Oblivion

Chapter 1: impossible things

Your day started off like it always did: you failing to catch the last tendrils of sleep because your shitty neighbour in your shitty apartment complex insisted on mowing the shitty front lawn every Sunday at 8am. In retrospect, you should be glad he was doing something to make the whole place look better but did he really have to do this every Sunday? Wasn't it a holiday day or something? It's not like he got paid to do it either so it wouldn't kill him to do it at a reasonable time say after 12pm.

8:03 am.

You dragged your pillow and placed it on top of your face, screaming into it. You pulled a late shift at your parents' pizza shop last night and rushed back home to work on the webtoon you've been hired to illustrate. You had to give in a final draft by Friday and you still had a couple of chapters left to illustrate. Hummmm. The lawn mower invaded your thoughts and ears.

Your phone rang on the nightstand, the screen illuminating your dark room. Your mother's name flashed on your screen.

"Good morning, darling! So, your brother called in sick and we need you to take his shift tonight," your mother's stern voice requested through the phone.

"Uh, Mom. I told you I'm busy today. I helped last night."

"I know and we appreciate that but we can't afford to hire another person. What do I always say about family, anyways?"

"Family always helps family," you recited from memory. You actually hated that statement. You always helped out more than anyone helped you, giving up great opportunities to be there and for what? You had nothing to show for it. It should be a two way street but according to your parents, it was a one way street heading in their direction.

"Good. The shift is from 4-11 so make sure you get here early! You live far away now in a bad apartment that you pay too much for." Your mother tried to guilt trip you for moving out from the family home.

She was right though, it was a shitty apartment but it was YOURS. Your safe space, your home, and your solace. Sure, the floors creaked louder than a broken rocking chair and the walls could use a fresh coat of paint but you worked hard to gather all the pieces to make it a home. Countlessly thrifting online and in store, even going to auctions to buy things abandoned by their owners. Whatever. You could be living in the house next door and your mother would still be upset.

"I'll be there." You hung up and tossed your phone onto the floor, the carpet softening the blow.

You took a hot shower and got dressed in jeans and a shirt.  You walked out to the kitchen and dropped some bread into the toaster for a quick breakfast. You grabbed the pot from the coffee machine you programmed to make coffee and keep it warm until you woke up and poured some into your favourite mug. You loved coffee more than anything and you drank a concerning amount a day but you needed it to deal with everything on your shoulders right now.

The toaster popped, signaling your toast was done, and you reached for it. The hot toast burned your finger tips and you quickly dropped it onto a plate, licking the tips of your fingers to ease the pain.

You grabbed your tablet and sat down at the kitchen table, hoping to get some drawing done. You reached for the blueberry jam sitting there and slathered it on top of your toast.

Before you knew it, a lot of time had passed and it was suddenly time to go to work. You quickly packed up your belongings and rushed out the door.

♡︎

You just walked into the shop, the bell above the door making your parents aware of your arrival, when your mom rushed forward and held a pile of pizza boxes taller than she was. "We have a big delivery. No time to waste."