…

Unending darkness greeted me upon the call of the choir. I couldn't move, couldn't speak and I couldn't see. However, I did not panic, instead I felt pure bliss upon what was lost. I felt no hunger, I felt no pain, I did not hear the thrashing winds blowing against my ears. All was peaceful and in the end, my only regret was leaving my half rotten corpse in such a holy place.

Staring into the abyss I felt time pass by, I tried counting the seconds as they passed into minutes but as they stretched into an hour I gave up. My own thoughts were my only company as I tried to move, speak, do anything. I didn't even know if I had retained my body upon my end, eventually I was left to just reminisce about my life.

…

I sprinted as hard as I could and rounded the corner as my path strayed into an alley. I paused and hid behind a dumpster as my pursuers ran past. Then holding my breath for a few seconds out of sheer nervousness as I clutched the bag I held in my arms.

Taking the zipper and opening it up I looked inside…. What. The. Fuck.

"All this… fucking work… for a BAD DRAGON!"

I yelled between gasps as I threw the bag against the wall. A pair of dildos, a cockcage, lube and a bunch of condoms falling out and being spread across the alleyway.

"Good thing I took this off of her! She was at max carrying capacity with all the chromosomes she's leaking out if this is the sorta shit she's carrying around in public!" Giving out a tired sigh I muttered "fucking cumbrains man…"

I began making my way home, and by home I meant an abandoned basement I had found a while back. Classy, I know, but it did its job well enough.

Walking through the maze of side streets and alleys whilst avoiding the more suspicious folk around I eventually made it to my humble abode. Ducking and slipping through the window I fell onto the couch I had positioned underneath after falling on my ass the first time.

"Home sweet home…"

From the couch you could basically see it all. In the far right corner was the staircase leading upstairs, the door long since being boarded up and left to be forgotten by the occasional resident who occupied the building. Which so far have been 3, all of whom have left after experiencing "supernatural events" which I may or may not have had some involvement in. Hey, a little bit of knocks and the odd stealing of pastries go a long way into driving people into paranoia.

On the left was my haul of clothes which I had accumulated through the months I've been here. Next to them lay a bag for the dirty ones which I went out to get cleaned occasionally with what little money I had to spare from my daily business of stealing and scams. Don't look at me like that, if you were in my position you'd do the same. Ever since the 2038 crash of the dollar, welfare programs across Europe fell to shit. In the chaos of it, thousands were left homeless and orphanages were amongst the ones hit. I had a choice, starve or make a life out of all the shit that's been handed to me.

I chose to live.

Sighing as I closed and locked the window behind me, I stood up and looked to the nightstand next to the couch. An old radio from the early 2000s rested upon it, with a drawer full of CDs underneath it. I loved music, it was one of the few forms of escapism I had in here, I even had some dubbed children's books in there.

Smiling, I picked up one of the ones I liked falling asleep to. Placing it inside, and clicking play, I went back to the couch and sank into it. Placing a sheet over myself, I let out a happy sigh and a tired smile as the music began to play.

…

Alright alright so hear me out, somewhere in my big brain two neurons connected and spoke to me of the most amazing plan. Turns out, stealing from the Bosnians was VERY FUCKING BAD IDEA.

I stood back to the wall amongst a bunch of apartment blocks. I figured the passageway would've been unlocked but apparently the landlord had actually gotten a proper lock master to fix it. In front of me stood 4 very pissed off bosnians decked out in Adidas and with the one in front holding a knife.

"So you're the little shit that's been running circles around the cops for the last year."

He said, then spitting on my shoe.

"Too bad you decided to fuck around with my nephew, you little brat. Hand over the phone and we'll let you off lightly."

I looked at him, his friends and finally at the knife. A look of resignation came over me as I handed over the phone and let out a whimper as my eyes started to water.

"Please d-dont hurt me."

He gave a calm smile that relieved me of my fears for just a bit.

"Don't worry, we won't hurt you…"

My fears came back as the smile morphed into a sneer.

"... much!"

Before I could even react I was on the ground clutching my teeth, barely registering his ranting as he began kicking me in the stomach over and over.

"Think you can fuck with my family, yeah?! You're lucky I haven't cut your balls off and force fed them to you, you orphan rat!"

Over and over my body was beaten but the pain came to a sudden stop as I felt something hit my head and my vision went black.

…

Waking up a little over a day later was a bitch. Having to drag my bruised and beaten ass home was a bitch. Falling in and out of consciousness for the next two weeks was a bitch. Feeling like a bag of broken assholes and turning on the public radio only to find out the public had tossed itself across the Baltic and are currently rushing over the Mediterranean?

… did I mention how the last couple of weeks have been a bitch to deal with? Because if I wasn't still suffering from the bruises that Balkan cunt gave me. I'd think I was dreaming as someone was currently giving me a VERY THOROUGH PROSTATE EXAM BECAUSE CHRIST ALIVE, LIFE HAS BEEN A PAIN IN MY ASS!

"Welp"

I said to myself as I sat in the middle of a park, while munching on a wienerbröd. The whole silence was eerie as the noises of the train, cars, buses, people and songs were all gone. Next to me was a playground, normally occupied by youngsters now that it's a weekend.

"At least no one will mind if I steal."

Sitting up and walking over to one of the towers looking over Helsingborg. Behind me stood Kärnan, the medieval keep left standing since the 1300s. In front of me I could see the Victorian steps leading up to the twin towers who stood at the entrance of the park. Further still I could see the empty streets filled with trash. Flyers flying by in the wind on the empty parking lots with the waters further ahead occupied by no boat, just bobbing trash. All this the result of the protests leading up to the evacuation order.

"How in all hell did I sleep through this?"

I asked myself as I took another bite, a somber look in my eyes over the loneliness. Across the strait, where once you'd see the lights of Helsingör now loomed just a black backdrop from the sea, over which the sun set.

"I mean, a little bit of cold? What's the worst that can happen?"

How I would eat those words… pun intended.

…

After six months of sitting in my lonesome here in Helsingborg I've had a revelation. I. Fucking. Hate. The cold. It's now November, the month of annoying Christmas advertisements though I've been spared from that, one of the few blessings of being out here alone.

Since I woke up in this newfound shithole I've been slowly getting used to the solace of the current situation. I've also gotten well acquainted with the fact that if I stay up here, I'll freeze to death. Looting must've been severe during the riots because even though I was just six months in, food has been getting scarcer and scarcer. With that in mind I've made the decision to migrate southward, today is that day.

I had managed to nab a snowmobile from some rich guy's house further inland, but that was before the snow truly set in. I had to spend 3 hours digging out a ramp from the snow outside my garage because the snow was now at my chest height. I was currently doing one last checkup before setting off.

Opening up the bag on the snow sled I had pieced together to carry more weight I took a look at my notes of quintessential items.

"MREs? Check. Canned food? Check. Blankets? Check. Tent? Check. Sleeping kit? Check. Cooking kit? Check. My will to live? … yeah it's somewhere down there."

Zipping up the bag and tying it with rope to the sled, I meandered for a while before taking one last look at my hometown.

Covered in snow and disrepair I could barely recognize it from the normally uncovered city that lasted the year around since global warming intensified. The streets especially were covered as all the snow building up on the roofs occasionally coalesced to a point where it fell, leaving several meters of snow down on the ground. Out in the harbor, the normally shining water had been replaced by a mass of dull ice, freezing trash and other shit in its wake.

"Well, it's been a fun ride. Can't say it's been all too much of a pleasure though but I'll say this much, you'll always be my first real home."

Hopping onto the snowmobile I closed my eyes whilst revving it up. Opening them, I had a fresh determined look in my eyes as I let out a sigh before saying.

"Once more into the fray I suppose. Let's hope Malmö is better than the shitstack it was last time I saw it."

…

If I could laugh, I would've. I was a naive little shit wasn't I? The stuff I put up with before the fall paled in comparison to the horrors I'd face out in that frozen wasteland.

Malmö and Copenhagen had been taken over by raiders who slaughtered anyone who went close to the bridge. I had to survive out in the southernmost towns before the weather turned so cold that I was able to cross the Baltic on foot into Denmark. It reminded me of the story of the March on the Baltic.

My thoughts however, were suddenly broken as a single light was seen in the distance, almost like a star in the night sky. It moved, swaying from side to side as it slowly pulled closer. Suddenly it stopped… then it rushed towards me in blinding speed and suddenly as it was but a inch from my face the landscape changed.

Closing my eyes to shield them from the sudden onslaught of light, I felt relief upon being able to move again. Adjusting over a minute or two, I managed to finally open my eyes and was greeted by a sight I've always dreamt of seeing.

All around me was a sea of clouds, forming wondrous shapes that I barely could fathom with their sheer complexity. Strands of light hung in the air as well, travelling past and around me akin to curious birds greeting an unknown creature. Looking up at the sky however, there was no sun. Up above lay a sea of stars upon the bed of what looked like a nebula, the sight not being perturbed by the little emanating from the ground... the ground?

I blinked as I looked down, standing in a toga. I had my body back. All of it! I reached down and pressed my hand on my foot and toes let out a cry of joy at the sight.

"My foot! My glorious FOOT! Frostbite can get fucked cuz my foot is back and ready to kick some ass! HA!"

My jubilations were cut short however as a voice was heard from behind me.

"Hello my child, it is good to finally have you home."

Tuening around, I could scarcely believe my eyes upon the sight that lay in front of me. There standing in front of me, in all his light was Jesus Christ. His warm blue eyes looked into mine as all I could do was gawk. He had an ethereal glow about him, as well as a warmth. Not the kind of warmth you'd receive from a fire no, this was far more intimate. It felt like I was a child again being hugged by one of the orphanage caretakers. Further still I was stunned by whose hand he was holding.

There, with a smile on her little face was Emma. Her pale skin had been replaced by a warm beige, her legs were standing strong and her eyes. Dear lord her eyes were beautiful, there was no longer that dead look of sorrow but a genuine happiness. As I stood there stunned, I caught myself and quickly rushed over as she ran into my arms. Picking her up and wrapping her in my arms, I cried for the first time in years as the tears no longer froze on my face, but flowed freely.

"I'm so sorry!"

I let out as I remembered how I had failed to stop her death. She patted my head as I quietly sobbed.

"It's alright Elijah… I know you did everything you could. Do not trouble yourself with my death."

The tears kept pouring for a while as I held her, her warm humming I missed from her absence helping to calm me down. As I slowly released her from my grasp, she raised her hands and used her thumbs to clean away the tears from my eyes.

"There, all better now?" I nodded "Good! I wished I could stay to show you around. However, I believe the lord wants a word."

She gave me a little kiss on the cheek before skipping past Christ and disappearing into the white haze. I stood on my knees for a couple of seconds before finally standing to my full height as Jesus approached me with a smile.

"My child, you do not know the joy you bring to me to see you here. You had given your all and whilst Cologne cathedral might lay now barren, perhaps one day man will return her to splendour. She is, after all, one of my favourite houses."

He paused for a while before embracing me in his arms. I was still processing his words before returning the hug with glee.

"I didn't fail then? I can walk amongst you here in heaven?"

Christ gave out a sigh at this as he ended the hug and looked straight into my eyes.

"Well, that is up to you, my child. Through your devotion you have earned something truly special."

Before I could say anything in return, the glowing cloud in my periphery seemingly disappeared. Turning around my eyes widened at the sight of a planet, green and blue with clouds in the sky. This however, was not earth.

"I wish to give you a second chance to live a more fulfilling life. You after all, had spent your entire life surviving, not ever truly feeling the joys of life. Therefore I wish to make you my prophet to this world, my Elijah if you will."

My mouth wide at the prospect I just kept on staring at the planet in awe. Continents, islands, oceans, deserts, jungles and mountain ranges all were laid out in front of me. I saw a world nearly bereft of all cold, a world not on the brink of death but a fresh new start. The minutes ticked by as I finally turned around to see Jesus waiting patiently for me.

"I accept."

Author's Note

I'm still rather new to writing so if I make any grammar mistakes please be sure to point them out and I'll fix them as soon as I can. Oh and btw just so everywhere is aware, the MC will most probably arrive planetside in chapter 4. These first 3 chapter is to give background to his experience before arrival.