Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean

With a haggard gaze, he emerged from his alcoholic coma. It was the voice resonating in his mind that awoke him, not the harsh beams of light, nor the humidity of the grass on his back. He did not know where he was, or where his clothes went.

“Here are the rules…”

“I already know how to play Possum or Cricket.”

The voice continued, as if it was never interrupted.

“You have been given twenty-four hours…”

“That is not how you play Aussie Rules, mate, mumbled the man in his puddle of vomit. The game takes a lot less time.

“You will join a group of other Wasters”

“I already have a team!”

“...reincarnation”

“I dunno what this word means.”

No answer.

“Hey, ya’re still here, weirdy-voice-in-my-head?”

He fell asleep again and woke up when a liquid got poured on his face.

“Good evening, sleeping beauty! The moon is rising on a new night of partying”, laughed one of his friends.

“Mate, I’m gonna die. The voice told me”, slurred the young man.

“Yeah, yeah. And little elves brought this cool magic potion. Take it, Lachlan, you need it”, guffawed the other one.

“I am gonna die, David. And you are making fun of me. ”

“Man, I’d never seen you so wasted since our schoolies and it was years ago.”

David chuckled before leaving his friend alone.

Unsteady, Lachlan got up and looked for decent clothing. In the pocket of an abandoned jacket, he found a wallet with money left in it. He headed to the closest fast-food restaurant and ordered as much fries as he could afford with his small fortune.

Then, he went to sit in front of the sea, and tears rolled on his cheeks when he thought of his imminent death.

“I am gonna die, I am too young for this. Why?”

His nose was running and his face puffy.

When he had no more tears to shed, he let his head rest on the sand of the beach.

When he woke up again, a bit dozy, he was calm inside and convinced himself that it was just a bad dream. He went to his family’s beach shed, and took one of his surfboards for a quick swim.

The swell of the sea was not very impressive. There were not so many waves. After one hour, Lachlan decided to go back to the shore, when he felt some movement under his board. He turned his head over his shoulder to witness a large wave forming. Thrilled, he decided to ride it home. He was in the middle of his swell when he lost his balance and knocked his head on the board. Bubbles escaped from his lungs while his body slowly sunk.

As the lights of the surface were getting further away, the darkness engulfed him.