Get Up? | Act I: There is No End

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My eyes opened once again, and once again...

There was the ceiling.

The ceiling looked down upon me. The brown-stained ceiling. That was the first thing I would see everyday. It hasn't stopped being it yet.

But something felt off today. Instead of getting off from my bed, I instead just laid there, groaning as this weird sensation started to burn in the front of my head.

My eyes grew blurry and almost felt watery with tears, although I was not even sad.

My arms and legs would barely move and while not being as strong as before, they felt rather frail and my body would not allow me to get up out of bed.

As I continuously closed and opened my eyes, trying to get rid of the tears, I saw the painting.

The painting that my beloved had given me.

For some reason, my body motioned it's arms towards it.

Trying to grab it, I supposed.

But I could not reach, so it was a impossible pursuit.

"Son, it's time for the morning meal!" My mom hollered, with a hint of something... straight.

I could tell my mom wasn't in a good mood.

Especially with me.

Coming back home late twice in a row? She must be.

So, with all my might, I tried to get off my bed and put on some clothes.

But all I could do was push myself off the cloth before swiftly hitting the surface again, with a little bit of exasperation exhaling from my lungs.

I wasn't going to make it out of this bed.

Not for a while.

"Mother, I--- I feel rather tired, mother. I'm not feeling quite ready yet, mum." I hollered back, having to breathe a little in between phrases.

"Are you alright over there? Do you need me to come?" She responded, with her voice shifting to a rather worried voice.

"I'm quite alright, mum.. I'm alright. Just need a little more rest... That's all." I replied, still having to grasp for air, although not quite as much as before.

"Alright then..." My mum replied with uncertainty.

I heaved a heavy sigh. I needed to be careful. I didn't want my mum to worry about me.

I can't have her worry about me.

For a little while longer, I could recount me continuing to lay on that bed, watching the flies go by and the sun slowly continue to rise as I slowly breathed.

My breath had returned, but the heat had remained.

And while my strength started to grow, I still felt like I needed more time.

And so, I continued to lay down on that bed, sweaty and full of grime until the sun passed from my window, at the time of noon, I believe.

With nearly all my might, I could finally get up and walk again, although my balance was slightly off, with me almost tripping once when I was putting on my wear.

I looked back outside again. For once, the streets weren't as depressing as before and actually seemed quite lively.

Well, with people. Everything else was still dead.

As I was about to leave my space, I looked back into the painting of mine. I smiled slightly, knowing what a marvelous person that had given me such a gift.

Speaking of which, it's been two moons.

Right then, I suddenly remembered that I needed to meet up with Kiri today.

At noon.

Looking back at the sun, I proceeded to rush out of my room as fast as I did and with my feet slamming down at the wood below, I went down the stairs...

But right before I could leave, my mother yelled...

"Hey!"

I immediately came to a stop, almost tripping as I did, and slowly, I turned around and approached my mother.

Her face was a mix of emotions and moods. All I could say about it was whatever she said next wasn't going to be good.

"Where are you going?" My mother asked, with a strict tone.

"I'm.. I'm going to the park. Going to go meet with my friends." I responded, gasping at least once, almost exposing myself towards her.

My mom eyeballed me with suspicion.

Can't let her know.

"Why are you talking like that? What's wrong with you?" She asked, noticing my loss for breath.

"I guess I still must be tired. But I still have to go." I replied.

"Not until you can give me a straight answer on what's wrong with you."

"Nothing... It's probably nothing. Just feeling a bit hot. Happens every time."

"Where?"

"In the head. But it's hot in here so--"

"Do you need water?" My mom had said, mixing her tone with some added worry.

"What? No, mother. Again, just probably the heat that got me. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, mum."

My mum didn't seem pleased with my answer, as I looked more towards the door and less towards her.

"You know you can always tell me if you have a problem with something." My mom said, with an honest heart.

"I know, mum." I replied, feeling slightly more and more guilty as I said it.

My mum nodded and with a sigh, she said once more:

"Son, are you alright?"

In a second of silence, I silently breathed in and exhaled in perfect tone and with almost a straight face...

"Yes I am."

She nodded again, staring at me for a while.

"Now, can I go?"

"....Yes. You can."

She then retreated back to the kitchen, going back to the accessories we had, which wasn't much.

Just a bunch of utensils and rubbish like that.

As I headed for the dear, I looked back towards my mother, seeing her fondling with our things, taking care of it all.

For the first time in a while...

I didn't know if hiding my problems...

I didn't know if it was the right thing to do at that moment.

I had a notion to go back and walk towards and to just tell her that I wasn't feeling so good in the head and have see what's wrong.

But, considering this past-tense, you would know that I didn't take it.

And I just didn't want to.

Not out of spite or ignorance.

But again... I just couldn't have her worry about me.

Not like this.

With another sigh, I opened the door out of our humble abode and I closed it behind me.

The outside seemed different, now that I got out at a different time. Everything felt a little bit more calmer now.

Carriages passed us by and men and women alike walked around, treading across the dirty roads of ours, talking about things of the real world and such.

It almost seemed like how things were before.

But it really wasn't.

Not when you had someone disposing of a body in a corridor about a few blocks to your left, piling on yet another pile of bodies.

My head heated up with this, but I managed to head straight, I believed.

As I seemed to walk into the dirty streets of it all, I couldn't help but feel a little confused.

Why am I sick?

Was I ever around anyone who was sick and even then, how did I not notice them being sick too?

These were all questions racing across my mind as I sludged through the road, feeling just as sick as the vomit I could've thrown up just a minute ago.

After a while, I started to notice that I suddenly have grown more and more tired, even though I have only been walking up until this point.

My breathing has increased in form, quickly breathing in and out, almost seemingly like I was grasping for air.

As much as I wanted to continue, I had to stop.

I needed a break. I needed time to process this all.

And so, after looking around a little, I found that one of the corridors between two homes was empty so I sat behind one of the walls and laid my back and my feet to rest.

Looking up at the sky and then looking back on Earth, I continued to release just how tired I really was.

And it all felt so foreign to me, considering just how well-built my body is.

Well... for something that eats not quite much.

Wait...

Wait just a tick....

Could that be it?

Could it have been the food that I ate with those unruly Brothers...

Oh heavens, it must be.

Oh god...

With this soft realization, I felt moved to try and go find those wretched kids to give them a piece of my mind, but that was before my body reminded me that it was still broken.

And so, there I was, laying by the dark corridor, just waiting for to get back out there to meet my lover.

A little tardy, yes, but that wasn't going to stop me.

"But it could stop her." A voice had said. Not again...

"Shut up! I don't need your rubbish details." I retaliated, seeming ticked off with this sudden appearance.

I wasn't in a good mood, considering just how bad I felt right now.

"Oh, but you--" The voice tried to say before I intercepted it's words with an irritated and brash voice, saying...

"SHUT YOUR GODDAMN VOICE, YOU LITTLE WART!"

Suddenly, for the first time ever, it heeded.

Once these words were said and done, I no longer could hear it.

Nor feel it.

Letting out a sigh of relief, I went back to my regularly scheduled pondering.

However, as I did, I suddenly realized that...

That I could... I could breathe again.

The sudden and quick draws of breath I had? Gone and what replaced them were the usual and very much needed long holds of exhaling and inhaling air that I once had before.

So then, feeling well-rested, I got myself up, and continued to walk towards my destination.

And here is where I noticed more changes with my body.

Finally, my limbs felt as loose and nimble as they were before and my balance was once again restored.

I felt better. Way better now.

It's almost like screaming at that queer thought had gotten rid of all my troubles.

Well... almost everything.

My head still felt like burning magma and so, I still couldn't think or focus straight but even then, that was only a minor issue in the grand scheme of things.

It wasn't going to stop me from making my way back to her.

Slowly but surely, I started to increase my speed, moving up all the way into jogging in just a matter of seconds, and with this, I ran across the streets, jumping over boxes and sliding through gaps, although I hit my head a little, hindering my performance by just a minute of time.

Come on, I said to myself.

I'm almost there.

And eventually I saw it.

The greenery was there. I saw it.

With all my might and with the remains of my breath, I bursted through the streets, having a few close calls with the people here and there, but it didn't compare for when I jumped into the green grass upon arrival...

And then realizing that it was still dirt and still, the surface.

So, I got what was coming for me.

I hit the ground, mowing through the blades of grass, which almost seemed like knives at some point, and I rolled around and around the ground before finally stopping in the middle of it all, feeling tired, dizzy, and most of all, beat.

But hey...

At least I made it.

As I laid by the side, I let out yet another sigh of relief.

Who knew just getting to the park was gonna be such a grudging task?

Either ways, I decided to relax a little bit before searching for Kiri.

The adrenaline rush had left my body swiftly and now, I felt as bruised and as exhausted as Lentil when he was running away from Mr. Lundi for stealing his...

Actually I don't know what he took from him.

Must've been something important if it got that old man sprinting again.

Haha....ha....

Ha...

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"Hello?"

A voice had said. I could hear it faintly.

"Are you awake? Hello?"

I could hear it again. Louder in volume, softer in tone.

My eyes didn't want to wake up for some reason.

I must've been that tired.

"Come on. I didn't wait here for you to sleep for all eternity."

The voice said, this time with a little giggle.

I couldn't help but grin at that.

And that's when my mind who it was.

And that's when I opened my eyes once again.

And this time... it wasn't to the brown-stained ceiling of mine.