Boredom
Boredom
My eyes hurt. I can't close them. Not completely. I lie on my back, and I can not move. My clothes are damp. They are slowly stealing away the water the grass wants. The sky is bright.
A lattice of clouds drift, and my gaze follows. Why can't I move like they do? Why is it only my eyes that hurt, and nothing else?
The clouds form a castle. At first, it is an outline. I concentrate, and it hurts my eyes some more. The castle resolves itself in the clouds, now a three dimensional sculpture, however many kilometres above.
I watch the castle drift across the sky. It starts to lose its shape, as the currents assault it. A kingdom come, a kingdom gone, before I even got a chance to blink my eyes.
Why can't I blink my eyes? Panic. Adrenaline. Paralysed terror, like an injection at the dentist. The castle is gone. My eyes are open. They still hurt.
The ground quakes gently as some, something - approaches. It walks by. Just a person.
They walk beyond my transfixed gaze. They vanish out of it. They return, looking down at me. "Why are you lying on the footpath?" I don't blink. Am I even breathing?
They kneel down. A hand touches my face. I see the concern in their face. I can't speak. "What's your name?" I can't speak. I watch the indistinct cloud that was a castle pass by behind their head. It is now a horse. Their hand is cold and calloused, yet compassion conducts their action.
They make a phone call. They speak in urgent tones. Unresponsive. Unmoving. An indistinct description of my form.
They return. I gaze at the horse. They click their fingers in front of my eyes. I don't blink. Why are you spoiling the view?
The noise begins. A whining in my ears, getting louder. I can hear. I can see. My eyes hurt. I can't move. The siren is silent no sooner than I could hear it. Two forms emerge, carrying green bags.
If only I could speak, I could tell them, I only took the drugs because I was bored.
Author's Notes
Another prompt from my writing group. Not particularly happy with the output or outcome of this one, but I wanted to try and experiment with the present tense, to make the story feel more "now", and have some different pacing.
I'm not sure how I did, but I'd love to find out.
Well I didn't get bored halfway through, so there's that!:)
At least it held attention! Kept trying to add new stimuli.
Gosh your critique is so finely tuned. Do you write reviews often? You should!
Thank you! I took a course in review writing and I'm delighted you agree it wasn't a waste of time.
😂 Definitely worth the 50 cents.
Cheek! I paid double that!
succcckkker
Hah this is a good one! Brings you right behind your eyes experiencing the break from reality. Not bored anymore are ya?
I never took any of the drugs officer
You did absolutely beautifully.
It's usually the ones we're not so sure about that becomes totally gripping.
Hooked from start to finish!
The magic happens when I leave my comfort zone.
Green bags? Does that mean he has a chance?
I was expecting a big body bag.
PS. this totally reminds me of a dream I once head... I might write a chaser to your story.
Yeah, the paramedics carry green bags as part of their kit here :)
So you were merciful today.
Not all of my characters die! :D But .. they might in some of my upcoming stories!
Oh god . That made me very panicy . Nicely done. Had 2 15 year old girls OD recently in the public toilets of a property we manage. I was there at the time. Two of them convulsing in the toilets. I laid them out and rang the ambulance. Bloody two of them ate a load of mushrooms. It was touch and go for a while. They spent a week in hospital.
PTSD unlocked. This wasn't the great story I prophesized. That's still to come. I promise it will be less traumatic.
God I've eaten loads of mushrooms and never been hospitalized, though once my son and his mate took some, and it was just after his mate had a eye op, and he went temporarily blind and called an ambulance that my son also got in because he had also eaten them and it cost them 4 grand. Idiots.
Jesus . The paramedics went mad when they found out it was mushrooms because they are so inconsistent . He said at least with crack or heroin they know how to handle it. With mushrooms it’s different . I am still shocked
Fave line
So much monumental shit can happen between the start and the end of a blink. It isn't very long, but a catalyst for causality doesn't need much time.