[b]12:05PM[/b]

Pitch darkness.

That was all Sho was aware of in his unconscious state. He wasn’t sure where he was or how he got there, but somehow he knew he was passed out. His mind strained to wake up, but his body protested. Just another ten minutes…

[i]“Sho come on something weird is going on here.”[/i]

The voice reached him, but it sounded muffled and distant. Who was it? Sho’s lipochrome brown eyes flickered open, but he quickly squinted against the unexpected brightness. Memories trickled back into his head. Hadn’t it been nighttime? He was certain he hadn’t been out for that long, so it shouldn’t be this bright already. He felt a presence beside him and slid his gaze over to meet Toby’s. The boy seemed upset about something.

Sho forced himself into a sitting position. His limbs felt like lead and his head swam. After the head rush subsided, he looked around to take in his surroundings some more. He was still in the same spot where he had passed out before, but everything was all wrong. For starters, the sky was pink. What was up with that? Maybe there was some major outbreak of pollution. That would explain the color, but not the unnatural brightness. Secondly, the barricade was gone. Okay, that was majorly weird.

“Toby?” Sho said. His voice sounded scratchy, so he cleared his throat. “Did we just die, or what? If this is heaven, it’s a lot pinker than I imagined it would be. And emptier. Kind of a letdown.” He furrowed his brow. “I was hoping I’d at least get some golden trumpets and a procession of hot angel chicks when I finally croaked.” He sighed despondently. “What a bummer…”