The Remnants - Chapter One

         Something is coming, I can feel it. A silent rumble in the distance keeping me awake at night. With each day it draws nearer and no one seems to notice but me. I am starting to wonder if I am insane but it feels so real. I woke up today from another restless night. My eyes hurt again, I am so use to the florescent light of my apartment that the rays of light from the sun that move over my face feels like fire on my pupils. I think to myself that I need to get out more while I drag myself out of bed. It all feels hazy, like a dream. I turn on the shower and let the water warm up as I take a piss. I remember for some odd reason that the milk has gone sour, I'll need to toss it out and get some more. I flush the toilet as I finish removing my clothes and let them fall into a pile inside the hamper. I'm caught by surprise by the scalding water even though it's always too hot at first. You would think I would remember that each time. I get in anyway and let the water wash away everything, including any memory I had of the week before.


         It all ran together anyway and my mind seemed to delete what wasn't important. I guess my entire life must have been of little importance because for the life of me I can't remember a thing right now, except the water hitting my face. A makeshift wash for another day of nothing. I dry off and brush my hair down with my hand, like it would do any good. My hair was always so curly and tossed about I could barely keep track of when I actually brushed it. I rub my chin, feel the stubble, tell myself I should shave, but don't. I never make sense. I just toss on some clothes that seem clean, well they smell clean. Gray undershirt, black boxers, faded t-shirt, socks with holes in them, and my Etnies that I never tie. Yeah that will work. I'm not trying to impress anyone. Where are my glasses? Did I leave them at the computer desk or by the bed? Damn, I can't see a thing in this room. I find them by the alarm clock which I turn off. I woke up before I had intended again. The kitchen is quiet with a smell of old dish water. I need to wash those dishes. I take sip of the milk, yeah I forgot it was spoiled, and I put it back. I will throw it out eventually. Pop Tarts again, at least they are strawberry. Red Bull, kick my ass into gear as I step out the door. It's going to be another shitty day.


         What was today? Is it Saturday? Andrea's party is tonight. Guess I can make an appearance, I mean I told her I would. I stop by the Quick Stop, grab a pack of the cheapest menthols I can and a Bic. I pay the guy in change and he gives me that look he always gives me. I can't help but think, "Yeah I know I'm a loser with no real job who scrapes by, but you're just some Indian mofo working at a convenience store. For all I know you're a damn terrorist." I play out the scenario in my head as if I had really said it. It turns into a fight of course but before I can get in depth he hands me my cigarettes, lighter, and my two pennies change. I look at the pennies for a minute wondering what I would want two pennies for. Then I shrug and walk out. I inhale my death from a stick again. Man I need to quit, oh well, maybe one day. The pennies get dropped in a cup held by some homeless guy. He's always there. He says something sarcastic but I'm not paying attention. Always inside my head. I don't even notice the sirens or the three police cars whip by. I was in the middle of Bumfuck, I'd know about anything serious on the news tonight anyway. So I keep going down the street.


         You would think I would lose some weight with as much walking as I do. Then again you would think my room mate would get tired of paying my half of the rent too and kick me out. I'll get the money eventually. A song keeps skipping in my head, just enough to find it familiar but not enough to put a name with it. I hate it when that happens. It's going to bother me all day. I'll just look it up when I get back to my laptop. I sit on the steps outside my apartment building and smoke another cigarette. The couple upstairs are fighting all ready and it's only seven o'clock. It's pretty serious, the kids must be at their grandmother's house or they would tone it down. Sometimes I think I know more about my neighbors than myself. The door behind the stairs opens, it's Shawn, he'll ask for a cigarette. The words fall out of his mouth but I have it in hand all ready. He takes it and I hand him the lighter. "Give that shit back too, I'm tired of you stealing my lighters," I say. He tells me to calm the fuck down but I have to grab the lighter before he shoves it in his pocket. "Sorry bad habit," he says with a laugh. I just nod. He asks if I'm going to Andrea's party and I just say that I told her I would. "That's not what I asked," Shawn says with a laugh. I give him the finger. Yeah it was gonna be another shitty day.


         I fall into my head again. Shawn had all ready finished his cigarette by the time I snapped out of it. Mine laid crushed under my foot. I had done it by reflex. When he put his out I had to watch as the light was extinguished under his boot. "I'm telling you it's fucked up how you watch everything like that man," he cracks at me as always. "I can't help it," I say as I stand up and then continue my thought, "and do you know if Sketch is going to be at the party?" Shawn just shrugs. Sketch was from like China or something like that, none of us knew how to say his real name. He was always doodling in his notebook so we just started callin him Sketch, I guess it stuck. Shawn never paid much attention to him but that was mainly because Sketch didn't really like talking to anyone but me. It made no sense to me at all, since I wasn't much of a talker either. I tell Shawn to get the car and like always he acts like he doesn't know what I'm talking about. Then he will make a big scene about how he isn't my chauffeur. It always ends with him getting the car and both of us riding across town to the Koffee Kettle. It seems so ridiculous sometimes but I guess the routine is comforting. I get in the passenger side just as another police cruiser whips by sirens blazing, again unphased.


         Shawn buys his breakfast and I just get coffee. I think one of the waitresses has a thing for me or something, she always pays for my coffee. So, I keep my order to that. I mean why hop off the gravy train right? Sketch comes in half-way through my second cup. Shawn's plate is empty, never saw french toast disappear that fast. Sometimes I wonder where he puts it all. The little Asian kid takes a seat across from me next to Shawn and pushes his notebook over to me. I skim the pages checking out his new stuff, this was a normal day. Some old guy had started playing something old on the juke box. I give the waitress that look, you know the one where you're thinking it's too damn early for that. She nods and laughs before she cuts it off and starts playing something a bit more mellow. I raise my coffee cup to her, she smiles and comes to refill my cup even though I hadn't really meant I needed a warm up. I get nudged by Shawn to look at the smirk he's found on his face. He knows I'm no good with women but he constantly pushes me to ask the waitress out. I think her name is Tabitha or something like that. I'm so bad with names, couldn't forget her looks though. Average build, not too thick or too thin. Dark brown hair down past her shoulders, usually tied back. Some really beautiful green eyes and a rather nice body. Yeah her name is Tabitha, just read her nametag again. Maybe one day I will ask her out. I zone out again.


         I hear a snap and I blink. "Earth to Chris," Andrea says. She had walked in and been talking to Shawn. I hadn't even noticed. I say hey without even really looking. It was all so typical that I didn't have to. She sits down next to me and shoves me further into the booth. She loved shoving me around, you'd think she was my older sister the way she picked at me. She asked the question before I could, "You coming to my party Sketch?" He nodded then she just looked at me. I took a sip of my coffee and pretended not to notice. Shawn shook his head and laughed to himself. As I sit my cup down I get punched in the arm. "Damn, why did you do that? I told you I would come all ready," I say as I rub my arm. She turns her attention to Shawn and he confirms his attendance. I can't fight the urge to say, "Now will this be a real party? You know with like other people or will it just be us four getting drunk again?" She sneers at me and informs me of the list of people that are coming. Seems like the same list as always, they never show up though. "Ok. So in other words you're going to pass out on Shawn, Sketch is gonna leave at about midnight, and I'm probably gonna end up drunk typing on the computer. Gotcha," I say with a smirk. I get punched again.

         "Yo, invite the waitress," Shawn says with a laugh. I can't help but roll my eyes but for some reason I end up looking her way. From somewhere I get the courage to call out, "Tabitha". Maybe it was the fact I was tired of getting teased, maybe I was lonely, or maybe I just felt like proving that I could. Either way, she came over and I asked her if she wanted to come to the party. She said she didn't get off work until ten but she could drop by after. I nod, playing it cool. She goes back to work with a smirk, my table becomes alive with laughter except for Sketch he just sorta smiles. The weird, little, silent China-man. "I'm Korean you know," Sketch says as he shakes his head and starts doodling in his notebook. Had I said that out loud? I couldn't even tell. I was so out of it most of the time. Andrea and Shawn found it funny, especially since they rarely heard the kid talk. It was almost eleven o'clock and we hadn't accomplished anything. Which wasn't too surprising, this was my life. I guess it could be worse.

         The small ominous slip of paper was sat on the table between us. Andrea and Shawn were the only two who had eaten and though she pretended to reach for money, Shawn offered to pay for her food too. It wasn't anything official but the two of them did make a good couple. Shawn with his dark hair and medium build complimented Andrea's shorter more dirty blonde look. Even their personality were opposite, but the kind that made them like puzzle pieces that fit together. They were both smart, but Andrea was the only one of us who had actually went to college. Shawn had wrote a book but it hadn't really taken off yet. He was stocking shelves in a grocery store hoping it would eventually turn a profit. Andrea was an ultra-sound technician, which is why the parties usually ended up being at her place. It was the nicest and she could actually afford the liqour for all of us. We piled out and I couldn't help but look back over my shoulder at Tabitha. She smiled but I simply nodded and smirked. Standing on the corner, Shawn and Andrea worked out the details of tonight. Sketch was still lost in his latest work and there I was lost in the sky above me. Something about the entire day felt off, like the world was turning ever slightly slower than normal. The clouds almost seemed stationary in the sky. Maybe it was just me.

         A chill ran up my spine and it woke me from my day-dream just in time to hear Andrea say, "I'll see you guys tonight." She nudged Shawn and he followed behind her. I looked over at Sketch and he shook his head, almost as if he knew something I didn't. I begin walking down the street back toward my apartment and Sketch follows. Sometimes he would follow me all the way home to only turn around and leave. Sometimes I felt like he was silently watching over me, like he felt as though it was his job. Speaking of jobs, Sketch was a technician at a call center for cell phone customer support. He didn't make much more than Shawn but at least he had a job other than following me around. We finally reached my apartment and since I was lost in thought again, Sketch had to push an elbow into my side to get my attention. I looked up to see all of my stuff piled up on the steps outside the building. I guess my roommate finally got tired of paying my half of the rent. At least the sour milk is his problem now.

         Sketch had all ready grabbed a couple bags with my things in it before it had fully sunk in what this all meant. Almost like he was ready for this event, he was simply waiting for me to grab the rest so we could begin lugging it all off. I took up another few bags and the satchel with my laptop in it. Then the thought hit me like a ten ton truck, "Ok, so you've picked up the pieces that make up your life, now where are you going to take it?" Sketch began walking, "You can stay at my place," he said without even looking back. I started walking, now I was the one following him. Despite how the day was turning out, all I could do was think about how odd the day felt. So lost in myself, I hadn't taken in the trip to Sketch's house, which I had never been to. It was small, only a single bedroom with one bathroom. His kitchen was just barely big enough to walk in and the best part of it was the homage to all things electronic set up all around the living room. You could tell he had been sleeping on his couch and my thoughts were confirmed when he lead me to the bedroom, which looked like it hadn't been even touched since he'd move everything in. "You can sleep here, just toss your stuff down," he said as he placed the bags he'd been carrying on the floor. He returned to the living room where he settled at his computer desk. I stood there looking around until I came to the conclusion that I had been wrong earlier. Today was a bit worse than every other day. I could only be glad that I had somewhere to sleep, if I could sleep.