Into The Deep End

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Apple.

A single apple was on the plate today.

How could one survive on the nutrients of one apple alone?

I sat down at the table and just stared at the apple for a moment. It was vibrantly red, and it looked fresh. No bruises or bumps were on its surface.

I decided that I would eat it regardless since I was so hungry. I leaned forward and placed my long fingers around it.

Yet the moment my fingers touched the apple static and ringing erupted in my ears.

I let go of the apple and reached my hands to the side of my head. I was expecting to feel the surgically implanted earpieces that I had felt for so long, but I found something else this time.

It was one single earpiece, such as the ones that musicians wear, and I was able to remove it. It fell to the floor with a thump and the static instantly cut out.

It was odd to hear sounds, and my ears were so sensitive to them. I could hear my harsh breathing, and I could hear the chair squeak as I reached forward towards the apple once more.

This time when I touched it nothing happened. I slowly moved it closer to me and ran my fingers over its skin.

They had never given me fruit with my meals, and I honestly couldn't remember how long it had been since I had seen something this fresh.

I slowly raised the red object to my lips, and as my teeth broke the skin it made a wonderful crunch sound. Then things became distorted.

The room began to spin and twist slowly and the objects in the room seemed to melt into each other. I blinked a few times to see if it would stop, but that didn't help and the room seemed to spin faster and faster.

The apple fell from my hand, and I heard it hit the swaying blue carpet with a clunk.

I blinked a few more times and realized that the room was completely different once again.

It wasn't even vaguely familiar to the room I had been in all along. This time it was all bright white, and the walls seemed to connect in a way that made the room appear infinite in all directions. In the center sat a simple white table with a black camera at the end of it, and a large painting of a forest hung above it. The trees were pine, and they were painted in varying shades of blue and black all fading into a white sky. A single chair sat opposite the camera, and a boy sat in it.

I knew that boy, but I had no idea where I knew him from. He had dirty blonde hair and light hazel eyes. He was short, but not child-like short. He looked older, maybe his early twenties or late teens. I wasn't sure. He seemed to be staring and talking to nothing, yet his attention was directed to the camera.

Maybe he was crazy, or maybe someone was watching him through the camera, but I couldn't be sure.

I yelled at him and tried to get his attention, but he wouldn't acknowledge me.

Then he also raised an apple to his lips and took a vicious bite. He shrugged and shook his head and then he took another.

That's when he started seizing. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and his body began to convulse and twist. I screamed and tried to go and help him, but I couldn't move. Then the room began to spin as it had before. I screamed louder and attempted to steady my vision but nothing worked. The room continued to warp and melt into itself.

When I blinked I was back to my room.

I looked around and realized that a single petal from the flowers had fallen onto the table. That had never happened before.

Hot tears were pouring down my cheeks, and one word was echoing in my thoughts over and over again.

No not a word... a name...

"Jimin."

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