Emily and Samuel ✔️

TWENTY

See the light as it shines on the sea? It's blinding

I held my clenched fist under my chin as a makeshift microphone as I belt out the lyrics with Naomi. I turned my head towards her to see that instead of a clenched fist, she was holding onto the empty beer bottle as her makeshift microphone.

Although a part of me was nagging at me to stop all this and call it a day before we do something that we will regret, another part of me was telling myself to shove it. As weird as it felt to be talking to myself, I ignored it and continue to sing the lyrics but making it louder this time so that I'd be louder than her.

But no one know, how deep it goes

As though she sensed my underlying challenge and because she's not one to give up a fight, she raised her voice even louder than mine. And because she was a big cheat too, she moved over towards me and placed her hand over my mouth as she continued singing.

Huffing out in frustration, I licked her palm and smacked the back of her head as I moved further away from her. Sticking my tongue out at her, I positioned my fist over my mouth and started singing again.

And it seems like its calling out to me, so come find me

Just as I was about to take another breath for the next line, I was on the ground with Naomi sitting on me like I was a couch – which I was not. Was I? Holy shit, I think I am.

The truth finally seeped into my thick skulls and I stopped moving in case the furniture king fired me for doing such a bad job. Why was I even moving in the first place? I could be banned from the kingdom. What would happen then? How will I provide for my little stools and foot rest?

Afraid of the consequences, I tuned out my surrounding and laid there as still as any couch should be. But I couldn't, because Naomi was prodding me everywhere with her little human fingers and what she's doing to me should be illegal. She was borderline sexually assaulting me. Maybe I can voice out my rights to the king and he will punish this human accordingly.

"No no no. Shit. Get up Em."

Ignoring her, I squeezed my eyes tighter and said a silent prayer to the king for his protection before this human poked a hole through me, exposing my foam fill to everyone. But the king was probably punishing me for even moving in the first place because he ignored my prayers and it didn't take long before I felt the first slap on my face.

"Get." Slap. "Up." Slap. "You can't." Slap. "Die on me." Slap. Slap. "Fuck."

Die? And why is she slapping me? Is this how stupid the humans have become? What kind of books has she been reading? What kind of drugs has she been taking? "Are you stupid? A non-living thing can't die."

I watched as her shoulders sag in relief as she dropped onto the ground by my side with an annoyed look on her face. "Why didn't you answer me? I thought you died! And what'd you mean by a non-living thing can't die? Last time I checked, you're a human which means you're a living thing."

I'm a human? I'm a living, breathing human? Oh my god, I am a human. I have hands, legs, a body, and a human face. How did I ever convinced myself that I'm a furniture?

"– christ, I forgot how much of a lightweight you are." It felt like my whole life was a life, first I was a couch and then I was human? I couldn't stop my head from spinning even though I was laying on the ground and the heat emanating from her was making it worse. "I'll go get you some water. Don't. Move."

Once I couldn't feel her body heat anymore, it was like the air was cooler and I could finally breathe. Too tired to move, I turned my head towards the television without moving my body.