Another sleepless night
I have been suffered from insomnia for a long long time. Sometimes I even felt like my life is just a haulluciantion, I can't tell if it's really happening, or that's just part of dream. Lying on the soft mattress has been the most nervous thing in my life. It was helpless, just like someone is sending me on the operating table, without any anesthetic injected in my vein. And for the next 4-6 hours of darkness, I did hear someone's screaming in my head, and my heartbeats are heavy like dumbbells falling off on the gym ground.
Usually at this unusual moment, I have to [[do something to help me sleep -> I have to do sth]]I have to do something
Doing nothing in bed can not help me sleep at all. I am scared of the horryfying emptiness right after I closed my eyes, which is like a free diver suffering from oceanophobia: I feel the inifinite space hidden in the darkness below my feet and above my head. And I have no idea what is beyond me in the front, which could ba a deep-sea Megalodon opening its mouth like a blackhole.
Yes I have to do something, and better be something that can light up the dark, or that can make me move out this empty place
[[My phone is right next to my pillow -> pick up my phone]]
[[Looking out of the window, the city didn't fall asleep yet, I could still see neons shining in the grocery store -> take a walk]]Listening to music may help right? I need to find a way to calm me down anyway.
But when I switch on my phone, all I can see are overwhleming messages from my clients...This is definitely not the time for work! But it seems like I can't control over my fingers to tap onto each notifications...
Come on... what should I do...
[[Ignore all the notifications, turn on podcast for a calming music -> spotify]]
[[Ok, let's see what my clients are complaining about.. -> imessgae]]Yes, ok yes. I should take a walk. Some fresh air may help
It's after midnight so I won't walk too far. Thank god I live in a safe neighborhood...
But where should I go now?
[[A pack of cigarattes? yes, a cigaratte can calm me down...well, the grocery is still open -> grocery store]]
[[The park is nice...that's the park I usually chill out during the day. I like the air there -> park]]It is post-2 am but the 711 is still crowded! Can you imagine I have to stand in a line at this time just for a pack of cigarettes?
What are all these lonely people doing here? are they all losing their sleep? Ohh, man...I'm glad I am not the only one. But it is so hilarious to see people in pajamas wandering in a grocery store after 2 am in the morning.
Did someone just pat on my shoulder?
Well, I turn around see a Tyrannosaurus standing behind me
[['Yo, what's wrong buddy?', I said -> Tyrannosaurus]]I sit on a bench in the park. It's quiet and nice as always. The park feels better at night with the breeze and the chirping of cicadas.
Wait, is there something behind me?
"Hey, you! You just sat on my tuxedo!!"
What?? I can't believe I just saw a chimpanzee sitting right next to me with a tuxedo and carrying a leather suitcase.
I mean...should I talk to him?
[['Hey man you want some banana?' -> No banana! ]]
[['Oops sorry, what's inside that suitcase?'-> Time machine ]]OMG. that is a huge monster. I mean...yea, it's a Tyrannosaurus, right?
"Hey man, can you do me a favor?" The Tyrannosaurus said.
"What?" I'm just an impatient guy.
"You know, my arms are really short. I just bought these cigarettes...can you help me put one in my mouth cuz I can't reach it..."
[['Sure, my pleasure', I can't believe I just feed a cigarette into a Tyrannosaurus' mouth -> Tyrann smoking ]]
[[Excuse me? Did you hear what he just said? 'Ohh hell no, I'm not gonna do that stupid sh*t'-> Tyrann walk away ]]The Tyrannosaurus suck down the entire cigarette all at once. I have never seen anyone can blow a gigantic ring of smoke like he did in my life.
The ring just pass along my body and it smells like menthol with cinnamon. It's indeed refeshing.
He spits out the cigarette on the ground and said, "Ohh, good. You know what I feel after the cigarette?"
"What?" I'm not being impatient this time, but rather curious.
"Appetite, bro. A good appetite!"
[["Wait, what??"-> Tyrann eating]]"No, I can't do that", I said facing him backwards.
After a few moments of silence, I hear the Tyrannosaurus yelling from my back,
"Ohh man.... it's 2020 and you still not trust a Tyrann?? I'm telling you bro... I'm a vegan! V-E-G-A-N, Vegan! I won't do any harm to you, why you don't trust me?"
He turns around and walks away, but he just won't stop yelling with his giant head shaking like a pendulum.
"I told you I'm a vegan..."
Honestly, I start feeling a bit guilty, just watching him walked away disappointedly.
I finally get my pack of cigarettes. I left the store and decided to find where the Tyrann goes. But I can't. Maybe he just went back home, or maybe he find someone else to help.
The guilt start filling my heart. It is all about not offering trust to someone that's trustworthy. How come I am being such an asshole like this??
[[I went back home-> Back home]]I know I am probably being overreacted, but I'm such an asshole...
I went back to my room and still can't sleep. It's just getting worse and worse. Going out only makes me feel bad and ugly. I shouldn't be there. I'd rather have loneliness and the emptiness sumberging all over me. Human interactions makes me even more anxious.
What should I do?
I'm just staring at the ceiling, feeling like it's gonna collapse to me at any seconds during the long night.
[['Again, what should I do' -> I have to do sth]]I know I should never trust a Tyrannosaurus!
But it's already too late. He opens his bloody mouth and covers me up like putting a dead bird in a trash bag. I can definitely feel I am being swallowed in as I slide into his stomach all of a sudden.
His stomach is stirring my body, along with other bones and garbages left over. The acid spilled into my eyes and I can see nothing but just red color filled in my perspctive. I can't feel my legs, or maybe they are already eroded in the acid.
I am being digested! What can I do now?? Can I scream? Can I still make some noise?
[["Ahhhhhhhh!"-> Wake up]]"Ahhhhhhh!"
Did I die?
I sit up. Sweat spread all over my sheet and my quilt got kicked off from my bed. Bright golden sunshine passes through the curtain and warms up my feet. It's 10 am in the morning and my alarm has gone off three times.
I did fall asleep! All those crazy things are just nightmares. But even nightmares are worth celebrating: I just woke up from a dream!
Nothing can make me happier than getting awake from a dream. I lay down and smile towards the ceiling, and I am feeling like I just had the sweetest dream ever.
But what day is today? Wednesday?
"Ohh sh*t...I'm late for work...""You want some banana?" I asked the chimpanzee.
"Ok, this gentleman. I am not a beggar and I'm probably even richer than you! Plus, I don't eat banana. I just had a Filet Mignon for my dinner."
What a cocky monkey! I didn't intend to show any disrespect! Ok, fine, seems like it's a bad openline anyway. I'll ask something he might be interested in.
[['Emmm, so what's inside that suitcase?'-> Time machine ]]'What's inside that leather suitcase?' I asked.
'It's a undo-er, a repentence inverter....a time machine can let's you go back to any moment of life that you made a regreful decision. Ohh by the way, I am an inventor, a very productive inventor. I only invent things that can affect time and space, you know, my scope of ideation and creativity...'
The chimpanzee starts lecturing his phililosophy about invention, but all I'm curious about is the time machine.
[['So you said you have a time machine?' -> A regretful decision]]'Yes, yes! A time machine, if you insist to call it this way. Even though I am still thinking it might need a name that is more.. you know..profound and metaphorical, you know something like...' The Chimpanzee said.
'So how does it work?'I interrupt him again.
'Ohh, this thing? the time machine? It's magical! super magical! You just tell it the moment when you feel regretful, and then it will teleport you back to the time and place before you made that decision.'
‘Just that easy?’I'm surprised.
'Yes, indeed, young man. You know simplicity is the most impportant things while you are designing. Simplicity is not euiqvalent to you know, being simple....'
Great, I am gonna try this time machine!
[['I should not break up with my girl firend that rainy night when I....' -> It doesn't work]]
[['I should graduate one year earlier for college so that I...' -> It doesn't work]]'Ahh, I'm sorry, young man' The chimpanzee said, 'It doesn't work this way, it's my fault, the instruction needs more clarification...'
'What?' I said.
'Yes, this time traveller still has some techincal limitations...err...which means, it can only teleport you back within the time range of one hour...'
'One hour? ohh come on man...I didn't make any meaningful decisions in the past hour!'
'Do you?'The chimapanzee starts questioning me, 'Have you not make any decisions at any moement of your life? Any decisons matter, young man! You know, our life is a chain reaction that links all cause and effects together...'
I somehow agree with this old wordy chimpanzee on this point. I did made some regretful choices before I came here!
[['I should be lying in my bed and not come to this weird place 2 am in the morning!' -> I have to do sth]]
[['I should not come to this park and having this crapy and creepy conversation with this old chimp! ' -> take a walk]]To be continued...Well, it seems like the message is not about complaining my work. However, just as scary as it sounds, it is a blackmail saying my client is being kidnapped...
"Don't ask who I am and you will never know who I am. Now, I got your boss. Penny Wen is in my hand and she is right besides me screaming and crying. You wanna see her? or you want to get back all the money she owes you? I know you hate her, I know it too well. But it seems like she is the only one where you get your income from, right? So if do care about your money, drive to Catalina island before 6 am and meet me at the harbour."
Is this even real?
I sit up all of a sudden and hesitate about what to do....
[[You know what? I'm just gonna ignore it..who knows it's a fraud or not..Music on!-> spotify]]
[[To Catalina? Are you kidding me? How am I gonna make to CA from NY in 4 hours?? Anyway, I gotta go now! -> Drive to CA]]Wait...there's no way I can make to California in 4 hours!
I have to text back the kidnapper to see if he/she can give me 3 more hours.
"Hey, please don't hurt Penny. I am on my way now. I'm coming all the way from New York City but there's no way I can make there by 6 am. Could you please, please give me some extra time?"
"Impossible." The kidnapper replies immediately.
[[What should I do now -> transportation]]
[[Damn it! I'm giving up! Let's go back home and get some sleep with some music! -> spotify]]
Before I could think of anything to reply the kidnapper, he sends another message right after.
'There's a spaceship in your backyard, get on that one and it can send you to Catalina in 30 mins'
A what? a spaceship? in my backyard?
Do I even have a backyard?
[[Go to the backyard! -> backyard]]
[[Come on, this can't be real! let's get back to bed and have some music for sleep -> spotify]]It turns out I do have a backyard, but since when did I get one?
There's no spaceship parking in my backyard but just an empty plate.
'Is that one? is that the flying disk that can send me to Catalina in 30 mins?' I ask myself.
Meanwhile, the kidnapper send me another message.
"Get on that plate!"
The plate is no larger than my two bare feet together. I almost crack the plate after I stand on it.
"Now, close your eyes, and wait for the engine starts!" The kidnapper says.
[[Close my eyes -> PennyWen]]
[[Screw it! screw all these bizzare haullucinations! I know these can't be real. Stay calm and let's go back to sleep! -> spotify]]I close my eyes and do feel the engine is starting. My feet is tembling in the plate like two pork knuckles. And I can feel myself is shrinking down into something tiny.
I dare not open my eyes. But all I think about right now is Penny Wen. Yes I hate her, I hate so much that she negates all my efforts I did for my job. She is the most terrible boss I ever had in my life. I need to find her. I have to find her back to get all the money she owes me, and I will quit the job and never see her again, ever....
Wait...I've already opened my eyes right?
[[Why is it so dark? -> steak]]Suddenly I saw light coming in my sight. Did I arrived? I'm in Catalina right now?
NO!
It is a gaint cloche removed from my head, and I am still on the plate. I can see Penny Wen right above me. Her giant face with ugly smile and saliva all over her lips. She holds up the fork and knife points towards me.
I became a piece of steak.
She cuts me into pieces, and pieces into pieces. I start losing my consciousness, but can still tell the smell of her lipstick and the saliva all over by body. I'm being chewed and swallowed, along with brocolli, carrots and garlics. They are screaming, with juices pop out from their body.
I know I'm dying, and I started screaming as well.
[["Ahhhhhhhh!"-> Wake up]]
↶↷Another sleepless night
I have been suffered from insomnia for a long long time. Sometimes I even felt like my life is just a haulluciantion, I can't tell if it's really happening, or that's just part of dream. Lying on the soft mattress has been the most nervous thing in my life. It was helpless, just like someone is sending me on the operating table, without any anesthetic injected in my vein. And for the next 4-6 hours of darkness, I did hear someone's screaming in my head, and my heartbeats are heavy like dumbbells falling off on the gym ground.
Usually at this unusual moment, I have to do something to help me sleep