Entry eighty-seven
Entry eighty-seven as recorded fairly recently.
How long had I been there. I wiped my brow as sweat dripped down into my eyes. The exits, all that I could find, were closed, shut, almost as if someone took a key and purposefully twisted it. By now I had wandered through with no direction but the light on both my flashlight and helmet, ran out of battery, many times. My stomach churned due to hunger and my eyes drooped due to lack of sleep. The darkness, the lack of food and water and the overwhelming stench seemed to be getting to me. Months maybe-no I’d probably be dead before that even happened. Why hadn’t no one come to find me? I imagined my wife and two kids waiting with tears in their eyes, for me to return, for me to walk through the door and sit down at dinner. What kind of sewage worker would allow this to happen to himself?
I stumbled as my feet splashed into the cold sewage, the liquid seeping into my worn-out boots. I stumbled as my vision became blurry and my stomach became queasy. Eliza was probably worried sick, Aj probably got first place at that spelling bee he’d been practicing for and Ally probably aced her first piano recital. Did Eliza already move on-but if it really had been only a week or possibly two then how could she possibly do that?
For you, reader, the name is Samuel Crossely, a sewage worker, husband and father of two, twins to be exact in the fourth grade.
Last thing I remembered was minding my own business and doing routine checks on the sewage system to make sure everything was going smoothly when I went down, started working and I couldn’t get out, as if someone had forgotten I was down there and now despite, my best efforts I couldn’t lift it up. My body ached and my mind went dark. My body had collapsed with a large splash into the sewage.
I awoke to the unfamiliar ticking and the brightness of the room. My eyes fluttered open and I groaned as I stumbled to my feet. The place I was in was white, top to bottom white with nothing but me inside. At first, I assumed I was dead so to check I pinched myself, Hard. I winced. I could smell my breath which reeked by the way and pinched myself, again hard and again wincing. Eventually I stopped and began to walk around, in search of answers or better yet-away out. I had already deduced that I wasn’t in the sewers anymore considering how I couldn’t smell or see anything related to it much less hear any of the sewage swashing about. Soon I found myself at a long table, with heaps of food and two chairs, one on each end. The sweet scent of desserts and savory meals, overwhelmed me and I eagerly hurried to the table, flopped down and began stuffing my face. Next to me was a goblet of red liquid which I down in one quick gulp. As I finished eating my pie, I was so engrossed that I hadn’t noticed the person sitting on the other side of me, he smiled at me er- at least I think it was a smile.
I frowned and raised an eyebrow. Remembering my manners, I quickly swallowed and wiped my face with a napkin that appeared in front of me. When I was done, I made to speak but found I couldn’t My eyes widened when I glanced back down as the table of food had disappeared.
“Uh...”
I looked up and found myself face to face with a dog wearing a top hat. The dog had smiled and must’ve been watching while I ate.
“Excuse me...” Was all I could get out at that moment.
“You’re excused” the dog said.
I blinked.
The dog barked and our chairs were just inches apart from one another. I shook my head and rubbed my eyes.
“I’m sorry but this is a dream, right? Or am I dead?”
“You liked the food, didn’t you?” The dog replied.
I nodded.
The dog barked again and a small table appeared between us with two glasses and a bottle of what I read as sparkling apple cider.
“I don’t usually drink, do you?”
I shook my head “only during special occasions...”
“Have a drink”.
I watched and to my astonishment the lid had popped off the bottle, the bottle lifted and poured the liquid into the glasses.
“So, if I’m not dead and this isn’t a dream then. Where am I?”
The dog bent down and dipped its nose into the glass, licking the contents. I waited but the dog didn’t answer and when it finished, it lifted its head but the glass went with it. I leaned in and pulled the glass off, and set it back down onto the table.
“Sir, please...”
The dog licked his nose “ah yes, thank you my good lad it is quite awful trying to drink without a proper mouth”.
I was about to ask again when the bottle began pouring into my glass despite it being only half-full this time the liquid was green.
“Drink and you may get your answer.” The dog barked.
Unsure I lifted the glass and sniffed, I then dipped my finger into it and licked. It tasted almost like my late mamma’s cranberry juice with apple and pomegranate that she always made. Licking my lips, I took a small sip then another and then another, each bigger than the first. Late mamma would fill the kitchen with all kinds of delicious sweetness, anything with fruit that could be made, she made it.
