Please support! You can even claim your gifts.Turning the Tables
....continued.
Alicia:
My dream stopped like a cloud burst.
Oily smell of frying chips. Reek-like smell of alcohol. Both dissolved into each other like Siamese twins, wafted into my nostrils. I scrunched my nose in disgust, trying my best to block out every possible particle from entering inside. But my efforts were going into vain, as the smell kept on lingering inside my nose, sweeping my wispy nose-hair, with its wind action. The intruder had set its foot inside my cave-like nostrils. It was time for war.
I pulled up my top to my nose, and kept on lying in the same position for about a minute, but then couldn’t possibly suffocate myself to death. Right? So I pushed the cloth away from my nose. The smell was still there. There was no way I could defeat it.
Blinking open my eyes, I was welcomed to a world where my soul shivered.
At first, the fancy black marks on the wall opposite of me appeared to be some fancy Gothic design, but when I started noticing the uneven pattern it was designed in, a sharp shiver ran down my spine. After all, it wasn't a design but the soot that had glued itself to the walls. As my eyes followed the wavy pattern, I could feel something crawling inside of me. I twitched a bit, hopeful that it would go away, but as the itchiness ran down my whole body, I knew I had been mistaken. I could feel the stingy legs of the bed bug (which I assumed it was) to be slicing up my innocent skin.
I pushed myself up and panted. A deep breath. Throwing away the blanket away from me, I got up on the bed and hysterically began dancing. Just to send back the intruder! At last, I could see something swooshing from my shorts all the way down to the bed. Tumbling and slithering, the bug made its way away from me, and I took in a sigh of relief.
Jumping out of the bed, I found myself inspecting the vagueness of the situation. The last thing about last night I could remember.....was driving. I had been driving, with...a cider bottle in hand? Yeah, that it was. I had tasted something salty...my tears they were. Nothing more. I didn't even remember hitting the sack.
I looked all around me. There were coffee mugs, half-eaten packet of chips, books spread on a table, jeans and what not. You name it and you got it. It was like the owner of the room never set its foot out, and everything had been piled up here for convenience. Which in a way was so comfy, but looking at the mess this system ought to create, I preferred the human way. The natural one. Where we have cupboards and shacks for everything, and we don’t litter our surroundings. At least, not our home.
My heart popped up to my heart, blocking the entry of any kind of oxygen. Not that there was much of oxygen in this room, anyways. I peeked at the curtains, the rusty ones with stains pasted on it like some design in a Couture fashion show. I almost barfed. Curtains at least could have been better. No one dirties them. Not even a dog would piss there. A creepy shiver ran down my whole body.
I took in my surroundings more carefully. There was a small bean bag, crumpled to its best ability, creating many dumps here and there, and a lamp was shoved down rather clumsily under the side table.
I walked towards the other end of the bed, trying to find something for my feet. I have to agree that this thought wasn’t the pleasantest one I had had, but I reasoned out that anything to cover my feet from the rubbish spread on the floor deserved me. My feet, actually. While in process several dirt particles touched my soft feet. I put on the first flip-flops I could find. Green mushy ones with a pink ribbon in the center. Perfect fit and the only pretty thing till now. Wearing them on, I walked outside the evil-claustrophobic room, which adorned itself with black spots which I knew were from some fire.
Now outside. What was I expecting? A sudden change from a dirty rotten world to the court of some French palace? Right, I was. But I swear, outside was no better. If any thing else, it was worse. Even though there were no soot marks on the walls, there was a worse smell drifting in and from every corner of the room. I inhaled and exhaled simultaneously, and at one point it was hard for me to differentiate between the two. It felt like the walls were closing in on me, blocking the minimal fresh oxygen I had been able to receive till now.
As I kept on walking, I realized that I was feeling slightly lighter. As in my mass felt low. But that was just some weird joke. Also, wasn't I feeling shorter? Like I had just shrunk. But I wasn’t Alice! Even though I was in a world strangely different from mine, and I had no idea where it was, but I was definitely not Alice. Another thing that was same was the kind of names we had given the two lands. Alice woke up in Wonderland, and I in Sunderland (where my brain was splitting apart).
The grayish colour of the walls gave way to a mustard tinged yellow, and suddenly it felt like the room had been transformed from the low-depressed state to a refreshing one. But still it remained ugly. I could bet five hundred dollars on the fact that I had never been even remotely close to garbage like this. Everywhere I saw beneath me, there were clothes dumped. Not kept. But dumped. Books were scattered down on the floor, and I had to practically skim over things to reach safe. Now tears were running down my eyes as I kept on inhaling the fumes. Both from the fumes and fear.
[i]Calm down. How worse this can be? The worst that could happen was this place turning out to be a hideout for some gangsters, who had kidnapped me. Or maybe I am being gassed down and it was 2012. My mind was taking me for a ride. But I was going to pull the key out of the ignition, and soon.
"Hello?" I crooned, afraid now. All the excitement that was once encouraging me not to shout was soon vanishing and before I became completely uncontrollable, I wanted to get out. Alive. Not in an unreparable condition. The four walls which were so called protecting me returned back my voice to me. Did I tell you that right now I was in a single big room, which led to a small entrance which looked to me like some kitchen? I guess not.
"Hello?" I repeated. This time my heart leaped, on its best to jump out of my throat. I wasn't ready to handle more of this silence.
"Hey!" I heard. My heart came back to its place. Life jumped back into my body. I gripped my arms tighter, looking for the source of the voice. It sounded like a boy's. A big noise followed, like a mini explosion, like something being cooked. Turning to my right, I saw a boy of my age slouched on a sofa, holding something that appeared like a PSP. Not that I knew much about these things.
He was least interested in me. Funny expressions crossed his face as he jumped on the sofa and yelled at any mistake he might have committed while playing. His hair was golden in color and unkempt. He kept on chewing something. He spared me a look, and went back to his PSP-ing. I noticed the way his gum smeared on his face and how he released his tongue and turned back the gum inside his mouth. Then a smirk would appear. He'd jump in excitement like some kid. First person since the morning and even he was ignoring me. You could feel my disappointment, right?
“Um, do you live here?” I started.
“Not exactly,” he spared me a look, but again went back to his PSP.
I was wondering if you could tell-" I began, but an enthusiastic voice stopped me halfway.
"There you are." A girl of same age as the guy and me landed right in front of me, holding a tray with some salami slices in it. I can swear I had not seen her coming. She wore a cream coloured tunic, with flowers of various colours printed on it. Straight from some fancy dress. I tried being humble and smiled. She could have been a murderer, waiting to slice down my throat. So better be cool.
"Um, do I know- Another interruption?
She bent forward, brushing past my curls to reach for my ears. As she moved closer, the hot wind from her mouth warmed up my ears, sending warmth to the pit of my stomach. “That’s Drake. Remember? The guy I told I was dancing with?” She heaved a sigh, as if she had confessed a sin. She pulled her head back, and shied. One person here was extremely rude, and other was too talky. I don’t know even if its word, but they both were irritating me. I didn’t remember some clown chick like her revealing her crush life to me. Ever. What was wrong with her?
"So what?"
She pursed her lips, a funny attempt to hide her smile, which I could still see.
"You've got to leave. We need to practice." She finally giggled, letting loose the glue that had held up her smile till then. Thanks, miss. That's what I intend to do, too. Only if...
“That’s what I wanna do, too! Who are you, but?” I asked rather aggressively, and as soon as the words had left my mouth, I regretted saying them. The bubbly her faded into the red shade of anger.
"Now you wanna fight me?" She asked. That took me off guard. She was being all so gentle and humble, all that giggly towards me, and one question from me-and mind you, a simple one, and she was all red.
"Hey, watch out." I defended myself.
"Now, you don’t remember me?” She calmed down, probably scared of me. She seemed pretty friendly to me and the more she acted normal towards me, the more I felt uneasy. She seemed to know me, then why was it that I couldn't remember her? Had I ever met her? In some pub or something? I doubted it. Her small sharp eyes and pointed nose was hardly something that could go unnoticed.
I reached for her arm. "Wait." I looked all around me. Had I been in this place before? Were these teenagers some bodies whom I had known? Ever? Why the hell she pretended to know me? The questions kept on circling around me, rising up like a tornado and finally grasping tight my head. The more I thought the more I felt weird. “Please, help me!” I could almost feel the tears trickling down my cheeks.
The girl looked back, surprise ruining her face. Her eyebrows came closer to each other, her nose scrunching. Then the smile again returned back. She twisted her hand and through common sense I knew I had to leave her hand now. She walked to a nearest table and kept the tray. Meanwhile, I looked at the boy. He was still busy playing. As I had imagined it to be, she returned back. But what I had not thought of was she checking my head's temperature. I pulled myself back.
"What's this?" I asked rudely. The boy looked up.
"Have you hit something?" She asked, the lines on her forehead creasing her look. "I told you not to drink much. I know you were depressed...but that's. Whatever."
"Have you hit something? I asked you do I know you. That's it."
She folded her hands across her chest and her voice was shriller this time. "That's the problem. You don't know me? It's Casey, my dear." It was a relief. Now I didn't have to refer her as 'girl'; she had a name. But unfortunately I didn't recall having been friends with anyone named Casey.
"Sorry?"
"Apology accepted. Now leave before I kick you on your butt."
The anger within me was boiling hard, and before I twisted her bones, which I was sure were brittle enough to crack at my one blow, I turned back. Breathing in the alcohol-chips infected air, I looked at her again. She wasn't where she had been, but on the bean bag with Drake. PSP was gone. A beer bottle had replaced it. Drake licked the bottle, while Casey gingerly made his plate of salami. The boy was disgusting. PSP playing kid. The way he licked it made me shudder. His tongue smacking out, and his eyes rolling at the sight of the bottle. Yikes!
When it was clear that I was definitely not wanted there, I returned back to the room. There was a jacket kept there which had obviously missed my sight before, and I took no time in grabbing it. Adding to my surprise, it was too my fit. Walking out of the room again, I saw the disgusting couple dancing and kicking their legs up high in the air, while some Rihanna song played in the background. A beer bottle was kept on the sofa, and without their noticing it, I took it with me.
❦ ❧ ❦ ❧
Out of the house, I felt a bit relieved. Walking down the stairs how much I was missing Edward and how much tired my whole body was. At joints, it created a creaking sound and I had to shake my body literally before I could do away with those jitters. Three flight of stairs and I was in the fresh air of the road. Everywhere I could see dirt and filth. There was a bin kept inside the alleyway and suddenly a cat emerged from it. I held on my breath. Cats and I don't mingle quite well. The place was sending goose bumps down my spine, and I could feel my heart rate accelerating.
The sooner I left it, the better it was going to be, so I started scanning the area. In front of me was a small cycle repairing shop. In left there was a narrow road leading to God knows where and in the right there was a T-point. More options in the right. I jogged there. Both the sides of the road were full with same set of blocks as the one I had come from. Did they lack creativity?
The road was silent. Sun pecked my cheek, though harshly and as I squinted, I could feel the sunlight suffocating me. Layering itself around me, and strangling me to death. I was about to take off my jacket when I remembered what I had been wearing. I had not yet seen myself in a mirror, but I could make out that I must be looking a joke. Magenta spaghetti top with extra mini shorts. Not something a decent girl like me would go out wearing. So if the jacket was hiding my ugly dress even a bit, then I'd be glad to sweat.
One or two young ladies I saw even smiled at me. But I just glared. I was loosing up my etiquettes. But would you blame me? Just get up for once in unknown garbage, meet perverts there and find yourself in a funny neighbourhood and I'd ask you about manners. Hell with them! I was going to faint anytime now, for I knew that soon my patience was going to give up on me. It was as it is bad waking up somewhere strange but the addition of not knowing where you were last night could drive you nuts.
Luckily, the beer bottle was open and without caring if somebody had drank from it before; I raised it to my lips and sucked its liquid inside. The moment the sweet heaven-like liquid touched my throat, a cool sensation dug down into the pit of my stomach. I felt cooler. Better. For a moment, it felt like all my worries and questions were erased by the mere entry of this liquid into my system. It had wiped off everything with it as it rushed down towards my bladder. I closed my eyes. Enjoyed the moment. Relaxed in it.
❦ ❧ ❦ ❧
My feet were barking by the time I reached a place which seemed like world. The neighbourhood was not a big affair and some shops were open for business, while others declared of their owners' laziness. I strolled down the road, looking at the people who seemed to be enjoying their day out. At least they knew what was happening with them, and the reason they were there. But for me, this whole world looked like Narnia, the one I had never been in before. Time and time again, my mind raced back to one and the only question-what had happened the previous night which brought me here? The only things I could recall about the last night weren't enough to solve this mystery, and the deeper I thought about, the more sweat rolled down my cheeks. Sometimes I could feel myself trapped in a lift, with no hope of me returning out safe there. My heart was contracting and I could feel the crevices building up on its surface. Only if I knew what had happened yesterday night.
Once I was able to clear the muddle in my brain, and force myself to think clearly and wisely, I felt better. I had finally come to the conclusion that getting worried and making things complicated wasn't going to serve me any purpose, and only if I gave my brain some time and space, I'd be able to sort out things. I began asking myself questions slowly. Which car I had been in? Had I been wearing the same thing which I wore now, or was I in some other outfit? My mind felt sloppy, and I put aside this thought altogether.
People here didn't have any sense of putting up the name of the place. I had planned that if I could find the place’s name, then I might be able to solve this riddle. I considered going in some shop and asking it myself, but then I didn't want to appear crazy. But then my desperation gave way to another idea in my mind. Was I going to meet these people again? So would it really matter what they thought of me? I didn't think so. I stepped into a barber shop.
Inside, I had to barricade myself from the chilling air of the air-conditioners, and I was grateful that I had brought this jacket along with me. The shop wasn't big, but I could call it neat if I ignored those hair pieces or strands (whatever) which were spread on the floor, under the black revolving chair. A man was sitting on it, with a towel covering his face. Other than him, there was nobody else in the room. I paced forward, my grip getting tighter around my arms.
Mechanically, my eyes drifted to one of the mirrors, and I froze. For the next few seconds, I could only picture myself covered in icicles which were frosting my whole body. My whole body became rigid and I had to push myself hard to move. That was the extent of my surprise. I had expected two blue eyes to stare back at me, like it always happen, but instead what greeted me was the glint of two green eyes. My nose wasn't mine. My hair? They were blonde.
It all made sense to me now. Was this me? No, it couldn't be. That explained quite a lot of things. The weight loss. The curly hair. The shorter height. All along it wasn't me from the outside, but Rebecca, my best friend. How could this happen?
It wasn't me...Rebecca? What was I doing inside her? Or what she doing outside me? That dirty house was her new house? She called it 'new'? Afraid to break the image, I touched the mirror, moving hands on the outline of the face. The image didn't ripple and fade away, which I though would happen.
"Oh, no!" I shouted, panicking as I ran from one place to another. The hands glued themselves to the face, as I tried hiding it. I refused to call it 'my' face. I couldn't understand it. Nightmares didn't last for too long, they just couldn't. But this didn't seem like life. Ordinary life. In reality you just don't get up in a horrifying place, among even more horrible people and discover than you're in somebody else's body. That's fantasy for you.
I was trapped inside, I could feel it. I wished for my soul to bang the body and call for every help possible. Somebody could totally get me out of here. Somebody had to. Various thoughts raced in my mind, bombarding it. If I was here, stuck inside Rebecca’s body, then where was my body, and her soul? Was she inside my body? I needed to find all the answers.
I felt the water had reached its height; my mind couldn't go through more. I tried to hold myself right, counting up to three and starting again, but it was all too much. I tried relaxing, but that was tougher than accepting the truth. I wanted to float, and leave all this nonsense behind.
So I fainted, the best thing to do in such a disastrous situation.
