this "perfect" glass world and him

I opened my eyes. I was lying on the floor, staring up at the ceiling lights. I sat up, clutching myself, realizing I was drenched in water. Then I realized I was in my apartment. I was home.

I smiled, allowing myself to stand up and take in the realization. The broken glass had disappeared.

Then suddenly I looked to my side. And Winston was lying on the floor. He was unconscious. A bigger realization hit me.

Winston was now in my world, rather than I be in his. How would he react when he woke? He loved his perfect world. He would want to go home.

I saw his eyes open slowly and then fully open, and be became aware of where he was. He quickly sat up.

“Where am I?” He asked.

“My apartment” I said. “In the human world”

“Your world?!” He jumped up instantly. “No. No I can’t be. I can’t be here”

“Well you are. Sorry to say.”

“I-I have to get back” He was shaking a little bit.

“Well I don’t know how you’re going to do that” I said.

“There has to be a way…”

“Well maybe you should kill yourself again” Of course I was joking, but he didn’t take it that way.

“Well do you have a knife somewhere?” He asked. “Or a gun?”

He was asking so politely, it was almost ridiculous.

“No” I said. “Don’t kill yourself. When I was in your world, I wanted that too, but when I actually died, it wasn’t worth it”

“But I don’t know this world. I only know of mine. A world like this I would corrupt with” He said, still trembling.

“Winston” I said. “This world is better. You can actually live here. And breathe. And be yourself. You don’t have to live any certain way except the way that you want to”

“I-I don’t understand that”

“You don’t have to”

“I-I don’t know what I should be doing”

“Well here on this earth, we measure time according to numbers”

“I know how you’re time works. I know how this life is. You don’t have to tell me that. But I’ve been accustomed to my own world. I don’t comprehend this life”

“Winston, it’s going to be okay. You can live this way”

“I-I can’t Willow. You don’t understand. You just don’t.”

Suddenly the door opened.

“Willow?” It was Alice. “Where were you? You didn’t show up three days ago! And I’ve been calling your phone for days, where have you been?”

“I-I was…busy”

“Busy? Busy how? And who is this?”

“He’s a friend”

“What happened Willow? Why did you randomly disappear?”

“I told you I was busy”

Winston looked absolutely dumbstruck. Like he had no idea what to do anymore.

“Well what is he doing here?”

“He’s staying with me. His umm…apartment burned down”

“Oh. Well, that makes sense”

“Yeah”

“I thought you were dead”

“No” I said. “Not dead”

She left a bit after that.

As soon as she did, I turned back to Winston.

“I’m sorry” I said. “I never meant for this to happen”

“It wasn’t your fault” He said. “But what your friend said, about me living with you? Did you mean that?”

“Well, I was just making up an excuse. But if you want to, you could”

“Well I don’t see another way” He said.

“Alright” I said. “That’s fine. But I have a job at a clothing store. I work there on certain hours. I don’t know what you want to do”

“I’ll stay here, and umm, clean” He said. “And cook”

“Oh okay, sure”

This was begging to feel awkward. I thought being in my world would be better, but it wasn’t. I felt alone again. Only Winston was here with me, and I had to adjust my entire life for him. I wanted to make him feel comfortable in this world. The last thing I wanted was to make him feel like he couldn’t be a person.

Not like I had been, forced to live a certain way.

“Well I’m going to go to bed so if you want you can sleep on the couch” I said.

I gave him a blanket and a pillow and left him to fend for himself.

As I went to bed that night, I wondered how Winston had even gotten himself into this world in the first place. I had died, but what had he done?

That next morning I woke to find the entire apartment spotless. Winston was cleaning from head to toe.

He had also made breakfast.

“Oh Good morning” He smiled. “How did you sleep?”

“I slept fine.” I said taking a seat at the kitchen table.

“Umm, you seem like you’re in a good mood”

“Yes, well, with a little bit of sleep” He said. “Here I made you crepes and fruit. Is that alright?”

“Yes, thank you” I said. I realized he was only used to making dessert type foods or light foods so I accepted the breakfast.

I told him I would be working from nine to four and be back around four. He also promised me to have dinner ready.

“You know, you don’t have to do this” I said.

“But I want to” He said. He was smiling again.

And for a second, his smile was making my heart turn.

“Well, thank you again” I said, trying to smile a little bit as well. “I really appreciate it”

“You are always welcome” And he closed the door behind me as well. Maybe just maybe I could deal with this in my life. After all, if he wanted to do all of the little things he would be an easy roommate.

But there was one problem, I realized. Regardless of living this way now, I had feelings for Winston. I knew I did. But I decided I wasn’t going to do anything about it. Not at all. In fact, I would forget all about it.