At group problem therapy-
"I feel used. Actually, I feel more than used, I feel, I feel overused. I feel like people use me for everything they do and say. Me this me that. I feel attached to everything that people do," The pound symbol announced.
"It's ok, I am a trained to help you with your problem. Also, all of these people here today are here to sympathize with you and your experience," the leader of group therapy told pound symbol.
"And that's not the worst of it they gave my some new name. Some random, made up, slang name. My name is pound, not hashtag! My name is not hashtag! Why would people call me some made up name? How would you like it if I just changed your name? You wouldn't would you? That's what I thought."
"Alright, alright calm down. I am sure that another person in the circle will be able to sympathize with hash- I mean pound symbol," The therapist said.
"Great, just great, here I am trying to get sympathy and understanding and all I get is mocked and misunderstood. People used to use me as a button to make a decision with but now I am just a prequel to increasingly stupid phrases like Y.O.L.O and swag. I can do nothing to stop the stupidity. If you are to call be a 'hashtag' at least attach me to something appropriately, and by this I mean do not attach me to every word like the, and, so, or any other filler word. Please, and I beg, just call and use me as the pound sign," The pound sign said.
"I am sorry that I messed your name up," The therapist tried to apologize.
"It is fine. I guess that today's teens just get me fired up. I mean can't they just use their incorrectness wisely and not invent stupid new words. Also, can't they just put me were the incorrectness is needed? I hate today's teens. They are always making up stupid trends and slang. I know that other people have to go, but I am just very passionate about this subject, if you couldn't tell. I am sorry for going off but I have never had anyone sympathize with me," pound sign said.
"Ok, well is there anyone who sympathizes with pound sign over here?" The therapist asked.
"No, ok, well I guess I will be going then. This is what happens every time," pound sign said as he went out on his sad little way.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Cafe
"I feel like some coffee," I thought under my breath, "It is a good thing that I work near a coffee shop." I start to walk toward the coffee shop, which is about two blocks to the south of my office building. I start to think about what I want to get. I arrived at the coffee shop and notice that the line is unusually short. I am walking to the front to order and then the door ringer goes off as the regulars pour in to get there three o'clock coffee. I approach the counter with my order,
"Welcome to Jim's Coffee Shop! Making your delicious cup of joe since 1914! Can I take your order?" The very cheery and energetic cashier said. That is why I always came to this coffee shop, not because of the proximity, nor because off the coffee, though it was good, but because of the customer service.
"I will have one coffee, a little cream and a little honey. Thank you," I reply.
"Alright tell me if this is right, one coffee, a little cream and a little honey?" The cashier makes sure.
"Yes, that is right," I assure her.
"Ok, we will get it out soon! Your number is 143! Thank you for choosing us!" The cashier said, always cheery.
"Ok, thank you," I said as I dropped some change into the tip jar. I walked away to an empty seat to admire the space in which I would be drinking my coffee. I had sat down at one of those tables that have two chairs at them but if the two people have more that a drink then it is too small. My table was slightly to the left of the cahier and faced toward the door. I had be here many times before and could be considered a regular, but every time I came it something was different as if they wanted me to look around every time. One thing, though, was always the same, the coffee brown color of the walls upon which everything hung. The color of the walls was just part of the atmosphere and the also seemed to add to the taste of the coffee. One of the cooler things about the coffee shop was that the wall to the left of me was covered in picture of all of the celebrities that had bought something at the shop. It was just cool to think that I could have been in here to see these people, and that I could have met one of them if I had been here at the right time. I continued to scanned my eyes to the to the right and I come to the front wall which is pretty much just a wall of glass except for the fact that the door fell in the middle of it. On the left side of the door there hung a sign that read OPEN in flashing red and blue colors. Then as I continued to scan to the right I say a temporary paper sign that read 'Now hiring.' I predict the sign will not be there long based on the economy. As my eyes continue to drift to the right they pass over the door which have has a new sign hanging over it that reads 'Thank you for visiting Jim's Coffee Shop!' On the other side of the window the name of the coffee shop was written in elaborate, white, almost see through lettering that looked like they had been there since 1914 when the shop first opened. I continued to look across the small coffee shop and tried to look at the wall that was to the right of me through the crowd of people waiting in line to order. The wall was covered in yet another cool collage of photos. These photos were less cliché for a business to have, though not by much. The series of pictures depicts the employees of the coffee shop every New Year to commemorate another year of business. The last of the walls is taken up by the cashier and coffee makers. As I finish up looking around I hear,
"143." I get up and start to walk over to the coffee pick-up station on my way I dodge the wet floor sign and the coffee spill that it denotes and then I reach the coffee pick-up station and look for my coffee. I find it at the far left of the counter, I pick it up and turn around. I look towards my seat and see that someone is sitting in it and their back is facing me. I use to get mad at people who did this and then two things happened one, I did it to someone on accident and I realized how often this happens. I walked over to the seat in which I was sitting in completely calm, as I rounded the corner of the table my face filled with joy and I could feel the happiness lighting me up as I saw who it was. I knew when I saw the face that it was no accident that he was sitting at the table. It was my friend of a little over fifteen years and he must have seen me looking around. I sat down and said,
"Hey, Frank, what are you doing here?"
"Well I had a little time off and I thought that you would be here," Frank replied.
"That was a good guess and I feel really bad right now because I have been holding a secret back from you for a couple of years now," I said guiltily.
"I realized that something was up every time we talked because I can see it on your face, so go ahead, speak," Frank said. I forget that he is a shrink sometimes.
"Ok, here is my secret-
"Welcome to Jim's Coffee Shop! Making your delicious cup of joe since 1914! Can I take your order?" The very cheery and energetic cashier said. That is why I always came to this coffee shop, not because of the proximity, nor because off the coffee, though it was good, but because of the customer service.
"I will have one coffee, a little cream and a little honey. Thank you," I reply.
"Alright tell me if this is right, one coffee, a little cream and a little honey?" The cashier makes sure.
"Yes, that is right," I assure her.
"Ok, we will get it out soon! Your number is 143! Thank you for choosing us!" The cashier said, always cheery.
"Ok, thank you," I said as I dropped some change into the tip jar. I walked away to an empty seat to admire the space in which I would be drinking my coffee. I had sat down at one of those tables that have two chairs at them but if the two people have more that a drink then it is too small. My table was slightly to the left of the cahier and faced toward the door. I had be here many times before and could be considered a regular, but every time I came it something was different as if they wanted me to look around every time. One thing, though, was always the same, the coffee brown color of the walls upon which everything hung. The color of the walls was just part of the atmosphere and the also seemed to add to the taste of the coffee. One of the cooler things about the coffee shop was that the wall to the left of me was covered in picture of all of the celebrities that had bought something at the shop. It was just cool to think that I could have been in here to see these people, and that I could have met one of them if I had been here at the right time. I continued to scanned my eyes to the to the right and I come to the front wall which is pretty much just a wall of glass except for the fact that the door fell in the middle of it. On the left side of the door there hung a sign that read OPEN in flashing red and blue colors. Then as I continued to scan to the right I say a temporary paper sign that read 'Now hiring.' I predict the sign will not be there long based on the economy. As my eyes continue to drift to the right they pass over the door which have has a new sign hanging over it that reads 'Thank you for visiting Jim's Coffee Shop!' On the other side of the window the name of the coffee shop was written in elaborate, white, almost see through lettering that looked like they had been there since 1914 when the shop first opened. I continued to look across the small coffee shop and tried to look at the wall that was to the right of me through the crowd of people waiting in line to order. The wall was covered in yet another cool collage of photos. These photos were less cliché for a business to have, though not by much. The series of pictures depicts the employees of the coffee shop every New Year to commemorate another year of business. The last of the walls is taken up by the cashier and coffee makers. As I finish up looking around I hear,
"143." I get up and start to walk over to the coffee pick-up station on my way I dodge the wet floor sign and the coffee spill that it denotes and then I reach the coffee pick-up station and look for my coffee. I find it at the far left of the counter, I pick it up and turn around. I look towards my seat and see that someone is sitting in it and their back is facing me. I use to get mad at people who did this and then two things happened one, I did it to someone on accident and I realized how often this happens. I walked over to the seat in which I was sitting in completely calm, as I rounded the corner of the table my face filled with joy and I could feel the happiness lighting me up as I saw who it was. I knew when I saw the face that it was no accident that he was sitting at the table. It was my friend of a little over fifteen years and he must have seen me looking around. I sat down and said,
"Hey, Frank, what are you doing here?"
"Well I had a little time off and I thought that you would be here," Frank replied.
"That was a good guess and I feel really bad right now because I have been holding a secret back from you for a couple of years now," I said guiltily.
"I realized that something was up every time we talked because I can see it on your face, so go ahead, speak," Frank said. I forget that he is a shrink sometimes.
"Ok, here is my secret-
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Time Period
After saving my neighbor who hated me and my guts from dying from a heart attack I worked on the watch whenever the other me wasn't working on his design. Though I got little time to work, I perfected it so that I could travel back to World War one. To prevent a time catastrophe I waited until the other me time traveled and wondered why I didn't see him the time that I traveled. That didn't matter now. I pressed the button I installed on the back and instantly I was covered in a veil of white light. When the light subsided I took a look around and saw that I was indeed in 1914, but I was not in the right place. I decided to walk to the coffee shop down the street from my house praying that it was open in 1914. As I started to walk toward the coffee shop I started to think how rice I could get by introducing technologies that I knew would come anyway. I would do that later, right now I had to at least try to do a decent act with my traveling ability. I arrived at where the coffee shop should have been, but instead there was a sandwich and drug store. I guess I didn't get coffee, but at least there were newspaper, which is all I really needed. I picked up the paper and put it on the counter.
"That will be five cents," The cashier said. I pulled out my wallet and looked at the cash, knowing good and well that my cards wouldn't work. I had two fifties and one twenty. I pulled out the twenty and handed it to cashier. I put my wallet away, looked up and saw the surprise on the cashier's face. He put the twenty away and gave me a ten, a five, four ones, and 95 cents. I then asked,
"Where is your manager?"
"I am him," the cashier responded.
"Ok, here is ten dollars, use it after 1929. Also turn this place into a coffee shop, it will do much better," I told him.
"Ok, thank you, what is your name?" The manager inquired.
"The name is Jim," I said.
"Have a good day sir," the manager said as I strolled out of his store. I looked for a bench to sit on as I continued to stroll down the walkway. I noticed that I was getting strange looks, and then I realized why, I was wearing clothes from what I considered modern. Those clothes were jeans and a vibrant graphic t-shirt with a cat in a taco on it. Both of which looked a lot out of place compared to the suits that most of the other men were wearing. I came to a stop at a bench in a park, not caring what people thought of the weirdly clad man that was sitting there. I then looked at the newspaper and the date read June 27, 1914. I had one day to save Archduke Ferdinand and I was going to try, whether or not people thought that I could.
"That will be five cents," The cashier said. I pulled out my wallet and looked at the cash, knowing good and well that my cards wouldn't work. I had two fifties and one twenty. I pulled out the twenty and handed it to cashier. I put my wallet away, looked up and saw the surprise on the cashier's face. He put the twenty away and gave me a ten, a five, four ones, and 95 cents. I then asked,
"Where is your manager?"
"I am him," the cashier responded.
"Ok, here is ten dollars, use it after 1929. Also turn this place into a coffee shop, it will do much better," I told him.
"Ok, thank you, what is your name?" The manager inquired.
"The name is Jim," I said.
"Have a good day sir," the manager said as I strolled out of his store. I looked for a bench to sit on as I continued to stroll down the walkway. I noticed that I was getting strange looks, and then I realized why, I was wearing clothes from what I considered modern. Those clothes were jeans and a vibrant graphic t-shirt with a cat in a taco on it. Both of which looked a lot out of place compared to the suits that most of the other men were wearing. I came to a stop at a bench in a park, not caring what people thought of the weirdly clad man that was sitting there. I then looked at the newspaper and the date read June 27, 1914. I had one day to save Archduke Ferdinand and I was going to try, whether or not people thought that I could.
Pants.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Click. I jump up out of my bed feeling refreshed. The day feels young, you know
what they say, a new day, a new- wait a second! Where are my favorite pants?
Crash, the sound came from another room. As I walked toward the sound my cat, Muffin, rushed
past. As I enter a room I see a lamp, broken and on the floor. I continued on my quest carefully. As I turn the corner to go
to the next room I see her standing in front of me, confused and scared. She just stands there slowly getting angrier and angrier, as if she thinks
the pants are hers. I raise my hand in anger as if I was about to yell. The
robber mimes my moves down to the point of the expression on my face. I start
to walk toward the woman, the woman does the same, as I move closer I realize that
there is glass in between the robber and me. The wall below the window has obscured my view of the pants. I stare into the eyes of the robber for a while. I start to let my mind wander in the eyes of the robber and I start think why hasn't the robber run yet? I decide to scare her off by yelling at her. I raise my arm again; I ignore her pantomime of me and continue with my scaring process. I yell,
"Give me back my pants!" I see her copying my mouth movements, mocking me, but she still didn't run. This was the most daring and calm-headed robber ever and all it did to me was make me ever more annoyed. All the robber looked now was angry and annoyed, still probably copying my emotions. I just couldn't figure her out; she just stood there, copying me, not speaking. She must be a professional mime. This struck my last never with this robber who was full of herself. I bend down and grabbed a thick, wooden dowel and ran toward the window. Holding like I would a spear it hit the window, all of my weight behind it. The window cracked, but I was confused. The one robber was gone, but now there were many of her, each one confined to their crack of the window. Each one also mimed me and had my same expression of confusion. I then realized what I was seeing, what the drinks from last night had kept hidden for to long, I was looking into a mirror. I looked down to confirm this presumption and saw that I was indeed wearing my favorite pants. I walked back to my room and looked at my clock. The clock read six a.m. I crawled into my bed; because after recent events and definitely needed sleep more than work and it was Saturday wasn't it? It didn't matter as I slowly drifted off to sleep trying to avoid a hangover from all of the drinks I had last night.
Saturday, November 1, 2014
The Fight
"We have to get out now!" I yelled at my team mate, while I looked at my dead comrade.
"Why?" my last team mate, Jim, asked in stupid response.
"Really, now Jim? We are about to die, well Brad already did, and your asking WHY! Do you not remember what happens because Brad hit that button? He called an airstrike! He was a TRATOR! We will die of an airstrike if we just stand here, if the sniper doesn't get us first! You are the last one I got, I am not losing you too. Even if you ask stupid questions that make me hate you," I yelled at my last team mate Jim.
"Ok, Debra! Gosh," Jim replied. We started to run toward the door, I turn just enough to look at the body. At the slight glimpse that I just risked my life for, I started to cry, he was my brother. I hear the planes take their first pass. I then push Jim into a room, hoping that our lives would live long enough to develop a plan. Turning to Jim I say,
"Listen to me we don't have long, is the hot air balloon ready?"
"Yes," He responds.
"Ok, good, our only chance is to run to it," I say.
"But, but that is dangerous," he says, obviously scared.
"I know, but it is our only chance," I say trying to comfort him. I hear the planes approaching again, a bullet whips past my shoulder.
"We have to go, NOW!" I yell. We start running toward the door again. The door is so near yet so far. I fell more bullets zip past us again. I start to take the lead on Jim, the adrenaline pumping through my veins pushing me on. I finally reach the door, grasping the cold metal handle I pull. The heavy wooden door swings open. I start to run from the house, disregarding were Jim was. I hear an explosion behind me. I am lifted off of my feet, the blast propelling upward, but also closer to the balloon. I guess I lost both of them now, I thought to myself, one to a sniper and one to a missile. I stood up, remembering all those who were lost in the fighting.
Debra brushed the sand from her shirt, took a last, sad look at the now burning house, and stepped into the hot air balloon.
One Week
The day,
Bright.
The sky,
Cloud free.
Then the news came,
A devastating blow to my happiness
It came with a soul shattering sound
And a crash to the ground
The news hit hard on the heart
I called my wife saying
One week
Seven days
168 hours
10080 minutes
604800 seconds
To live
To breath
To know
To be
To know that the human experience was ending
Saddened the core of me
There was no comfort of what I found comforting before
Death shows you things no mortal knows
My possessions-
Worthless to me
My life work-
Not worth it to me
The way I live depressed me
To the point of death seeming small
I saw no worth in money
I saw no worth in a job
I only saw worth in friends and family
The on quality of life I was on the search for was
A decent relationship
I knew the stories
The stories about humans
Knowing when their death was to come
And how they all searched for something
And I never thought that life's cliché
Would happen to me
This is the fault of mortals
To live with out living
No one will remember them
Not for the pants they wear
Not for their popularity
For this is what morals worry about
This shall not be remembered by the immortal whole
The human race
The insights that Death has given me
Will be lost in so few days
The wisdom that I have
Is so hard imparted on mortals
Why do mortals want
What crumbles
Money when money only buys a nice coffin
Death is never prevented
Only delayed
To persevere the illusion
Money is a demon
Possessing those who touch it
Destroying those who abuse it
The exorcism-
Imminent death
Most mortals ignore this house call
This house call that Death makes
Most of those who notice
Try to bribe Death
To which Death laughs
And lets live on
For a while
For he has the same insights as me
For he was the one to give them to be
Everything must end
Life is like a ball throw into the air
And death is like the ground
What goes up
Must come down
This is the law of life
There is no escaping it
Because a law is a law
No matter how universal
So it pains me to see mortals
Be shallow
Though the pockets are deep
Mortals walk by the poor
The dying, cold, sick poor
They walk by
Not giving any life saving money
Because they value the money over a life
I believe that they are afraid
Of the singular thought of
What if that were me?
This raises more questions with me
Mainly why don't we listen to the rules
The rules that we learned from kindergarten
The one that says to
Treat others
As
You would like to be treated
We all know how to do this
But we don't act it out
We teach it to the next mortal generation
But they learn not from words
But from actions
So why, mortals, do we do this?
Why do we choose not to live?
Is it so that we do not die?
We are scared by the inevitable
We like to control
We are always power hungry
So when Death comes knocking
We become powerless
To do anything but reflect
And see the insights
That we previously missed
So this is how we live the death
We want to live
And we live it-
Clueless
And a crash to the ground
The news hit hard on the heart
I called my wife saying
One week
Seven days
168 hours
10080 minutes
604800 seconds
To live
To breath
To know
To be
To know that the human experience was ending
Saddened the core of me
There was no comfort of what I found comforting before
Death shows you things no mortal knows
My possessions-
Worthless to me
My life work-
Not worth it to me
The way I live depressed me
To the point of death seeming small
I saw no worth in money
I saw no worth in a job
I only saw worth in friends and family
The on quality of life I was on the search for was
A decent relationship
I knew the stories
The stories about humans
Knowing when their death was to come
And how they all searched for something
And I never thought that life's cliché
Would happen to me
This is the fault of mortals
To live with out living
No one will remember them
Not for the pants they wear
Not for their popularity
For this is what morals worry about
This shall not be remembered by the immortal whole
The human race
The insights that Death has given me
Will be lost in so few days
The wisdom that I have
Is so hard imparted on mortals
Why do mortals want
What crumbles
Money when money only buys a nice coffin
Death is never prevented
Only delayed
To persevere the illusion
Money is a demon
Possessing those who touch it
Destroying those who abuse it
The exorcism-
Imminent death
Most mortals ignore this house call
This house call that Death makes
Most of those who notice
Try to bribe Death
To which Death laughs
And lets live on
For a while
For he has the same insights as me
For he was the one to give them to be
Everything must end
Life is like a ball throw into the air
And death is like the ground
What goes up
Must come down
This is the law of life
There is no escaping it
Because a law is a law
No matter how universal
So it pains me to see mortals
Be shallow
Though the pockets are deep
Mortals walk by the poor
The dying, cold, sick poor
They walk by
Not giving any life saving money
Because they value the money over a life
I believe that they are afraid
Of the singular thought of
What if that were me?
This raises more questions with me
Mainly why don't we listen to the rules
The rules that we learned from kindergarten
The one that says to
Treat others
As
You would like to be treated
We all know how to do this
But we don't act it out
We teach it to the next mortal generation
But they learn not from words
But from actions
So why, mortals, do we do this?
Why do we choose not to live?
Is it so that we do not die?
We are scared by the inevitable
We like to control
We are always power hungry
So when Death comes knocking
We become powerless
To do anything but reflect
And see the insights
That we previously missed
So this is how we live the death
We want to live
And we live it-
Clueless
Saturday, October 25, 2014
The Chocolate Factory
I
was scared, alone, and in a chocolate factory. This sounds odd I know, but let’s
look back at the events that lead up to now. One, a Rellik Incorporated chocolate
factory is built. Two, children started disappearing. Three, Rellik’s motto is
changed to ‘Chocolate so good you’ll die for it!’ Those events lead up to today
when I got out of school. I started what I thought would be short trip home,
when as I walked in front of the comic book store and saw a flyer in the window
among the countless others that read, ‘Free new and improved zombie tendon
gummy taste testing on 10/25 at Rellik Chocolate Factory at 4:00 O’ Clock.’ I
realized that I wanted to go and that the Rellik Factory was only a slight
detour from my regular walking route. So instead of turning right at the next
block I walked strait and continued that way for about two blocks more before arriving
at the factory. I was suppressed that there were only four people, not
including myself that had shown up by 3:55. Then I walked up to the paper work
table, and surprisingly all I had to fill out was a liability form. No one else
had shown up by 4:00. I was about to start talking to people when a woman came
out of the factory and in an official way said,
“Come with me I will lead you to the testing room.” All of the people who were sitting stand up and we all follow the woman into the back of the factory. As soon as we were in the room the woman left us. The five of us sat down at the table in the center of the room to await our taste testing experience, I sat down in the middle. Suddenly, a man from the left end of the table said,
“Well, while while we are waiting, why don’t we get to know each other? I am Gabriel.” Everyone looked around at each other considering taking up the offer, when someone from the right side of the table said,
“I’m Jude.” So it was decided that we would go around and say our names.
“I’m Jesse,” the man next to Jude said.
“Hi, I am Jamie,” the next person around the table said. I was next,
“I’m Carl.” Then last person said,
“I’m Emily.” Just then the wall that was in front of me started to open up. Then over the intercom we heard,
“Be prepared to die for our candy, zombies.” As I looked out over the maze I realized this wasn’t a taste test, it was how they got their candy. They used the taste test to lure people in and then liked to play with their victims. I snapped out of my thoughts and looked around, everyone else was stunned as well. Because I wanted no one to die I yelled,
“We have to run through the maze.” With that statement everyone snapped out of their stunned state. I started to run toward the right, remembering a random fact from somewhere on the internet that if you follow the right wall of any maze you will eventually find your way out. I decided that I was going to take a break now. I came to the realization that I was alone now, because we all split up. I was scared, alone, and in a chocolate factory. Then, the intercom buzzed to life, they voice saying,
“How about some music?” A local radio station then came on saying,
“This is Legna 101.3 radio station this one goes out to Jude.” The radio station then proceeds to play Hey Jude by the Beetles. I started to run again, I had yet to come to a dead end using my strategy. The song was coming to an ends to I wondered, what will come on next? The song came to an end, the lights went out, and I heard a scream. The light came back on and I stopped thinking, did Jude just die? Who’s next? I picked up the pace not wanting to be next. The radio station came on again saying,
“This one goes out to Jamie.” Jamie’s Crying by Van Halen started playing and I thought, poor Jamie. As I came to a four way intersection, something came from around the corner, I jumped back. I then realized it was Gabriel, so I yelled,
“Hey! Let’s stick together!” He heard me, turned toward me, and said,
“Sure, which way do you think we should go?” After thinking for a bit, and taking into consideration that he ran from the left, I replied,
“Let’s go straight.”
“Alright.” We started to run in that direction, when I asked,
“Why were you running so fast?” To which he replied,
“I saw Jude taken.” I wondered what he meant by ‘taken’, but I knew better than to ask. Jamie’s Crying was coming to a close, so I steeled myself. The radio stopped, the lights went off, and a scream curdled my blood. Gabriel and I looked at each other knowing our time was coming as the radio came on saying,
“Up next on Legna 101.3 we have Simon and Garfunkel’s For Emily Whenever I May Find Her. This one’s for Emily.”
“Hey, Carl, stop,” I heard Gabriel say. I looked up as I almost ran into a wall. I know stood staring at the wall that was inches from my face wondering to myself, what now? Looking at Gabriel I could tell he was thinking the same thing. I scanned the wall for another way. That when I noticed something odd. So, turning to Gabriel, I said,
“Why don’t we climb those metal rungs?”
“Agreed,” He replied. We climbed on top of the structure of the maze. As we started to look around on top of it the intercom buzzed to life saying,
“Our zombies are getting smart now, are they? What if we leave the lights on for you?” I realized that the song was ending. I saw how close the back exit was, less than 100 feet, but it seemed so far with all of the turns in our way. The song came to an end, the radio cut off, the lights stayed on. I witnessed a large claw, not unlike a claw machines, reach into the maze. It came out slowly, but its shape had changed into a trap then as it was being pulled out it looked like a spear pierced the heart, just like the scream rose through the air. All of this happened in an instant. I turned around and saw Gabriel had turned away. I realized we had to start running again if we were to make it. So, I said,
“We have to start running.” Getting what I was saying he started to run. The radio came back saying,
“This tune is for Jamie.” Jamie’s Girl by Rick Springfield blasted over the radio. 50 feet. The wall ended in 25 feet. The intercom interrupted the song,
“Not so fast zombies.” Blades started swinging through the air. The intercom voice laughed. Gabriel stopped suddenly. The wall had ended.
“Jump,” I said.
“No, he replied. Noticing the blade coming toward us I said,
“Just do it.” I ducked, but I still heard him say,
“N-” as the blade chopped his head off. I jumped. Landing on my feet I ran for the door. As I did so the song stopped playing, the lights didn’t go off, I didn’t look back knowing what I would see, and a scream cut the air. As the radio started to call out the next song, I exited. Scarred for life, I ran back home.
“Come with me I will lead you to the testing room.” All of the people who were sitting stand up and we all follow the woman into the back of the factory. As soon as we were in the room the woman left us. The five of us sat down at the table in the center of the room to await our taste testing experience, I sat down in the middle. Suddenly, a man from the left end of the table said,
“Well, while while we are waiting, why don’t we get to know each other? I am Gabriel.” Everyone looked around at each other considering taking up the offer, when someone from the right side of the table said,
“I’m Jude.” So it was decided that we would go around and say our names.
“I’m Jesse,” the man next to Jude said.
“Hi, I am Jamie,” the next person around the table said. I was next,
“I’m Carl.” Then last person said,
“I’m Emily.” Just then the wall that was in front of me started to open up. Then over the intercom we heard,
“Be prepared to die for our candy, zombies.” As I looked out over the maze I realized this wasn’t a taste test, it was how they got their candy. They used the taste test to lure people in and then liked to play with their victims. I snapped out of my thoughts and looked around, everyone else was stunned as well. Because I wanted no one to die I yelled,
“We have to run through the maze.” With that statement everyone snapped out of their stunned state. I started to run toward the right, remembering a random fact from somewhere on the internet that if you follow the right wall of any maze you will eventually find your way out. I decided that I was going to take a break now. I came to the realization that I was alone now, because we all split up. I was scared, alone, and in a chocolate factory. Then, the intercom buzzed to life, they voice saying,
“How about some music?” A local radio station then came on saying,
“This is Legna 101.3 radio station this one goes out to Jude.” The radio station then proceeds to play Hey Jude by the Beetles. I started to run again, I had yet to come to a dead end using my strategy. The song was coming to an ends to I wondered, what will come on next? The song came to an end, the lights went out, and I heard a scream. The light came back on and I stopped thinking, did Jude just die? Who’s next? I picked up the pace not wanting to be next. The radio station came on again saying,
“This one goes out to Jamie.” Jamie’s Crying by Van Halen started playing and I thought, poor Jamie. As I came to a four way intersection, something came from around the corner, I jumped back. I then realized it was Gabriel, so I yelled,
“Hey! Let’s stick together!” He heard me, turned toward me, and said,
“Sure, which way do you think we should go?” After thinking for a bit, and taking into consideration that he ran from the left, I replied,
“Let’s go straight.”
“Alright.” We started to run in that direction, when I asked,
“Why were you running so fast?” To which he replied,
“I saw Jude taken.” I wondered what he meant by ‘taken’, but I knew better than to ask. Jamie’s Crying was coming to a close, so I steeled myself. The radio stopped, the lights went off, and a scream curdled my blood. Gabriel and I looked at each other knowing our time was coming as the radio came on saying,
“Up next on Legna 101.3 we have Simon and Garfunkel’s For Emily Whenever I May Find Her. This one’s for Emily.”
“Hey, Carl, stop,” I heard Gabriel say. I looked up as I almost ran into a wall. I know stood staring at the wall that was inches from my face wondering to myself, what now? Looking at Gabriel I could tell he was thinking the same thing. I scanned the wall for another way. That when I noticed something odd. So, turning to Gabriel, I said,
“Why don’t we climb those metal rungs?”
“Agreed,” He replied. We climbed on top of the structure of the maze. As we started to look around on top of it the intercom buzzed to life saying,
“Our zombies are getting smart now, are they? What if we leave the lights on for you?” I realized that the song was ending. I saw how close the back exit was, less than 100 feet, but it seemed so far with all of the turns in our way. The song came to an end, the radio cut off, the lights stayed on. I witnessed a large claw, not unlike a claw machines, reach into the maze. It came out slowly, but its shape had changed into a trap then as it was being pulled out it looked like a spear pierced the heart, just like the scream rose through the air. All of this happened in an instant. I turned around and saw Gabriel had turned away. I realized we had to start running again if we were to make it. So, I said,
“We have to start running.” Getting what I was saying he started to run. The radio came back saying,
“This tune is for Jamie.” Jamie’s Girl by Rick Springfield blasted over the radio. 50 feet. The wall ended in 25 feet. The intercom interrupted the song,
“Not so fast zombies.” Blades started swinging through the air. The intercom voice laughed. Gabriel stopped suddenly. The wall had ended.
“Jump,” I said.
“No, he replied. Noticing the blade coming toward us I said,
“Just do it.” I ducked, but I still heard him say,
“N-” as the blade chopped his head off. I jumped. Landing on my feet I ran for the door. As I did so the song stopped playing, the lights didn’t go off, I didn’t look back knowing what I would see, and a scream cut the air. As the radio started to call out the next song, I exited. Scarred for life, I ran back home.
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