One

Where the hell am I? Okay, bearings: Large room. Red-tinged, high domed bone-white ceiling. Floor is soft and cushy, made of some kind of organic. Was that bone-white or just bone? Anyway, there's this giant machine in the middle of the room. Cave. Whatever. So many bells and whistles I can hardly tell what a single one does, except the conveyor belts in and out. I try to find the source of the noise and end of following miles of pipes, wires, canals... This thing is insane. Hmm.

The machine rumbles to a stop. Again, I can't even tell where it rumbled, but I'm sure it did.

Suddenly, I see this bright tunnel of light. I'm dead, and god was right! Oops, God. Oh, wait, nevermind, god - there are not only more than two tunnels, but they're all the same color and shape and size - completely identical. In fact, when I cross my eyes a bit they're all the same tunnel, represented infinitely. I come to a full stop. Definitely god.

Then the lights go out. Wasn't expecting that. Maybe the machine was powering them. In any case, there's still light - from each of the tunnels. It looks like someone's holding a candle just around the first bend of each one, but I can't say for sure because each time I try to look down one I can't move a muscle below my neck, which is getting sore. What else was the machine doing? For a fraction of a second, I'm locked like this. Standstill. Then each of the lights moves toward me.

They are candles, the tall ones, tapers, I believe they're called. One winks out right as I say that, and the guy holding it steps back to his tunnel, walking all jerky like clockwork. Hadn't noticed the guys behind the flame before, because they were so bright. Must not be from my reality, but where? At the word "reality", another one winks out, as if blown by an unseen breath of wind - yet at the word "where", another winks in. They must like messing with my brain (another out).

I don't know how I realize all this, because with everyone step of the people holding the candles, a whoosh of air (and with it a strange scent) blow my way, one beat of a throbbing pulse assaults my ears, I feel a tingling on my skin... So much sensory input. They do seem to like showing off (another out). Not to mention the fact that there are more than I can count, and that they each have my face. Interesting development... (another in).