An experiment written in first person.

The world has died and I am the only one left. She comes to me then, out of the dark gaps between stars and speaks. The static hurts my ears, but I get a sense of loss, a deep anger that will never falter. She is trying to ask me something, I know it. But what? I don't understand. I don't know who she is, but I know she is a god, long forgotten.

"What do you want from me?"

I can barely hear myself scream over the howl of the wind. I shudder as it cuts through me. It is a lot less painful than the soldier's cuts. The wound on my leg still burns, throbs as it spills out onto the earth.

The earth. What will happen to it now? I cannot be the only one left, though that explosion had taken out a good chunk of the block. The static grows louder in my head. She wants me to pay attention.

"I can't understand you," I snap. It is cold and I am tired. I want to sleep, let go of life and join everyone else wherever they are.

An image flashes through my mind then, a clock ticking backwards. Betrayal follows it, hot and sour. I want to throw up.

Her presence fades, then surges, comes back stronger. All of a sudden I understand. _She _ is dying. I will be soon too. We are both the living dead on this barren world.

The static comes again, presses down until it is all I can hear.

"Please," I beg. "I don't understand you."

Her presence grows stronger and I am brought to my knees by her power. Suddenly, I am burning. There is a ringing in my head and through the static come words.

"...my power....will....take....become"

I struggle to focus and eventually the static drops.

"Will you take my power?" she asks. "Inherit my memories, this responsibility. Make the universe whole again."

The universe? What is she talking about? The only thing ruined was the earth.

The static comes again, manifests itself before my eyes. I am standing on stars, watching planets fade. The earth was only the beginning, a tear in the fabric that led to everything else unraveling.

I hurt. She hurts. We hurt. The pain resonates through us, tearing at our very being. We need to pass on our power before it fades, before everything else falls to pieces.

We split apart in a burst. The static leaves me hunched over and gasping. I suck in air, try to calm my heart. Will this be what kills me?

She wants me to take her place, to fix what went wrong. Why me of all people? I don't even know what went wrong? Is there no one else?

The static presses down on me again. I fall onto the dirt. The soil is cold against my lips. Time is running out. I need to choose.

My heart hurts. My family is probably dead. I will not survive long here. Is there really an option?

I look at her. My vision is blurred. She looks human, but her edges flicker in and out. I can only see the outline of her, a void-human shaped space in the sky. I hurt for her. I don't know what I am agreeing to, but it has to be better than this.

"Yes," I croak.

The static intensifies and I can feel the void. It's coldness chills my skin, digs into my bones. I can feel her memories. She's so old, had thought she was unending, but this happened. She didn't even get to say goodbye to her children.

I am crying, even as I gasp and shiver. Dirt gets into my nails and I scream-sob into the ground. Gasping out promises as the void sucks me in, devours everything I am. The world fractures. I am gone.

I suck in breath, try to stifle my scream. I am alive? Everything hurts and I fall out of bed, groaning. Bed? What? What?

The floor is soft, smells a little musty. I moan, lie there and look up at the ceiling. It's white, cracked in a few places. Someone should fix that. The sunlight is warm and I close my eyes.

I hurt. It cannot have been a dream. Wait, sunlight. There's a window somewhere.

I jolt up, bite my lip as sharp pain tears through me. The window's to my right and outside is the city, all tall spires. The sunlight hits them, makes them glow brightly. The poor pilots who have to fly over this city must hate it. It's dazzling.

I am home. Home is still intact. What day is this? How long do I have? She had promised this hadn't she? I cut the questions off. I don't know how much time I have. I need to plan. But, it can wait a little bit can't it? I can lie here and enjoy the view.