I pushed and pushed and pushed. The [i]Nothing[/i], the abyssal darkness that threatened my existence by swallowing my being, would not let me have my way. Even after I had decided to put my faith into the voice that called me, the darkness still tried to hold me back. Grabbing at my feet while I walked, obscuring my vision so I would loose my way, it tried everything to stop me. It knew. It knew I was trying to escape it. A few times my resolve had wavered while I sat floating in the nothingness, but since I choose to follow the light, my will couldn't be shaken. I was determined. This was my faith.

Had I been religious before the darkness? Was there a 'before the darkness' anyway? Did it matter? I didn't see the light as my god or any diety of the sort, I saw it as my savior, the one who would give me meaning and presence. So I pushed... through the void, through my fear, and I pushed through that little voice at the back of my head that screamed 'STAY'. I pushed and pushed and pushed. Suddenly I had been rewarded for my faith. The gates that would be my sanctuary, my salvation. I knew it in my heart. Even if this light turned out to be ordinary sunlight peering through my eyelids as i wake from a nightmare, I would still be immensely grateful.

I couldn't raise my hand fast enough to open the gate. My hand stopped not 2 inches away from my freedom when I heard it's voice. It wasn't [i]The[/i] voice, but a voice like mine, or at least what mine would have felt like. The voice I heard wasn't omniscient nor did it command me, it pleaded to me for help. It was coming from within the darkness, away from the gates...From a person. Thoughts flooded my mind along with their respective emotions following.

'I need to help him!' Worry. 'Who is that asking for help?' Curiosity. 'This is a trap.' Surprise. 'I [i]must[/i] help him.' Anxiety. 'Save yourself.' Guilt. 'He didn't help you, why help him?' Anger. 'Hurry up and help him already!!' Courage. I made my choice, I will not condem another to a fate such as this. I clenched my outstretched hand into a fist, I squeezed so tight I could feel my fingernails digging into my palm. The pain was trivial at a time like this. I rested my fist on the door for a brief second, keeping myself stable while I leaned in close. 

'I'm sorry. Please, wait for me.'

Before I could convince myself to stay, I pushed off the door and started towards the voice, the person who cried out. I broke my gaze from the gate when I turned my head to the voice. A few tears of sorrow streamed across my cheek as I pulled myself away from my savior.