Untitled (Part 2)

THEY ASSURE US that it sticks. Everything sticks and it will all ultimately be for our benefit.


Ink is listening intensely. She gets it and I don't. For me it's an alphabet that consists of beeps and screeches. Occasionally a word jumps out at me. Hitler or Tombstone or Ravioli. If I can string two or three words together I consider it a victory. I don't get many victories.

                    ~


Because it's Sourday it's a nine word day and I spent most of Double Helmet thinking of the words I would choose. Ink is my Helmet partner but I save my words for Rosh. We sit together at noonfest every day except on Exposure Day. Everything changes on Exposure Day.

Rosh wears pirkle and has no hair. Because she wears pirkle she doesn't have to do helmet but has things pumped into her instead. She has told me that it makes her sick and that's why she has no hair. I'm glad I wear white because that's one thing that sounds worse than double helmet.


You can space out your words or you can let them all out at the same time. Me and Rosh have tried it both ways but today I chose to let mine all out in a row.


' I dream of outside and it smells of toilet.'


She looked impressed but she always looks half way between impressed and confused. It's a pirkle thing. They do strange things to their faces every morning and it makes their eyebrows look funny.
I could see that she was thinking about her own nine words whilst digesting mine. We all do that. Words are so sparse, hearing them is a bit like eating. It's a small meal we all look forward to.


'Mine are always about escape and it's very exciting.'


We are always careful not to repeat each others words because it seems like a waste, so the word 'and' sits in between us like an awkward and curled up third person. But it's done now and you can never take back any of your words. I can tell by her face that she is also regretting using the word 'very.' Words like that are unnecessary.  Somebody called Nancy once said that 'A man is not very tired, he is exhausted.' That's one of the things I've actually learned from helmet. That's how helmet works sometimes. You don't think you are learning anything but actually you are learning a lot you just don't use your knowledge until you need it.




(C) Ally Atherton