Standard Light Switch
My mind is empty. It is a blank and rotten place. No thoughts are coming in or out; it’s like a chalkboard, but without chalk to write with.
Due to some bizarre event, I somehow managed to freeze time. One morning, As I stumbled out of the bathroom, freshly showered, I set my soiled clothes on my pink one hundred percent cotton blanket. I looked up at my ceiling fan; it wasn’t moving.
“My fan’s broken!” I called down to my mom, hoping to get her attention, but no answer, which didn’t worry me because that was how we communicated. I rapidly strolled down the stairs of our family home. There was no noise, no conversations, just silence.
“Hello?”
Was there anyone home? It sure didn’t sound like it, usually, I would hate all the noise and stupid discussions, but my gut felt as if it were hit by a kid practicing karate moves. Immediately, I went to the kitchen. Everyone was home, everyone motionless, like the sculpture of David by Michelangelo, but less naked and less marbled.
“Are you making pancakes?” I tried to talk, to maybe wake them up or, not wake them up, but breakthrough to them. Nothing.
I tried to think of a solution, but my brain had shut down, I had no chalk to write with. Is this it? No, it can’t be. Can it? No, there’s no way. I ran up the stairs again, took all my clothes off, and got in the shower. I attempted to recreate what had happened, but still, when I came downstairs, they stood there, unmoving. I did it again, nothing. Again, nothing. I did this at least five million times, but still fucking nothing.
Outside, the sun and people who were once walking their dog, getting their mail, or who were just outside at the time of the world freezing, stand immobile. Who would do something like this? What kind of sick fuck would want to stop time? But as I look around the only sick fuck still walking around was me. How did I cause this? I don’t know. It’s not like I can flip a switch and turn everything back to the way it was, it’s just not possible.
I had a massive headache located in the back of my head that has been there the whole time. Has it? Yes. I’m not sure. I reach around back there, feeling for nothing, but just trying to make the pain go away. There is something there though, something small, but large enough for me to notice. It feels like an earring? No. A fingernail? No, that’s way to — That’s just not — a light switch? That’s it — It feels like it. I think for a second, nothing, no chalk. I turn on the light switch growing out of my cranium. Everything turns back on again, dogs, cats, fish, the sun, the sky, people, you name it.
I rush back inside, my family standing there, moving this time. My smile grew close to my ears.
“Hi”
“Hi. Do you want pancakes?”
I stand there in the midst of all the loud dialogue, unsure what to say next.
“Can we just stay like this?” I announce, hoping they’ll feel the same way.
“Well, eventually we have to go to work and do other things.” They don’t get it.
“I know, but could we just stay like this for this morning?”
“Your mother and I have to go to the store to get food for this week. Is there anything you want for — “
I turned off the switch.
Thank you for reading… If you would like to support this mess, buy me a cup of coffee.
