Semaphore

4. Sleep

When the sky above me finally gets dark enough for me to grow tired I decide to try and get some sleep. The second I let out a yawn my head turns towards the dirty and torn-apart mattress laying in the corner. It's absolutely gross but so were other places i've slept so fuck it. At least it's comfortable, I tell myself before laying down on the mattress, smelling a combination of alcohol, mold and piss. Why the hell did you do this to me dad? I think to myself as I slowly start to fall asleep. Why did you make me feel like this life was the only option for me?

After a few minutes I'm fully asleep. I guess it didn't take me too long after all the walking i did. Dreams are a common thing for me. Usually they're about mom still being alive, or dad comforting me instead of making me bleed and scream. But sometimes they would just be about something stupid, like being abnormally strong and popular at some school. However this time I'm dreaming about the chubby man with the camera from earlier today.

I'm standing in his apartment. A small cozy bedroom with a bed so weak looking I'm surprised it can even support him. There's a laminated paper hanging on his wall with a short story about the man, apparently named Josh Anders, reaching ten thousand followers. The piece of shit doesn't deserve the money, is all i can think.

As I look at myself in the big mirror resting on his wall I notice that I'm still in my usual clothes, my jacket still a bit wet, with messed up hair. My arms are bruised and dirty. But all of a sudden when i want to tell myself my dream is useless i notice that in my hands i'm holding his new camera, or at least I assume that's what it is. The man is currently getting changed from the clothes he was wearing today into who-knows-what, but he doesn't seem to notice me standing right in front of him. Knowing that I'm just dreaming, and still being furious at the man, I decide to use his camera to take about 10 different pictures of him while he's changing. Every picture has a different, more scandalous angle than the previous one.

 After snapping enough pictures to satisfy myself I quickly link the camera to the mans laptop and start creating an instagram account for myself. When I finally have a decent username after trying out 16 unavailable ones, I upload the pictures with the caption lmao you think you're so dope but nah. I then log out of the instagram account so that the man couldn't possibly delete the post. I know it's a dream but still, better safe than sorry. I smile to myself before placing the camera on the mans desk. 

As I look up at him I notice we are making eye contact, but the man doesn't actually see me. He has changed into black sweatpants and a grey shirt with an oil stain on it. I flip him off before turning around and leaving his apartment with a grin plastered to my face. Now I just walk around the city, enjoying the fact that no one can see me. No disgusted facial expressions looking at me, no people clinging onto their purses when we make eye contact, no scared children, just people minding their business in peace. 

Once I finally find the mattress that I'm currently sleeping on, I sit down and casually wait until I wake up. I look through my bag to decide what I want to eat tomorrow, since I have more choices than I usually do. After about ten minutes I notice that my body is now finally starting to wake up.