This is part where I'm supposed to wake up in a white room tied to a bed. Then, an Englishman in sharp suit comes in and tells me that I'm a necessary cog in the wheel.
That's not what happened, not exactly.
I did blackout after Zaley kissed me but I woke up in bed, dressed and still kind of drunk. She was next to me, asleep. I decided to get up for some air and cup of Crumptown. So I walk out my door and there I am...on the shore of a big lake. I turn around. My basement studio apartment is now free standing on the bank amongst the conifers.
THIS IS NOT A DREAM. I'm not gonna tell you at the end of the story that I woke up and everything went back to normal.
I decided Crumptown was out. I sat on a rock for about twenty minutes or so and enjoyed the piney air and ruddy morning light. Then, in the distance I noticed an unmanned wooden rowboat slowly approaching. It took probably five minutes to get to me. The lake was really still. When the boat got close enough I pulled it ashore. There were oars onboard and an old, school tape recorder -- like from the library. I pulled it out, sat back down on my rock and pressed play.
"Good morning. This recording is interactive."
It was a woman's voice, sounded like Terry Gross.
"What?"
"I will respond to you."
"Really?"
I stopped the tape. Ejected it. Everything looked normal. I pressed play again.
"Please don't do that again."
"Who are you?"
"Luna."
Luna? The text message?
"What are you?"
"I am all that I am."
"Great. That doesn't help."
"It doesn't matter. I exist."
"Are you a person?"
"Your concern is misplaced. You should ask these questions of yourself."
"Why?"
"You can't hide forever."
I was talking to a tape recorder and it was responding to me. I knew a guy who had a stand up act like this.
"I'm not hiding."
"Looking around you. You're hiding."
"You're sure I'm not just dreaming?"
"This is not a dream, but it is your creation."
"My creation?"
"This recording is now over."
"Wait!"
But that was it, silence. I tried rewinding the tape but nothing. I flipped over the casette and rewound side 2. I pressed play -- Django Reinhardt music. I got on my feet and let it play.
I skipped rocks on the water and waited for Zaley to wake up.