I Don't Mix My Cereal
Zachary sat down in his favorite chair with the adjustable angles of reclining enjoyment. He sat down in front of his big screen TV which he only used for news and information networks. There was only one news channel that he would watch. The rest changed his formats too often. He was carrying a newspaper, but he rarely read news just because he got the same thing from the TV station. Besides the newspaper was really only to block out people he didn't want to deal with, like his wife Janene.
"She already left."
"Who are you?"
An 11 year old kid looked up from the floor. He had short cropped hair and was covered from foot to neck by colorful cartoon pajamas. Unwavering blue eyes focused into his own.
"Why don't you sit on the floor anymore?"
"Cause it hurts my back. Now, who are you and how did you get into my house?"
The kid just looked up with an almost sad face. Zachary jerked the newspaper up in front of his face. A few minutes later he slowly looked over the newspaper and the kid was gone.
*****
Zachary sat down to his dining room table with the matching china set out in four places. His wife bought the china and it wasn't allowed to be use because she didn't want it to get dirty. He picked up one set and placed it on the kitchen counter and found a bowl, and a clean spoon before pouring a bran cereal and 2% milk for himself. He looked down at the bowl of cereal. It wouldn't be winning any awards for presentation. It was boring.
"Why don't you mix something good in with it?"
The boy again. He looked a little older. His appearance wasn't nearly as startling to Zachary as before. He looked up at him slightly confused.
"But I don't have any other kind of cereal."
"Why not?"
"This is the only kind Janene gets."
"But she is already gone. Get your own kind of cereal."
"She didn't say good bye."
"It was implied."
"You're pretty smart for such a little kid."
"You know I'm just in your head. Right?"
Zachary just stared at the bowl of cereal and then spooned a big bite of bran and milk. It tasted like cardboard. But at least he wasn't insane and talking to himself. People that live in nice houses, have big screen TV's, and nice cars don't go crazy. That's a fact. Zachary was sure he had seen it on the Discovery channel once.
*****
"I'm pretty sure that the nice car isn't a preventive for insanity."
Why was there a blonde teenager in his car. He thought he remembered this kid. Zachary had seen him in a mirror once. And he was looking at him in a mirror again. The kid's face beamed at him from the rear view mirror.
"You spent a lot of money to get a fancy sports car. It's just a status symbol for you though. Something to throw money at so people would respect you just a little bit more. Are you so thirsty for that empty respect of material possessions? You're living too many lies. You could have bought something more economical to match your driving style."
"What's that?"
"Safe."
"I like safe."
"Then why did you buy a sports car?"
Zachary ignored the teenager in the backseat of his car. What did he know anyway. The Discovery channel hadn't led him wrong yet. He patted the dashboard and wondered if a better stereo system might make a better insanity repellent.
*****
Zachary had been sitting on the examination table for quite some time before the doctor came in. The patient robe had started to itch.
"What seems to be the problem?"
"I've just been seeing things."
"You know. I'm not a psychologist. Dr. Shelfield is a few buildings over and she does some amazing work."
"No, that's not it at all."
"What is it then?"
"I've just gotten these awful stomach aches since I started mixing my cereal again."
"Why would you do that?"
"I guess, I wanted to know what it would taste like."
"You know, I remember when I used to mix my cereal." The doctor looked confused. "What does it taste like?"
"It tastes kind of like living."
"She already left."
"Who are you?"
An 11 year old kid looked up from the floor. He had short cropped hair and was covered from foot to neck by colorful cartoon pajamas. Unwavering blue eyes focused into his own.
"Why don't you sit on the floor anymore?"
"Cause it hurts my back. Now, who are you and how did you get into my house?"
The kid just looked up with an almost sad face. Zachary jerked the newspaper up in front of his face. A few minutes later he slowly looked over the newspaper and the kid was gone.
*****
Zachary sat down to his dining room table with the matching china set out in four places. His wife bought the china and it wasn't allowed to be use because she didn't want it to get dirty. He picked up one set and placed it on the kitchen counter and found a bowl, and a clean spoon before pouring a bran cereal and 2% milk for himself. He looked down at the bowl of cereal. It wouldn't be winning any awards for presentation. It was boring.
"Why don't you mix something good in with it?"
The boy again. He looked a little older. His appearance wasn't nearly as startling to Zachary as before. He looked up at him slightly confused.
"But I don't have any other kind of cereal."
"Why not?"
"This is the only kind Janene gets."
"But she is already gone. Get your own kind of cereal."
"She didn't say good bye."
"It was implied."
"You're pretty smart for such a little kid."
"You know I'm just in your head. Right?"
Zachary just stared at the bowl of cereal and then spooned a big bite of bran and milk. It tasted like cardboard. But at least he wasn't insane and talking to himself. People that live in nice houses, have big screen TV's, and nice cars don't go crazy. That's a fact. Zachary was sure he had seen it on the Discovery channel once.
*****
"I'm pretty sure that the nice car isn't a preventive for insanity."
Why was there a blonde teenager in his car. He thought he remembered this kid. Zachary had seen him in a mirror once. And he was looking at him in a mirror again. The kid's face beamed at him from the rear view mirror.
"You spent a lot of money to get a fancy sports car. It's just a status symbol for you though. Something to throw money at so people would respect you just a little bit more. Are you so thirsty for that empty respect of material possessions? You're living too many lies. You could have bought something more economical to match your driving style."
"What's that?"
"Safe."
"I like safe."
"Then why did you buy a sports car?"
Zachary ignored the teenager in the backseat of his car. What did he know anyway. The Discovery channel hadn't led him wrong yet. He patted the dashboard and wondered if a better stereo system might make a better insanity repellent.
*****
Zachary had been sitting on the examination table for quite some time before the doctor came in. The patient robe had started to itch.
"What seems to be the problem?"
"I've just been seeing things."
"You know. I'm not a psychologist. Dr. Shelfield is a few buildings over and she does some amazing work."
"No, that's not it at all."
"What is it then?"
"I've just gotten these awful stomach aches since I started mixing my cereal again."
"Why would you do that?"
"I guess, I wanted to know what it would taste like."
"You know, I remember when I used to mix my cereal." The doctor looked confused. "What does it taste like?"
"It tastes kind of like living."
posted by Goddamn Batman at 8:13 PM
2 Comments:
I'm working, slowly on some template concepts and one of these days when I'm not driven to stay up till five to finish homework we can go over them or something.
I've never mixed my cereal and like to think that I know what living feels like. That being said, I rarely eat breakfast.
I enjoyed it, good story.
Thanks, both of you.
I wouldn't suggest actually mixing your cereal. I was only trying to throw all of those things we did when the world was new and exciting. Things that experience ruins for us because we aren't likely to do it again. And sum it up into something very simple.
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