The Void
by Bindu
{void reveals things that were there but unseen?}
(Void.
An endless void of nothing.
Falling
Falling
Falling
Was falling the only true thing left to do? Marionetta closed her eyes, taking in a deep exhale, utterly resigned to her fate. She knew there was nothing left but the all consuming nothing and everything trying to swallow her whole, turning inwards on her. Her hair whipped around her, threatening to consume her whole too. At least she thought it did. She couldn’t really tell anymore. She couldn’t really feel anything anymore, let alone see it. She was sick of this. She was sick of the white, and the emptiness and the nothing.
She just wanted to go home.
She closes her eyes again. How long will this go on? What was the meaning to her existence anymore? She ponders these questions as she falls backwards into everything and nothing.
Falling
Falling
Falling)
Poof.
You slowly open your eyes. Confused, you look around, rubbing your eyes. And you see…an expanse of white. You appear to be on a cliff of some sort. Realizing this, you slowly but cautiously back away from the ledge. You’re confused. You don’t know how you got here.
Yet you don’t feel surprised.
With a strange sense of calm overlapping your being, you extend a hand and gently brush against the smooth surface of the grey cliff. It’s surprisingly rocky. Your hand retracts in mild surprise, but you quickly shake your head. Could this be a dream? Some sort of…liminal space, perhaps? You can’t help but chuckle to yourself at the goofiness about dreaming about an endless void. In that case, maybe you had the power to fill the void, and maybe you had the power to bring things into being. Hell, maybe you could even leap off the cliff and see where it takes you for goodness’ sake! After all, it was just a dream, right?
You’re sure you have plenty of time before you woke up.
click on the path you choose to take!
Stay in one place and wait it out:
You decide to wait it out. Not much to do here anyways. Why not just laze around and wait for it all to be over? Imagining things with your mind? Hah. Obviously, that won’t really work. In the back of your mind, you did have a small lingering desire to take control of this world, but you also knew that it might not work. Besides, maybe something different would happen. You nod to yourself sagely. Yes, this was the right choice. And so…
You wait
And you wait
And you wait
You wait patiently, observing, and the void stares back. You’re going to wake up.
Waiting
Waiting
Waiting
The void echoes back its nothingness, embracing you with it, as if taunting you. But hell, you were stubborn too. Furrowing your brows, you stare intensely into the void, willing it to do the same. It did.
Okay, nothing was changing. You’re faced with a choice again. What do you do now?
Try to create things with your mind:
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You rarely ever had a liminal dream. Why not use this opportunity to show off your artistic prowess? Giving yourself a satisfied nod, you reach your hand out, and concentrate.
I wish for the ability to… fly!
You think to yourself fervently, eyes shut, concentrating. A moment passes, then another.
Nothing.
Your feet remain planted against the strangely rocky floor as you fall back disappointedly. Who were you kidding? Of course it wouldn’t work! Maybe if you better knew how liminal dreams work…
No! You firmly tell yourself. Maybe I should believe in it a little bit more. After all, though corny, magic is believing as people say. You decide to trust in the nothing. Raising your hand again, you take in a deep breath and start to wish for something simpler.
A tree. A splash of colour would be nice. Sorry, void.
Slowly, you open your eyes, and again, you’re disappointed to lay eyes upon the nothing. Wait, it’s not nothing. Blinking slowly, your eyes travel down to the edge of the cliff. A small green shrub pokes out from the rocky cliff, whose deceptively smooth surface glints in the light of the void.
You blink.
Cracks now surround the tiny green shrub, like some kind of intricate design. Strange. You ponder, but you push the thought away almost immediately. Nothing since you have arrived has been considered normal. So why question the physics of it now? You beam, admittedly a little proud of yourself. Taking a deep breath, your resolve stronger, you close your eyes again.
What do you wish for?
Try leaving the cliff and stepping out into the void:
What were you hoping for? The fall? Flight? You don’t know. But one thing, you knew. If you’re still here in the nothing breathing it in, who’s to say the nothing can’t be everything? Who’s to say the nothing couldn’t be a floor? You chuckle at your genius deduction skills. It was worth a shot, and after all, this was just a dream. Nothing and everything can happen. And eventually, you’ll wake up.
You close your eyes, calm, and take a step.
Thud
You slowly open your eyes as your feet softly makes impact onto something solid. You look down, and the vast emptiness stares back at you. But somehow…this feels right. A small smile tugs at your lips as you stare ahead into the void once more. The whiteness feels almost inviting now. Letting out a small exhale, you lift your foot and take another step.
Thud
It lands again with another thud, this time louder, as your feet make contact with the emptiness. You smile again. You’re relieved it’s working, but there’s something else. Small tendrils of doubts are creeping, like a security blanket enveloping you. Sure, it was a dream…but the mechanics of it didn’t entirely make sense. Anxiety stirs lightly in your chest. Thoughts
ambush your mind. What if the void was just playing a prank on you? What if the next step you take results in the fall? You chuckle nervously. Maybe it was worth finding out. You clench your fists as you ponder these questions.
Your pocket suddenly sags with an unexpected weight.
Blinking, you reach into it and grasp a strange inky black sphere. Weird. But you don’t have the luxury to wonder about it now. Holding the ball to the light, an idea pops into your mind.
You’re standing still at a mental crossroad of sorts. Stuck between trusting your gut or the void.
Continue waiting it out:
The void may be stubborn, but you sure as hell were too! You wait, both hands on your hips as you frown at the void. Through the power of sheer willpower, you will will the void to do something. You would simply stare at it, hoping for an answer. Hoping that something would change. But the answer never comes, and something does change.
Waiting
Waiting
Waiting?
And then you start falling. And the ground was never there.
…
And you wait
Wait!
…
…
…
You’ve got the waiting end.
[back to list of options]
Imagining things:
Yeah, waiting was doing nothing. Who were you kidding? You can’t spend another second waiting like this! The boredom was gnawing at you, and you desperately need something to change. Because, at the rate this was going, you might get sick of your hobby of staring at white walls for a while. Taking a deep breath, you get up, flicking the strange void-like particles off your shorts. They seem like…dust?
The void simply stares. And then…
You laugh. It’s a clear sound, ringing in your ears. The particles tickle you as the edges distort and glitch. You wheeze, and suddenly, with a soft pop, they fade out of existence. Maybe they returned to the void? You put your hands on your knees, trying to catch your breath as you squint at the void. A sudden urge rises in you to ask if that was payback, but you manage to push it back down. Clearing your throat, you shakily reach your hand out, and concentrate.
I wish for the ability to… leave?
You think to yourself fervently, eyes shut, concentrating. A moment passes, then another.
Nothing.
Closing your eyes, you let out a soft sigh. Of course it wouldn’t work. Maybe you just have to wait a little longer.
No. You softly tell yourself. Maybe I should believe in it a little bit more. After all, though corny, magic is believing as people say. You decide to believe in the nothing. Raising your hand again, you take in a deep breath and start to wish for something simpler.
A tree. A splash of colour would be nice. Sorry, void.
Slowly, you open your eyes, and again, you’re not surprised to lay eyes upon the nothing. Wait, it’s not nothing. Blinking slowly, your eyes travel down to the edge of the cliff. A small dead shrub pokes out from the rocky cliff, whose deceptively smooth surface glints in the light of the void.
You blink.
A leaf falls, and the colour of the shrub seems to have darkened, like it was dying already. You wince. It makes you uncomfortable, but you push the thought away almost immediately. Nothing since you have arrived has been considered normal. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious. You smile, admittedly a little proud of yourself. Taking a deep breath, your resolve stronger, you close your eyes again.
What do you wish for?
Leave:
Slowly, your gaze trails down the vast expanse of white before you. If you stepped out there, you’d fall, surely. You were better off in the safety of this strangely rocky cliff. Continuing to stare, a cold shudder runs through your body. But you couldn’t stay here forever. You had to at least try and leave this forsaken place. Getting up to your feet, you extend a leg out.
There was no reward without any risk, right?
Gulping, you let your feet dangle in the white for a moment. You bring it down. There is no waiting this time. Your eyes widen as the emptiness swallows you.
You fall.
And you continue falling.
….
Falling
Falling
Falling
What were you thinking?
You never believed in it. Not even once.
You’ve got the hopeless fool end.
[back to list of options]
Company:
You wish for some company. You’ve been feeling rather lonely, and the void doesn’t exactly make for sparkling company. Taking a deep breath, you imagine another being. You were kinda curious as to how this would work. Would you create a dummy? Or a puppet? Or maybe, just maybe….
An actual being with a soul?
Excitement bubbles inside you, threatening to spill over your entire being. This could work, you knew this could work. Somehow, you feel like you’ve always known deep in your heart. The adrenaline rush of creation courses through your veins. You clench your fists, and furrow your brows, and concentrate.
Pop.
There’s a ripple in the void.
Your eyes fly open, darting around until it lands on a figure falling in one place through the vast emptiness. It was like a glitch. She stayed in one place, simultaneously falling into the white emptiness. The being’s long black hair wrapped around her as she fell. And she stared straight up into the vast nothing. Her expression didn’t change, blank, as if this was normal to her, her face continuing to betray no emotion or thought. She didn’t seem to take notice of you. Well, she didn’t seem to take notice of anything, really.
Strange, it had felt like you had interrupted something
You watch with wide eyes. It had worked! It had really worked! You beamed proudly once more as the fresh excitement continues to envelope you. Maybe you should say hi. Or maybe you should play it safe to see what happens first? She could be dangerous for all you knew. But, you kinda felt bad for her. Falling in one place, constantly, didn’t seem to look comfortable at all. Would it help if you imagined a bridge to her?
You don’t know. In a bit of a dilemma, you weigh your options one by one.
(Pop.
There’s a ripple in the void.
She blinks. It had been a long time since she has heard…noise in the painfully loud silence of the void. Slowly gazing down, she finds a figure standing in the emptiness, waving and shouting strange questions at her. But all of them fall, meaningless, swallowed by the vast emptiness. She gazes vacantly at the intruder.
Were they just as lost as she was? Did they hide the answers to getting out?
Against her will, a small feeling of curiosity seemed to strike her. It had been a while, after all. But alas, it was all meaningless in the end. She looks up into the vast emptiness once more
Falling
Falling
Falling)
Do Nothing:
You do nothing. You are now one with the nothing as it welcomes you with open arms. Congratulations!!
You’ve got the nothing end.
[back to list of options]
Throwing the inky black ball to see if it lands:
Swinging your arm, you put all your power into hurtling the strange sphere into the even stranger emptiness. It falls. Then… it’s swallowed up by the void.
You blink. You blink again.
…
Ha. You knew it. The void was testing you. Good thing you didn’t fall for it. Breathing a sigh of relief, you puff out your chest, feeling very smart. You’re too wise to the voids tricks and won’t fall for them. But there was just one tiiiny problem now.
How do you get out?
Looking around, you see while. The white is up, above and all around you. You glance over your shoulder, and your heart stops.
There is no cliff.
Slowly, almost unnoticeably, wisps of black reach out from around your peripheral vision. You can’t move, you only watch in horror, as the black curls up like tendrils of smoke, spreading across the white above, around and before you. It curls towards you. You watch. You can’t scream.
The void is engulfed in darkness.
…
You’ve got the blackout end.
[back to list of options]
Calling out to the void:
You were cautious now. Gripping the sphere in your hand, you clear your throat. You scream.
“Hey, void! What’s your deal?”
The words fall out, clumsy, meaningless. They’re swallowed up by the void, each syllable growing softer. It distorts and mixes, like the void was chewing. Each word crunches painfully. Some of them scream. You wince. Then it hits you. It rams against you in full force, and you fall back. The words were spat out. It echoes, each one steady. Each one is different. Your back is pressed against the cliff, as you watch with wide eyes. The echoes never fade, as if taunting you, mocking. As if it were daring to ask you how you thought you could reason with it.
Void.
Void.
Void?
There is nothing but the echoes. Then…
It all goes to black.
You were cautious. But you weren’t cautious enough.
And now you were gonna get spat back out.
…
You’ve got the eaten end.
[back to list of options]
Take another step:
Your gut hasn’t failed you so far. You decide to trust it again. Taking in a sharp, shaky breath, you lift a foot out to the white. Your fingers tremble. Clenching them into fists, you stare resolutely at the nothing.
Don’t let me down, void.
You’re unsure if the void heard your prayer. But you bring a shaky foot down anyways.
Thud.
Opening your eyes just a crack, they brighten at the sight of your foot planted firmly upon the emptiness. Yes, it worked! A large, slow smile spreads across your face as you softly bring the other foot down.
Thud.
A warm feeling wells up. But now was not the time to stop and celebrate. Staring resolutely into the void again, you slowly continue down the path.
Thud.
You feel like you’re floating.
Thud.
Your pocket doesn’t sag anymore. You feel lighter.
Thud.
Thud. Thud.
You start running, feet ponding softly against the white as the void catches your laughter.
Thud.
You stop. A bright light shone up ahead; A stark contrast to the dull white of the nothing. Your breath catches in your throat. Perhaps…the void wasn’t so endless after all. Starting at a slow pace again, you approach the white light. You didn’t know what was going to happen. But one thing, you knew for sure.
You were going to be alright.
Thud.
…
You’ve got the peaceful end.
[back to list of options]
Company (?):
Even though you knew it wouldn’t work, it couldn’t hurt to try. Compa
ny. You wish for some company. You didn’t want to be alone after all. You concentrate the best you could.
Pop?
There’s a ripple in the void.
Your eyes snap open. Something flickering catches the corner of your vision. Your gaze turns towards it, your mouth opening slowly. A figure. It appears, then fades. It appears again. It falls in place. Before you could get any words out, the figure fades into the white.
Pop.
Blinking, you slowly shake your head. You almost want to laugh if it weren’t for this strange situation. You plop back down. Creating another human being? Did you think you were a god? Closing your eyes once more, you start to drift off.
Yea, there was no way that would work anyways.
And in the distance, something falls. Your world goes black.
…
You’ve got the no company end.
[back to list of options]
Say hi:
A strange expression crosses your face. Had you finally managed to conjure up something real? An emotion you can’t describe grips your chest. A realization, fresh and cooling, washes over you.
You weren’t alone anymore.
Obviously, you won’t let this opportunity go to waste. Clearing your throat, you look up with a fragile hope. A fragile hope that maybe, there was some sense in this emptiness. You open your mouth, slowly raising your hand as if reaching out, and wave.
“Hey, falling girl. Can you hear me?”
Slowly, almost imperceptibly, her head turns. Her gaze meets yours. She opens her mouth, then closes it. There’s no sound. Then you see it.
A flicker of pure, raw horror in her eyes.
Her expression, once vacant, now held a hint of panic. And her stiff arms fall back, her movements become more jagged, as if struck by the terrible realization that falling wasn’t all there is. It was a strange contrast of movement against the stillness of her position. Your eyes widen a little. You decide to choose your next words carefully.
Wait to see what happens:
It had succeeded, sure. But you still have no idea what was going to happen. What if she turned into some weird monster and decided to eat you? You shudder at the thought. Yea, watching was the safest bet. Maybe she’d perk up and approach you all on her own, with a smile on her face, and a spring in her step, with no cannibalistic tendencies…hopefully.
Crossing your arms, you simply watch. She continues to fall in place, like a slightly interrupted glitch that had to pause. She continues to stare into the void, gaze empty. You chew the inside of your cheek. She wasn’t turning dangerous. But she wasn’t becoming anything else either. Her eyes held no flicker of recognition. She didn’t seem to even grasp the concept of being there.
Still…you were safe, and that’s all that matters, right? Your gaze tilts upward to the falling figure once more. You watch. She falls.
Falling
Falling
Falling
And you watch
Were you hoping something would change?
…
You’ve got the observer end.
[back to list of options]
Build a bridge:
Having seen it with your own eyes, you knew you had some control in this vast emptiness. You just conjured up a person, for goodness’s sake! You smile to yourself knowingly. You could turn the tides. You had the power. Good.
It felt good knowing you were able to help someone else.
After all, you summoned her here. She was your responsibility. You close your eyes again. You can help her. Reaching out a hand, you concentrate as much as you can, willing the picture in your mind to materialize. You can bridge the gap between your mind and the void. Bridge. Hah. Get it?
Come on Void, make me a bridge to her.
You slowly open your eyes, and a brown wooden bridge folds outward. It folds outward and outward. It folds outward to the figure falling in place. Your company’s eyes widen even more, the horror more evident as the bridge folds outward.
Your hand falters. A slight lingering feeling of unrest curls up in your stomach. Do you wish to continue?
Ask if there’s any way to help:
Your heart thumps against your chest. No, no, no. This wasn’t what you meant to do. This wasn’t what was supposed to happen. You had to…do something! You had to help! Trying to hide the slight tremor in your hands, you look into her eyes. You clear your throat, and speak.
“Is there any way I can help you?
You shout, gesturing to the void below, above and around her. She pauses, eyes flickering, slightly tilting her head at you. Her gaze was empty, but her eyes hid a hint of curiosity. She opens her mouth slightly. No sound comes out. With a rise of her chest that might have been a sigh, she slowly shakes her head. Good. She seems calmer. Your shoulders relax. You close your eyes and ponder. How would you help?
Ask her name:
Okay, this was bad. You take a deep breath. It’s okay, you were still in control of the situation. It’s okay. You still had time to fix things. What was the quickest way to calm someone down? Your eyes light up. Tilting your head up towards the falling figure, you shout once more.
“Hey, falling girl. What’s your name?”
The question tears from your throat, raw and foreign. Somehow, it feels wrong falling into emptiness of the void. With a slight twitch of her head, she slowly turns her gaze back to you. Her eyes soften. There was a flicker of something unreadable in them, and then it was gone. She opens her mouth slightly.
No sound comes out.
Figures. With a tired smile on your face, you shake your head. Obviously, it won’t magically work this time. You need to help her. But…how?
Let her fall:
Slowly opening your eyes, you stare up at her falling form with a new resolve. Who did you think you were; Trying to control the fate of another being? Trying to save someone? Frustration builds up in your chest. Did you even know if they needed it? You can’t believe how conceited and self-centred you’ve been. Perhaps company wasn’t what you needed. Closing your eyes again, you turn away.
You knew what you needed to do.
She didn’t exist.
She didn’t exist.
She didn’t exist.
“Thank you”
She did-
And then you hear it. A soft whisper in the dark, leaving as soon as it arrived. You spin around, and with a pop and a hint of a smile, Marionetta was…gone? Just like that, Marionetta had vanished as quickly as she had arrived, leaving in her place a bittersweet taste and the emptiness of the nothing. You blink. The emptiness stretches wider, as if to fill a glaring, gaping hole.
Marionetta.
How did you know that name? You weren’t sure. But for some reason, you feel like you’ve known a long time. Letting a small smile slip through, you gaze up at the emptiness. And you ponder once more. Maybe Marionetta was falling someplace better. Maybe she had returned where she had come from. And maybe…she wasn’t suffering anymore.
Did she find peace?
You plop back down onto the cliff edge. It was…comforting almost. Maybe the void wasn’t bad company after all.
….
You’ve got the alone end.
[back to list of options]
Build more bridges:
Steeling your gaze, determination builds up in your chest. You couldn’t stop now, not when you were so close. Your eyes fix on the bridge folding outward and outward.
And outward.
A second. The horror in your company’s eyes vanishes, replaced by the same vacant gaze as before. Limbs move slowly, as if reaching out to the folding bridge. Good. You grin. You had managed to calm it down. And now, with your quick-thinking, you were gonna save it.
And outward.
Closer.
Your company gives up resisting, Limbs fall back. Gaze is fixated on the unfolding bridge.
You stare up with sparking eyes. Does it realize you were the saviour? It’s indebted to you now, right? You weren’t alone anymore.
And outward.
Closer.
Stops.
Your company stops too. With a soft plop, it lands onto the bridge, motionless. It has finally stopped falling. You excitedly rush over, footsteps making soft thuds onto the wooden boards as you reach the figure.
Silence.
There was no answer. You tilt your head quizzically. Nudging it with your foot, your smile starts to falter. It was wooden, hair made of wool and limbs crookedly connected by joints.
Had it always been this way?
This was the right…. answer…. right? Expression twisting into a crooked grimace, you stop. Your hands find its way to your pockets. You ponder. Well, falling sure did look like hell. You saved it, you ended the suffering. That’s what you concluded. A sad smile graces your lips, and you turn away from the figure.
With a satisfied but heavy heart, you walk away, never looking back. And your company lies on the bridge.
Just like a marionette.
You wonder what its name was.
…
You’ve got the good end.
[back to list of options]
{energy is neither created nor destroyed}
Psst, only read this when you want to stop reading
This is a hidden message. It is only uncovered when you decide that you’ve had enough of the void, because that…in itself, is a choice. And maybe, Marionetta will finally, finally be at peace. Or maybe she never existed at all? Who knows? After all…
You have the power to choose.
The End.