This Is How It Goes:
The Power of Hallucination
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
“I’m up. I’m up,” I said. My hand searched for my alarm clock, but I felt nothing but air.
Oh, I forgot to tell you who I am. You can just call me…All Mighty Ruler of Earth. I’m your average, everyday person.
Anyway, back to the story. Where was I? Oh! That’s right! My hand searched for my alarm clock, but I felt nothing but air. Where’s my bedside table? Where’s my alarm clock? Wait a minute…if my alarm clock isn’t here, where’s that sound coming from? I opened my eyes, and sat up in my bed.
I suddenly wasn’t in my room. Instead, colorful lights, which looked much like holiday lights, hung from the ceiling. Not my ceiling, the ceiling. My ceiling is white; this ceiling was multicolored. The walls were different on each side. There was a bright yellow wall, a spotted wall, a glass wall, and a wall with strange wiggly things coming in and out of it. Then I spotted the tow truck. Not a real tow truck, of course, just a little toy one moving across the floor. I won’t even try to explain the way the floor looked; just let me tell you, it was not a pretty sight.
Why was there a tow truck in my room? Is this even my room? Where the heck am I?
I got out of the bed, and walked to the glass wall, which happened to be a large window. I blinked at what I saw, and-
FLASH!
-Suddenly I was in my room again. What just happened?
I looked at my alarm clock and saw what time it was. I was running a bit late. I went to my closet, and randomly selected some of my clothes. I walked out the door, and headed for work.
I drove my brand new car on the old dirt road. They really should pave this road. Then like a dream come true, the road became paved. A smooth, newly paved road lay ahead of me, but my car. My brand new car! It was now an ugly old car with rust all over it! The trees were images of my old teachers, my parents, and all the adults in my life. They were shaking a finger at me like I had been a bad person.
FLASH!
The road was dirt again. My car was new again. Everything was going the way it was.
“I really have to start drinking black coffee!” I said to myself.
The train station was crowded. Too many people getting in my way! Suddenly, the Batmobile drove up, out stepped Creamcakes! Creamcakes was the newest band around! Another car pulled up after that. It was a red with blue spots van. Out stepped a red and blue spotted dog. It was Inky, the super-happy-playful-cheerful-hyper dog! I used to love to watch him as a child.
“Go away, Inky! Creamcakes are around, and don’t need a red and blue dog tagging along!” one of the people in Creamcakes said.
“Who cares about what you sing about?” Inky shouted. “Everyone listens to kid songs!”
“Well, bring it on, Inky!”
I didn’t know who to cheer for. Inky or Creamcakes? Suddenly, a huge mob of preschoolers rushed in and jumped on Inky.
The Creamcakes began to laugh, but as they did a huge mob of teenagers rushed in and jumped on them.
This was a very interesting sight. Then a third car pulled in, and out stepped a man in a black suit.
“All selfish people will be exterminated!” he screamed. He aimed at what looked like a fog machine at me. Then-
FLASH!
I was back at the train station with the huge crowd of people waiting to board the train. I shoved my way through. “Move it people! Let me pass!”
I reached my work place, and sat in my chair in my wonderful office. I walked around and checked on everybody. I was, after all, their boss.
Something was in my throat. I was in suddenly in a large room with many chairs filled with my fellow co-workers. The thing in my throat escaped me, “What do you all think of me?”
One word filled the room. Only one word. “Selfish!”
Selfish? I was selfish?
Everyone in the room began to chant “selfish.” I looked around for an exit, but none was to be found. I found myself sweating. I paced the room.
Selfish? How could I be? I remembered when I was five my father brought candy for my birthday to school, and I refused to share. I remembered in high school I bragged about my good grades. I remembered just this morning how I pushed and shoved; even made some people fall to the ground.
The chant wouldn’t get out of my head. My mind filled.
“I’M SELFISH!!!” I screamed. “SELFISH! SELFISH! SELFISH!”
I wanted to start over. Start all over in my life, so that I was not so selfish.
“Are you okay? What’s wrong, honey?” My mother’s voice. Huh? My mother? I looked up. I saw my mother’s face, worried and sad. I looked down and saw my hands were small.
“How old am I?” I asked.
“This many,” she said holding up her fingers. “Six.”
“Six,” I repeated. I smiled, laughed, and cheered at the same time. I got a second chance. I threw up my arms, and said one more time, “Six.”
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