par Day 1, 09:57 a.m : KYOTO, RESIDENTIAL ZONE 69, SKYSCRAPER 36, 91583TH FLOOR, APARTMENT N°76421.
Wake up. Get out of bed. Go to Bathroom. Shave Beard. Wash Face.
Everything is fine, you live in a perfect world.
Open Faucet. Get Undressed. Get in Shower. Reach for Soap. Wash Body. Put Soap Back. Reach for Shampoo. Wash Hair. Put Shampoo Back.
Everything is fine, you live in a perfect world.
Go to Kitchen. Take Bowl out. Pour Cereal. Pour Milk. Sit on Chair.
Everything is fine, you live in a perfect world.
Everything is fine, you live in a perfect world.
Everything is fine, you live in a perfect world.
Everything is…
- “No.”
The thought had burst out, cold and controlled, yet with an unspoken anger beneath it, that kind of anger that could make you the most powerful and feared creature in the world.
Everything is fine, you live in a perfect world.
- “No. Nothing is fine…”
Everything is fine, you live in a perfect world.
- “…You are telling us what to do each and every day…”
Everything is fine, you live in a perfect world.
- “…And we can’t even control any aspect of our lives…”
Everything is fine, you live in a perfect world.
Everything is fine, you live in a perfect world.
- “Forced to obey, like robots…”
Everything is fine, you live in a perfect world. Everything is fine, you live in a perfect world. Everything is fine, you live in a perfect world.
- “…Is this your vision of an ideal world ?”
EVERYTHING IS FINE, YOU LIVE IN A PERFECT WORLD.
- “NO, NOTHING IS FINE. STOP TRYING TO MAKE ME FALL FOR YOUR LIES !”
EVERYTHING IS FINE, YOU LIVE IN A PERFECT WORLD.
- “STOP ! THIS PERFECT WORLD IS A LIE. I HAVE BEEN BELIEVING YOU FOR TOO LONG NOW. GET OUT OF MY MIND !”
EVERYTHING IS FINE, YOU LIVE IN A PERFECT WORLD.
- “ENOUGH !!!”
And then, suddenly, an explosion. All I saw was white, shining, blinding me. It felt… amazing. Like a rebirth. Like a bird finally set out of its cage. Like I finally found out who I really was. In fact, that was the case : I was finally free of that voice in my mind that kept controlling me, finally free to embrace my proper self, finally free to start my new life as the real version of me…
But let’s just say that my new life started pretty badly. Especially considering the fact that the first thing I did was fainting.
Day ?, ?? : ?? ??
- “Is he OK ? Do you think he’s going to wake up ?”
- “Chances are high, even though he experienced a very sudden loss of energy. The worst part is over. It’s just a matter of hours now.”
As I heard those words, my eyes opened slowly. Everything was blurry, I could only distinguish colors, but eventually my vision became clear again. I was lying down on a white hospital bed in a clear white room. Two people were standing next to me, talking in whispers : a man and a woman.
- “Shush now, he woke up !” Said the woman, who was facing me. She sat next to me. “Are you all right, sir ? Is anything hurting ?”
- “My shoulder… and my jaws…” I managed to say between two moans of pain (talking is extremely difficult and painful when both your jaws are broken, you know).
- “Let me see…” She replied. She snapped her fingers, and a sphere of red light was conjured around my shoulder. Another sphere, yellow this time, lit my mouth. She sighed in relief. “Thank goodness, It’s way better than what I expected. Your shoulder is broken, but most of the healing process is done ; you just need to rest for a couple of days. The jaws are broken at several spots, but a glass of Skelemender before bed should do the trick !” She took out of her white blouse a blue bottle and a glass ; then she poured the viscous, purple liquid that came out of the bottle in the glass and put it in my valid hand. “Drink now, it’ll help!”
I considered the situation. Can you trust her ? She could have slipped some Shi, the most powerful poison ever known, in that bottle. But on the other hand, Maybe she is trying to help. I saw the badge on her blouse ; She’s clearly an Antigovernmentalist ; and she must also know that I’ve just resisted to the Government’s brainwash ; in that case, we are in the same camp. Oh, screw it, I’m going to drink this glass.
With my valid hand, I held the glass up to my lips and took a sip. The liquid tasted like rotten octopus, feet that haven’t been washed in a month, and dirty diapers. I winced at the horrible taste, but I continued to drink nevertheless. Eventually I finished the drink, then crashed into sleep.
Day ?, ?? : ?? ??
It was lone and cold outside. Rain was pouring. The sky was a gloomy shade of grey. But it wasn’t that that shook me the most.
This was not Kyoto. In my memories, – were they memories, by the way, or just a utopian image the Government implanted in the brains of the citizens ? – Kyoto was a green and happy place, where the sun would shine every single day, there were no deaths nor illnesses, no violence nor conflicts, everyone would be living in peace and cohabiting together to form the perfect society.
Yet this Kyoto was totally different. Wherever I walked, a grey floor which was extremely dirty. No light. No greenery. No life. I was taken aback. Please don’t let it be real. Please tell me it’s a dream. Tell me I’m going to wake up. This can’t be the Kyoto I’ve known. This is impossible.
I continued to walk. Step after step.
4°3 EL HABBAB Anas
