Twelve - The Dream

 In the dream, I was alone.

  It was dark, but for the first time in what felt like forever, I wasn't afraid. My heart was as calm as a still lake. I was at peace.

  'Am I dead for real?' I wondered as I tried to make out my surroundings. I blinked several times to adjust my vision. There was still nothing but infinite darkness.

  'Samuel,' a voice called out.

  I jumped a little in surprise. Craning my neck to the side, I saw the source of the sound. 'What are you?' I asked, staring at a luminous ball of pure, white light. The orb's blaze burned the shadows away. I looked around me and realized that the dark space I was in turned into an endless white hall. 

  'Do not be afraid,' the voice said. It was the gentlest and most musical sound I have ever heard. For some reason, I could not identify if the voice was male or female. 'I am with you,' the bright orb said, its glow intensifying.

  'Who are you? Where am I?'

  'It is not about who I am,' the voice replied. 'It is about who you are and where you are going.'

  'I don't understand...' I remarked. 'What are you saying?'

  'Yes, my child. But in time, you will. For now, you just have to believe,' the voice answered as the light from the glowing orb started to fade away.

  'Wait! Where are you going? Don't leave me here! I don't know what I should do!'

  'Believe, Samuel. Believe.'

  I reached out with my hands, but I was too late. The light was already gone. Shadows crept in, plunging the endless hall back into a sea of darkness.