Bob sat up in his bed quickly. He was drenched in sweat. His heart was pumping so violently he could feel his body shaking with every beat. He looked down at his hands, quivering in fear. Bob slowly got up from the mattress, walking into the living room.
The room was full of elaborate, beautiful furniture. Large and thick curtains sat over the window, only letting a small amount of light peek in. Bob reached up to grab hold of the wall, hitting a switch that turned on a bright and beautiful chandelier in the middle of the living room. A massive television hung from the wall with a large wooden cabinet sitting beneath it.
Bob rubbed his eyes and looked back.
Now the room was empty.
He blinked his eyes.
He was in the middle of a thick forest, able to feel the humidity and hear the birds chirping.
Bob turned around to run into the bedroom.
But now he was in a hot and dry desert.
Bob fell to his knees.
His knees became buried in cold and piercing snow. The frostbite immediately began to settle in his body.
Bob covered his eyes and screamed.
He removed his hands to see himself kneeling in his home.
His real home.
Just a couch sitting in a large concrete room. A window with dirty and cracked glass with neon light trying to invade through the barrage of sunlight.
He looked over at the kitchen. The once dirty kitchen that was now well maintained. He ran over and opened the fridge.
There was fresh food like he remembered. There was still frozen meals like he remembered.
Bob sighed and leaned back against the wall, slowly sliding down as he stared into the illuminated and cold box. His heart was still beating hard and his lungs trying their best to take long and deep breaths.
Bob blinked his eyes, but this time nothing changed.
He finally was able to slow down his breathing and put his hand to his chest, able to feel his heart slowing down.
“What is happening?” Bob asked as he looked up at the ceiling. After a few minutes, he was finally able to stand with balance. He shut the refrigerator door and walked over to the window. He looked outside into the sea of concrete buildings and billboards. Much like the other side, there was no sign of life. He knew people were inside the buildings, but the streets and sidewalks were completely empty. Bob sighed and stared at the large neon billboard.
He didn’t know what a “strip club” was, but the beautiful pink lights always mesmerized him. Bob sighed and went back to sit on the couch. He grabbed one of his science textbooks and flipped through until he found the section on cells. He read through it pretty quickly, absorbing all of the knowledge he possibly could’ve.
Bob wasn’t sure how much time he had sat there reading, but he jumped when he heard the door opening. His Mother walked in carrying something that she kept hidden behind her back.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqj453jAICj
“Sweetie, you’re awake?” She shut the door and walked sideways into the kitchen.
“I thought you’d still be asleep after hitting your head.”
She opened a cabinet and quickly put something towards the back, moving boxes and containers around to hide it before walking over to Bob.
“I did sleep for a while. I only just woke up. I feel fine now.”
She walked back to grab a towel and run hot water onto it. She rang it out and then walked back over, pushing Bob’s head forward as softly as she could. Before she could put the towel against his head, she saw the completely normal looking skin.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsjI5Pnjt5B
“I…where is the cut?” She asked.
Bob shrugged.
“I don’t know. But it doesn’t hurt anymore.”
She tried to move his stiff hair around and looked for any sign of injury.
“I don’t see it. It’s like it’s gone already.”
“Maybe it is.” Bob replied.
She kept searching for a while, her face flabbergasted.
“Alright…well…”
She went back to the kitchen, putting the towel on the edge of the sink.
“What do you want for dinner?” She asked.
“What you want to make Mom.” Bob replied with a warm smile.
She smiled back and looked at all of the possible options.
“Do you want some salad?” She asked.
Bob nodded softly.
“Sure thing Mom.”
Bob went back to reading as his Mother began to make fresh salads for the both of them.
Once again it was silent between them, but in a peaceful way. No real tension or awkwardness. Just silent love and peace.
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Bob and his Mother were sitting on the couch next to each other, each of them holding a large bowl of salad and eating it with brand new and clean forks. They both smiled and looked at each other. Bob had some dressing on his cheek, which made his Mother laugh. She helped him clean it off before he got more on his face, making both of them laugh louder. Bob tried his best to stay clean, even though he found it fun to see his Mom laugh and smile.
There was a knock at the front door as his Mother put her bowl down and walked over. Bob didn’t even think to get up from the couch, hit Mother not saying anything.
“Can I help you?” Bob could hear his Mother ask.
“Good evening ma’am. Do you know anything about the electrical box on the back of this building?” A male voice asked.
Bob was about to bite down on some lettuce, but froze. His body was tense as the question finished.
“I’m sorry but I don’t. Is everything okay?” She asked.
“The box was completely destroyed. Panel and lock both busted. Not sure what could’ve done that.” The man replied.
Bob kept sitting frozen before turning his head just enough to look over. His Mother’s hand behind the door began to wave towards the bedroom. Bob quietly got up, carrying his bowl into the bedroom and looking for somewhere to hide. The only thing in the bedroom was the small mattress, so he ran over to the boarded up window. He could hear the other person walk in while his Mother was talking loudly. He looked at the window again.
“So what can I do for you, officer?” She asked.
The man was dressed in a dark blue uniform. Blue pants going down to black shoes that looked like dress shoes, but thudded loudly with every step like they were unbreakable. His torso was covered by a large collared shirt, the same shade of dark blue. There were small pockets on each side of the chest, with the left side having a large badge in the shape of a star. Each shoulder had unique patches. On top of his head was a brimmed cap, once again the same shade of blue.
“I am just making sure that we figure out who or what did that to the electrical box.”
The officer pulled out a notepad along with a black pen.
“First, your name.”
“My name is Charlotte.” She said.
“Do you live alone?” He asked.
Bob’s Mother nodded.
“Yes. Just myself. I used to work four jobs, so I was never really home.” She replied.
“Alright.”
“If you want to look around you can.” Charlotte said.
She slowly backed her way towards the bedroom as the police officer walked through the living room. He went over to observe the couch before his foot kicked one of the textbooks laying on the ground. He bent down and pulled one out, then another. He pulled all of the books out and looked over at Charlotte.
“I had to drop out of high school due to my parents passing away and me having to work for money. I got those to try and stay educated.” She replied.
The officer looked over the book as she quickly peeked into the bedroom. She didn’t see her son, but had to hide her panic.
“Do you mind if I check the bedroom?” The officer asked as he slowly walked over, jotting down lots of notes into the notepad.
Charlotte stepped to the side as the officer walked in. The only furniture in the room was the mattress and the thin blanket laying on top. He went over to the empty walls and ran his hand along them.
“Everything is concrete. Makes it very difficult to hang anything up.”
She said as the officer kept running his hand along the walls. He made his way over to the window, broken and dirty wooden boards covering up the space. He peeked outside into the empty streets and expansive stretch of concrete buildings. He didn’t see anything else than the buildings. He stepped back and wrote more stuff down into the notepad.
“If you have any updates, make sure to call us.”
“I don’t own a phone.” She said.
The officer looked at her before shrugging and walking towards the door.
“In that case we’ll stop by every month for updates. Have a good night.”
He opened the door and left himself, Charlotte staying in the doorway. As soon as the door shut, she quickly ran around the bedroom.
“Sweetie? Where are you?”
She looked at the window as she saw hands grab the ledge. She recognized the orange skin and ran over, grabbing his hands before shoving boards out of the way. Her son was hanging from the windowsill with his salad bowl being squeezed between his thighs.
“Did I do good Mom?” Bob asked.
“Yes.”
She finally got him inside as they looked at each other.
“Why did you do that?” She asked.
“I didn’t know where else to hide.” Bob replied.
“What if you fell?” She asked, rubbing his face.
“I wouldn’t have fallen Mom.” He said.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIqtDQriTMy
“What if he stayed here for a long time and you got tired? What if your hands got tired and let go?” She asked with panic and fear in her voice.
“I’m sorry Mom. I just didn’t know where else to go.”
His Mother looked around the room quickly, trying to find any other options.
“Shoot. You’re right.”
She sighed and wiped her eyes.
“Just…please be careful and safe, okay?” She asked.
“Of course Mom. I’m always careful and safe.”
A few days later, Bob was walking down the sidewalk wearing all of the clothes he had to cover up his skin. His black hooded jacket, his black pants, one of his gloves, and his face mask. His ungloved hand was buried deep into his jacket pocket. He was clutching a wad of cash tightly inside the pocket as his eyes stayed low, but darting around to make sure he could see everything around him. He walked around a corner and jumped when he saw somebody sitting on the street.
Their body was unhealthily thin, a needle sticking out their arm with a belt wrapped up tightly over it. Bob stood still for a few seconds before slowly walking around the body. As he stood in front, the body fell over and nearly made Bob squeal, but he covered his mouth, pushing the face mask hard into his mouth. He looked around to make sure nobody else was around before very quickly walking away. He continued to walk quickly, finally pulling his hand away from his mouth and back into his pocket.
Bob walked aimlessly, never leaving his home before and not knowing what was around.
He kept walking down the quiet and cool sidewalk before he saw something in the distance. He started to walk faster, seeing four large cylinders holding up a large rectangle. He couldn’t see anything beyond that, but he didn’t slow down at all. He stopped in his tracks as he noticed the small gas pumps sitting underneath the big structure. There were only two cars in the entire area, one parked next to a pump while another was around the side. He recognized what he was looking at, but from where escaped him.
He had an uneasy feeling, yet continued on across a long and destroyed roadway. He looked at the pump, saying that gas prices needed to be discussed inside. He made his way to the small building a few feet away. He walked up to the front doors, which opened on their own.
Bob jumped back, being caught off guard by the doors opening without being touched. He reached his hand out, but they suddenly shut quickly and made him jump again. Bob very slowly leaned forward as the doors opened. Without taking any other time to think, he jumped forward and into the building. He turned to look back as the doors closed behind him. He was breathing heavily, but quickly stepped away from them. He turned around to look at the shelves. There was very little covering them other than dust. A few stray bags of chips, a few full bottles of liquid thrown about. Bob slowly walked down between two of the shelves, looking at every loose item. Everything was so dirty and poorly maintained. He doubted anybody had been there in years, but the cars outside didn’t ease his thoughts at all. He kept walking when he found a large rack of dirty clothing. He reached out and grabbed a circle that was connected to the central pillar. Bob slipped, but as he held on the circle began to spin quickly. He let go and watched the items spin around loosely until the circle broke off and hit the floor, creating a loud bang. Bob jumped and looked around, expecting to hear somebody walk out.
Nothing happened.
Bob slowly turned back to the rack and looked through all of the items until he found a pair of soft, black gloves. He grabbed them and read over the price.
“Fifteen dollars. I guess that’s a good price.”
Bob took the cash out of his pocket, counting over all of the bills he had.
He had thirty dollars, but had to slowly count out to make sure he had enough.
“Ugh.”
He went up to the counter with the money and the gloves, placing both down and waiting for somebody to walk over. He noticed a small copper bell. He reached out and touched the top of it, but the click that came was quiet and short.
“Hmmm.”
Bob grabbed both the gloves and the money, walking around the counter. He looked over the cash register, which was dusty and dirty like everything else. He reached out to touch it, but the cash drawer suddenly popped out. Bob jumped before slowly looking inside. There wasn’t much, but it was money. Bob looked around cautiously. He knew he shouldn’t, but he also knew that more money would be good for him and his Mom. He slowly reached his hand out, but then pulled it back. He reached out again, but pulled it back. He sighed and grabbed the drawer, trying to push it back into the register, but it wouldn’t budge. It was caught on something, but Bob kept trying. He took a deep breath before pushing as hard as he could.
The register flew off the counter and across the small building, hitting the far wall before shattering and falling to the ground with a loud bang and crash. Bob’s eyes went wide as he ran over as quickly as he could. He finally heard movement that didn’t belong to him. He hid behind one of the shelves as he could hear a belt struggling to be buckled.
“What the fuck?”
A loud voice shouted out. Bob could hear loud thudding footsteps move quickly, getting louder as he grew closer. Bob scooted further away as he watched a large and dirty man run to the register. His stomach was sticking out from under his dirty shirt, his jeans were barely able to withstand his large waist.
“What happened?”
Bob heard a female voice ask.
The man turned, holding the broken pieces of the register. Bob’s eyes went wide.
It was the man from his dream.
The one covered in blood.
“I don’t know, but some fucker is going to get a good beating.”
The man thudded over to the counter and loudly slammed the machine down. He walked around a corner Bob hadn’t noticed before. He peeked out to see a young woman follow him. Bob swallowed hard before he slowly and quietly followed. He crouched down to stay quiet and walk along the dirty and chipped tile floors. He could see a flood of gray light flood into the hallway through a doorway.
“Can we go ahead and finish? I really have to get going.” The female voice said.
“Just get on your knees and go ahead. Might take a while.” The male voice responded.
Bob peeked his head around as he watched the man sitting on the chair look at a wall of monitors. The woman crouched under the desk and mostly disappeared as the sound of a belt unbuckling and zipper unzipping filled the air. Bob looked over towards the wall, seeing an old rusty baseball bat leaning against the wall. Bob swallowed hard again.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuxQM5xYKU
“Let’s see. Gotta rewind a bit.” The man said to himself.
Bob watched the monitors all move backwards very rapidly. The monitors went back to playing normal speed forward, watching himself jump into the building.
“Who the fuck is that?” The guy asked.
As he was watching, he reached his hand down and onto the woman’s head. She tried to push it away, but he firmly grabbed her hair. She began to sound distressed.
“Will you shut the fuck up?” He shouted.
Bob began to panic. The woman seemed helpless and scared.
Without thinking, he ran over to grab the baseball bat, swinging hard and cracking the man in the side of his head. He fell over and hit the ground with a hard thud. The woman screamed and ran out of the room as the man slowly got on his hands and knees. Bob swung the bat repeatedly onto his torso and head. Bob was blinded by anger, only able to see red pouring out of the body and onto the tiled floor. He suddenly stopped, looking around the room.
His entire demeanor changed.
He was standing inside of a small room, white tile floors and white walls. Both were quite dirty, like they hadn’t been cleaned in some time. There was a large table covered in computers and monitors, showing what looked to be the interior and exterior of a small gas station. Bob heard a faint noise and looked down at the floor.
A middle aged man was laying on the floor in a large puddle of blood. Bob felt his heart skip a beat and his chest start to contract. He raised one hand to touch his chest, but when he raised the other he saw a bloody and rusty baseball bat.
He felt the hand of the man gripping his pant leg and jumped.
“Please…don’t…kill me…” The man said with a weak voice.
Bob could feel himself starting to cry, but had a strange force inside of him take over. The emotion began to dissipate until he felt nothing. His face went stoic as the tears kept running down his cheeks. He lifted the bat up over his head as he looked down at the man.
The bat swung down harshly, hitting the man right in the head, filling the room with the sound of bones breaking. Blood splattered out, a few drops landing on Omen’s face. He stared down at the bloody heap, dropping the baseball bat to the ground. He then pulled out fifthteen dollars from the wad of cash he had. He reached down and put the bills on top of the bloody body.
“Thank you for the gloves.”
Despite having the young tone, his voice had a hint of raspiness to it. His voice was stoic and cold, no real emotion. He walked out of the room and down the hall. He turned and looked out the window to see the woman trying to make her car start. He then turned and looked back at the broken register.
The woman was panicking as she turned the keys inside of her car over and over, but her car wasn’t starting. She began to cry and bury her head into her wheel. She heard a knock at her window and jumped. She looked out to see the boy’s orange and black face covered in a splatter of blood. His face had no discernable emotion as he knocked again. The woman was freaking out, but reached over and popped the door open.
“Here…you’ll need this.”
Bob placed the drawer of money onto her lap before walking away. The woman was still breathing heavily as she looked down, unsure of what to think. She looked back outside of her car, watching the boy walking away dressed head to toe in black. She didn’t hesitate much longer before putting money into the machine, plunging the pump into her car and filling it up as much as she could before racing off with the remaining money she had.
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