Prometheus

I wasn't sure what I was feeling anymore.

life wasn't going well for me lately.

It didn't feel like it should be this heavy, they felt more like an inconvenience.

A series of inconveniences that kept piling from a molehill into my grave, feeling like I was buried six feet under. if it wasn't the car breaking down it was terrible customers and if it's not terrible customers it was fighting with my spouse more often. One bad day after another.

I sighed as I approached my manager, two-week notice in hand. "Sir, I'd like to talk to you." He turned around to face me from his desk. "Yes, come in."

I walked inside and steeled myself. "Sir, I'm handing in my two-week notice. I'm glad for the opportunities you have given me-"

What opportunities? this job was a dead end unless you knew someone.

"But unfortunately-"

"I'm going to stop you right there." My manager said. I looked at him confused.

"Excuse me?"

My manager nearly smiled. "I can't accept your two weeks, we're too short-staffed, you'll just have to stick to your regular schedule."

I couldn't believe the audacity. I was in shock, I nearly walked out of the room but I was done. I glared down at him, taking my name tag off and throwing it at him. "In that case, I quit. You and this place can get fucked."

I walked out, slamming the door.

it wasn't until I was outside, feeling the salty breeze from the local sea.

I could feel the lump growing in my throat, the anxiety making my heart pound. I looked at my car, it made me feel like I could be trapped. God, I need a walk.

I made my way toward the ocean. when I finally made it to the boardwalk, walking onto it. it was slow, for once and I was thankful for that.

Seeing the ocean, calmed me, even if I went from depressed to numb, it was better.

I ended up staring at the ocean, longer than I thought. movement next to me on the bench caught my eye.

A homeless man, with no legs, holding a cup. I went to him, getting some spare change. Instead of it making a thud or metallic sound of hitting other coins, it sounded like it dropped into the ocean, realizing it was a cup of coffee.

Another inconvenience. I was so embarrassed. I went fast, trying to dig out the coin. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I thought you were homeless, I was trying to help, God I'm probably not helping am I? Assuming you're homeless-"

He suddenly grabbed my arm, nearly bringing me nose-to-nose with him. "Show us then."

I was so confused and a little scared. "What? show you what?" He let me go and I nearly fell, catching myself, stumbling before seeing the white void of nothing.

There was no ocean, no salty air, no cawing of seagulls, no wood of the boardwalk, and no legless man.

I closed my eyes, my voice shaking as I spoke. "Please be a dream, please be a dream.. it isn't real..it isn't real." I opened my eyes and the boardwalk was back.

Just the wooden boardwalk. I was thinking of it, did...did I make it appear? I swallowed my fear and thought of a coffee cup in my hand, I outstretched it and it appeared. steaming, dark, in my favorite mug.

It made me think of my parent's house before they passed away.

As I thought of their house everything around me changed. fields of grass appeared and popped from the ground, wildflowers followed, sprinkled, before a house was put together quickly, piece by piece, brick by brick. then I heard a sound I hadn't heard in five years.

The bark of my childhood dog, he died five years ago. it's a wound that never healed over. The tears I was holding back fell down my face as I saw him run at me, golden fur flowing with him as he ran, tongue hanging out of his mouth gleefully.

I kneeled down, sniffling my tears back as he licked my face, my hands gripping his soft fur.

"Hello Pumpkin, I missed you so much." I was petting Pumpkin for so long that I heard more voices I hadn't heard in four years.

"Here you are dear, honestly you'd sleep out here if I let you."

I just stared at my mom.

She didn't look mid-fifties like when she died, she looked young and vibrant. I sobbed, seeing her. She immediately kneeled down, wiping them away. "Oh no, did I say something wrong? Are you ok?"

I smiled weakly through the tears. "I just missed you."

she smiled back. "Well no need now, I'm right here. And I have your favorite ready for dinner, let's get inside."