Observations placeholder

Captain Gilbert Nobbs - Englishman: Kamarad! [also published in Light (1919, p. 46)]

I hesitate to tell what happened to me. But since I am trying to record on paper the sensations experienced when I was hit on the head, I will do so in simple terms, leaving it to the reader to form an opinion on the subject.

I instantly became blind, and remained so all the time. But the eternal darkness that surrounds me at that moment suddenly ceased, when a "voice" whispered in me:

 "Death is coming. Do you want to come with us?"

The veil of darkness seemed to slowly decrease: I had the feeling of space. Beyond that there was thick darkness. An ineffable feeling of bliss, of peace, invades me; it was nothingness, but nevertheless what an indescribable happiness! At one point, looking into the void, I saw my own body lying in a shell hole, blood was flowing from a temple. So I was dead, and it was my corpse. But I felt happy!

Nevertheless, I had the impression that the voice I had heard was waiting for an answer. Making a supreme effort, I shouted, I don't know how! "My time is not over: I will not die!" The veil of darkness came up again and enveloped me. But my body made a movement. I was the one who provoked it. I was coming back to life!

I thus scrupulously described my feelings at the time. I would add that I was not unconscious when what I described happened to me, I did not lose consciousness for a few more minutes, and when it happened, I realized how different the true unconsciousness was from the state in which I found myself in this case...

As for the described incident, it is called a hallucination or an illusion of the brain. I don't care about it and I don't intend to influence the reader about it.

I limit myself to documenting my impressions of the solemn moment. As for my personal convictions, I hold them for myself. Here they are: No matter how my case is interpreted, the mystery of death no longer exists for me.

So I no longer fear death.