I stare at the glowing screen in front of me, a blank document stares back, mocking my vacuous ideas. My hands begin to reach for the keyboard as though having some clue of what words to produce. Suddenly, a slight movement appears in the corner of my eye. I quickly look in the direction of the unexpected presence when I’m presented with my peeling walls in the distance. The bright light that once illuminated my face abruptly turns off. I whipped my head back towards the screen, my eyes wide as I watched a distant figure stand behind me through the reflection of the black screen. Quickly, I looked once more, and I’m met with an empty space again. Walking towards my bed, I blame my delusions on my excessive screen time, and promptly pass out onto my bed.
My eyes slowly open, blurring and focusing, adjusting to the sunlight piercing through the curtains. They droop, sleep still lingering to them. I look at the time displayed on my alarm; 11 a.m. glows red as the seconds pass by. I sit paralyzed as I stare at the old picture next to my clock, of my college graduation picture of me and my friends smiling and celebrating. Snapping out of my haze, I get up, my mind still foggy, and I drag myself down the stairs to my kitchen. I open my fridge, finding nothing but two eggs and a half overripe avocado. I make myself some eggs, avocado slices and a black coffee and sit myself at my kitchen island. I reach to take a sip from my mug of black coffee when I catch the same figure in its shiny reflection, this time significantly closer with a visible red clip. I quickly turn around, once again failing to catch the entity.
I make myself another cup of coffee, head upstairs to sit at my computer and hope to progress on my blank document. hours and hours of time pass, and I finally decide to check the time. 1:35 am read the corner of my screen, sleep crept up on me, making me incontinently pass out on my desk.
“Cheri,” calls a distant voice.
“Cheri!” the voice called louder.
I wake with a startle when I’m met with a whole different environment: a school, specifically a classroom, full of students staring back at me. The desk I sit in is wobbly and vandalized. I look at my hands, which I don’t recognize. I sit in confusion. Where am I? Who am I? I question as the teacher begins to continue her lesson. The last thing I could remember was when I checked the time which read 1:35. I check the time once again, looking at the clock on the wall. 2:40 pm was the time that stared back at me. In puzzlement, I get up from the desk and ask to go to the restroom. I stop in front of the mirror, surprised by the unexpected person staring back at me with jet-black eyes. My hair is darker and down to my waist, with a red clip in it. It’s the same red clip I’ve recognized from my hallucinations. I walk out, trying to find an exit to this never-ending building, finally finding a door that wouldn’t open. The windows shine bright white as if no outside world existed. Three seconds later, I’m out once again.
I wake up with a gasp, and I’m met with my computer yet again, this time turned off in its dark reflection. I recognize myself again, and the figure this time was more detailed, as I recognized the red clip. Its hand rested on my shoulder, disappearing as soon as I noticed its presence. Blaming idiopathic hallucinations, I head to bed, noticing how late it really was.
I wake up, and a searing pain pulses through my leg. I look under my blanket as a huge, unsuspecting gash reveals itself, blood painting my bed covers. Wide-eyed and confused, I get up and limp to my front door. As my head starts to feel lightheaded, I sit down on the apartment steps and promptly pass out once more.
My head rings, a stabbing pain going through my head. I look around the room, making me feel small. I realize I’m in a shared room, as I spot two other beds accompanying me. I look at my leg which has been bandaged up, an IV stuck in my left arm. Curious, I got up, holding on to the IV stand for support. I look to the bed on my right and realize it isn’t occupied. I look to the bed on my left and I spot a red clip, the same red clip I’ve seen over and over again. I watch the face of the one who wears it, and it’s the same girl, the same girl who stared back at me in the mirror. Questions rush through my head. A terrifying and shocking realization hits me. I look back at the bed I had rested on and find that my body had never left the bed.
