me!". Tears began to pour down her face as She spoke. They just held Their gaze directly into her eyes. That same smirk appeared on Their face once again and this unsettled her. Before She could speak, They turned her head back forward to watch the turbulent, torrent of chaos and beauty She had created with her touch. She started to feel something different; something raw and connected to this explosion of life. "Do you see?" They asked. She gazed forward, no longer resisting the pull of the wall. At this point, the strange ooze, coated Her hand, just to the wrist and slowly creeping up her arm. As She looked ahead, Her eyes were captivated by the swirling colors, lights and shapes. Then, right before her eyes, a familiar face began to appear within the mix. The face looked like someone She knew, but could not place where from. The face was too distorted for her to clearly see. It was a man, but so familiar to her, it hurt her heart. They turned to her and over the hum of the crowd "Do you See?" They asked "Do you See?". "No I don't!" She replied "Where am I? What is happening to me? Please tell me. I trust You and want You to help me break free!" "You asked Me to bring you here." They replied "You asked for this.". "I don't remember anything before coming through this crowd." she stated. "I know You, but nothing from before." "Think deeper." They suggested "Remember your desires." She sat and thought. Tried to focus on the task They explained was necessary in order for her, to find clarity. Closing her eyes, She turned into her unconscious to seek the answers. Flashes of faces and moments began to flood her mind, too fast for her to definitively identify the face in the vortex. The cold from the translucent liquid crawling up Her arm, took her out of her meditative state. Her eyes opened and pain shot through her stomach and groin. She looked down and to her horror, the liquid consumed her whole arm and now, it was spilled across her midsection. She bellowed in absolute terror and pain. It felt like it was trying to rip her open. She reached with her free hand, to find it bound by this same invisible geist. She raised her head to see the mass violently exploding and morphing into a body. The edges sporadically jutting out and inward, like seismometer and the world's largest earthquake. Arms, legs and a head could began to be seen more clearly. The shape of a man was taking shape, but the face was distorted still. She looked through her tears, towards the place where his eyes would be and suddenly, they opened. Two oval beams of light, with blue center, shot out from the sockets. As bright as the sun, from waking morning, she gazed directly into them. It didn't hurt. Actually, quite the opposite. It brought a sense of calm and peace. It reminded her of being at her Grandma's house, as her Grandmum would pick her up and hold her against her chest, before falling asleep in her arms. Or her Father, looking into her eyes on her graduation day saying how proud of her he is. These thoughts caused her mouth to open and a small gasp escaped. Tears began to fall down her face. Her body convulsed from the sobs of joy and understanding. Memories of her first boyfriend, kissing under the deck at Her Aunts farm, to taking her dog Ethos, to the vet to be put to sleep cause she was hit by a car. Losing a bestfriend to cancer, to her trip to Europe and the Italian boy who stole her heart and married her. Through tear filled eyes, She stood, transfixed on the being in front of her. "I remember!" She exclaimed "I remember!" They turned to her and said nothing. Only smiled, turned and walked through the crowd. She called out to Them, but They never turned around. This was destroying her. "Wait!" She cried "Don't go! I can't lose you.". But They were gone amongst the horde. She never saw Them again. The hum of the crowd began to rise and fall in frequency. It sounded like music now; like a heavenly orchestra. She could hear the brass, strings, drums and it was growing in intensity. She looked back into the beings eyes. The entity began to develop facial expressions that She knew. She smiled and wept as She remembered She did want this. She wanted this her entire life. Coming to her realization, She began pushing her hands and body further towards the being. An explosion of light and pain shot from her hands and belly causing her to scream in agony. She pushed through; above the pain, She passed through completely and silence came with a clap. No light. No sound. She was standing in a space unknown in size and depth. She stood there for some time, saying nothing. Doing nothing. A spot light appeared above her, illuminating the area around her. She looked up and shielded her eyes. She couldn't look past the light, so began to scan the area around her. Vast of black nothing lay before her, just passed the edge of the light. This caused her to cover her body with her arms from insecurity. "Hello?" She asked, voice cracking. A door of light opened in front of her. A silhouette of a man stood in the doorway. The man passed through and door closed behind him, bring back the dark background. The man walked into the light and stood a few feet in front of her. "You know why you are here?" he asked. "Yes." She replied "I'm here for you. You are supposed to come with me." He smiled. "Yes." he said "Yes I was meant to." "Meant to?" She asked unsure "I did everything I was meant to, in order for you to come with me. Did I do something wrong?" "No you did everything you were meant to..." he paused "and more.". "Well surely we can leave this place and you can come with me." She hastily responded "I have so many things I want to show you.". "You have shown me." he reassured her "Through you thoughts, memories and dreams, I've lived through you. You have given me your everything. Including...". He trailed off. "Including what?" She inquired. "Including your life." he explained. She stood there, locked in his gaze. A single tear filled down his face as he said this. "But how?" She asked. Her emotions brimming the point of loss of control "I don't understand.". "You died." he said remorseful. She could see the restraint of his sadness visibly cross his face. "Like I said, You gave me everything... and more.". She took a step forward. "So this is It?" She asked. "Until the next time, yes." he replied, also taking a step forward. Continuing her momentum, She moved within arms length. "You know I love you more than any one person can love another." She said softly. "I know." he said. Tears began to fall like large rain drops, just before a storm. "I've always known.". They stood, inches away from each other. She raised her right hand; he his left. They embraced, interlocking their fingers, never looking from each other's eyes. He released Her fingers and pulled her into his chest and squeezed. "Thank you for my life." he said. "Thank you for making my life have meaning." She replied. "Now go make me proud." "I love you Mom." said her son. "I will." and disappeared. "Until we meet again." She said "Until we meet again.