Free

Jason couldn't see anything, it was just pitch black, and his sense of self seemed to refuse to connect with his mental thoughts. It was reminiscent of floating on a huge empty ocean, with no land in sight and the only thing in view was the cloudy night sky above.

Jason watched and stared into this unknown sky, silently floating in his consciousness letting his thoughts wander and his mind roam unhindered. It was a bit weird to think about, especially with all of the things he had in front of him. But he was looking back on all of the things he had already done.

And instead of feeling some pride about what he had done. This unsettling sinking feeling in his stomach told him the exact opposite. He was slow, he was lazy, always wandering around and doing whatever he wanted. Everyone else, he told himself, must be doing so much better than me.

What was he doing? taking care of his siblings? doing a few chores?

Jason wanted to grit his teeth, but nothing in his body responded to him. Struggling meaninglessly against his psyche, he eventually settled back down and thought about everything in his past.

Perhaps the reason why he was taking these last moments so slowly, was because he had rushed everything else in his life. To provide for his debt-ridden family, he gave everything. School, jobs, chores, his life. Everything he did had a single purpose. To help his mother who tried to hide the fits of coughs that came upon her every few minutes. Or his father who would laugh and joke, flexing his burly arms, but whom Jason would catch sadly looking down at his missing lower body, lost in war.

His younger brother, who seemed to run away from life's hardships, never leaving his rooms for days at a time. And his sister, his dear, dear sister.

Jason could feel rage boiling inside of him as he thought about those disgusting debt collectors that eyed his younger sister.

But just as soon as all of the worry and stress about his family, returned to Jason. A small rational thought helped to wash it all away just as soon as it came.

His family debts were taken away, and most importantly, they were now protected. Jason's deal with that company, he really was grasping on strings there. He had no reason to believe that they would hold their promise, and he was offering a large chunk of his life to them for that possibly loose promise.

Yet, there he was signing that contract and accepting all terms and conditions, like an idiot.

But was it worth it?

Jason wanted to laugh, he had already given his past to his family, why not his future?

But as Jason convinced himself that it was the right choice, the unsettled feeling in his stomach came back to him.

This one choice he made, perhaps the only choice he had made thinking about his own future. Maybe he wanted it, maybe, Jason wanted to escape, from his responsibilities for just a few days, from all of the problems that he couldn't fix. Maybe he wanted to be free. And if that company was being truthful, if they would really take care of his family in his stead. Then Jason would only be all the freer.

And if they were deceitful? If he was sent to this evil camp where he would be worked as a slave. Well, Jason would simply die, and be free in another way. Regardless Jason would earn freedom.

Jason looked up into the black sky, thinking for once, not about his family's future, but his own. He quietly made a promise to himself.

If, he were to get out of everything alive. He Jason Archer, would go on an adventure, a great and grand adventure, he would travel through huge cities, vast forests, deep caverns, he would soar through the skies and journey to the far unknown.

He would for once, enjoy himself, smell every flower that he came across, gaze into the beautiful array of stars every night. Enjoy nature's embrace in the forest and the bustling sounds and aura of the city. Listening to the whispers of the ocean, and the howls of the wolves. Pinning roses to his shirt and watching the moon.

A Real Adventure.

If only he could have the chance to have one.

Thinking that Jason's mind settled down, and he continued to float around in the dark endless sea.

It was interesting, the sea he was floating in, didn't feel wet or have a volume. But he could see it out of the corner of his eye, the gentle ocean, completely still, like a thin sheet of water.

The twinkle of a single source of light, high above him caught his attention.

The twinkle of light grew, from a small flicker to tiny but strong light.

Jason's vision seemed to blur and warp in front of him as the intensity of the light grew exponentially larger expanding across the sky above him.

Finally, his body and sense of self seemed to finally connect, and Jason could feel somebody tugging on his left arm as the white light above him seemed to burst out in the night sky like an explosion.

And at that moment, his eyes snapped open in real life, and he turned his head to see his younger sister gently pulling on his arm with a slightly frustrated expression.

"brother... you need to wake up, mom and dad are waiting for you"

Jason pushed himself up into a sitting position rubbed his eyes, there seemed to be something in his eyes, a hazy light blue scribble, right on the corner of his eye.

It took a second for Jason to recognize that the scribble was actually a coherent sentence.

[host found, system binding]