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Into the Mind
How do you break into someone’s mind – the student asked.
It’s fairly easy his teacher poked the boys’ chest, you got to go through the heart…
The boy felt lost. Remembering the act of falling asleep the night before, he suddenly found himself roaming the vast space of dark-red corridors, which didn’t seem to end. He touched the wall, realizing its consistency reminded him of a jellyfish, and carefully taking each step he followed the pathway. He tried to reason with the nature of his position, but thoughts pulsated without an edge to catch onto. It felt as if his whole process of comprehension degraded into irrationally exclaimed orders of the ego mixed with the existential laid-backness of his subconscious. It felt like two or more beings were walking down these corridors, each with their metaphysical expression of what was within to express. The boy felt dizzy from all that confusing discussion and decided to rest a moment. He leaned onto one of the walls and sliding down hugged his legs into his chest. It felt safer that way. Sometimes.
*
Staying in the foetal position for a while, he listened to the argument within his mind. His ego bolstered about its points of view and ideas screaming at the barely awake subconscious. It wasn’t much of an argument if one would consider the overwhelming avalanche of words the ego spatted out in each sentence, but since it ‘takes two to tango’ one could admit that there was a conversation going. The boy listened to the noisy thoughts and looking down the tunnel wished for some explanation, as to how he found himself in this position. Maybe I was taken by aliens in my sleep he pondered, or maybe I died… He touched his cheeks and pulled the right ear trying to prove a point, but quickly stopped reasoning with the action – wouldn’t I be able to do that being dead anyway… He assumed he would, as he was never before dead, therefore didn’t have a reason not to believe such assumption. He looked into the darkness of the corridor and decided to try a trick. He remembered from physics in school, that when one shouts and gets an echo, depending on the strength of it, as well as time during which one can hear it echoing, the person can rough-measure the distance of the echoing space. It was worth a shot, as he didn’t have many other ideas to work with. He took a deep breath and strongly screamed into space. Echoooooo!
*
Echooo! Echoo! Echo! Ech! The memory of his scream bounced around the tunnel coming back to the boy’s ears in waves. They seemed to weaken with time, which was to be expected, but surprisingly enough they didn’t finish coming back for what seemed like forever. The boy listened to the waves, realizing that there are many more questions without answers he would struggle to comprehend. First of all why the walls are so red and warm, secondly what’s with this energy that seems to flow across the middle of the tunnel he counted, and why is there no fucking light anywhere…?! He felt frustrated. Where am I his question followed the echoing phrases and mixed with the other words organizing a murmuring choir somewhere amid the darkness ahead. He covered his face and felt that there was not much he could do.
*
The boy thought he was dreaming when a little shimmering light appeared on one end of the corridor. It was dim, very dim. He looked in the direction and tried to comprehend what could it represent. The light swivelled from side to side, appearing and disappearing sporadically. He pushed himself to stand and observed the phenomenon in consternation. The light seemed to be coming closer.
*
Are we there yet the student asked hopeful of the long-promised rest, we’ve been walking without a stop since the upper vein… His teacher didn’t even glance. They walked at a slow pace, each of them carrying a set of instruments to measure, adjust and appreciate the built of the interior. The student carried a lantern hanging on a pole, which swung above his head sporadically bumping his scalp, whenever his arm would lose its grip or get lazy. The pole was too short for a person to carry it without putting a conscious effort in keeping it high enough. The two continued up the tunnel without much talking, when suddenly the teacher stopped, making the student bump into the back of his backpack and strike his head with the lamp again. What is it the student whispered trying to see over the arm of his master, what’s going on…? The teacher squinted his eyes and raised his hand in a greeting-like manner, hi. Who is it - the student asked impatiently. It’s one of the lost boys the teacher answered, he must have fallen into her mind without him knowing…
*
The boy observed the two strangers in all their glory. The lamp swivelled from side to side over the head of the taller one. They seemed to murmur something, but the boy couldn’t make up the words, as his screaming ego and laid-back subconscious continued their argument within. He took a few steps towards the two and waved his arm seeing the greeting sign of the arrival. Could you tell me where am I - the boy asked. You got taken by her mind the man answered, but it’s okay, don’t worry, we’ can help you get out of her mind… We’re here to help. The man waved his hand and presented his seemingly younger companion, we take care of those who get stuck in the mind or the heart… The boy nodded without understanding, his mind racing at its own crazy pace. Obviously, it is quite a different story, when it comes to getting stuck in the hearth the man continued, there are many factors one must consider at the time, taking into account the strength of the intention, the possibility of hurt, community approval…. And of course, one cannot forget the many mistakes that come with it he monologued, but all in all, it is possible, not easy but possible… The companion nodded his head in the appraisal, we’ll get you out of here he spat out the words of hope at the boy. Come with us - the man offered.
*
The two followed up the corridor, leaving the boy to decide for himself. He waited for them to pass him, and after a moment decided to join their endeavour. He felt that he needs them. He walked a little behind, leaving their discussion to them, himself being concerned about his stuff. He listened to their conversation sporadically. It appeared that the taller one was a teacher of a sort, and the one with the lamp was either studying or practicing the craft. Their discussions were mostly about technicalities and aspects of their job, which to the boy still appeared as a mystery. He didn’t understand much of their conversation, but there was one part of the dialogue, which stayed with him, even after his spirit was set free from the girls’ mind.
How do you break into someone’s mind – the student asked.
It’s fairly easy his teacher answered openly, you got to go through the heart…
*Art by Magda Mrówczyńska
Also check out my new book (Un)usual Stories available on Amazon:
#prose #creativewriting #mind #love #satire #abstract #innerthoughts #innervoice #fictionwriting #storiesoftheheart