Unhinged

Chapter 1: Forever Unchanging

Wednesday, August 7th, 1996 at 6am

The hum of an alarm could be heard from your bedside table. Sun crept in through the blinds creating a soft glow around the room. Your eyes slowly opened welcoming in the rays of sun from the start of a new day, an ordinary, boring, monotonous new day.

After stopping your phone alarm, you rub your eyes trying to get your sleep deprived mind up and moving. You gathered the strength to stand up from your bed and get the day started.

Walking through your room, you took note of the clutter that seemingly never ends.

"Ugh" you sigh. You haven't had the best time getting adjusted to your new job. Being a morning person just wasn't you. But the pay was good, so that's all that mattered right? You started working at the local hospital as a nurses assistant and with only working a few weeks, you were already seeing the difference between working and having a life, and not having a life, while working.

Everything seemed to just slow down, drag on, continuously doing the same thing, over and over again. Never changing. You wanted something different, no, you needed something different.

You walked to the kitchen grabbing a pan and two eggs out of the refrigerator. Your kitchen was nothing special, the ordinary oak wood cabinets and linoleum counter tops, all stemming from the early 80s. The white base coat on all of your appliances slightly worn and chipping from love and good use. The only thing that made the kitchen appealing was the massive window overlooking a backyard filled with trees and wheatgrass swaying gently in the breeze. You loved that view, that was what made this house feel like home.

While your eggs cooked in the pan, you made yourself some coffee, slowly sipping it while it was steaming hot. You eyes roamed the backyard, soaking in the natural sunlight seeping in through the window. Your eyes scanned the tree line, seeing the occasional goldfinch flying swiftly through the air. Your mind was blank, so blank, that you forgot to keep an eye on your eggs.

Suddenly remembering that you had food cooking, you turned around and quickly shut off the gas burner on the stove. Thankfully, your eggs weren't burnt, just slightly crisp around the edges. You sat down and ate your breakfast while thinking about everything that you have ever wanted to do. Travel, find someone special, own a dog, anything that took your mind off of reality.

After eating, you got up from the island overlooking the backyard and went to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror your hair was a mess and your eyes were puffy from the deep sleep you had just woken up from. You took your phone out of your pocket; 6:14am. With that, you hopped into the shower, but not forgetting to turn on some Celine Dion on the small CD player right outside your shower curtain.

~~~~~~~~~~~30 minutes later~~~~~~~~~~~

You slowly made your way through your living room, taking a seat in the green soft leather recliner gifted to you from your dad. Turning on the television to the news station you read; "BREAKING NEWS - HIGHLY CONCERNING LEVELS OF INSOMNIA MAKING WAVES IN THE UNITED STATES."

"You're telling me." You respond with a small chuckle.

Flipping the channel to something more interesting and less depressing, you find the history channel talking about the existence of aliens on Mars. You weren't really that interested but since you had nothing better to do, you sat there watching the time fly.

All of a sudden your phone rings.

"Who would be calling me at 7 o'clock in the morning?" Looking at the number, it was just your mom, probably wanting help with something at the house later today.

"Hi mom."
"Hi honey! How are you doing?"
"I'm doing fine, how about you? What did you need?" You got up from your chair and started walking around the house, this is something you've been doing since you got a phone. Walking around always seemed to clear your head and make listening less difficult.

"Well, did you see the breaking news on the television this morning?"
"Yeah, what about it?" You question, not entirely sure what she was getting at. You turned to the tv and flipped the channel back to the news. The same headline on the top with small script on the bottom now reading; "DISAPPEARANCES SAID TO BE LINKED WITH INCREASING INSOMNIA."

"Well honey, I just wanted to see if you were feeling super tired today or needed any help. Just want you to be safe, times like now are often overlooked as not important." Your mother sounds concerned knowing that you have a new job and have been having a hard time getting good sleep.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Who is missing? Do you know?" Your words laced with worry.
"I'm not sure honey, but I do know that this whole wave of insomnia thing doesn't seem normal. Headlines don't usually state something like this. It's concerning." Your moms voice sounded very skeptical. The more you thought about it. The more you realized that it didn't seem like a normal thing to read on the news either.

"It is weird mom. I've never seen the news headline something like this. It's almost like they are treating it like a new plague." You chuckled lightheartedly.

"Just promise me you'll be careful ok? I don't want to see your name up there one morning."
"Jeez mom! Way to be optimistic! I'm a strong young lady, I don't just go around wandering!"
"Honey, you're only 20, your life is just getting started. I love you, call me for any reason ok?"
"Ok mom, love you too."
"Bye."
"Bye."

Looking back up from your phone the news lady is talking so fast you couldn't even understand her. From the looks on her face she seemed
horrified. You decide to turn up the volume. Listening to the words that came out of her mouth next giving you chills up your spine.

~~~~~~~~~~~End of chapter 1~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed! I love writing stories that include special details and a very slow beginning. I know it's not for everyone but I hope you stick around. I got big plans for this story! Next chapter is where things will start to get a little more intense. Also! Feel free to leave comments! Anyways... I'll be back!