The Bedroom

Jake awoke to distant voices and sounds he didn't recognize. It must be those damn neighbours partying again! His bedroom was at the back of the house and it overlooked the neighbours patio, so he was used to the late parties and usually could sleep through the noise. Jake wanted to get up and yell out the window, but he just didn't have the energy. Jake's bedroom was his sanctuary, the place he could get away from it all. "The bedroom," as he liked to call it, was covered with poster's of his favourite bands, cars and of course some swimsuit models to admire. Jake was an only child and his parent's spoiled him. He got almost everything he wanted. He knew it wasn't a good thing, but he enjoyed it anyway. As Jake looked around the bedroom, it felt different tonight, Jake felt different tonight. What's wrong with me he thought? He lay on his bed motionless, he thought if he closed his eyes he'd hopefully sleep off this feeling he had and wake up feeling better. 

 As Jake closed his eyes, he found himself sitting at a kitchen table. The room looked vaguely familiar, the cupboard's were an ugly yellow, the floor had vinyl tiles and the wallpaper had rows of daffodils all over them. He realized it was his parents house, but when he was a child. How did he get there, was he really there? The whole room brought back memories of his childhood, the birthdays, pancakes for breakfast and waiting impatiently for dinner. As these memories of his childhood came to him, he realized someone was standing at the counter, it was his mother. As he watched her busily moving from the stove to the pantry and back, it struck him how beautiful she was, her hair was longer and she looked years younger. She was wearing an apron and was dressed in a bright pink dress. She was cooking a large meal, the stove top had some pots simmering and something was baking in the oven. She walked over and opened the refrigerator door and lifted out a huge white birthday cake with blue trim and a huge number eight candle in the middle. Jake realized it was his eight birthday! That was a great birthday, his parents had bought him his first BMX bike. He loved that bike, he was great at doing tricks with it at the local skateboard park, those were great times he thought. He opened his eyes and he was back in the bedroom again. That was such a vivid dream, he thought. Why would that specific moment come to him in a dream? He hadn't thought about his childhood for a very long time. His life had been a blur since he started high school and finished university. His childhood was a distant memory now. Jake closed his eyes again hoping to get some sleep and wake up refreshed and energized. As he closed his eyes, his mind was restless, visions flashed before his eyes, some he recognized and some he did not.                                       

 Instantly the visions stopped and he found himself standing beside his father with a set of keys in his hand. As he stood there, Jake looked at his father and realized how much he respected him for everything he had done for him and his mother. He noticed his father looked the same except he didn't have any grey hair. Jake wasn't certain how he got there or if he was really there at all. 

 Suddenly he was sitting in the driver's seat of his 1973 Camaro Z/28! His father was sitting next to him in the passenger seat. A man approached and shook his fathers hand. Jake realized it was the moment his father had bought him his first Camaro! 

 Jake's Z/28 was his first car. His father had bought it used when Jake had turned 18. He and his father were car buffs and they worked on it together every weekend to keep it in top shape. He loved his car and loved taking it to the track to test its limits. Jake still drove it on special occasions and everyone always commented on how sweet his ride was. Almost instantly another vision came to Jake and he found himself standing on a stage with a black robe over him. As he looked around to see where he was, Jake realized he was standing in front of the Dean of his University receiving his diploma. 

 It was his graduation! 

 Jake wondered how it was possible for him to be there?Jake and his friends had just received their diplomas that day. Jake loved his days at University. The partying with the guys, the girls of course, but the freedom was what he enjoyed the most.                    

 As quickly as the vision came to Jake, it went away and Jake opened his eyes. He found himself back in the bedroom again. 

 The night didn't seem to want to end. Jake couldn't understand why it felt as if he'd been asleep for hours and hours, yet only a few minutes had passed on the clock. 

 As he lay in bed he realized why he felt so tired. It was because he was out drinking with his friends, celebrating their graduation. 

 All of a sudden, Jake started to hear beeping and intermittent hissing sounds. They were loud and seemed close. Jake couldn't figure out where the sounds were coming from. What a strange dream he wondered? 

 Then suddenly he heard, “Jake honey, wake up!” 

 It was his mothers voice. 

 He called out to her, "Mom!" 

 There was no response. As he looked around, his bedroom looked different. There were intermittent lights, beeping and hissing sounds. It seemed as if the walls disappeared and reappeared. One moment he was in the bedroom and the next it was a completely different room. He could hear muffled voices and beeping sounds in the distance and that intermittent hissing sound was getting dreadfully louder. 

 Jake opened his eyes, he wasn't in the bedroom anymore. 

 He felt dazed and groggy, he couldn't feel anything. He tried to move, but he wasn't able to. It felt like he was buried under sand. 

 Jake peered to his right with his eyes and all he saw was a large window and he only saw darkness. He looked over to his left and saw a few small screens that had lights flashing and he heard beeping sounds coming from them. He followed the wires coming from the screens with his eyes and they were attached to his finger and chest. He realized that the intermittent hissing sound he kept hearing was a ventilator. He could see and feel a tube was running into his mouth and down his throat. 

 Jake started to panic! 

 The machines were beeping faster, his heart rate was rising rapidly. Jake glanced towards the end of the bed and he saw the silhouette of two people standing at his feet. He focused on their faces and realized it was his parents. Their faces were full of pain and sorrow. 

 He tried to speak but he couldn't. 

 A sudden rush of fear came over Jake, as the truth so heartless and cruel dawned on him; his visions were just dreams. 

 He was never in the bedroom. 

 He was in a hospital bed connected to machines that were keeping him alive...