My life is over.

No, that isn’t dramatic enough!

My world is slowly slipping away into murky obscurities

Where there is no evidence of existence;

Leaving me stranded with no one to turn to for help.

 

Pressing buttons lamely,

Trying new sequences in desperation;

Nothing wakes her up.

She is only sleeping, I repeat and repeat.

Only sleeping, not dead.

Not like when we said we were putting the dog to sleep

Which meant the dog was dead.

No, not like that, actual sleeping, just asleep.

 

I’d say the clock is ticking slowly,

If I could see the clock app.

It’s hidden within my phone,

Stubbornly refusing to rouse.

 

If this bus crashes and I never make it home,

My family will look for me in my last ‘check-in’.

That was miles away from here.

I’ll be lost forever.

Stranded without any way to Tweet,

“Here, I’m over here!”

 

What if Mary finally announces the sex of her baby?

What if my boss calls and I don’t answer on the second ring?

What if Jerry texts me about our date last night?

What if…

What if I don’t get off and I just keep going.

No map to tell me I’m lost,

No clock to tell me I’m late,

No beeps or ticks or dings to tell me I’m missing out.

 

That’s what it must feel like to be on an island –

A deserted, abandoned island.

I am not as skilled as Tom Hanks.

I have my Wilson, if she’d just stay charged!

 

Oh damn phone, wake up!!!

This bus is crawling at a terrifying speed.

Still have two blocks to walk when I step off.

Walk?

Ha!

I will be the fastest sprinter my neighbors have seen!

 

There it is!

There is my stop!

Discarding any mildly exciting thoughts of freedom

I push and shove my way to the door.

The bus has barely braked before I hit the pavement.

Running.

 

Breath heavy, keys fumbled and dropped

Finally inside.

Screw you dog, get out of my way!

Must

Find

Plug.

 

Wake up

WAKE UP!

Shaking the unyielding black screen

It doesn’t comment when I jam the plug in over and over.

Finally, the light comes on.

The apple appears and I can breathe.

Oh my god, I can breathe!

 

Eyes glued to the screen,

There is my picture,

There are my apps.

Waiting, scanning, where will they appear first?

There!

The first red number pops in on Facebook

And another on Messages

Oh shit, three more on Messages.

Fifteen on Text.

 

Fingers flying,

Opening, swiping,

Can’t absorb all the news as quickly as it’s popping in.

It’s a girl. Again.

My boss is pissed.

I have a second date!

 

Sighhhhhhh

She is awake.

She lives.

 

I live.

Beep, tick, ding.