Jeremy listened, his thoughts weren’t clear. He sat back and closed his eyes.
“So, how’s the weather today?” she said.
Jeremy opened his eyes. “Fine.”
“And do you have plans, or can you stay and talk for a while?” The woman spoke slowly, one word at a time while Jeremy thought of them. Nonetheless, things were going fine until a man opened the door and stepped inside.
The door? Jeremy hadn’t made a door.
The man had a drink in his hand and walked over to the two of them sitting on the couch. “Don’t look so alarmed,” he said slowly to Jeremy. “I’m created too. You’re doing this.”
“No,” Jeremy said.
“Sure, you’re talking to yourself. Haven’t you ever done that before?”
“Sure I have, but not now. This is my world.”
“And a lot goes on inside a man’s mind, subconsciously.” The man spoke more clearly, faster as he went along. “There you go, let it out. Now that you’re here, let’s create your world.”
“I can’t stay,” Jeremy said. “I only have a few minutes.” He could feel himself tiring. It was time to go. He stood and concentrated for the man, his subconscious self, to vanish. In a flash the man was gone, and the glass he was holding fell to the floor and shattered. The shock jolted Jeremy and when he turned to look at the woman, she lay across the couch, with parts of her face and body gone.
“No!” Jeremy closed his eyes, concentrated, then opened them again. His palms were sweating, sweat beaded up along his brow. When he opened his eyes, she was back to normal, but not moving. He turned; it was time to go. He took a step and the wall moved away from him, another step, and the wall was further away. Jeremy took several steps and was no closer to the wall. He turned around and the woman on the sofa was further from him. The room had expanded in size. He concentrated, willed the wall to stand firm. This time when he stepped, the wall remained. Several steps and he walked through the wall and into his apartment. He went straight to his own sofa and sat down. He didn’t feel right, something was still wrong. Jeremy had his face in his hands trying to relax, trying to think, when he realized the kitchen wasn’t right. He looked up. The kitchen was only half there, like a still life painting, hazy around the edges. He wasn’t home. The kitchen began to disappear. The front door opened. The man from inside the box entered. “So, you’re still here.” He spoke clearly. Jeremy didn’t understand.
“It’s easy to explain,” the man said. “As you fatigue or relax, your subconscious takes over.” The man smiled. “You’re getting tired.”
“No I’m not. I can get rid of you,” Jeremy said.
“Not if I show you this,” and the man lifted his one arm. The hand was missing, blood dripped from the stub.
“No,” Jeremy closed his eyes.
“Can’t concentrate while you’re scared?”
“I can.” Jeremy thought, relaxed the best he could, and when he opened his eyes, the man was gone.
Jeremy willed away the kitchen and bedroom. He didn’t need them and the extra energy it took to keep them there wasn’t worth it. He had to get out of the box.
He walked over to the Gift Box still standing against one wall. He hadn’t willed it away. Instead of placing his hand inside the box, Jeremy held out his hand and willed an apple. Slowly, it appeared before his eyes. When he had the apple, he let the box disappear. As it faded so did the rest of the furniture until he was back in the plain room with the one sofa. He didn’t create the woman. He wanted to think. He could think and maintain the simple room at once. He sat down. He knew where he’d entered, but he couldn’t get out there. But the room had expanded. Now, it was back to normal. If he tried now, maybe it would work. Maybe in the expanded room he overshot the box.
Jeremy stood, concentrated, and walked forward. Again, he stepped inside his apartment. He looked around. It was perfect. He willed the kitchen away, and it vanished.
In a split second of self-doubt, Jeremy’s subconscious appeared. “There we are again,” he said.
When Jeremy got rid of him, he returned to the plain room with one sofa. He was sweating hard. His subconscious walked into the room with a woman. Not the woman Jeremy had created earlier, but another one. “Who’s that?”
“Another part of your subconscious,” the man said. “Yes,” he answered Jeremy’s unspoken question, “there are many of us. All aspects of your own personality.”
Jeremy sat down. Two other people entered the room. They all seemed to have drinks in their hands. “Why are you drinking?” He was easing up, tiring. More people entered the room.
“We’re celebrating.”
“About what?”
“Being let go,” one of them said.
“But this is my world.” Jeremy stood in defiance. Several of the people, the weaker parts of his personality, and subconscious disappeared.
“You can’t do it anymore. You’re too weak.” They all started laughing. More of him came in.
Jeremy sat back down. He had to conserve his strength. He had to take over again. He put his face in his hands. The room quieted. Cautiously, he lifted his head. Demons, ghouls, animals, even people with grotesque mutations stood around him. He screamed and closed his eyes again.
“We don’t have to be human. You’re not sometimes.” He heard his subconscious say.”
“Go away.”
“No, Jeremy, we’re here now and we’re here forever. It’s your world Jeremy, your world. Only made up of you.” They all started to laugh and grunt and howl.
Jeremy tucked himself into a ball, the fetal position, on the couch. His eyes closed and he relaxed. Let them cackle and scream. He needed rest and maybe, after a long rest, he could will them away, have peace for a little while. Was that his future? To live with himself?
The howling and cackling continued even louder as he tried to rest. There would be no sleep, but maybe enough rest for him to rejuvenate. Maybe not, though, he thought. He had entered the hell of himself, and he could see no chance of escape.
This story was originally published in “Starsong”magazine.
Terry’s latest novel is: “Revision 7:DNA”
Find more information about Terry at: www.TerryPersun.com
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If you enjoyed any of these stories, pleas look up the authors and see what else they have available. Here are their sites again:
Field of Yellow Poppies…Nicole J. Persun…https://www.NicoleJPersun.com
The Loneliness of Left Field…alex kimmell… https://www.alexkimmel.weebly.com
Taking Care of Things…Susan Wingate…https://www.SusanWingate.com
As Yet Undecided…Steven Luna…https://www.JoeVampire.Blogspot.com
Pandora…Elise Stephens… https://www.EliseStephens.com
The Return of the King…Christopher Turkel… https://cturkel.wordpress.com/
Jeremy’s World…Terry Persun…https://www.TerryPersun.com
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