Cape Canaveral, Florida.
2:30a.m
4th, Wednesday March, 2020
Oliver frowned.
His eyes glaring at his college shirt as if it would supply a few answers to the question in his head. His eyes then darted around the diner in confusion, curiously hovering around the people seated at booths. Oliver's eyes finally landed at the entrance, he did not know why he expectantly stared at it but he could feel someone was coming.
As if on cue, the doorbell dinged and his course mate Martha walked in.
“ Martha ? ” He asked himself in bewilderment.
Martha perched on a high red stool at the counter beside him like himself. Oliver smiled despite the conflicting emotions he felt, it was as if an unknown force tugged at his lips and squared his features into a smile.
“ Hey Oliver, congratulations on that test ! ”
Oliver frowned again, that sounded oddly familiar.
“ Thank you, ”
“ So, I invited you out because there's something I needed to request you, ”
She started wringing her hands, a habit Oliver could recall loathing but strangely on this particular occasion, he did not.
“ I've been struggling with Dr. Claire's unit, please I was wondering if it's okay, you could spare free time to tutor me on topics I don't understand - ”
As if forced to adhere to an unknown written script, Oliver interrupted much to his dismay,“ No, I don't have the time. ”
“ But - just a few topics, I promise I'll be attentive, even if there are charges, I will pay in cash right away, ”
“ Do I look like charity to you ? ” Oliver almost flinched at his statement but was rather shocked realizing how familiar the rude statement was.
Again as if forced to speak out from a script and unknown urge to school his features into a scowl taking over,“ listen, this course is not for the weak hearted or dumb guys like yourself, I'd suggest you defer to a simpler course or something a little friendly to the likes of you. ”
Martha's big blue eyes were instantly filled with tears, her expression crushed. Heavy drops landed on her skirt as she unintentionally sniffled loudly.
Oliver against an unknown force within him, he stretched a hand to console her but it was futile for the damsel stormed out of the diner in complete distress while Oliver wondered why he did whatever he did and why the events that had transpired seemed so familiar.
Oliver never made to leave instead as he perched on the stool ha started to think long and hard, analyzing what had transpired.
Congratulations on the test.
What test ?
He wondered aloud struggling to remember what he had done earlier before he came to the diner . It was hard to, all he got were very unrelated flashes of memories...
Blue NASA uniform,
Checking into a hotel,
Staring at himself in the mirror,
Driving out,
Leaving watch on a stool,
Schedule to take off into space,
Heavy strange traffic,
A strange walking woman with her eyes closed...
He pondered on the last one.
Ding !
The doorbell rang and his head whipped to stare at the entrance, much to Oliver's astonishment, Martha was back but what was disturbing about the fact was that she walked in the very same fashion she had when she initially came in- bubbly and excited.
Oliver warily stared at her as she perched herself on the stool in the same fashion and he felt his features forced into a smile...again.
“ Hey Oliver, congratulations on that test ! ”
What in the world ! He was to say but instead,
“ Thank you, ”
*****
In the middle of a heavy traffic in the wee hours of morning. An astronaut snored on a side walk unlike all those around him who were completely stuck into slumber land, he was desperately struggling to get away from the clutched of the unexplainable sleep, from the gas that tampered with his memory and was determined to keep it that way.
YOU ARE READING
DREAM GAS
غموض / إثارةCompleted ✔️Editing❎ It was a blunder to slumber. It is a normal day. It seems a normal day...only that it isn't. Four people in different continents of the world soon come to the realization that something is very wrong with the world. They are...
