Khashane Mathiba is a 17 years old young man who meets a tragic death and finds himself in a strange dimension that allows him the powers to create anything.
What is this young man going to do with these newly gained powers?
Excerpt:
It was on Monday morning when I woke up on the right side of the bed. Assured by my conviction, I had a feeling that something special was coming on my way. Well, how could I have anticipated the deception of my very own feelings?
It was immaculate dawn under a clear blue sky. The birds were singing and butterflies flying around vivid and blooming flowers. I was on route to Karabo High School, wearing a blue and white uniform and shiny leather boots. While caught up in thoughts and my imagination fully absorbed by the beauty of nature, I have met my end. How could this scenery transpose from beauty to horror in just a short time? Today was the day that I made a fatal mistake in my life. I was enthralled and mesmerized by the beauty of nature around me, to even forget the state of my surroundings. It was this fascinating and breath-taking moment that brought me to my doom. While catching up in the streets of Polokwane City, I have found myself traversing the busiest road without checking for incoming vehicles. By the moment I realized that a quantum taxi was at two seconds from hitting me, it was already too late to react. It was at this moment when I knew that I messed up. At that moment and time, I was puzzled and battling in thoughts. Was this something special that I thought was coming on my way? Or I am just the unluckiest person to come across disasters when I am in a good mood? While the former thought pains me that my feelings deceived me, the latter was just as painful that disasters were upon me either way.
At that moment and time, I could see my life flashing before my eyes. Really! Is this how I die? In just a second, I felt my bones crushing and my blood spilling everywhere, while my body smashes down against the road. My vision faded and dimmed quickly, and everything suddenly became dark. I became unaware of my existence for a while, but surprisingly I became conscious again. Everything happened so fast. I could not process the thought well of being aware of my being without feeling my physical body.
Is this a dream? Is this a nightmare? Am I dead? How could I die so young? Am I truly dead? How could this be? I feel normal, and I am aware of my being. I am Khashane Mathiba. A 17 years old young loser who never had a girlfriend and it looks like I am in the afterlife. I died without achievements, and I never celebrated a single thing in my life. What a sad ending to my pathetic and lonely life.
I opened my eyes to only gaze on an endless nothingness in dark blue, and the colourful stars far away below me and above. I am standing on nothingness, but below my feet, it felt just like solid ground. My surrounding was getting brighter and brighter! In an instant, I knew that I was in another dimension. Yes! It is another dimension. I do not know how? But my intuition tells me that I am in another dimension.
I idled around for hours, but the state of my surroundings remained unchanged. Each minute passed, and my surrounding was getting dull and annoying. I decided to look around the void of the dimension, and there was nothing to be found. It was just me and nothing else. I was concerned about what is going to happen to me from now on. Hours and hours passed, and nothing changed, and what used to be a dark blue dimension was getting a bit lighter. There was no sound at all, and the only thing I could hear was my footsteps when I walk around. I called out with a loud voice anticipating a response, but no one answered. It was just my echoing voice vibrating throughout the dimension. I began to get tired and exhausted from walking and shouting, and I got hungry and thirsty.
How could this be? Why am I getting thirsty and hungry even though I am dead? I thought the dead had a spiritual body, but why do I still have the needs of the flesh? I touched myself to confirm whether my body became a spirit, and I was shocked by the results, Now wait a minute! I can feel my flesh. My appearance is pretty much like before I kicked the bucket. I am still wearing the same uniform just like before I died, hmm.
I was confused and worried, and I got extremely hungrier than before, and my stomach kept on growling and grumbling like an angry dog. I immediately remembered something painful. I forgot to grab a banana on the table before I could leave for school. Knowing my dad, he will consume that banana without any hesitation. I got a tearing eye just thinking about it. Even though I am no longer alive, I could use that banana right now!
Out of desperation, I shouted. ―Is anybody out there? Can I have food, please?‖ I continued to yell for several minutes, and I wasted even more of my energy expecting a response.
I do not know the amount of time I have been in this strange dimension, but it is getting boring and annoying.
I tried to find ways to relieve my boredom, and instantly something crossed my mind. Just by staring at nothingness, I remembered something crucial my teacher used to show us during the programming class.
―The teacher said, 'When you open software to write a code, you will find your blank template ready for coding. That is when you will begin to use the coding language and create something from nothing with only codes,' It is surprising that with my feeble memory, I can still remember as much like it was yesterday.‖ I began to wonder, What if I can create something from nothing in this dimension. With only words, I will attempt to create a code and see what happens. Even if it will not work, there is nothing to lose after all, and there is no one here to laugh at my determination.