The Dryerman's Dance
"Money! For money! Because of money!!!"
I leaned against the door to the kitchen, waiting for the dishes. The restaurant was freaking busy on Saturday. The restaurant door opened, followed by the sound of the bell.
"Hello! Welcome!" Another couple went in, followed by another bunch of college students. I didn't have any break, did I?
I got home at 2 a.m. and felt dead, inside and outside.
"I'm home! Welcome home!" I said and replied myself.
"Jeez, my hair smells, I have to take a shower"
My sister messaged me that she had a night shift in the hospital. The apartment was silent.
"Haiz, who's going to care if I smell anyway?"
I didn't have any money, nor friends, I didn't attend college and didn't have many hobbies. I have always been stupid I guess.
"I care though"
However, I have had a decent life so far. An ordinary life, like my sister used to admire about me.
Despite how tired I was on the way home; I was surprisingly awake after taking the cold shower. I usually take a cold shower to save some money, maybe that's why.
The apartment looked quite... sad. It's dirty and clothes hanging around everywhere. My sister wasn't the type to notice such chaos, and I was nonchalant most of the time.
"I guess I'll do some cleaning"
I started with collecting the clothes and put them in the washing machine. I cleaned the kitchen. I vacuum cleaned the living room and both my sister's and my room. Then I sorted out the trash.
"Hmm, maybe I'll throw the trash now too!"
So I took my phone and went downstairs with the trash bags.
"Kinda getting cold already now"
Across the parking lot, the convenience store was still open. I didn't remember it was 24/7.
Occcccc occccc
My stomach just asked for food...
I looked at my phone and decided to go to the convenience store. I got two cups of instant ramen, which cost three dollars each. Everything just became insanely expensive recently, or was it me who regressed to be insanely poor?
"I'm home!"
I said when entering the apartment, knowing my sister wasn't there. It's just a habit.
The washing machine played a little melody.
"Looks like time for drying them!"
After turning the electric boiler on, I wondered if I should smoke a little before eating.
I felt pretty good after smoking. The boiler was ready, so I poured the water in the ramen cup and covered it with a lid. Now time for the stupid dryer!
But...
W-w-ww-wh---wha---t?
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"
"AAAAAAAAA"
Aaaa...
THERE'S A FREAKING NAKED GUY IN THE DRYER!
All my neurons stopped functioning. I was, in fact, physically dead.
But wait, I must be hallucinating. It must be the effect of weed. Goddamn. Some good shit. Jimmy's weed is top-notch this time, isn't it?
The naked guy crawled out of the dryer, holding a blue sock in his hand.
Wow, look at that admirable length...
"Well this is awkward", he said, before snapping his fingers.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"
THE FREAKING NAKED GUY JUST TALKS!
But wait...
What's with the finger-snapping thing?
Something's supposed to happen now? Some kind of hypnotizing technique? Then it must be the weed! That was some showy boasty shit.
I thought some magical thing would happen.
"That was freaking lam...e..."
Before I passed out, I heard the FREAKING NAKED GUY said.
"You do swear a lot after smoking, don't you?"
I was totally lame, wasn't I?
I woke up again. I didn't know how long I was asleep, but it was dark around me. Everything's covered in black as if I was in a circuit opening arc.
"Lilia?"
My sister wasn't around then.
I stood up, not knowing on what kind of surface I stood upon.
"Hello?"
And why did my voice echo so much? Am I in a cave or something? Fuck, this must be because of the weed, right?
I decided to punch myself. I should wake up from this weird black dimension.
But I didn't feel a single thing. I couldn't even feel any pain. I slapped myself on the right cheek. Nothing. Left cheek. Nothing.
Right cheek again. Nothing.
Left cheek. Negative.
Again right cheek. Left cheek.
I could touch my face and know I touch my face. But I couldn't tell whether my cheeks hurt or not, even though it's my own body.
I touched my head, knowing my hair was still there. I still have two arms, and two legs. I started pulling my hair strand. Again, I couldn't do it, not even one strand of hair. It didn't hurt at all. I bit my tongue, but I couldn't either. My tongue felt hard as a rock, but I was certain it was soft in my mouth. I couldn't even kill myself if I want to?
Just what is this?
I looked around me, however, my eyes were tired after a few minutes. I tried to open my eyes as wide as possible, however, it's just pitch black, the exact same black when I close my eyes. But I did not close my eyes!
I realized I had closed my eyes the whole time. It didn't matter if I closed or not either way. There was no sound. My ears can't catch a thing. I wasn't born deaf for sure. I tried focusing on my nose. No scent came to me. Everything's at its most ordinary state, nothing burned, no ramen, no soap. I tried opening my mouth to taste something, however, I failed to taste anything. Other than my own body, my hands didn't feel any objects besides me.
touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste
And I got no information from my surrounding.
This doesn't make sense!
I started running. But rather than walking a concrete surface, I felt like I could walk all directions in space, no matter the angle. Every step, I didn't know where I was heading to. I just ran away.
It felt like an eternity before I decided to stop. I didn't even feel tired or sweat a tear. I could breathe normally.
Just where could this be?
I should have focused on studies real hard in high school, maybe if so, I would know where I was at this moment. I should have read those books my sister had in her stacks. I should have just tried harder making friends. I shouldn't have complained so much about working at the restaurant. I should have got better at handling things on my own. I should have I didn't know anymore.
There were so many should-haves even though I was only 22. That alone made me laugh a bit. How ironic. I was only 22, and here I was, about to give in to this stupid black hole.
"Hey, you? Where are you?"
Nothing came to my ears, but the echo of my own voice. I repeated myself again.
And again no replies.
"You naked stupid freaking guy! Come out here!"
"..."
"This is your stupid doing, I know it without using one brain cell, you know?"
Finally, I heard something. It was more like a laugh, rather than a reply. A sarcastic one. I felt relieved, at the same time, alert.
"WHERE ARE YOU? You're afraid of me? Show your face, demon!"
I continued calling out. I opened my eyes, then I closed my eyes. It made no difference.
I didn't become blind, did I?
He laughed. This time, it was louder. But nothing appeared. Why was that? Why?
And I heard his voice, loud and clear.
"How have you been, Daisy?"
"Yup, know you there! Thanks for kidnapping me, you ain't getting a crack of dust, leave alone money! I'm pretty poor, you know?"
I turned around, looking for him.
Again, nothing.
"Let me go!"
The whole place was still pitch black. I didn't want to solve this mysterious puzzle anymore. Otherwise, I'd be scared.
I heard him take a breath.
Why did I feel like his presence's just right here? Was it just in my head?
"Daisy? Would you dance with me?"
Before I knew it, my hands were held, the music started.
"Daisy! You must be nervous dancing with me, right? You're bizarre, you know? Hahahaha"
Somehow, his voice resembled someone.
"Daisy? "I'll be in your care! Let's get along!"
It was the first time I met him. He was my deskmate in high school. He smiled so brightly that I felt nervous standing in front of him.
"Daisy? Do you like this song?" the darkness asked me. His breath was right next to my ears. He was close to me that I felt like I could touch the real him.
"Daisy? Do you like this song?"
My deskmate shared with me his favorite song. It was a rock song in Japanese, I didn't understand much. His eyes were filled with excitement. But just listening to it with him, it was nice.
"Your mind's not into dancing at all! Are you hungry?" The darkness asked me, his voice sounded like he's worried.
"Daisy? Are you hungry? I've got snacks, give me 1 dollar though hehe"
My deskmate asked me. We were in the middle of a History lesson. He sure was bold. He shared with me and our friends his snacks. We all hid our chuckles behind the books.
I felt soothed and relaxed. That brought back the memories.
"Don't you fall asleep! The music is too good!"
"Daisy? Don't sleep in class! Bet you don't want to be less quote-unquote smart hehe"
My deskmate tried to keep me awake. He constantly shook my arm from time to time. Chemistry lessons sure bored me.
"Daisy, come watch my match!"
My deskmate asked me to come to his football match. He was fouled and injured in minute 10th and stayed on the bench the rest of the match. That was lame, hehe. But that was real sad, man.
"Daisy, I'll walk you home!"
My deskmate walked me from school to home. It was nice. Although my best friend kept teasing me the following month. She said we're like... a douple? Or couple? Or what?
"Daisy, let's do our best in our exam!"
"Daisy, congratulations! We're college students now! Can't drink yet though!"
"Daisy, would you be my girlfriend? Like girlfriend without space in between hehe"
"Daisy! You bought ice cream hehe! Naisu!! I bought us burgers and your fav fries!"
"Daisy!"
"Daisy..."
--
"DAISY!"
The last image of him in my mind just appeared. My body stiffened hearing the darkness's voice.
My chest hurt.
"Daisy, come closer!"
The darkness put my arms around its "neck" and it put its "arms" around my waist.
"Daisy..."
He held me in his arms. I could feel his heart beating. I could feel his warmth. I could hear his voice, calling my name to come over beside him.
"My last wish was to dance with you, Daisy" the darkness said.
"I wish I could dance with you, Daisy"
He smiled, his eyes sparkled like a thousand stars, but my tears just didn't hold back falling on his face. His eyes gradually closed.
The darkness hugged me.
"Daisy, like a flower, though you smell a bit nicer hehe" His voice was warm, and his laugh was like the summer wind while I was drowning in a pool of ice as everything left me.
"Daisy, forget me"
My hands held tight. I did not feel anything anymore. It was pitch black.
"Don't..."
I couldn't hold.
I couldn't speak.
I couldn't cry.
My tears couldn't fall.
I couldn't be hurt.
In this lonesome painless world, a whirling storm's roaring inside me, yet I wasn't hurt. My heart's in insufferable pain, yet it remained unscathed. If this is what it takes to continue living on, even I could do it.
Goodbye I love you.
...
I woke up on my bed, just like any other Sunday.
I went to the kitchen and realized I didn't even eat my ramen. It's strange. I was really hungry yesterday. I went to the bathroom, realizing I forgot to dry the clothes!
"They must smell bad"
From the dryer dropped a sock.
"Well this is awkwark"
Just another strange Sunday, I guess.
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