the room

         feel

the room

imagine an empty room.

well, not entirely empty.

there's you, a mirror, and maybe a plant.

it's an areca palm.

the walls are a plain white.

or perhaps they're beige.

it's hard to tell in this light.

ah. the light.

its dark.

but the light has no absence.

it's there most definitely

just very dim

the floors are a fresh walnut oak

comforting, but cold.

just the right amount of cold.

the amount of cold that causes balance

that causes one to snuggle up to the other

but not the cold you'd want to wake up to.

you can tell it's cold because you have no socks.

no socks, no shoes.

your outfit is a large gown.

it looks a bit like one from a hospital,

but not nearly as itchy.

it's made of fabric, not paper.

maybe there is a bee in the room as well.

you're a little scared.

you don't want to get stung

so you try to ignore the bee.

it's not working.

there is also a window

its adjacent to the wall the mirrors on; the one your staring at

and the window is in the center of the wall.

both in its distance from the ceiling and wall

there are no shades nor curtains on the window.

you can see right through it

but to look through the window you look through the mirror

you won't turn around

you refuse to

as i describe this room and you imagine it

i list off more items in the room

there is another item i haven't mentioned

no item but a figure.

it sees you

you see it

not directly

but through the mirror.

it has done nothing to you yet.

but you refuse to move

refuse to turn

refuse to breathe, even

no wait, you are breathing.

you're just so quiet that i couldn't tell.

you can breathe heavier you know.

it knows you need to breathe

you're not hiding

its already found you

not found.

it knew where you were all along

it has been there

you knew that

you just refused to believe it.

you refused to believe something right in front of you.

you recall this memory

the creature can hear your thoughts

it chuckles

you chuckle back.

it seems to do no harm

you turn and wave

it likes you

you don't know what you think

it knows what you think

it whispers into your ear some words

words you do not understand

your confused

it knows that

you will understand those words soon

you realize something

there is no door in this room

the window doesn't seem like it would open either

there is no opener.

how did you get in?

doesn't matter

nothing does.

it tells you this

you forgot for a moment,

you forgot it knows what you think

it knows better than you

it's funny

you want to figure it out

you don't have enough time

"don't say that"

it whispers again

you understood it that time

"there is all the time here. here is eternal. here is you"

it points a long finger to your heart

pushing it in a little harshly.

you blink

it's gone

your alone

well, the bee is still here

but its busy with the areca palm.

plants are living creatures, and bees are too.

the plant and bee have each other

you have no one.

you are left with you

this is your imagination

as long as you did what i asked.

that...

thing...

it wants you to understand

you are the room.

you can hold it in your hand.

but if you did that you would probably die.

but it's just guessing.

it doesn't really know.

not a clue

it whispers again,

"you can try."

reach

reach

reach

reach

reach

reach

reach.

grab and pull

bottle the feeling

it was right. that hurt.

what was i feeling.

"you are not trapped.

just stop imagining"

'the room'

charlie simmons

11/13/2020

10:13 pm

quit