Be Somebody - Prologue
#1 of Be Somebody
Eve awakens in a strange, empty place. They have no memory of anything, and their surroundings appear to be...nothing. Emptiness. An infinite, blank void. What is this strange place, and why are they here?
This is a story well outside of the norm for me. I wanted to do something different. Something a bit insightful and thought-provoking. I don't know that I really accomplished what I had in mind, but I felt like it would be a waste to not share what I produced, especially given how long I've been kicking this idea around.
You'll probably take notice that, unlike most stories I post, there are no content warnings, no details provided about the story. This is deliberate on my part. The protagonist of this story is intentionally ambiguous, aside from their name. Their gender is ambiguous. This is for good reason, which will make sense at the end. Additionally, there isn't really any content to the story that I feel warrants a CW.
Hopefully you find it enjoyable.
Prologue - Awakening
Initially, there was nothing. They felt nothing, sensed nothing. It was like being part of an empty, infinite void. But they had thoughts, in that vast nothingness.
"Where am I?"
They attempted to reach out, to discern anything from the environment, but came back with no answers. No explanations.
"How did I get here?"
They attempted to search their memories, to recall anything that might offer insight as to what this place was, if it could even be called that. And to their surprise, they were again met with nothing. There was no recollection, no events leading up to this moment. Only an awareness of their existence. Then came another question.
"Who am I?"
It only took a moment, but this time an answer came to them.
I am Eve.
Yes, that was their name. It was so simple. But why couldn't they remember anything more?
Again, they attempted to recall something. Anything at all. Each time they were met with the same barrier. No clues could be found about their past. Aside from their name, in fact, they couldn't even fully grasp who they were. What they were.
Eve attempted to reach out again, to investigate the void. It seemed just as empty and meaningless as it had been the first time. No matter how far they reached, how deep they searched, they were met with the same result: nothing at all.
After what seemed like an eternity of probing, however, a realization came to them. A vague understanding of the infiniteness of this space. There didn't seem to be any end to it. Then came an epiphany. There wasn't nothing, after all. Eve could sense...something. It was difficult to comprehend, but they somehow knew there were secrets hidden in the expanse they had awakened to. And there was a tangible, almost fluid feeling to their surroundings. Eve could practically feel themselves moving through this space now.
The only thing this new awareness of Eve's surroundings accomplished was solidifying the fact that it was infinite. Uniform. Blank.
For the second time, Eve asked themselves, "Where am I?"
Still no answer. After another period of searching, a new question formed.
"Am I alone in this place?"
It seemed likely. Eve couldn't be certain how long they'd been investigating, but in that time, they had found no indications of another presence. So far, Eve appeared to be alone. With that knowledge, their search for answers to other questions continued. Somehow, Eve knew there was more to this place hidden beneath the surface.
What is my purpose?
They would find out what, somehow...