Chapter 1

I awoke abruptly. Like someone had shaken me out of my sleep, only to look around the room and realize I was all alone. What was it? Was it a scream? A shake? What was happening before? I can’t… I can’t seem to recall.

This happens more often than not these days. One of these days I will remember. If there is one thing that bothers me when it happens is that I can’t seem to remember. As if I had to, and didn’t. I can feel a migraine coming on, and my shoulder is killing me again.

I reach across to my nightstand to grab Muhammad Bongli, my go to water bong for a for my morning wake and bake. Love this thing. It flows like a butterfly, and mmm it stings so good like a bee. Hence the name. Damn it. I realize I finished the bowl in the middle of the night. I tell you what, nothing gets me right back to sleep better than a middle of the night wake up and smoke session. I gotta get off my ass, and pack another bowl. Maybe I’ll just vape the bud today. Always tastes better anyway.

After grinding and packing, I click the button five times, and wait for the chamber to warm up. It’s fairly quick, but I get antsy in this “microwave era we live in.” It’s ready, and I inhale. I can taste that deep pine taste mixed with a little bit of a high tangy sweet note. As I exhale, I can feel its full flavor. I let out a little extra breath at the end. I can’t tell if this a sigh, or just exhaustion. Its starting kick in. My whole body lets go. All the tension slowly releases. Thank god its legal this time. I take in another breath and let out a breath of relief as I feel my migraine slowly crawling back under whatever rock it was coming out from. We shall fight another day my friend. As I know it will eventually catch up with me and there is no amount of weed, ibuprofen, Advil, or whatever shit that is gonna get rid of it. I just face the facts, and will lay in a dark room, curled up, and wish I were dead for twenty-four to forty-eight hours. For now, I know I will be ok. Three more hits, and I can feel the tension in my shoulder release. “Alright,” I say to myself as I stand up and reach to the ceiling as I stretch to take on the world.

My place is small. Place, hell I should call it a room. It is a Studio, but I think of it as a bedroom with a kitchen and shitter. I have shower, but no tub. God I would love to take a bath. How long has it been? I don’t even think I could count it all up. Hurts my head to count. It’s a cheap place, and its reliable. Its always here for some reason. I guess most places are, but I have had issues in the at other times. I have two windows in the place. Which, from what I am told is more than some other studios. So, I should “quit my bitchin.”

I love little quips like that. “Quit your Bitchin,” “Suck it up Buttercup,” Snitches get Stiches, “and a personal favorite “That’s what she said.” There are so many I’ve heard, and just plain fun to say. Especially, when it’s just at that right moment. You know that moment where the one guy starts to slow clap, and gets the rest of the room going. Its like that, but instead of clapping, it’s an amalgamation of laughter. I suppose that only happens in movies though. Everything’s perfect when you’re following a script. When all the instructions are laid out in front of you.

As I finish my stretch, I can see the sun peaking through the blinds of the kitchen window. There’s just something soothing about seeing the sun peak through the sides of blinds. I can’t explain it. I know that if I open the blinds, its going to kill my eyes as I squint until my eyes adjust. I hate that, and honestly might be a good way to spike that ol migraine back up too. However, the brightness peeking through the side though, lets me know its daylight out there, and I’m in the dark behind the shades. My eyes are safe here, but I still see you. Like I’m hiding, or out of site. That brings me comfort, and I like comfort.

The other window is in the bathroom. More specifically, its right by the toilet. It runs from the ceiling to the floor minus about a foot above and below, and roughly two feet wide. Probably the strangest place I have ever seen a window located using those dimensions. The glass is transparent. Not misted or warped for privacy. It feels like an open advertisement to show everyone that you are taking a shit. To compensate for this, so that I can let some light in from here. I have push pinned a towel to cover all but the top 2 feet. Now I can have some privacy and natural light as I’m “seeing a man about a horse.” Speaking of which, this seems like a good time for just that.

Heading towards the toilet, I stop for a subtle glance at the mirror above the sinks as I’m passing by. There’s that ugly fucker. I let in a little laugh to myself as I finish on to the toilet, and prep to relieve last nights hamburger and soda.

I do some of my best thinking in the bathroom. Mainly in the shower and the shitter. That’s exactly what I’m doing. Gears are turning. I let out a sigh, I know what I have to do. I can feel it coming again. I’ve got to do something. Got to make a change. At least try.

I finish my business, and flush. Grab my phone off the counter, and swipe to open the lock screen. Use my fingerprint three times to unlock the god damned thing. Always amuses me that I keep this feature on. Supposed to take less time to log in than swiping in a little diagram, but really in the end, it takes more. I swipe to my apps, and find the recorder. Tap the icon, and it opens. I am faced with a white screen showing a timeline starting at 00:00. My eyes are fixed on the red button on the screen. I take a deep breath. Fuck. Fuck, Fuck, Fuck. I have to do this. Can I do this? I pick up the vape again, and take one more deep drag. I pause. Let it all out, and as I exhale, I let my head dip down to my screen, my finger hovers for a moment and I press record.

My name is Alex Watts and I’m going to tell you how to escape the madness of this world. I’m going to break all the rules you know. I’m going to wake you up from this mindless grind of a Groundhog Day endless cycle of life until death. If everything goes right. I’m going to save humanity, or at least help it along its way.

That’s right. No need to rewind. You heard me right. Furthermore, you’re not going to believe me, and I honestly don’t give a flying fuck anymore. I’ve been told, that no one will ever believe it, and I have been provided… No, shown proof. I’ve also been provided with evidence that this could cause chaos… anarchy. Or, it could be the thing this mankind needs to move to the next level up. To evolve. It could be the end, or it could be the beginning.

I don’t even know where to start. I guess. For you, it would be your beginning. This beginning. This time, this place. I know this doesn’t make sense, but it will. It will, you just have to keep listening. To the end. The very end. No matter what. You have already started listening, but you can stop now. I haven’t said anything yet. You can stop now. Or keep going, but you can’t turn back after. You must finish.