The Watch – Part 180:

There I go again. It’s as if something is forcing me to answer all these questions. He said that it was his inconsistency that is doing it, but somehow I can’t see how that makes any sense, let alone possible. We’re only sitting here because he had an idea and cancelled the test.

‘How did it feel when you knew you could do literally anything that you wanted, without consequence? Did you feel scared? Good? Powerful? You had just learnt that nothing can stand a chance against you. That must have made you feel absolutely awesome to say the least.’

‘What would you do if I told you that I could find out exactly what is going on here?’ I asked.

‘I don’t understand,’ he said.

‘Welcome to my world,’ I chuckled. My brain is trying to tell me something. I think. Something at the back of my mind clicked into place, yet I have no idea what that is or where it clicked. You know that feeling that you know something, yet you have no idea what that is? No, I don’t think you do considering that it’s probably not even a proper feeling. I’m just getting that… feeling that there’s something…

But I was able to act upon my own free will. I was able to talk to Interface within my own head. Everything flowed normally – and what I mean by flowing normally is everything felt, looked, and acted as if I was in the real world. Yeah, that’s it. That’s the strange feeling that I’m getting. I feel as if… I mean, I think I feel… Why am I suddenly feeling this way? The more that I don’t understand the stronger the feeling intensifies. I don’t understand…

Something’s not right. I just know it. Feel it. Something’s not… Maybe if I continue with talking to this person – to him – that I might be able to… understand more?

A question. There’s a question that I haven’t asked yet. There’s a question that is so obvious everyone else would have asked already. By finding that question, things might be able to… maybe…

All I have to do is find that question. But how do I find that question if I… I don’t understand. I truly, do not understand.

That feeling has intensified by two times it was before I… said I don’t understand? I just said that, that was the cause for it, yet I’m still not sure. I need to find that question whether it helps me figure all this out or not. But what do I do? Does it matter? Just do stuff. Whether it makes sense or not.

Be inconsistent.

Act like he is acting now. I still haven’t asked his name.

‘What is your name?’ I asked.

‘Do you really want to know?’

Wait. What if I got him to not understand things more often? I worded that wrong. He said, ‘I don’t understand’. He actually said that. Was that the reason why I was able to feel that strange feeling? Maybe.

All I have to do is say anything. The more that I say anything, the more that he’ll not understand? Maybe. I don’t know. All I can do is try. I can’t do anything more or less.

From now on, I’m going to follow what my brain is telling me, and that is only ever giving me random thoughts. I can do this. Can I? Maybe. He’s just sitting there, waiting patiently, not asking anything whilst I’m thinking, not even wondering what I’m thinking. He’s just sitting there. Just… doing nothing whilst I struggle to put things together. I’ve never been more confused in all my life. I’ve never not understood anything more than this. I’ve never met anyone so… relaxed, monotone, inconsistent, him. I’ve never met anyone quite like him before.

I don’t understand. Maybe. Things are… not… straightforward. I feel… weird… I feel… light-headed? Maybe.

‘What was it like when you travelled here?’ he asked. Should I answer? Just do what come naturally.

‘Who are you?’ I asked.

‘The person who wants to know the answer to the question, ‘what was it like when you travelled here?’

‘So you’re not going to answer my previous question: What is your name?’ I asked.

‘Do you have to know?’

‘If I’m to write the book, then at some point I think it’s only fair to the reader that I relieve them off the pro-name game, yes,’ I said.

‘It doesn’t mean that you will. What was it like when you travelled here?’

‘I didn’t feel… I felt… I don’t want to ask any more of your questions, I’ve just decided.’

‘Are you sure about that decision. You know what will happen, don’t you?’ This is the part where I always cave in and go along with whatever he says. This is the part where I don’t want my friends to get hurt. I don’t understand this enough to push the boundaries. I don’t understand this enough to test whether he will actually hurt my friends. He hasn’t so far, even though he knew that I have been using the watch. Is everything that he does and says leading towards something? Should I be worried? Maybe… No… Should I be worried? Yes. I should be worried. I should, most definitely be worried. I should be worried about… Everything…

I still haven’t found that question. I’ve asked so many, yet none of them are the one I’m looking for. Somehow, I would instantly know when I’ve found it. I would just know.

Why am I suddenly thinking about reality? No, why am I suddenly thinking about… Thinking about… Thinking about… Why am I suddenly thinking about...? Everything. There’s more to reality. Now I’m straying way off the path… Maybe? I need to find that question. I need to find that question. I need to find that question.

‘Yes,’ I said.

‘You are sure about not wanting to answer any more questions?’

‘I am.’

‘Well, I will have no choice but to cause harm to your friends.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)