Untitled ( Part 18 ) Everything's Turned Off.

I wake up with hands around my neck and two eyes looking down at me.


'Dunstt.'


I think I'm still dreaming because we always wake up alone and I have never woke up with somebody's hands around my neck.


'Dunstt, come on, get up.'



It's Rosh and I am so angry I nearly fling her across the other side of my capsule. I have surprised myself. I didn't realise that I was getting so strong considering I am eating less than a pigeon.


'Sorry,' I said.


I helped her up off the floor and she sat don on the edge of my bed.


'What are you doing in here?'


Seven words. I had used seven words and I had only just opened my eyes.


'We have to go. All shits let loose.'


I stared at her in disbelief. She had used thirteen words already and it was Bath Day. Ten words only on Bath Day but she had used thirteen.


'What are you looking at me like that for silly. Get off your bed and come on. Now!'

Thirty One words. That was impossible.


'Thirty One Words?'

Now my words were all used up. Not a great start to the day.


'Dunstt, look at me and listen,' She said, 'They've all gone.'


I just shook my head because my words had gone and that's all I could think about doing.

'They've all gone. Everything's turned off. You can uses as many words as you want.'


I wanted to grab her by the neck and shake her until she started to make sense but by the time the thought had popped out of my head, she was leaving my capsule.


'Come on!'


I wanted to manifest my zolk. I was hungry and I was determined. but before I had time to do anything, Rosh was grabbing my arm and dragging me into the colourdoors.


'Stop it.'


Nine words. That was impossible.


'See,' she said, 'as many words as we want.'


It was only then that I noticed that her Reaper wasn't attached. He was already in the colourdoors waiting for her. He looked at me and I looked at him and he looked down at the ground. Awkward.


'Look at the colourdoors,' said Rosh.


The colourdoors weren't colourdoors at all anymore. They were grey. Miserable and dour.


'And that's not all,' she said. 'Look up at the stammies. They've all gone out. All of them.'



She was right. She was right about everything. The stammies were blank and faceless.