Isolated Room (short vent story. Trigger warning: depressing) · 3:38am Nov 3rd, 2022
The walls surrounding me mock in shadowy jeers. I stare at the ceiling in my arm chair, feeling my face slide down more and more as I grow tired. I’m always tired. My shoulders feel disconnected, my muscles are reluctant to move, the constant crawling of invisible insects haunt my skin. A pit sits in my stomach as the mockery of production continues. The days slipped by since I have last slept soundly. I’m so tired.
I look at my desk and keyboard, squinting, scrutinizing the shape that’s supposed to be hunched over, typing away in front of a screen, but I know the shape hasn’t been there for days. No, the miserable shape has only ever moved for the lavatories or the cursed fridge. It refuses to hunch over for work. I rub my eyes and lean forward, the contents of my mind feeling like a syrupy slop, splashing from the sudden change in gravity. I look up again to see a shadow, leering at me from his seat in front of me.
“Not today, please,” I mutter, turning away.
“You have something better to do?” He asks, amused. “You deny yourself an inevitable conversation you know.”
“So you’ve said,” I reply coldly, leaning back into the chair and crossing my arms. “Why can’t you just die?”
“The party is far from finished my young friend,” my shadow says, snickering. “We have a night to remember after all.”
“What’s there to remember tonight? Another wall? Perhaps some dust to half-assedly clean off?” I ask. “Or perhaps it’s the entertainment? The wild goose chase of mental pleasure we both know we can’t achieve.”
“Why, everything about tonight is special. We have our floor, our carpet, our chair. We even have a lovely door we rarely use. A core memory indeed.” I feel anger faintly bubble into consciousness.
“Regret then. Of course.”
“Din’t pretend you understand, we both know your regression is only halted now,” the entity says. I pick up an empty soda bottle and throw it at the shadow, making him laugh as it bounces off his seat. I look over to see another shadow, tall, skinny, and without a mouth. It looms over me, staring at me with it’s one eye in the center if it’s long face.
“No, you’re not welcome here,” I say, attempting to shoo him off. However, he simply rushes to the other side, staring intently. “Just like many times before, no.” It stares at me expectantly before leaving, allowing me more alone time with my shadow.
“Denial is fun, isn’t it? Always preoccupied, reasoning why you reject your reality,” he says. I grimace and stay silent. “You can’t stay silent with me, you know why.” With that, I turn to see a pitiful shadow, constantly trembling as he stares at his hands.
“We shouldn’t exist. Why do we exist!?” He yells.
“Quiet down, please,” I say, putting a shaky hand to my dizzy, fuzzy head as I feel myself teetering.
“How much disappointment do you think we bring out?” The first shadow asks. “I hope it’s enough for people to stop believing in us.”
“This is our fault!” The shaking shadow yells at me. “We need to correct this! We need to fix ourselves!” I grunt as I lean back again, the room spins as I try to form a sentence.
“We’re doing fine, we just need to sit tight,” I attempt to reassure.
“Sit tight he says,” the shadows mimic. I feel a shadow grab my arm, and force me to look him in his terrified, bloodshot eyes.
“How long have we waited!?” He yells as I angrily slap him away. He disappears as a familiar one eyed shadow reappears.
“Go away!” I yell, only to be met with the shadow in question brandishing his claws. I feel myself shrink as I huddle in my chair, trying to calm down.
“You can’t hide us,” the first shadow says. I look up at him to see he’s close, with the same consistent smile. I stare as my head pounds, my muscles feel aching and my mind reeling back in horror.
Suddenly, I get up, and walk out of my isolated room.
Author’s Note: going through a slump again. Don’t know how this will go.
Interesting story. I hope things go better for you! Drink lots of water. It makes up at least 60% of your body! Stay safe, do only what you want to do. Not what you feel you need to do. Good things come to those who wait!
I curse you with a good day!
5696050
Thank you, have a good day buddy!
Ik I'm late to the party but I hope you're doing alright.
I've really enjoyed your stories and I'm thankful to have been able to read them. But your health IS important. So take care of yourself.
Just know that you matter to us and we appreciate all you've done.
i hope your doing better