Real or UnReal?
Feels like hell, when you are miserably out of words to write, out of things to read, sick of talking to people, all the meaning-less conversations, these are just formalities of this moral, naive society of ours; boring customs and traditions, absurd routines of people all around us.
All such thoughts were baffling me as I woke up this morning. Rather got up in a frenzy, confounded by nightmares and weird thoughts, I thought it better to head out for a smoke and a stroll. I lit my cigarette and headed towards this bench where you can sit, gaze around and well, you know, just ponder for a while.
It was a fine morning, the one that follows a windy night, I guess it rained last night for a while as it was damp all around, I could feel the cool morning breeze giving me goosebumps, the sunlight falling on the leaves of trees, oh the smell was there; the one that arises out of soil, wet with the drops of rain.
As I approached the bench, I realized that a boy was already there, inhaling long puffs of smoke. His hazel green colored eyes were sunken in, dark circles surrounding them, messy hair, broad-nose, chubby cheeks. He was wearing a maroon T-shirt and skin colored shorts that were very dirty and had countless pockets. I sat besides him, he smelled of tobacco and there was a pungent smell of alcohol.
“It all sounds like a game doesn’t it?”, he said to me. I reserved my right to stay silent. He continued; “And then there is the Good Book that says: “Bear circumspectly and gladly; dishonor that cometh upon thee by no act of thine own, be not confounded and hate not him who hath dis-honored thee.’’
I replied “Yeah I have read it. We should be more tolerant..”
“Huh, you gotta be kidding me!”, he interrupted me and stood up as he was about to leave. “I despise all this. What are we all doing? I don’t have a stomach for all this crap. I have had enough of this game. I am quite sure, it’s nothing but a game.”
“A game? What on earth are you talking about?” I was taken aback by his words. I said “Just hang in there brother! Indeed we are all struggling.’’
He inhaled his cigarette, taking as long puffs of it as he could, looked right into my eyes and said “Crap! Non-sense. That’s all it is. We don’t even exist man, I think it’s a game. Like in those video games, it’s all relatable. Where you are in control, you send your troops, loaded with arms and ammunition to destroy the other people who you don’t even know, we are all just animals, same as all these birds, these animals, insects.. We are nothing but beings that walk on two feet and claim to be the most remarkable species of God.. Species? God? Huh aren’t these just words? Made by man himself for man himself. Jesus Christ! It’s all a joke!
Voices and visions play hide and seek in front of me, everything is laughing at me. Oh what a farce indeed”..
A thought struck me, I implored: “What if we are already dead? Punished for our sins, we cannot escape this hell, there is only one way, but everything is already in chaos.”
He uttered: “Are we even real?
Or it’s all just a dream? A perception? Thoughts inter-mingling in the woven handicraft of time and space?
Why are we so cruel and barbaric? So proud and stupid?
We just bitch around, waste our lives, do nothing, just move on and on, adapting to the environment, reacting to the situations.. We should open our eyes, for we are lost. We are doomed. What a mess we have made of this world? What is our plan? Shall this game continue? Do you wanna know what I’d do if I’m granted a wish right now?”
“Shoot!” I replied.
He said and that sums it all up, “Well I’d better say “Liar! Liar! Pants on fire”. The whole world will end up burned in fact turned into smoke and ash.”
Thanks for reading Writers Guild — A Smedian publication
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