Bob woke up on the floor, screaming in pain as he clutched his eye. His body was thrashing about when he felt hands on his body. He kept screaming and crying as his arms and legs flew around in every direction.
“Sweetie! Sweetie, please calm down! You’re okay!”
His Mother hugged him tightly as he kept crying. He slowly pulled his hand away from his eye.
His hand was only wet from the tears from his eyes.
The pain slowly dissipated away as he rubbed his head.
“Sweetie, are you okay?” She kept hugging him tightly.
“I don’t know…what happened?” Bob cried as he asked.
“You started having a seizure. I was terrified. I thought you were…” his Mother didn’t respond as she was overcome with emotion.
“I wish I could’ve done more.”
Bob turned to see Mrs. Walters still sitting on the couch. Bob began to feel safer and warmer just by seeing her.
“I think I’m okay. I don’t know what happened, but I’m fine now.” Bob said.
“Do you think we should take him to get checked on?” Mrs. Walter asked.
“No!” His Mother suddenly shouted.
“I mean…um…no. It would be too far and too expensive.” She said.
Bob rubbed his eyes softly. He started to rub them harder, but once he pulled them away there was a quick flash of white coming from his Mother’s dress.The white quickly faded into the red shirt she was wearing, making him looked confused.
“I think we should get ready for bed. Thank you for coming Mrs. Walters. Maybe we can make you that soup another time.” Bob’s Mother said.
“Don’t you mean salad?” Mrs. Walters quickled replied.
Bob’s Mom immediately began to nod her head.
“Yes. Yes sorry, I just got so distracted because of my sweet boy.” She replied.
Mrs. Walters got up as Bob’s Mother moved Bob to the couch. She helped Walters to the front door, the two softly whispering amongst each other. Bob laid on his back and stared up at the ceiling. He squinted his eyes, but nothing changed. He began to rub his eyes softly again before pulling them away, but the room was still the same. He sighed softly until he heard the front door shut.
“Are you feeling okay? Can I get you anything sweetie?” His Mother asked him.
“No…I’ll be okay. I might just fall asleep here.” Bob said as he stretched his body on the couch.
“Do you want me to grab your pillow and blanket?” She asked.
“Just the pillow. You can keep the blanket for yourself. I’ll be okay.” Bob replied, rubbing his eyes one more time. He made sure to rub them a bit harder and rougher.
He pulled his hands away.
The ceiling was a dark shade of white, a nearly blinding fluorescent light overhead.
It quickly faded back to the gray concrete ceiling, the only light coming from the window.
“Alright, lift your head up.” His Mother said as she brought the pillow over.
Bob slightly lifted his head up and let her slide it under.
“Okay, sleep tight sweetie.” She kissed his forehead and went over to shut the curtains. The room was clouded in darkness as she walked quietly and carefully into the bedroom. Bob could hear her flop onto the mattress, but that was the only sound. Bob shut his eyes tightly and turned to his side to sleep.
As he began to fall further and further to sleep, Bob could suddenly hear a faint hum or buzz sound. He opened his eyes, and the sound disappeared. He sat up, slowly looking around the empty room. The artificial neon lights barely peeked through the curtains, softly illuminating them into a cool glow. Bob turned his head to look over towards the kitchen. He slowly and silently shifted off of the couch.
He made his way silently across the concrete floor. He turned his head to look towards the bedroom, but he couldn’t see anything beyond the shadows. He continued to walk, his arms outstretched to feel the wall. He kept walking until he could feel the refrigerator. He felt around until he gripped the handle.
Bob took a deep breath as he slowly began to open the door. The light flicked on and showed all of the food filling the inside. He stared into the shining and warm looking but cold feeling space. He reached out and grabbed a single tomato that was sitting inside a bag of more tomatoes.
He pulled it close before slowly and softly shutting the refrigerator door.
He stared at the tomato despite not being able to see it. He felt the fresh and soft skin in his hand. He slowly pulled it up and softly bit down.
The juiciness squirted out as his teeth dug deep into the vegetable. He chewed on the vegetable in his mouth and very slowly made his way over to the couch again, sitting down and taking another bite. Bob shut his eyes and concentrated while eating.
His eyes began to subtly glow, the light visible through his eyelids.
Bob slowly began to open them.
The concrete, dark living room was replaced with a large, white padded cell. He looked down at the couch, which was white but the same material. He looked over at the kitchen, where everything was in the same position but pure white.
He heard something.
Bob’s head snapped around to stared at the window. A large mirror sat, reflecting the room back at him. Bob slowly stood up and stared at his own reflection, his head slightly tilting. He began to step forward.
Bob could feel something taking over his body.
“Don’t worry kid…I know what to do.” His body spoke without any input from himself.
Omen stood in the room, staring at the mirror. He walked closer before putting his hands on the glass, spread out as he reared his head back. He was about to smash his head into the mirror, but he felt an arm wrap around him.
Bob was back, his eyes no longer glowing as he stared at the window, the curtains moved aside and let the unnatural neon lights fill the room. He turned back to see his Mom was the one hugging him.
“Sweetie? What are you doing?” She asked.
“I was just…” Bob started, but stopped as he wasn’t sure how to explain it.
“I heard some noise. I wanted to make sure you were okay. You looked like you were about to headbutt the window.” She said.
Bob tried to calm down. His breathing and heart were calm and going normally, but his brain was on the verge of exploding with how rapidly it was running through ideas or explanations.
“I just…I’m sorry Mom.” Bob said, rubbing his eyes.
“It’s okay. Let’s go lay in bed.”
She made her way to grab the pillow off the couch and put it on the mattress, Bob very slowly making his way to the bedroom.
“When I had a seizure…why didn’t you call anybody?” Bob asked, still rubbing his eyes.
His Mother froze for a few seconds as she looked down at their mattress on the floor.
“What do you mean?” She asked.
“Like…you didn’t call the police or an ambulance.” Bob replied.
“I didn’t have time to. I was checking on you and then you started to feel better.” She replied.
“How long?” Bob asked.
“Only a few minutes.” She said as she fluffed up the pillows the best she could.
Bob continued to stare at her. He looked over towards the boarded up window. The lights weren’t on, leaving the room clouded in darkness. The shadow of his Mother subtly changed.
“I’m going to need you to wake up.”
A deep voice that Bob recognized came from the darkness, the source unable to be seen.
Her head turned to the side, revealing glowing orange eyes. Bob jumped backwards and fell to the ground, crawling quickly towards the window for the living room, quickly grabbing the curtains to open them and let the neon lights shine inside.
The orange eyes slowly made their way through the doorway. The sound of their head rubbing against the hard concrete wall filled the air.
“This place…it’s not what you think it is. I’m going to need you to trust me.” The voice continued to speak as the eyes drew closer.
“No. Where’s my Mom?” Bob asked.
The eyes grew closer in the darkness, stopping just at the edge where the neon lights ended on the floor.
“That woman is not your Mother. She is nothing but a lie. Everything around you is a lie. You must escape.” The voice spoke.
Bob was breathing heavily, but the words stuck with him inside his head.
“No…no you’re the one lying. How can I trust you?” Bob asked.
The glowing eyes slowly faded, leaving nothing but shadow.
Then a black boot stepped into the neon light on the floor. Another stepped, revealing the bottom of a large black trench coat. The figure took two more steps until the light was illuminating up to their chest. Inside the coat, Bob could see leather clothing covering the figure’s body. Attached to the waist was the handle of a large black revolver.
The exact revolver he saw in his vision.
The body slowly began to squat down, more and more of the body becoming exposed to the light. Bob closed his eyes tightly, not wanting to see whatever was in front of him.
“Because I’m you.”
Bob heard the voice speak before he opened his eyes.
His Mother’s face was inches away from him. Her hands were on his face and neck as her eyes were crying.
“Sweetie?” She asked, her breathing broken and staggered. She tried to catch her breath, but her lungs refused to cooperate at first.
“Mom?” Bob asked.
He quickly hugged his Mother without hesitation, crying as he buried his face into her chest. They both cried loudly as they hugged, Bob gripping her clothing as tightly as he could.
Bob could feel his eyes glowing softly, illuminating his eyelids.
He could hear the fluorescent tube hum again.
Her soft fabric shirt suddenly felt rough and stiff.
The concrete floor felt softer, like it was covered in padding.
He could feel artificial light blasting down onto his skin, yet he kept his eyes closed.
Bob kept crying as he tried to shut his eyes tighter.
There was one feeling Bob couldn’t erase.
He could feel multiple pairs of eyes watching him closely.
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