Silence.

That was all I could hear.

That feeling when hearing becomes heightened enveloped me. Slowly, my hearing started to pick up ringing at decibels that I would have never been able to hear before now.

Was I dreaming?

I listened for something, anything, trying to pinpoint some sort of paradox that would snap me awake. Something was wrong, but I couldn't figure out what exactly it was. It seemed like it was right there, right at the tip of my tongue, and every time I was close to it, and the tips of my fingers would brush it, it would vanish, like a shadow hiding itself from the slight burning sensation.

What was it?

I refused to open my eyes, even as slow chills ran down the back of my neck. I lay there though, and attempted to stretch my arm out, to feel anything, be it the cold marble-like floor I was draped across but my entire body was numb.

And the marble floor was cold.

I shuddered then, the chills from the floor vibrating onto the back of my neck, seeping through my clothes to tease my shoulder sockets down to the small of my back, to the backs of my thighs and the soles of my feet.

I listened again.

Silence.

Somewhere in the back of my head, my subconscious was drifting, muttering whispering sounds of panic in a leisurely tone; it was as though it were confused as to which side to stick to the peaceful, silent eternity or the other side, a complete opposite to the oblivion that was amity. Despite the chills drifting through me and the constant shudders my body released in response, I still couldn't hear anything.

My ears suddenly vibrated then; as a result of the slight ring that complete silence infuses. The ringing noise was slowly getting louder, the rhythm going along to that of my heart that was still thumping slightly in my chest, and slowly, I started to regain feeling in my feet, and it leached slowly up the top of my head.

"Wake up"

A whisper.

I p.r.i.c.ked up my ears then, like some sort of wolf or predator listening in the distance for its prey; I held my breath and searched for the taciturn voice. The ringing was getting ever louder, annoyingly banging my head. Slowly, I contemplated closing off the sounds of the bells and slipping away into the silent infinity.

"Shay!"

Then I opened my eyes.