The auditorium was full.
The lights dimmed.
Pregnant silence.
A woman stepped behind the podium.
“We’ve gathered you all here today to share some important information.”
A man joined her.
“There is no easy way to say this. The explosion that created the universe killed its creator. What we call God is the ghost of that creator.”
Pregnant silence gave birth to various sounds.
“All non-corporeal beings- ghosts, spirits, demons- all metaphysical concepts such as souls, karma or chi- we’ve confirmed their existence.”
Solemn voices filled the air.
“Our place in this universe is ours alone. All other planets are host to various lifeforms that exist on a plane of reality that we can only access after what we call death.”
The white lab coats of the speakers became more prominent when the lights went out.
The audience began to panic.
“Stay calm! You’re all safe!”
Lights from phones, lighters, and even flashlights stole totality from the darkness.
“Look at the way you all solved the problem of the lights going out! You can see, can’t you?!”
The audience grew calmer.
Some sat back down, others comforted those who needed it.
“As long as you do not knowingly champion evil, you’re safe.”
I pointed my phone light at the speakers.
One by one, others did the same.
The speakers made gestures of appreciation.
“The data we’ve collected is not quickly analyzed. However, we have enough of it and have made enough progress to determine with certainty that the plane of existence in which other lifeforms exist…,” one speaker began…
“…is merging with our own,” the other finished.
With that, light filled the room once more.
After leaving the presentation, terror and horror have made themselves at home in the world.
Many attendees killed themselves in order to begin new adventures in the afterlife.
As word of the new discoveries about reality spread, so do stories about personal experiences with what we once considered mere concepts.
Whether or not one caused the other is a question that not even local conspiracy theorists ask.
Almost everyone is scared, including me.
While I’m safe in my home, a visit to a friend’s house led to a horrific encounter with two severely mangled creatures combined by scar tissue that lovingly stroked the other’s disfigured body while emitting vocalizations that sounded like expressions of pain and pleasure at once.
I stay home as much as I can these days.
Since word is spreading like a worldwide game of telephone and since no news outlets will cover the story, I’m posting this firsthand account to get the facts out there.
Be good.
Be safe.
Beware.
Since there’s a minimum word count and I need 61 more words to make this post, I’ll allow myself to be vulnerable with you- I feel scared and sad.
People are killing themselves.
Others are using the info to coax people into madness or suicide.
Others still have been driven mad and have become incredibly dangerous.
While there isn’t any widespread physical chaos, there’s a silent war being fought with the minds and hearts of everyone I see.
It’s hard to trust anyone.
On top of that, the very nature of probability has changed; what was once highly unlikely now happens with regularity.
Reality has changed.
I hope we do too.