Anthology of Short Stories That Comes to Mind...

Is this reality?

⚠️ TW: Kind of gory! *Is kind of an angst?* ⚠️

To think, just one month ago, you were on land. The stress' running through your veins as they stood in front of you, screaming a crucial message to you. "Try not to get yourself killed!" The last sentence they said to you before you got sent out.

I can hear the record playing music next door, soothing to the ear. I glance up from the polished oak table that has written papers scattered all over. There were crumpled pieces of paper with words on them on the floor. You were supposed to write down ideas from your experiences to publish later as a novel. Yet, all you did was sit here with no progression. How worthless...

Slamming my hands on the installed desk, the fountain pens and pencils rolled off the desk. The tips of the pencils broke off with the fountain pens splattering deep blacking ink on the metal floor. The stationary I've recently organized became a mess again. At least it wasn't all my fault.

The waves crashed, slapping the ship to make it tilt again. Shit. The chair beneath me slides to the left with an eerie screech as I fell off it with a thump. The papers fell from the desk like leaves from a tree. The ship tilted back upright. Pat yourself down and stand back up! I shake my head and touched the gray wall to help me up. My lungs released the breath I was holding. I fixed my glasses as I ran my fingers through my hair to feel how oily it was.

  Suck it up. You're used to this! I chuckled at the thought. "I'm on the brink of insanity, aren't I? Talking to myself..." Dropping down on my knees, I picked up the fallen paper pieces– I couldn't read half the words on there– I blanked out... Oh yes, I was picking up these papers. Another crash came. BANG! The motion slams me on the door frame, followed by screaming. The screams were hysterical. Maybe you are insane. Those screams had to be in my head, right?

Trying to open the door, I coughed up blood. The red liquid soaks into my garment, decoration the tan fabric with specks of red and soon to be brown. My vision started to get blurry. The air gets thinner as the shock makes me shiver and more alert. The pain increases from my motion of standing up.

I felt my brain thump against the sides of my head. I lift the levers to feel the fresh sea air burst through the watertight doors. You really thought fresh air was going to save you? You don't know anything! You're so hopeless. I wasn't ready for the thick gray smoke that poured into the room. I coughed, throwing up more blood. It was able to fit in my two hands that covered my mouth. Bang!

This time, I can't listen to anything coherently. I can hear the record playing music next door. The music was soothing, but some notes were missing. It repeats itself, trying to fix it, it doesn't work. I lift the levers to feel the fresh sea air burst through the watertight doors. I wasn't ready for the thick gray smoke that poured into the room. I coughed. I ran through the hallways. The clanking sound beneath my feet irritated me as I ran for the exit. The thick gray gas made my eyes tear up. The adrenaline told me to run faster than to worry about the pain I have on my back from the impact.

You hear them screaming... don't you? They're not from your head.

I went for the exit door, pushing it open. The sparks from the flame made me close my eyes. Was mother baking bread again? In the corner of my eye, I was able to see three people piled up on top of each other. Where their eyes were supposed to be, were blackened, hollowed out. I grabbed onto the railing of the ship. It's strange how the metal was cold; it stung my hands. I just stood there. What were you waiting for? "Well... I'm not sure myself." I grabbed onto the railing of the ship. It's strange how the metal was cold; it stung my hands. I just stood there.