Spectacular fires billowed through the night skies, with grey smoke clouds trailing behind them. Power lines toppled like dominoes, tangling wires as they went down. The stars twinkled for the first time in a while, silhouetting the city’s night skyline as the uncontrollable flames raged on. Buildings and skyscrapers begin to crumble. The world was collapsing right before my eyes, but I was at a far-off distance as a spectator. I am floating a few yards above the water. The sea roared, clashing continuously upon itself as violently as the combustion offshore. Feeling the spray of the waves, the wind skimmed against my face.
Soft breezes from the operating fan above brushed against my skin. Tinted with yellow, the off white speckled tiles hinted stains of water damage. I woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling. The only sound came from a dripping sink somewhere close by. I lay on a rickety bed unaccompanied.
Drenched in sweat, I had woken up from the terrible nightmare. The dreadful sensation from the dream still lingered. Short and hurried gasps filled the room. My breaths were catching up with the situation. My head pounded tremendously. It was difficult to think straight. But I knew something was definitely amiss.
This isn't my house. I shouldn't be here. Where am I?
I reached towards the drawer closest to the bed for my phone out of habit. Instead, the smooth cold surface of polished wood met my hands. Searching through the pockets of my clothes, I only found the typical lint and pocket change. My phone was nowhere to be found. My keys and wallet; things I would never leave the house without, were missing too. Someone could have ran away with it. The current situation was getting more concerning by the minute. I rushed straight out of bed and bolted towards the door.
The door, the intimidating opponent, stood ever so intimidating. The door itself appeared as an old panel wooden black door, but upon closer inspection, I saw that it was made of heavy duty metal, maybe half inch thick. What really caught my eye was the smooth exterior of the metal lock; it stuck out like a sore thumb. A intricately designed cavity centered the metal plate; this was no ordinary lock. The LED light above the lock gleamed an ominous red. I was not going anywhere for while.
I scanned the area but only an uncanny view presented itself. No nearby sounds hinted to neighbors. The room felt empty as the sink drips echoed throughout the space. Textured tan wallpaper with its respective cracks, long faded by the sun. To my surprise, there was no light from outside; the windows were boarded up. The boards were up pretty recently. I noticed that a clock or any indication of time was not present. The room was frozen in time, separated from the outside world.
What a peculiar situation I am in…
Come to think of it, I can't even recall my name!
Who am I? Why am I here?
Could it be short term memory loss? What if someone did something to me? Certainly, these circumstances are not normal in the slightest. The pounding in my head echoed faster and louder, my thoughts a wild mess. I started to panic. The dryness of my mouth made it harder to breathe. I started to investigate in search of any information.
A crumpled sheet from a motel memo was in my pocket. It was my handwriting for sure, though messier than the usual. I was clearly in a hurry. After trying to decipher the chicken-scratch, I was left stunned.
“…I’m so sorry. This was my entire fault. They’re out to get me. Just try to save her. I don’t have much time l… “
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Object Story: Pinata
Day 3 I am shrouded in darkness. I am not alone though. There are others like me here. Even though there are many of us, it does not take much effort to move us. A brown vessel is encasing us. It is very cramped and difficult to move around in. The ground beneath is in constant motion. We are moving. I don't know where we are heading. I look forward to when we reach our destination soon. Day 23 The sound of ripping comes from above. The ceiling of the vessel opened outwards. Has the heavens finally showing themselves? Five fleshy claw-like extensions reach in. It first grabs on to me, lifting my body outside of the brown cardboard container. I cannot see my friends from above but I am sure that they are surprised. At last, I am free from the box where I was contained in for so long. Where will I end up now? Day 24 Everything is different now. It is difficult to take in the drastic change all at once. The fluorescent lights overwhelm my eyes. Here, I stand with companion from the voyage. We lay upon a long white metal board. I am on the very top of these boards, and very far from the floor. I much rather be near the ground as heights make me uneasy. Here, we are set besides the various colored boxes and containers. I am not sure if I will ever adjust to these new surroundings. I hope this situation is only temporary. Day 32 I have been observing the shelves across from me. Bags of wrapped candies are currently occupying the space. They are popular with the smaller flesh giants. Many bags go missing every week, but no one noticed it yet. They get replaced by new ones and the cycle repeats again. I get the motion these actions apply to everything here. Eventually I will be replaced and no one is there to remember. Day 48 I have grown weary, weary of living in constant fear every day. Not knowing what tomorrow will bring. I am unsure how many of us are left. But they are taking us one by one. They reach for us with their flesh-claws. Then they put one of us into some moving metal cage with other boxes and containers. After these flesh giants roll away, we never see my friends again. We do not know what happens to taken ones. All I know that there is no way of escaping this fate. It is only a matter of time when I get grabbed. I hope luck is on my side. Day 62 A hand reached and removed me from my spot. This captor is different than the ones that came though. She holds a few floating round things by the strings. The long haired giant puts me in the metal cart along with a couple of candy bags. After a short while, I am placed on a moving black strip along with the others from the cart. I am especially larger than the rest so I am in a plastic bag alone. The ground underneath me is moving again. This is the day I have been dreading since I got here. There are only six of us now, compared to the twenty from the voyage. Frankly, I am surprised I lasted so long. The only thing I can do is accept my fate and roll with it. Day 63 I arrive in a house along with the items from the conveying strip. We lay on top of a wooden surface. The fleshed giant tears through the plastic bag of candies and grabs the inner pieces out. It grabs a hold of me and cuts a square through my stomach. After that, the long haired giant stuffs me with the candy pieces until I am full. I feel heavier and very uneasy. She sets us asides to work on something at the counters full of pots and pans. Day 64 I am outside. A soft breeze would come every so often to brush against my papery exterior. The giant has hung me up a tree branch tied by string. I am unsure of the intent of the large giant, but for now, I am free and shifting through the air. I observe my view from above; smaller giants shouting and running while wearing pointy paper hats. They are messy, loud and destructive. After a while, smaller giants gather and start to surround me. One of them approaches me blindfolded and armed with a stick. He has a devious look in his eyes, determined that he will win. He spins three times and strikes...
