Walking to the dining room that night was quite a bit different than every time before. I noticed more things. It was kind of like I was looking through a different pair of eyes.
Glances from other people seemed to hold more meaning. Every time I looked at someone, I felt like they were conveying a message to me. It got so overwhelming that after a while I had to start avoiding eye-to-eye contact. Looking at the floor as I walked was not a habit any more, but a necessity. I was walking through the dining area toward the buffet line, when I heard Darc's voice.
"Oh, man, someone told ya, huh?" he seemed disappointed.
"Yeah, bitch, why wasn't it you?" I was pissed, to say the least.
"Aw, Kevin, we're here so long anyway, it doesn't really matter when you hear it. I always hate opening up people's eyes, anyway." He grabbed a tray and started looking at the food.
"You didn't seem too bashful earlier. Remember when you..."
C'mon, man, what did Adelaide tell you about talking out loud about that stuff.
Oh, right.
"So, Kevin, whatcha gonna do tonight?" Darc asked, as I put some chicken on my plate.
"I don't know, man. Sleep, I guess, but what's the point of sleeping anymore?" My tone was dripping with so much sarcasm, I could barely stand it myself.
"You'll find that it helps a lot. If you stop doing it, you kind of sink to a different level."
What, I die again?
In a sense.
What the hell does "in a sense" mean?
Well, you'll go backwards.
What's the difference, I'm already dead.
You don't understand.
Of course I don't, I've never been dead before.
Well, let me put it this way. Once you're here, in every situation you have a choice. You can either do the right thing or the wrong thing. Do the right thing, you move up a notch. Do the wrong thing, you....
What?
Quiet room.
What exactly happens in the Quiet Room?
Kevin, I don't know. I've been wondering about that myself.
What, you've never been in there?
Not lately. I've been in here so many times that I understand how to stay out.
How is THAT done?
You do what they say.
And what if you don't want to?
Quiet room.
So the only way to get out is to do what they say?
Yup.
This is going to be work.
Glances from other people seemed to hold more meaning. Every time I looked at someone, I felt like they were conveying a message to me. It got so overwhelming that after a while I had to start avoiding eye-to-eye contact. Looking at the floor as I walked was not a habit any more, but a necessity. I was walking through the dining area toward the buffet line, when I heard Darc's voice.
"Oh, man, someone told ya, huh?" he seemed disappointed.
"Yeah, bitch, why wasn't it you?" I was pissed, to say the least.
"Aw, Kevin, we're here so long anyway, it doesn't really matter when you hear it. I always hate opening up people's eyes, anyway." He grabbed a tray and started looking at the food.
"You didn't seem too bashful earlier. Remember when you..."
C'mon, man, what did Adelaide tell you about talking out loud about that stuff.
Oh, right.
"So, Kevin, whatcha gonna do tonight?" Darc asked, as I put some chicken on my plate.
"I don't know, man. Sleep, I guess, but what's the point of sleeping anymore?" My tone was dripping with so much sarcasm, I could barely stand it myself.
"You'll find that it helps a lot. If you stop doing it, you kind of sink to a different level."
What, I die again?
In a sense.
What the hell does "in a sense" mean?
Well, you'll go backwards.
What's the difference, I'm already dead.
You don't understand.
Of course I don't, I've never been dead before.
Well, let me put it this way. Once you're here, in every situation you have a choice. You can either do the right thing or the wrong thing. Do the right thing, you move up a notch. Do the wrong thing, you....
What?
Quiet room.
What exactly happens in the Quiet Room?
Kevin, I don't know. I've been wondering about that myself.
What, you've never been in there?
Not lately. I've been in here so many times that I understand how to stay out.
How is THAT done?
You do what they say.
And what if you don't want to?
Quiet room.
So the only way to get out is to do what they say?
Yup.
This is going to be work.