(I hope everyone enjoys this!)
The Room:
A Short Story
Prologue
After I had gotten off work, my eyes felt as though they were connected to ten tons of weight. My back ached, so did my neck. My arms and legs felt like they could fall out of their joints. My shirt was plastered to my chest from all the sweat. Trudging through my small house I found myself in my back bedroom. Fumbling with the light switch to my left, the light that hung over my singles bed illuminated my tiny bedroom. My bedroom was eight feet long, and ten feet wide. It had a tiny closet that was only one foot long, and three feet wide. It was filled to capacity with all my clothes, and other things that I couldn’t find room for in my bedroom. The walls were decorated with bright pink, and blue wallpaper. I wanted to change it, but I didn’t have the money to do so.
In the middle of the floor sat a bed with a blue top, underneath were two layers of sheets. Above on the light that hung above the bed was my dad’s old dog-tags, from when he was in the Vietnam war. They dangled from a silver chain. By the foot of the bed, a few feet away was a white dresser with a large glass mirror. When I was a kid, I had decorated the mirror with old Godzilla stickers. Now the stickers were faded, and barley recognizable, but they were a reminder of my carefree childhood.
The dresser was crammed with books, loose-leaf paper, and assortment of electronics. The electronics included a handheld videogame system, and a cell-phone. The cell-phone was fitted comfortably inside a black, leather case. Running from the case was a matching cord that was plugged into one of the electrical located in my room.
To the right of my bed was a nightstand. It too was crammed to capacity. Sitting on top was a television set, underneath between the nightstands legs was a VCR. I had a few tapes that fitted the VCR inside my closet with the other clutter. On top of the television was a clock radio, it flashed the numbers “10:52”. It was later than I had thought.
Sitting on the edge of my bed, I kicked my shoes off and than peeled the socks off my feet. My feet were killing me as well. Undoing my belt, I pulled my pants off and my shirt. Soon I sat in my underwear. Yawning, I stretched my hands over my head. I was so exhausted.
Pulling back the covers I soon fell into a dreamless sleep.
Day One
My eyes blinked open, and I took in the new day. I could hear the birds chirping excitedly outside, I could see the sun shining through the open window… I stopped, my thoughts had turned else where. Turning onto my side I noticed that my alarm clock hadn’t gone off. “9:22”. I was late for work…
“Damn.” I cursed. Before I could get up I heard the phone ringing from the other side of the house. After two rings the answering machine answered the call.
“Mark this is Buck, where the hell are you?! Get your butt out of bed and get here now!” The voice of Buck, my boss was mean and gruff. Buck was a large man that could handle himself, and when he barked an order you were an idiot not to follow. I pushed the covers off of me, hanging my legs off the side of my bed I rolled my head from left to right. After I felt loose I wiped the sweat from my eyes.
I felt a little better now, my joints weren’t hurting like they were yesterday. I was well rested, and ready for work. Though I could use a shower… Standing I opened my eyes, my lower jaw dropped in surprise. I was facing where my door should have been, instead a blank wall starred back at me. The lighting in the room dimmed, I turned to face the window but it was gone as well, only a blank wall faced me.
“No…” I said in disbelief. It looked as though someone had removed both my door and window, erected a wall over the openings, and than wallpapered over the walls. “This isn’t happening.” I said. I stood near the wall where the door should have been. Taking both my hands I pushed against the wall, it felt solid. Taking my nails I started to scratch away at the wallpaper. A few moments passed, my eyes were focused on my work. As my nail traced up and down the wall a bit of the paper chipped away. Taking my thumb and index-finger, I took the paper and peeled it away. The door was gone, behind the paper was a plain, white wall.
I ran to my window, and preformed the same act. As I peeled away the paper that hid the window, I saw that it too was gone. “No.” I said. I stood near the foot of my bed, my mind was reeling, I was trying to come up with some kind of explanation. “How could this happen?” I asked, aloud. I only drew a blank.
I stood once again in front of the wall that had once held my door. I began to push against it once again, it wouldn’t budge. “DAMN!” I screamed, I pounded my fists against the wall.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
The sound echoed through my room. “HELP ME!” I screamed as loud as I could. I strained my ears, hoping someone had heard me. After a few moments of silence I backed away from the door. “No one can hear me.” I thought.
With quick motion I went to my knees and reached under my bed. I felt around until I felt the cold touch of metal. Pulling out a case from under my bed I turned it up on it’s side. The case had an American bald eagle decorating the top of the case. I began to rumble with the locks. It was a dial-lock. “472” I dialed in the combination. The box opened and I located my knife. Grasping it in my hands I turned back towards the blank wall.
Running the edge of the knife up and down the wall I tried to chisel my way through, but I hadn’t even left a scratch! In desperation I began to stab the wall with the point of the knife, my blows would have killed any one, but it didn’t even dent the wall. My final stab snapped the blade of my knife, the vibration shot through my hand. The pain forced me to drop the ruined knife. The pieces fell to the carpeted floor with a dull thump…
Another idea had come to me, and I mentally kicked myself for not thinking of it sooner. I turned towards my dresser that held my cell-phone. I took large steps towards the dresser, taking up the case I watched as the black cord that ran from the wall to the case fall out, I opened the case, my phone was gone.
My hands started to shake, uncertainty was my only sense. “This isn’t happening.” I said, my voice had failed me, it was filled with fear. The uncertainty was taking over my body. “God… this isn’t happening.” I said, I was moving backwards. I wasn’t watching where I was going, but when the back of my legs hit the bed I sat suddenly. Twisting my arms around myself, as though hugging my own body I started to ponder my situation.
“I had gone to sleep.” I began, I felt better talking out loud. “I went to sleep. I woke up… the window was there… the door was gone. I noticed the door was gone, I saw the lights dim… when my back was turned the window was gone. How?” Nothing was coming to mind. “It was impossible, this can’t happen.”
My hands were shaking badly, my eyes were darting over the floor. To stop the shaking of my hands I tucked them under my arms, but it didn’t seem to help. I jumped to my feet and started to pace, my eyes shot from the place my window should be to my door. Moments ticked slowly by, and in all the time I had spent thinking, I drew a blank.
“11:45” The time was slowly ticking by. I had finally stopped pacing, nothing was happening and in this I took comfort. I was on my bed, leaning against the headboard. Starring up at the ceiling, towards my dads old dog-tags. After a few moments I grew bored. Sighing deeply, and I couldn’t believe I was thinking about it, I got off my bed and picked up my handheld video game. I turned the small system on, the sound of the games music was reassuring.
I once again returned to my bed, game in hand, and started to play. The hours pass, as do the levels in my game. Looking back at the clock I saw that I had wasted three hours. Growing weary of the game, I saved my progress and than turned the system off. Turning towards the television. I didn’t have an antenna, and it wasn’t connected to the cable, I still had a few movies I could watch.
Walking towards my closet I pulled open the door and took down the VCR tapes. I didn’t even look at the titles before I popped them into the machine, the movies started to play instantly.
I wasted a few more hours watching the movies, they were very entertaining and they took my mind off of my situation. Off of my room that had suddenly decided to trap me within it’s walls. To take away my window and my door, it was unbelievable… I still laid on my bed in my underwear, I didn’t see a reason to change. The only sounds besides the movies was the phone call I had received this morning from Buck. He was probably spitting mad today.
I smiled at the thought. The only safe way to tick the guy off was if you were a few miles away from the man.
I had finally finished the last movie, it was nearly eleven at night. My mind was weary from wondering what was happening to me, and I could go with a few hours of good sleep. Maybe everything would be back to normal, and I could leave my room. Maybe this was a dream, maybe if I fell asleep I would wake up and the door and window would be back, I would learn that they were never gone.
I remembered reading somewhere that dreams had deeper meanings. Maybe this dream meant that I felt trapped in my life, that I couldn’t escape. If I woke up tomorrow and my door and window were back, I’d go to work and tell Buck that I quit. I’d become a door greeter if I had to, pay-cut, but it would be better than being trapped in my own bedroom. I turned off the movie, and television and turned off my bedroom light. Tucking myself into bed, I closed my eyes. Minutes later I was asleep.
Day Two
When I had awoke the feeling that something was out of place took over me. I felt as though my room had been violated, and I felt sick to my stomach. Sitting up in bed I saw that my door and window were still missing, it wasn’t a dream. The thought disturbed me. “This is real.” I thought, in dismay. The feeling that something was out of place was still strong within me, but I couldn’t pinpoint it. Yawning, I stretched out my joints. I stretched my arms above my head, I stretched out my legs, and wiggled my hands and feet. I could hear my bones crack, and it felt like a river of blood was rushing into my body.
Swinging my legs over the side of my bed, I located the sense of displacement. My television was gone. The alarm clock that sat on top, was now in the televisions old place. The clock was facing me and the numbers “9:22” showed brightly. Whoever, or whatever made my door and window disappeared had taken my television. The VCR remained… Getting to my feet I started to check my other belongings, my books, papers, VCR tapes, my dads old dog-tags, everything was still here. Than I tried to find my handheld video game system, it too had vanished.
“Come on!” I said, throwing my hand into the air. “I have it…” I thought. I sat on the edge of my bed, a thought had just popped into my mind. “Whatever caused my door and window to vanish, must have come into my room somehow and took my television and handheld.” I shook my head though. “Why did they just take that, though?”
I shook my head again. Getting to my feet I stepped towards my closet. Pulling the door open I started to shuffle through my items. My items were littering the floor of my closet, I had meant to clean it out ages ago, but never got around to it. I found the item I was looking for. Pulling it up through the wreckage of my floor, I held in my left hand a CD player. “Better than nothing.” I thought. I plugged the CD player into the electrical plug-in, than I pressed the play button.
The sounds of piano music filled my small bedroom, it reverberated along the walls. And for a second time since my entrapment I felt at peace. I crawled onto my bed, with my head resting on my pillow I closed my eyes and again started to sleep.
My CD player had just finished playing it’s last piece when I finally awoke. My mind was spinning, and my eyes burned, but I felt even more rested. As I sat up my throat felt parched, and the pangs of hunger reminded me that I hadn’t drank or ate anything for two days. I glanced towards my clock “12:22”. Getting to my feet, I unplugged my CD player from the wall socket, and than returned to bed. I was suddenly exhausted, as though walking from my bed to my CD player had worn me out. I crashed on top of my bed, face down onto my pillow. Seconds later I was sleeping.
Day Three
The fragments of my knife were gone, and so was my CD player. Now Beethoven couldn’t get me through my days. I was being denied all that I cared for, and all that I needed. My hunger had grown, and so had my thirst. Other things were missing as well. My dads dog-tags. The light remained, but the switch to turn it off was gone. Now a light constantly burned in my room. Besides that I had everything else. My books, papers, alarm clock, my own mind. I spent the latter part of the day pacing my room. I couldn’t just sit around, playing games, watching television, and listening to music. I had to find a way out of here!
I checked every inch of my room. I checked all the corners, I felt the walls for some weaknesses. Pulled up some of the carpet. I dug under my bed and pushed everything out hoping that a hole might be underneath. It would have explained how the ‘thing’ was getting in and out of my room and taking my stuff. The hours had passed, and I still had found anything.
“Hello?” I heard someone say. Standing I strained my ears. I heard someone in the back of the house talking and banging on the door. “HELLO?” They said louder. My heart beat with anticipation.
“I’M HERE!” I screamed, I ran towards the wall and pounded as hard, and as loud as I could. “HELP ME!” I screamed.
“Hello… Hello?” Said the voice. “Buck wants you to come to work.” The voice said.
“WORK?!” I screamed. “GET ME OUT OF HERE!”
“Hello, hello?” Said the voice.
“You can’t hear me.” I said. I felt a weight on my shoulders, I sank to my knees and felt warm tears draining down the sides of my cheeks. “I’m going to die here.” I said. I fell to my side and hugged my legs close to my chest, and there like a child I wept.
“Hello, hello?”
I don’t remember how long I laid there. When I finally managed to erect myself I decided to carry myself with a kind of dignity. I dressed in new clothes. Jeans, a white t-shirt, and my black belt. I slipped my socks and shoes on. After I was fully garbed I stood in the middle of my room, my eyes wondered over the things that I had left. I couldn’t think of anything to do, except read.
Walking towards my dresser I picked up a book that was sitting idly on top of a stack of other books. Sitting on the floor, leaning against my bed I opened the book and began to read.
I couldn’t focus on the book however. What had happened earlier today had chilled me. How is it that the man calling for me couldn’t hear me? It was like I was in another dimension, and in my own house! Shaking the thought out of my head, I started to read my book aloud. I wanted to enjoy something, and I wanted to keep my mind off the hunger in my stomach, and my parched throat.
“Eventually…” I thought. “This is going to end somehow…”
The hours ticked by slowly, and before I knew it my mind was starting to shut down, my eyes felt heavy and my head started to droop forwards. Yawning, I replaced my book back on the dresser and than went to bed. I was still fully dressed.
Day Four
I had awaken like I had every day. And as I sat up in bed, I noticed that my dresser and my books were gone, even my nightstand, and loose-leaf papers. The clothes that I had tucked inside the drawers were laying in a corner to the left of where my dresser had been. The alarm clock that was sitting on the nightstand was now on the VCR, it was facing me.
“Take everything.” I said aloud. I was really hoping for some response, invoking the demons that decided to play this cruel joke on me. The demons didn’t respond however.
I hadn’t noticed it before… I was laying on my back, my eyes were focused on the light above me. The bulb was gone, the light was coming from the bare ceiling, but there wasn’t a source for it.
I didn’t want to bother getting out of bed, but the idea of succumbing to the demons was too much to bare, with a heavy-heart I swung my legs over the side of my bed, and than stood. My hunger and thirst had grown, but I didn’t bother myself with worrying about it. I would die soon anyways, the demons would see to that. I still had to keep myself entertained somehow…
It was a silly thought however, my situation didn’t call for entertainment, it called for thought. I had to escape. Funny… I never thought I had to escape my own room. Glancing down at my clothes I shook my head in dismay. Someone or something had taken the time to take my clothes out of my dresser and put them in the corner in my room.
Glancing towards my closet, I pulled open the door. A few things remained in there, they hadn’t been taken yet. “What’s next?” I thought to myself. Turning around a thought had come to me. It seemed there was a pattern to everything… first the door, window, and my cell-phone went missing. They obviously didn’t want me to leave, or call for help.
The second day they took my television and video game system. They obviously took them because I used them, but if there was a pattern there it was broken with the VCR. Because it still remains. I snapped my fingers and a smile appeared on my face. “You didn’t want me to be able to use my VCR.” I said, aloud.
“Next day my C.D. Player, than my books and my dresser and nightstand… why my dresser and nightstand?” Sitting down I leaned forwards and placed my head in my hands, my breathes turned rigged, I felt like I was about to cry again. “WHY ME?!” I screamed, looking towards the ceiling. “WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS?!” I was shaking, but not out of rage, but fear. Fear for the unknown, fear for what was going to happen to me. I didn’t have to worry about starving to death though, I would dehydrate long before that.
“Why did I refer to this phenomenon as the work of demons?” I thought to myself. “I was never religious, I never believed in the paranormal like aliens, ghosts, or the lock-ness monster. Those things aren’t religious though. There has to be something out there… this doesn’t just happen.”
A few minutes later I stopped believing in coincidence.
Day Five
“Jordan this is Buck. I haven’t seen you in five days and I’m sick of it. You are fired my friend, so if you thought about showing up today don’t bother. I’ll have your crap mailed to you by the end of the week. And if I see you…” The phone went dead.
“Ok Buck.” I said, leaning against the wall. “I was thinking about swinging by for some drinks.” A smile appeared on my face, and I was starting to laugh. My lips were chapped, and it was painful to smile, my stomach felt like it was on fire, my hands were shaking… I couldn’t stop them from doing it either. Leaning against the wall I glanced towards my stuff. My television, my dressers, my video games, books, cell phone… gone! And now my clothes joined them. My spare clothes at least, the ones that I wore were still here.
Running my hands through my hair, my eyes darted back and fourth across my room. I was starting to grow paranoid. Who could blame me? The day passed slowly, and soon I was crawling into my bed. Soon I fell into a deep sleep.
Day Six
Before I had opened my eyes I noticed a pain in my neck and my shoulders. Rolling to my right I felt strange. “My bed…” I thought. I didn’t have to open my eyes, I already knew that my bed was gone. Sitting up I glanced around my room. I was laying exactly in the middle of my room. “How did they get me off my bed, and onto the floor without waking me up?” I asked, myself.
It didn’t matter now. My lips were so chapped it was hard to move my lips, my throat was burning as was my stomach. I felt a tickle in the back of my throat and I started to cough. A few drops of blood dripped from the sides of my mouth, I wiped it away with the back of my hand.
My hands were shaking even worse today than it was yesterday. I slowly got to my feet, but as I stood I felt dizzy and fell back down. Laying on the floor, my eyes closed I breathed hard. I finally excepted that I was going to die here…
Day Seven
Everything was gone now, and I was to be denied the simple pleasure of knowing what time it was. With my alarm clock I could tell how many days had passed, it had been six. Today was the seventh. The pains that ripped through my body was unbearable.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
I slowly sat up, someone was in my house. I dragged my body to where the door once stood, and pressed my ear against the wall. I could hear someone walking around in my house.
“Help!” I said, but my voice was too weak. “HELP!” I said, but it was only a bit louder. I jumped back in surprise, a radio from the room across from the one I was in. As though someone was changing the radio station and getting nothing but static. I starred at the wall with awe. Than the station was found, and a young male voice started to speak.
“Life can be hard, we all suffered. Well your suffering can end today.
All it takes is your willingness to change, salvation is just around the corner.
Come to Hide-Away Heaven resort located in Terrison and let us take away the unnecessary stress. Please let us help you.”
“I’ve lost it.” I said, I dragged my body back to the middle of my room and laid back down. Tomorrow I would die.
Day Eight
I was surprised to wake up the next day, and disappointed. My pain was starting to disappear, and I knew that wasn’t a good sign. My eyes were blurry, my hands wouldn’t stop shaking, the pain in my stomach, shoulders, and neck were the only things that reminded me that I was alive. Rubbing my eyes with my shaking hands, I sat up. I wanted to see my empty room one last time. My eyes scanned the bare floors, my closet door was open.
My eyes moved towards the wall where my window once was, than towards where my dresser once stood, nightstand. Than in the corner of my eyes I caught a glimpse of something I never thought I’d see again. I somehow found a strength I thought I no longer possessed, slowly I got to my feet. In front of me, standing like it always had been was my door. Somehow it had been returned.
I couldn’t believe it at first, I shook my head, rubbed my eyes again. The door remained. My heart started pounding like a jackhammer. I took a few steps towards the door and reached out with my hands, the door had returned! Grasping the door knob I swallowed a painful amount of air, and with little effort turned the door knob and opened the door.
End
The Room:
A Short Story
Prologue
After I had gotten off work, my eyes felt as though they were connected to ten tons of weight. My back ached, so did my neck. My arms and legs felt like they could fall out of their joints. My shirt was plastered to my chest from all the sweat. Trudging through my small house I found myself in my back bedroom. Fumbling with the light switch to my left, the light that hung over my singles bed illuminated my tiny bedroom. My bedroom was eight feet long, and ten feet wide. It had a tiny closet that was only one foot long, and three feet wide. It was filled to capacity with all my clothes, and other things that I couldn’t find room for in my bedroom. The walls were decorated with bright pink, and blue wallpaper. I wanted to change it, but I didn’t have the money to do so.
In the middle of the floor sat a bed with a blue top, underneath were two layers of sheets. Above on the light that hung above the bed was my dad’s old dog-tags, from when he was in the Vietnam war. They dangled from a silver chain. By the foot of the bed, a few feet away was a white dresser with a large glass mirror. When I was a kid, I had decorated the mirror with old Godzilla stickers. Now the stickers were faded, and barley recognizable, but they were a reminder of my carefree childhood.
The dresser was crammed with books, loose-leaf paper, and assortment of electronics. The electronics included a handheld videogame system, and a cell-phone. The cell-phone was fitted comfortably inside a black, leather case. Running from the case was a matching cord that was plugged into one of the electrical located in my room.
To the right of my bed was a nightstand. It too was crammed to capacity. Sitting on top was a television set, underneath between the nightstands legs was a VCR. I had a few tapes that fitted the VCR inside my closet with the other clutter. On top of the television was a clock radio, it flashed the numbers “10:52”. It was later than I had thought.
Sitting on the edge of my bed, I kicked my shoes off and than peeled the socks off my feet. My feet were killing me as well. Undoing my belt, I pulled my pants off and my shirt. Soon I sat in my underwear. Yawning, I stretched my hands over my head. I was so exhausted.
Pulling back the covers I soon fell into a dreamless sleep.
Day One
My eyes blinked open, and I took in the new day. I could hear the birds chirping excitedly outside, I could see the sun shining through the open window… I stopped, my thoughts had turned else where. Turning onto my side I noticed that my alarm clock hadn’t gone off. “9:22”. I was late for work…
“Damn.” I cursed. Before I could get up I heard the phone ringing from the other side of the house. After two rings the answering machine answered the call.
“Mark this is Buck, where the hell are you?! Get your butt out of bed and get here now!” The voice of Buck, my boss was mean and gruff. Buck was a large man that could handle himself, and when he barked an order you were an idiot not to follow. I pushed the covers off of me, hanging my legs off the side of my bed I rolled my head from left to right. After I felt loose I wiped the sweat from my eyes.
I felt a little better now, my joints weren’t hurting like they were yesterday. I was well rested, and ready for work. Though I could use a shower… Standing I opened my eyes, my lower jaw dropped in surprise. I was facing where my door should have been, instead a blank wall starred back at me. The lighting in the room dimmed, I turned to face the window but it was gone as well, only a blank wall faced me.
“No…” I said in disbelief. It looked as though someone had removed both my door and window, erected a wall over the openings, and than wallpapered over the walls. “This isn’t happening.” I said. I stood near the wall where the door should have been. Taking both my hands I pushed against the wall, it felt solid. Taking my nails I started to scratch away at the wallpaper. A few moments passed, my eyes were focused on my work. As my nail traced up and down the wall a bit of the paper chipped away. Taking my thumb and index-finger, I took the paper and peeled it away. The door was gone, behind the paper was a plain, white wall.
I ran to my window, and preformed the same act. As I peeled away the paper that hid the window, I saw that it too was gone. “No.” I said. I stood near the foot of my bed, my mind was reeling, I was trying to come up with some kind of explanation. “How could this happen?” I asked, aloud. I only drew a blank.
I stood once again in front of the wall that had once held my door. I began to push against it once again, it wouldn’t budge. “DAMN!” I screamed, I pounded my fists against the wall.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
The sound echoed through my room. “HELP ME!” I screamed as loud as I could. I strained my ears, hoping someone had heard me. After a few moments of silence I backed away from the door. “No one can hear me.” I thought.
With quick motion I went to my knees and reached under my bed. I felt around until I felt the cold touch of metal. Pulling out a case from under my bed I turned it up on it’s side. The case had an American bald eagle decorating the top of the case. I began to rumble with the locks. It was a dial-lock. “472” I dialed in the combination. The box opened and I located my knife. Grasping it in my hands I turned back towards the blank wall.
Running the edge of the knife up and down the wall I tried to chisel my way through, but I hadn’t even left a scratch! In desperation I began to stab the wall with the point of the knife, my blows would have killed any one, but it didn’t even dent the wall. My final stab snapped the blade of my knife, the vibration shot through my hand. The pain forced me to drop the ruined knife. The pieces fell to the carpeted floor with a dull thump…
Another idea had come to me, and I mentally kicked myself for not thinking of it sooner. I turned towards my dresser that held my cell-phone. I took large steps towards the dresser, taking up the case I watched as the black cord that ran from the wall to the case fall out, I opened the case, my phone was gone.
My hands started to shake, uncertainty was my only sense. “This isn’t happening.” I said, my voice had failed me, it was filled with fear. The uncertainty was taking over my body. “God… this isn’t happening.” I said, I was moving backwards. I wasn’t watching where I was going, but when the back of my legs hit the bed I sat suddenly. Twisting my arms around myself, as though hugging my own body I started to ponder my situation.
“I had gone to sleep.” I began, I felt better talking out loud. “I went to sleep. I woke up… the window was there… the door was gone. I noticed the door was gone, I saw the lights dim… when my back was turned the window was gone. How?” Nothing was coming to mind. “It was impossible, this can’t happen.”
My hands were shaking badly, my eyes were darting over the floor. To stop the shaking of my hands I tucked them under my arms, but it didn’t seem to help. I jumped to my feet and started to pace, my eyes shot from the place my window should be to my door. Moments ticked slowly by, and in all the time I had spent thinking, I drew a blank.
“11:45” The time was slowly ticking by. I had finally stopped pacing, nothing was happening and in this I took comfort. I was on my bed, leaning against the headboard. Starring up at the ceiling, towards my dads old dog-tags. After a few moments I grew bored. Sighing deeply, and I couldn’t believe I was thinking about it, I got off my bed and picked up my handheld video game. I turned the small system on, the sound of the games music was reassuring.
I once again returned to my bed, game in hand, and started to play. The hours pass, as do the levels in my game. Looking back at the clock I saw that I had wasted three hours. Growing weary of the game, I saved my progress and than turned the system off. Turning towards the television. I didn’t have an antenna, and it wasn’t connected to the cable, I still had a few movies I could watch.
Walking towards my closet I pulled open the door and took down the VCR tapes. I didn’t even look at the titles before I popped them into the machine, the movies started to play instantly.
I wasted a few more hours watching the movies, they were very entertaining and they took my mind off of my situation. Off of my room that had suddenly decided to trap me within it’s walls. To take away my window and my door, it was unbelievable… I still laid on my bed in my underwear, I didn’t see a reason to change. The only sounds besides the movies was the phone call I had received this morning from Buck. He was probably spitting mad today.
I smiled at the thought. The only safe way to tick the guy off was if you were a few miles away from the man.
I had finally finished the last movie, it was nearly eleven at night. My mind was weary from wondering what was happening to me, and I could go with a few hours of good sleep. Maybe everything would be back to normal, and I could leave my room. Maybe this was a dream, maybe if I fell asleep I would wake up and the door and window would be back, I would learn that they were never gone.
I remembered reading somewhere that dreams had deeper meanings. Maybe this dream meant that I felt trapped in my life, that I couldn’t escape. If I woke up tomorrow and my door and window were back, I’d go to work and tell Buck that I quit. I’d become a door greeter if I had to, pay-cut, but it would be better than being trapped in my own bedroom. I turned off the movie, and television and turned off my bedroom light. Tucking myself into bed, I closed my eyes. Minutes later I was asleep.
Day Two
When I had awoke the feeling that something was out of place took over me. I felt as though my room had been violated, and I felt sick to my stomach. Sitting up in bed I saw that my door and window were still missing, it wasn’t a dream. The thought disturbed me. “This is real.” I thought, in dismay. The feeling that something was out of place was still strong within me, but I couldn’t pinpoint it. Yawning, I stretched out my joints. I stretched my arms above my head, I stretched out my legs, and wiggled my hands and feet. I could hear my bones crack, and it felt like a river of blood was rushing into my body.
Swinging my legs over the side of my bed, I located the sense of displacement. My television was gone. The alarm clock that sat on top, was now in the televisions old place. The clock was facing me and the numbers “9:22” showed brightly. Whoever, or whatever made my door and window disappeared had taken my television. The VCR remained… Getting to my feet I started to check my other belongings, my books, papers, VCR tapes, my dads old dog-tags, everything was still here. Than I tried to find my handheld video game system, it too had vanished.
“Come on!” I said, throwing my hand into the air. “I have it…” I thought. I sat on the edge of my bed, a thought had just popped into my mind. “Whatever caused my door and window to vanish, must have come into my room somehow and took my television and handheld.” I shook my head though. “Why did they just take that, though?”
I shook my head again. Getting to my feet I stepped towards my closet. Pulling the door open I started to shuffle through my items. My items were littering the floor of my closet, I had meant to clean it out ages ago, but never got around to it. I found the item I was looking for. Pulling it up through the wreckage of my floor, I held in my left hand a CD player. “Better than nothing.” I thought. I plugged the CD player into the electrical plug-in, than I pressed the play button.
The sounds of piano music filled my small bedroom, it reverberated along the walls. And for a second time since my entrapment I felt at peace. I crawled onto my bed, with my head resting on my pillow I closed my eyes and again started to sleep.
My CD player had just finished playing it’s last piece when I finally awoke. My mind was spinning, and my eyes burned, but I felt even more rested. As I sat up my throat felt parched, and the pangs of hunger reminded me that I hadn’t drank or ate anything for two days. I glanced towards my clock “12:22”. Getting to my feet, I unplugged my CD player from the wall socket, and than returned to bed. I was suddenly exhausted, as though walking from my bed to my CD player had worn me out. I crashed on top of my bed, face down onto my pillow. Seconds later I was sleeping.
Day Three
The fragments of my knife were gone, and so was my CD player. Now Beethoven couldn’t get me through my days. I was being denied all that I cared for, and all that I needed. My hunger had grown, and so had my thirst. Other things were missing as well. My dads dog-tags. The light remained, but the switch to turn it off was gone. Now a light constantly burned in my room. Besides that I had everything else. My books, papers, alarm clock, my own mind. I spent the latter part of the day pacing my room. I couldn’t just sit around, playing games, watching television, and listening to music. I had to find a way out of here!
I checked every inch of my room. I checked all the corners, I felt the walls for some weaknesses. Pulled up some of the carpet. I dug under my bed and pushed everything out hoping that a hole might be underneath. It would have explained how the ‘thing’ was getting in and out of my room and taking my stuff. The hours had passed, and I still had found anything.
“Hello?” I heard someone say. Standing I strained my ears. I heard someone in the back of the house talking and banging on the door. “HELLO?” They said louder. My heart beat with anticipation.
“I’M HERE!” I screamed, I ran towards the wall and pounded as hard, and as loud as I could. “HELP ME!” I screamed.
“Hello… Hello?” Said the voice. “Buck wants you to come to work.” The voice said.
“WORK?!” I screamed. “GET ME OUT OF HERE!”
“Hello, hello?” Said the voice.
“You can’t hear me.” I said. I felt a weight on my shoulders, I sank to my knees and felt warm tears draining down the sides of my cheeks. “I’m going to die here.” I said. I fell to my side and hugged my legs close to my chest, and there like a child I wept.
“Hello, hello?”
I don’t remember how long I laid there. When I finally managed to erect myself I decided to carry myself with a kind of dignity. I dressed in new clothes. Jeans, a white t-shirt, and my black belt. I slipped my socks and shoes on. After I was fully garbed I stood in the middle of my room, my eyes wondered over the things that I had left. I couldn’t think of anything to do, except read.
Walking towards my dresser I picked up a book that was sitting idly on top of a stack of other books. Sitting on the floor, leaning against my bed I opened the book and began to read.
I couldn’t focus on the book however. What had happened earlier today had chilled me. How is it that the man calling for me couldn’t hear me? It was like I was in another dimension, and in my own house! Shaking the thought out of my head, I started to read my book aloud. I wanted to enjoy something, and I wanted to keep my mind off the hunger in my stomach, and my parched throat.
“Eventually…” I thought. “This is going to end somehow…”
The hours ticked by slowly, and before I knew it my mind was starting to shut down, my eyes felt heavy and my head started to droop forwards. Yawning, I replaced my book back on the dresser and than went to bed. I was still fully dressed.
Day Four
I had awaken like I had every day. And as I sat up in bed, I noticed that my dresser and my books were gone, even my nightstand, and loose-leaf papers. The clothes that I had tucked inside the drawers were laying in a corner to the left of where my dresser had been. The alarm clock that was sitting on the nightstand was now on the VCR, it was facing me.
“Take everything.” I said aloud. I was really hoping for some response, invoking the demons that decided to play this cruel joke on me. The demons didn’t respond however.
I hadn’t noticed it before… I was laying on my back, my eyes were focused on the light above me. The bulb was gone, the light was coming from the bare ceiling, but there wasn’t a source for it.
I didn’t want to bother getting out of bed, but the idea of succumbing to the demons was too much to bare, with a heavy-heart I swung my legs over the side of my bed, and than stood. My hunger and thirst had grown, but I didn’t bother myself with worrying about it. I would die soon anyways, the demons would see to that. I still had to keep myself entertained somehow…
It was a silly thought however, my situation didn’t call for entertainment, it called for thought. I had to escape. Funny… I never thought I had to escape my own room. Glancing down at my clothes I shook my head in dismay. Someone or something had taken the time to take my clothes out of my dresser and put them in the corner in my room.
Glancing towards my closet, I pulled open the door. A few things remained in there, they hadn’t been taken yet. “What’s next?” I thought to myself. Turning around a thought had come to me. It seemed there was a pattern to everything… first the door, window, and my cell-phone went missing. They obviously didn’t want me to leave, or call for help.
The second day they took my television and video game system. They obviously took them because I used them, but if there was a pattern there it was broken with the VCR. Because it still remains. I snapped my fingers and a smile appeared on my face. “You didn’t want me to be able to use my VCR.” I said, aloud.
“Next day my C.D. Player, than my books and my dresser and nightstand… why my dresser and nightstand?” Sitting down I leaned forwards and placed my head in my hands, my breathes turned rigged, I felt like I was about to cry again. “WHY ME?!” I screamed, looking towards the ceiling. “WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS?!” I was shaking, but not out of rage, but fear. Fear for the unknown, fear for what was going to happen to me. I didn’t have to worry about starving to death though, I would dehydrate long before that.
“Why did I refer to this phenomenon as the work of demons?” I thought to myself. “I was never religious, I never believed in the paranormal like aliens, ghosts, or the lock-ness monster. Those things aren’t religious though. There has to be something out there… this doesn’t just happen.”
A few minutes later I stopped believing in coincidence.
Day Five
“Jordan this is Buck. I haven’t seen you in five days and I’m sick of it. You are fired my friend, so if you thought about showing up today don’t bother. I’ll have your crap mailed to you by the end of the week. And if I see you…” The phone went dead.
“Ok Buck.” I said, leaning against the wall. “I was thinking about swinging by for some drinks.” A smile appeared on my face, and I was starting to laugh. My lips were chapped, and it was painful to smile, my stomach felt like it was on fire, my hands were shaking… I couldn’t stop them from doing it either. Leaning against the wall I glanced towards my stuff. My television, my dressers, my video games, books, cell phone… gone! And now my clothes joined them. My spare clothes at least, the ones that I wore were still here.
Running my hands through my hair, my eyes darted back and fourth across my room. I was starting to grow paranoid. Who could blame me? The day passed slowly, and soon I was crawling into my bed. Soon I fell into a deep sleep.
Day Six
Before I had opened my eyes I noticed a pain in my neck and my shoulders. Rolling to my right I felt strange. “My bed…” I thought. I didn’t have to open my eyes, I already knew that my bed was gone. Sitting up I glanced around my room. I was laying exactly in the middle of my room. “How did they get me off my bed, and onto the floor without waking me up?” I asked, myself.
It didn’t matter now. My lips were so chapped it was hard to move my lips, my throat was burning as was my stomach. I felt a tickle in the back of my throat and I started to cough. A few drops of blood dripped from the sides of my mouth, I wiped it away with the back of my hand.
My hands were shaking even worse today than it was yesterday. I slowly got to my feet, but as I stood I felt dizzy and fell back down. Laying on the floor, my eyes closed I breathed hard. I finally excepted that I was going to die here…
Day Seven
Everything was gone now, and I was to be denied the simple pleasure of knowing what time it was. With my alarm clock I could tell how many days had passed, it had been six. Today was the seventh. The pains that ripped through my body was unbearable.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
I slowly sat up, someone was in my house. I dragged my body to where the door once stood, and pressed my ear against the wall. I could hear someone walking around in my house.
“Help!” I said, but my voice was too weak. “HELP!” I said, but it was only a bit louder. I jumped back in surprise, a radio from the room across from the one I was in. As though someone was changing the radio station and getting nothing but static. I starred at the wall with awe. Than the station was found, and a young male voice started to speak.
“Life can be hard, we all suffered. Well your suffering can end today.
All it takes is your willingness to change, salvation is just around the corner.
Come to Hide-Away Heaven resort located in Terrison and let us take away the unnecessary stress. Please let us help you.”
“I’ve lost it.” I said, I dragged my body back to the middle of my room and laid back down. Tomorrow I would die.
Day Eight
I was surprised to wake up the next day, and disappointed. My pain was starting to disappear, and I knew that wasn’t a good sign. My eyes were blurry, my hands wouldn’t stop shaking, the pain in my stomach, shoulders, and neck were the only things that reminded me that I was alive. Rubbing my eyes with my shaking hands, I sat up. I wanted to see my empty room one last time. My eyes scanned the bare floors, my closet door was open.
My eyes moved towards the wall where my window once was, than towards where my dresser once stood, nightstand. Than in the corner of my eyes I caught a glimpse of something I never thought I’d see again. I somehow found a strength I thought I no longer possessed, slowly I got to my feet. In front of me, standing like it always had been was my door. Somehow it had been returned.
I couldn’t believe it at first, I shook my head, rubbed my eyes again. The door remained. My heart started pounding like a jackhammer. I took a few steps towards the door and reached out with my hands, the door had returned! Grasping the door knob I swallowed a painful amount of air, and with little effort turned the door knob and opened the door.
End
