Main Character Vibes

At least the sun was kind to her

The Monday morning alarm tediously heralded the beginning of yet another day on the conveyor belt of routine. Elias swiftly turned it off while sulking in bed, already sleeplessly awake. He did it without looking, in such a display of mastery. A mastery from his three years of daily practice in striking the snooze button while conjuring the will to get out of bed.

Every morning was greeted by a silent wince prompted by Elias's contemplation of the soulless workday that laid ahead of him. It felt like a cruel unending repetition of a repetition.

Tilly was a slender brunette clump, still fast asleep, slumped up on her side next to him. Her flowing brown hair covered her fair gentle face and pouty lips that began to utter:

"Mmm morning, babe," she groaned through her pillow-muffled mouth as she began to stretch in bed like a lethargic cat, searching with her feet for cold spots on the mattress to justify staying cozy under her blanket.

"Morning," Elias said through an exhausted sigh and bloodshot eyes as he mechanically got out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

Tilly picked up her phone to escape into the endless entertainment it offered. She was going through apps laterally, Tiktok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat...not remaining long enough in one app to feel guilty for wasting time. But the dread of the workday began rising. Her fingers twitched as she tapped her phone to read one email after another. Noticing that she'd been unconsciously holding in her breath, she trembled out an exhale before getting up.

She made herself a cup of coffee and looked out at the sunrise over the city.

"It's so beautiful," she said half to herself, half to Elias who was commencing his tedious grooming and other morning procedures. The well-oiled protocols of a mechanically efficient life.

Tilly's smile quickly faded as her wistful eyes were forlornly following Elias with a sort of appeal but were met only by the back of his head as he unresponsively went into the bedroom. It wasn't clear to her if he was actively ignoring her or passively sparing himself something he could not bear, either way, it fell on Tilly all the same. She turned her attention back to the majestic morning over High Park. The splendor of it quickly returned the glee to her face. At least the sun was kind to her...

Elias fully dressed now, poured himself a cup of coffee in his thermos; bitterly black and unsweetened. Black unsweetened coffee tastes like how life feels when you're depressed – why masquerade an indifferent reality with sugar and cream. Tilly approached him slowly. Being careful to avoid spilling coffee from her swaying mug.

"Have a great day at work, babe," she said cheerfully as she leaned in for a kiss.

"You too," Elias thoughtlessly replied as he fulfilled his duty of kissing her, as he did every morning, of every day, before leaving.

Elias stood at the top of the steps outside of his apartment building, thanklessly huffing and puffing the cold October air. Blue Jays were chirping from the high trees, sounding their last call for fall. A song that was peppered with the black cawing of crows adding a shade of sadness to an otherwise splendid composition. He listened with searching ears hoping for a tonic lift but quickly failed to find the rumpus of the bass in a tragic tune.

A disapproving scowl furrowed his entire face as the raucous of the bustling city was loudly coming to life. The racket of the cars, horns, unintelligible city murmurs, and the endless swarm of people bombarded his agitated ears. Ears which only pined for the silent respite of a sleep that never was. There was so much motion, so many humans and after so much a silent night, it was exhausting.