Mirror Years Ago

I was left alone. I lived alone, lonesome maybe nothing to inspire me or cultivate me anymore. My bed was the only thing that invited me now, open arms and warm hugs were provided. The ticking of the grandfather clock that lived with me outside of my bedroom comforted me like the beating of a heart. It lulled me to sleep, always steady and ticking throughout my head and in my dreams. It steadied everything. At any moment I could find myself on a sea of choppy and hostile water, and the ticking of the grandfather clock would steady the water so much that I could walk on it, but I was no Jesus; just an old man waiting to meet him.

  Daylight savings time was nigh, so I realized I should have set all the clocks in my house an hour ahead so as not to wake up confused and conflicted. Even the grandfather clock had to stop ticking for a second so I could set it to the proper time.

  Once all the clocks were set, I found myself quite lethargic and weary so I climbed into my bed to give it a good long hug and fall into a dream. In this dream that I experienced, I never remembered how it started. You realize that you are in a dream and never how it begins. I discovered I was suddenly in an ocean. This was no typical ocean, nothing dark and blue and vast. It was clear; transparent. I could see all the way down to the bottom, and when I took my hand out of the water I was so tranquilly floating in, my hand dripped with the milky water. The water didn't feel vast and endless, just open and welcoming. I could've drifted here forever. There was a soft hum at bay, it could not recreate the sound of any earthly instrument. This was heavenly, beautiful and glorious. Maybe I was bobbing in the clouds. No way to tell, just a dream.

 I felt at peace, yet frightened at the same time. I could no longer hear the ticking of the grandfather clock, why had it stopped ticking? I couldn't even feel the beat of my heart, but I knew it should probably be racing right now. Why wasn't it?

 Suddenly I woke up, thank the lord. I thought maybe I would never had woken up. Now I could feel the beating of my heart and the grandfather clock ticking in synchronicity. Comforted and relieved, I got up out of my friendly bed and drank a glass of water that had been sitting by my bedside. It was strangely warm, not lukewarm however; old water. I opened my blinds where I would usually have seen a large apple tree, ripe and luscious with life. It wasn't there; just a rotting stump.

 I looked up to gaze at the sky. There were only clouds, tinted with red. No birds were chirping. Sometimes I would see one of my neighbors peaking out from inside their house, and they would wave at me like a good neighbor does. They were tolerant of me and my lonely existence, perhaps even friendly and I appreciated it greatly. I appreciated and was grateful for the little things in life. Now I was intimidated by this lonely world I appeared in just moments ago. Where was the old way of life? Was there even a sign of life other than me and my grandfather clock? I figured I would go for a stroll to further investigate.

 I slipped on some ancient sandals which I wore over my black and holey socks; my big toe was free and ready to experience a lovely breeze outside in the seemingly crisp air. So I strolled over to my kitchen where I kept my house key, which I barely used as I had no need to leave my house except to stroll and get an occasional cup of coffee. The key fit perfectly into the palm of my wrinkled hand. I slid my hand holding the key into my thick jacket and left the comfort of my home.

 As soon as I opened my door, a horrid smell crept into my nostrils and refused to leave. I exhaled until I made myself cough up a lung. The burning smell filled my the caves of my nostrils; it wasn't leaving. It smelled of acid and fire. Perhaps pollution. Maybe I should have listened to all those children when they said our planet was suffering. I thought I'd be dead by then, but alas! Here it was.

 Had I set my clock too far? This was not a welcoming spring, nor a welcoming anything. Winter didn't even feel this dead. That was mad of me to think about though. I can't have controlled the time with an old grandfather clock. But why else was I suddenly the last man on earth? It saddened me to think as I watched the planet burn. They were right. The fire sparkled in my eyes, my hands snuggled in my pocket. My nose burning. My lungs crying. My mouth tasted of sulfur and ash. I wondered how many daylight savings times had happened until this was the state of nature. My guess was not many more. I turned around to walk back to my house.

  I locked the door behind me, although there was no reason to; no more thieves in the world, no more anyone in the world.

  I walked into my hallway and consoled the grandfather clock with my hand on the side of it's smooth cherry wood, trying to figure out if I was the one who betrayed it or if it had betrayed me. Either way, I apologized. To myself and to everyone. I climbed back into my bed, the only friend I had, and fell back asleep to enjoy the rest of my dream. Maybe this was a dream. I had hoped so. No way to tell, just a dream.