The Watch – Part 230:

(Tom’s perspective)

‘You know, and don’t take this the wrong way, but it’s hard to talk to you when I already know what you are going to say,’ Alex said.

‘I don’t think I can say the same to you,’ I said curiously. ‘Because, the last thing I want to do is find a question that we both don’t know as that will just play on my mind until I figure it out. I wouldn’t mind a break from them for a while, if I’m honest,’ I said, stretching my arms upwards.

‘But at the same time, I’m getting bored of just sitting here in silence,’ Alex said, lifting her head up to allow me to stretch before settling back down on my shoulder once more. I don’t know how much longer I have left before I wake up. Even though I would prefer to be awake than unconscious, I am going to miss being here. This has been the first time since I can remember that I could have some me time. I can relax, recharge my batteries and, hopefully, wake up feeling refreshed, although I don’t think having a load of sleeping chemicals in your system is going to help that.

‘Benzodiazepine sedative hypnotic sleeping pills,’ Alex said suddenly, making me jump.

‘What?’ I asked.

‘Benzodiazepine sedative hypnotic sleeping pills,’ Alex repeated.

‘Repeating it doesn’t help me understand it,’ I said.

‘Remember when I was explaining to you that you were injected with some sleeping chemicals, and that I was calling them sleeping chemicals because you couldn’t remember what they were called?’ Alex asked, sitting up straight and looking at me trying to remember.

‘Yeah?’ I asked, hoping that she would elaborate a bit further.

‘Well, I was trying to remember what they were called. Or rather, you were trying to remember what they were called.

‘Was I?’ I still needed some more clarification. All this ‘I am you’ and ‘you are I’ is getting a bit confusing now.

‘Listen,’ Alex said, making me concentrate on what she has to say next. ‘I am your subconscious. If you cannot remember something, I am the one who is given the task to try and find the answer to that thing you cannot remember,’ she unnecessarily explained because I already knew that.

‘I know that you already know that, but the moment that I brought up the fact that you couldn’t remember what those sleeping chemicals were called, I was given the task of finding out what they were called, and they are called, Benzodiazepine sedative hypnotic sleeping pills. You read about it on the internet when you were studying for an assignment that needed to be completed for college the next day. Do you remember now?’

‘Oh, now I remember,’ I said as the memories suddenly clicked into place. That generated a question.

‘So, how come I was affected by those chemicals when the Police Officer shot me?’ I asked.

‘I can’t tell you, but the more logical reason would be that it’s a different concoction than what is made back home,’ she explained.

‘That makes sense,’ I said. Then I noticed something strange.

‘Where’s the picnic basket? I thought it was right there.’

‘Ah,’ Alex said, sitting up straight once more. She knows what’s going on. And if she knows what’s going on, then that means I’m going on, but I just haven’t told me yet.

‘What?’ I asked, curiously.

‘I think you’re about to wake up,’ she stated.

‘Are you sure?’ I asked. ‘I mean, I am in my imagination. What’s stopping the extraordinary from happening?’

 ‘Nothing,’ she said. ‘But your imagination – this place – has been solid ever since you got here, because you were deeply unconscious. Now that things are starting to disappear, you are slowly floating up to the top. When you hit the dream-like state that will be the last step before you wake up. I’m about to disappear soon.’

‘How do you know?’

‘I can feel you fading away.’

‘What will happen to you?’ I asked.

‘Nothing will happen to me,’ Alex answered reassuringly. ‘I’m staying here. You’re the one that’s going. I will always be here, helping you, even when you don’t know it.’

‘I cannot thank you enough,’ I said.

‘Remember, you’re thanking yourself.’

‘Ah, but technically speaking, I’m thanking you,’ I said. ‘Just accept my thanks and then we can move on,’ I said.

‘In that case,’ Alex said, ‘I accept your thanks.’

‘Good,’ I smiled. But then nothing happened.

‘Huh, well, that’s a bit anticlimactic. I thought it was going to happen now. Are we going to know when I’m about to wake up or will it be spontaneous?’

‘I’m not sure,’ Alex said. ‘Maybe the picnic basket is just a bi-product of something random happening?’ she quizzed.

‘I’ve never heard you talk like that before,’ I said.

‘Me neither,’ she said. We slipped into silence once more and for all we know, for the last time.

‘It’s tense, knowing that this will end at any moment.’

‘Are you scared?’

‘I’m a little bit nervous about what wake up to, but I wouldn’t say I’m scarred. I mean, I could be anywhere. But I know that wherever I am, whatever happens… Well, you know,’ I said.

‘I do,’ Alex nodded.

‘Good,’ I said. ‘I’m glad you do. For a second I thought I had to explain it, and well, I’ve explained it to myself more often than not and it’s getting a bit boring if I do say so myself.’

‘Which I do,’ Alex said. We both smiled at each other. ‘See, you’re getting the hang of this. Finally,’ she said.

‘I know, right,’ I said.

And then she disappeared. I watched her gradually fade away before I was the only one in the field. I believe I am now in the final layer before I wake up. I’ve never been that deep into my subconscious before: I thought I was going to feel something as I wake up, but nothing. It’s turning into a quick and simple process. But I guess I just have to wait for the dream to end naturally now.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)