Island of the Unemployed

PARANOIA

River rolled over. He yawned and stretched his arms, feeling like he had slept for a week. If only he didn't have to go to work! Oh God! I hate going to work! He knew another day of punishment and humiliation awaited him. He opened his eyes and was surprised not to find the four empty walls of his work pod surrounding him.

Three days had passed since arriving on the island. Each day his mind became a little more functional, but today he made his first tangible reconnection with the world around him.

Where am I? His mind raced. How could that be? I don't remember entering the Grid! He pinched his own skin checking for the presence of his reality suit. It wasn't there. What the hell is going on? He tried to think. What's the last thing I can remember? I was mopping. That it! I was mopping! But not at the factory. Places he had only seen in movies. Glaciers and deserts. None of it was real! They were just visions of things he had seen in movies. That's it! I must be hallucinating This isn't real!

"Sara! Sara?" He looked around. I'm going to be late for work. I'll get punished for sure! He put his hands to his head, waiting for a punish command to send him sprawling on the ground in pain. It should be coming at any moment.

His mind was a tangled mess. His senses were off, either amplified or diminished. A swirling spectrum of reality like none he had never experineced surrounded and enveloped him. Depression, delusions, and anxiety, were no strangers to him, but, on this day, they were all off the charts intense. Everything around him frightened him. Everything was against him. Every tree, every leaf, every grain of dirt. Everything he saw was there for one singular purpose. To kill him! Or, even worse, punish him! I have to get back to my job! Where's my mop? I'm always losing my mop! I'm so worthless!

Deja rolled over, still asleep. He turned toward her. Who is she? Adrenaline surged through every vein. Oh, no! She's here to punish me! He got to his feet and tried to run, feet slipping on the ground, making enough noise to wake Deja.

"Hey, Sport! Where ya going?"

It was the voice of a monster. Hey, sport, where ya going? Hey, sport, where ya going? The trees repeated the raspy terrifying voice. Then something grabbed his ankle and tossed him onto a bush. The twigs and leaves scraped his skin, sending an electric shock through his entire body.

Deja walked up to him. He had tripped on a root. "Jeez, River, are you OK? You're acting like a crazy person." She grabbed him by the wrists and pulled him over to a large rock. "Have a seat. Give me a minute to wake up before making me chase you all over creation."

She knows my name! How does she know my name? Who is this person? Why is she so angry with me? WHERE'S MY MOP?

"River, what's going on with you today?" He seemed different. His vacant stare was gone, replaced by a look of sheer terror.

The woman was livid. He already managed to anger her! Her voice was vile and irate. She was going to kill him! There was no other explanation! He would have run, but it wouldn't help. Everything around him was going to punish. There was nowhere to go. His fast breathing turned into racking sobs.

"River, my God! What's the matter with you! What's gotten into you?" This new turn of events was alarming. What was she going to do with him now? She needed to search for food. She couldn't spend the day watching over him. "I'm sorry, River. I going to have to tie you up." She bound his hands and feet and secured him to a tree to keep him from wandering off. "It's just to keep you safe. I'll be back soon. I promise!"

She backed away, finding it difficult to take her eyes off of him. He looked so terrified! She didn't want to leave him in that state, but she had no choice.

"I'll come back to kill you later," River heard her say. Impending doom ripped at his stomach and chest. Hopefully, the woman would make it quick and painless.