Don't Fall Asleep

Just a normal day. Sort of.

'Hello, *********, look finally decided to turn up?' *** - wait, this person is not important to the story, what point is there in covering their name? For the rest, as this is the first 'official' chapter - the one that normally tells you where the characters are and who they are, I shall replace them. Sure you can fantasise, theorise, what other -ise but you didn't get their name for me. This is for your protection, so you can wake up in the morning safe. So you can wake up.

Anyway, in the meantime, you can imagine their name. I'm going to give them a name - not his real name - and you can change it if you dislike it. As for their home and place of work... set it in your hometown, where you come from, where you are now even. Picture your building, your friends filling the employees' positions. Don't even think about where this story really takes place. So you can wake up. Anyway, on with the story!

'How-how long did I sleep?' ********* murmured, his eyes still stuck together.

'Oh just-' Mel stopped and started counting on her fingers, stopping and rolling her eyes when she got to ten. 'Fifteen hours. Thought you were dead al-' No. For our protection, he will be called Jacob. No last name, just Jacob. The reason he cannot have a last name is simple - it might loop people in that don't want to be looped in. People that might want to wake up.

Mel was Jacob's 'associate'; she helped him run the business. However, their relationship was more like mother and son. Mel lived with Jacob; making sure he went to bed on time and the like. Sometimes it got to the point where she ran the business, much to Jacob's dismay. Mel was more of a mother figure for him, and - although they would never outwardly admit it - they cared for each other deeply.

It's important to know that Jacob was not a good person. Maybe that will stop you from sympathising with him. Everything he got, he deserved. Is that clear? Okay.

Jacob always had trouble sleeping, so fifteen hours was, well, a miracle. What surprised him the most was that he was still tired. Sleep still stuck his eyes together, clawing back at him to go asleep. Some far away thought told him he was lucky to have woken up at all, but the man passed this off as just nonsense.

He stretched, groaning loudly as he heard his back make a loud crack. Mel gestured for him to sit down, which Jacob did, rolling his eyes.

'Jake, your phone's ringing off the hook! All for the New Year sale that they want to get done-' She paused and laid his breakfast in front of him. '-I don't know how you manage! Mind you, I don't think you're doing very well.'

Jake looked up, vaguely aware of Mel reaching the end of her sentence. 'I'm fine, I'm fine. Are you seeing Sue today?' Sue was Mel's 'partner'. They didn't really have a label for anything, but had loved each other for a long time.

'Ah, no. She's going to be with her grandchildren. Tomorrow.' Mel paused and stared off dreamily, making Jacob shake his head and tut.

'I'll be off now.' He turned to leave, then added a quick, 'Thanks.'

Jacob hurried away without a second glance. That was his first mistake. If he had looked back, he would have seen the alphabet magnets they kept for nostalgic purposes rearrange silently into two words.

Wake Up