Différents Chemins

When I opened my eyes, I was sitting in a comfortable gold chair with a rhombus-shaped cherry wood table in front of me. There was another chair on the opposite side of the table, a black cushioned office chair with a cup of red wine on the arm of the chair. Strangely nobody was sitting there; just who was the wine for? Me? The room was large with nothing else; it had no windows or even a door. I didn't see any lights, but it was dimly lit, similar to when you first go into a movie. How did I get here in the first place? I had a slight headache when I tried to recall the events up to this moment. I touched the left side of my temple and closed my eyes due to a sharp pain. For some reason, I can't remember any memories leading up to this event, and not just that; I can't recall any memories from my past. Just what the hell is going on?

"Ah, I see that you have awoken." Said a man with a deep, sophisticated voice.

Who is that? When I looked up, a man was sitting in the chair with his hands folded on the other side of the oddly shaped table, the same chair that was just emptied a few seconds ago. How did he get in here with no entrance? Unless it does have one that I'm not seeing. The man wore a sharp midnight suit with a slightly lighter shaded button-up shirt underneath, black leather gloves, and a black floral pattern tie. I couldn't make out his face due to the combination of bad lighting and the black fedora he was wearing.

"Where am I? What is this place?"

"This place is called the Room of Solidarity, where your fate is decided." He said while taking a sip of his wine.

"My fate? What is that supposed to mean?"

"For you, at the end of this story, you will die."

"Die, is this some kind of sick joke? If it is, I'm not laughing." I tried to stand up, but there was this force keeping me seated. I was stuck but not in any pain of the sort. What kind of powers is this?

"Sorry, you're not allowed to leave at the moment. Not until you decide your fate."

"Is this going to be like those Saw movies, where I get tortured? If so, just kill me now. I don't want any part of your sick game."

"Oh no, no, it is nothing like that. We're not here to torture you at all. As I said, we're just here to choose your fate. Everything with a physical form will eventually meet its end, and for you, you're fortunate enough to choose yours."

I was relatively calm; even if I tried to get mad, I couldn't. It had to be something to do with this room. Just like the force keeping me seated. Magic perhaps? I never thought it was real, just excellent smoke and mirrors. Guess I was wrong. This could be a dream I need to wake up from and forget it even happened, but even in dreams, you can still recall your past, but I can't…

"That would be reassuring if I could trust you. So, I'm stuck here until I decide on my fate." I said while sitting back in the chair and crossing my legs. I might as well get comfortable.

"That is correct." The man paused after saying that, almost as if he had forgotten something important. He took another sip of his wine, and when he was done, he placed it on the table and then folded his hands.

I wanted to ask what was wrong, but I just wanted to wake up from this dream.

"So, what are my choices?"

"I'm glad you asked my boy."

The man slid a black folder to me, which wasn't there before. More tricks.

"In there are your fates. Please seriously choose one because that is how you will meet your end. I know this will be a tough decision."

I'm sure if I was my usual self, I would be nervous by now, but I was still nonchalant about the whole situation. For now, this is better than freaking out. I took the folder and opened it. Inside had four black sheets of paper with white lettering. On each sheet, the words were centered in the middle of the page, and each piece didn't have many words on them. I picked up the first sheet, and it spoke.

"Watch yourself become the villain, get shot up by a close friend, and die. Wow, that is pretty extreme and unsettling."

That had me thinking, I can't recall anything from my past, so who will this close friend be? A possible family member, a lover? Why do I have to have amnesia at a time like this? And becoming the villain, what am I going to be like the Joker?

"Am I allowed to ask any questions, or is that confidential?" I said, assuming not to get an answer.

"Of course, you can ask questions. Ask away."

I was surprised by that response.

"Watching myself become the villain is the first question. Is this going to be an out-of-body experience where I'm literally watching myself and can't make any decisions?"

"No, you will be yourself; with certain events, you will become a villain."

"What kind of villain? Villain is a strong world; evil is one thing but a whole "villain" is another."

"Unfortunately, I do not know what kind of villain, or the turn of events will turn you into one. But without a choice, you will most definitely become wicked."

"Without a choice," perhaps the book is already written. Wait, he did say, "At the end of the story, I will die," maybe this is a book, and I'm just one of the characters. Whichever one I pick; I have to do everything I can to prevent my fate from happening.

"I have only seen the word villain in superhero-related themes-"

"The circumstances will change depending on the fate you choose. You may experience supernatural activities in one or more of them."

He said before I could finish answering my question. Each time he opens his mouth, I have more questions to ask. I should get through the folder and then ask questions. I placed the paper face down on the other side of the folder and picked up the next one.

"Dying unexpectedly during your job."

What job? What kind of work is it going to be? Why did this man want me dead so badly? What did I even do for this to happen? Even though I will do everything in my power to prevent myself from dying, it is still depressing. I placed the paper up the top of the one I had just read and picked up the next one.

"You're not going to ask any question?" the man said intriguingly.

"No," I said.

"Dying while protecting someone." First, I become a villain. Then, I die on the job, and now I'm dying helping someone. Who is "someone?" Is it someone I know or a random person on the street? Can I catch a break? Can't I just die peacefully on my bed? I let out an exhausting sigh, placed the paper on top of the other ones, and picked up the last one.

"Dies during a war." I looked at my arms which were slightly toned. I placed my hand on my stomach, which was squishy. I didn't seem like I was suitable for war. I put the last paper with the others and closed them in the folder.

"Have you made up your mind?"

"No."

"Do you have any questions? If so, feel free to ask." The man said while taking another sip of his wine.

"What kind of job will I be doing for this one." I opened the folder and took out the page with "Dying unexpectedly during your job."

"Sadly, I do not know the details. Your choices are not set in stone; only fate will decide your demise."

He knows nothing about my fate. He is just the messenger, not the executioner. I can ask all the questions in the world, and he'll probably give me no real answers except I will die at the end of my story. This is the worst.

"Why me?" I asked. I placed my hands on the table and sat up straight.

"Why me is the question to ask." He responded, folding his hands together.

"What did I do to deserve this? That is one thing I deserve to know before I get sent off to die."

"Sometimes in life, you get put in a situation you didn't ask for but must deal with the aftermath. But for you, as I said before, you are fortunate enough to choose your fate."

"I'm fortunate enough to choose a horrible fate. I think there is nothing fortunate about that. If I was never chosen, I might have ended up with family and living until I'm one hundred years old."

"I understand your point, but that fate is possible for many. You could have met your untimely demise during your wife's pregnancy and never had the chance to see your child take its first steps, have its first words, and so on. With an uncertain life, nothing is laid out for you. Nothing is guaranteed besides death no matter what life you live."

"Always fearing the unknown on when your life could be stolen or having to eat healthily and exercise to maintain your blood levels and weight to prevent a disease or having a stroke can be exhausting. You can spend years doing the right things, helping people, and taking care of your family, and in a single moment, it could be taken, and all that blood, sweat, and tears would be for nothing once you're dead. They say only God knows when your time is up, which might have some truth if you believe in a higher power. With so many uncertainties in life, choosing your fate might be a blessing even though you don't get to decide your exact fate."

"Ah, so now you finally understand my point. At first, when you started going on, I had no idea where you were headed, but it all tied up at the end. I'm glad you understand. Now, have you decided your fate?"

My back is against the wall; I have no choice but to comply. Can I change fate? As I said before, I'll do everything in my power to do so.

"I have."

"Very good." He began to clap his hands. "What fate have you chosen?"

I took a piece of paper out of the folder, closed it with the others still inside, then placed the paper up the top of the folder, sliding it to the man.

"Very interesting; why this one?"

"I need to see where fate takes me."

"You have been a wonderful guest in the Room of Solidarity. I would say until we meet again, but this will be the last time we see each other."

"Heh, I would say it has been a pleasure, but it wasn't. I don't think I would like to see you again. No offense."

"None taken. You may exit to the door behind you."

Door? What door? When I turned around, there was a door, as he said. It was black with a purple glowing light coming from behind it. The thought of me attacking the man crossed my mind, but I would probably be stopped by that force that kept me seated. And besides, that door is the only way out, which my fate is behind. I stood up and walked to it.

"Take care." The man said.

"You do the same."

Let's see what fate has in store for me.