“Please, don’t wake me. No, don’t shake me. Leave me where I am… *
465 words, 2 minutes read time.
Last edited 2 minutes ago.I became ever more aware that I wasn’t thinking, remembering, or experiencing anything as I should. All around me became less focused, even fuzzier than just moments ago. Completing personal thoughts in my head became nearly impossible. I was heartened within that distant fog when I heard Mel’s voice say with worry, “Is he going to be alright, Doctor?”
Hapless began to answer, but then shouted, “He’s convulsing!”
I felt huge tremors erupting even before he spoke. They began somewhere soul deep, huge explosions rattling ruthlessly from my core. Surging through every nerve of my spine. Twisting my marrow, rattling every cell to extremes. I was flailing like a flag ripped to ribbons in a hurricane.
Pain, extreme pain, I simply could not endure. Every muscle stretched, torn, and battered, all in lieu of soft paralysis.
“Hold him! Hold him down, tight! Tighter!” shouted Dr. Hapless.
I knew their force. Sensed the pressure. All hands came down, pressing, holding, fighting, struggling, just to keep me still, to hold me down, to secure my shoulders, my arms, and legs.
Then, as though cued, they all withdrew.
Someone straddled me. I felt chest compressions. I also realized that I was vomiting. Violently. Despite this chaos and commotion, I gleaned a single shred of contentment upon realizing that I could actually feel so much of this. The feeling was of pain, but at least it was tangible, even though it felt ever further away.
I came to realize that all of this could only be a horrible dream.
A dream that must have begun when I slipped on the peanut dust and shells back at Mel’s Bar. That, and that I needed to pee. Those were the last solid recollections before my only sense became that of hearing. I must have passed out then. I had, after all, drunk all those beers!
Only in a dream might I imagine blindness. Or being unable to move, or feel? Otherwise, how could loss of senses happen suddenly and be replaced by sudden pain? This desperate, fitful, agonizing pain. If not a dream, I wondered, why did it matter?
I heard Dr. Hapless shout, “Clear!” Mentally, I braced for what I knew was coming next.
And it did. More excruciating pain. Suddenly, shocking, unbearable, lightning-fast, horrible pain. He called out “Clear!” again. Then two, maybe three, or four more unbearable times!
It turned out that I didn’t wake up at Mel’s Bar like I thought I should. Rather, everything stopped, just as it had before, but this time I couldn’t even hear. I’m not even thinking anymore. I’d should be scared, really scared right now. But I’m not. If this is death, it’s not so bad…
~~~~~> more to come…
<~~~~~O~~~~~>
Lennon, McCartney (I’m Only Sleeping)
-dalton
5-7-26
(459) (330)/343/437/464
Leave a Reply