Everything is Not as it Seems
The pleasant sound of Felix’s alarm played through the fog of sleep. Its soft, high piano notes united with lower bass notes to create a generic pattern that gently roused him from his slumber.
Opening his eyes to see his white sheets and the sun just trickling around the blue shades in his room, he rolled over on his side to check the time. 6:30 on the dot, just like every other morning. He loved getting up at this time, the sun was always just breaking the horizon, the temperature was perfect outside, and he was always allotted 30 minutes before the rest of the world was stirring. It was the perfect time of day.
Felix quickly glanced to his left. His wife was still sleeping, her blonde hair standing out in the dim lighting. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, careful not to move so fast as to wake her. Putting on his white fuzzy slippers, he quietly shuffled out of his room, opened and closed the heavy white decorative door, and made his way down to the kitchen where he would make his morning pour over. It was a habit he assumed he would never likely change.
The house was clean despite the fun they had the night before, and Felix was surprised at how he felt. He was grateful though; he had an important meeting at work that he needed to be on top of his game for.
He held onto his warm cup, enjoying a sip every so often, and watched as the sun came up while the world stood still. Trains and buses weren’t moving yet. It would not be for another hour that everything would start up. It all happened at the same time every day.
While he was sitting, thinking about the day ahead of him, he could hear footsteps on the floor above him. His wife was awake and moving around. He waited for her to make her way downstairs before standing up. The creaking tracked the path he knew all too well from their room to the stairs and down to the bottom. With her footsteps now approaching, He turned around to see her messy hair and swollen eyes.
“Good morning honey.” He said with a smile.
“Morning.” Stephanie managed to say through a gravelly voice as she rubbed her eyes. She looked at her husband with confusion. “How are you not hurting this morning?”
Felix just shrugged his shoulders. “No idea, but I’m not complaining!”
“Hmph.” Came her reply.
They went about their morning making breakfast, eating, and chatting, as they typically did.
Before long, Felix got up from the table, “OK, I’m going to go get ready.”
His wife just waved at him as he bounded up the stairs. After a shower, he took a good long look in the mirror, combed his fine brown hair to the side and shaved away his scruff from his trim jawline, revealing smooth skin underneath. It was 7:45. The bus would make it at exactly 8 am. Just in time for him to get to work at 8:30. A quick brush of his white teeth and he was headed downstairs and out the front door.
As he shut the door, he heard the door across the street shut too. Felix’s neighbor, Charlie, was leaving at the same time, just as he did every morning. “Felix, I cannot believe what we did last night.” Charlie’s greeting was one of simultaneous shock and pleasure.
A smile spread across Felix’s face. The memories were hazy through the fog of substance, but no matter, the animal-like activities they had enjoyed rang as a fond memory to Felix. Paul looked behind them, expecting the other participating party to be walking out of his door, but he was nowhere to be seen. That’s strange, no one left early or late in the city. Everyone was always on time, no exceptions. But, thinking nothing of it, they enjoyed their morning walk through their neighborhood.
The sounds of their dress shoes clicking on the concrete echoed along the trimmed grass and pristine homes. The walk gave Felix some time to reflect on his life with his friend by his side. They had a home, money, a job, friends, and good wives. What else could they want? Then Felix remembered his meeting for today.
Charlie caught a change in his friend’s facial features. “How are you feeling about today?”
Internally, Felix felt weighed down. Years had been spent leading up to this moment. Most people never got the opportunity he would have later that day, and he was determined to make the most of it. He covered up his long thought process with his casual reply, “I don’t know yet. We will just see how it goes.”
Nothing else was said while they waited by the gold and white bus stop. The dark blue bench they sat on had just enough room for their briefcases next to them. A few blocks down they could see two other men waiting at the next stop.
Pretty soon the bus came chugging around the corner, its blue paint job and gold accents matched the bus stop they had been waiting at. As it approached, the brakes and hydraulics screeched and hissed in a familiar manner, coming to a halt in front of them, the door opening quickly. Stepping up, they scanned their bus passes and took their usual seats next to the first window on their left. The rest of the bus was already full of other people with everyone wearing something similar to Felix and Charlie, a white or pastel top with gray or light blue pants.
They were the second to last stop, so the ride was always quick. Before they knew it, their building was in view. Superbia Tower, named after the man who founded Superbia Industries. It had started in a small apartment uptown and grown into the region’s center for everything. If it involved technological or even humanitarian improvement, Superbia wanted a slice. Felix worked on the humanitarian side of things: researching people groups, attempting to find the best way that Superbia can give back to the communities they built.
The view and future events of the day reminded Felix where he came from. From the time he was little, he had always wanted to make a difference. Working at Superbia, in his position, gave him the chance to do what he had always dreamed. His meeting today might put him in a position of being able to make a bigger difference, and that’s what he aimed to do. Before long, while he was lost in thought, the bus pulled up to its final destination.
The city’s center square, where their building was placed, was occupied by a golden globe that perfectly represented every country, ocean, and continental boundary. It was an architectural marvel, at least that’s what Superbia advertised. It was somehow always sparkling, never dull, and radiated energy. Felix was often mesmerized by its luminance. He loved watching it from his 10th story window, slowly spinning as if it were moving just fast enough to be perceived. He would often spend several moments during the day watching it rotate while taking a break from his work.
But, just underneath the beautiful gold sculpture sat a man whom no one was fond of.
No one knew him. He dressed differently than everyone else, wearing his brown shoes and pants, and red and white striped shirt. His outfit stood out, especially when compared with the pastels so commonly found on everyone else. His scruffy look was a far cry from the neat hair chosen by everyone entering Superbia Tower. He made everyone feel uncomfortable. For some reason, no matter the day, no matter the weather, he was always at the fountain, doing nothing more than sitting and waiting, watching everyone that passed by. No one knew what he was waiting for, no one knew what his purpose was. For that reason, most people referred to him as The Watcher. Although, many other names would probably have suited him just fine.
This morning, however, the story was different. Rather than standing by, The Watcher was having a conversation with someone Felix and Charlie both knew. It was Paul, who apparently did leave early and must have walked to work. The buses don’t run except at their scheduled time into the city.
“Paul?”
He slowly turned his head to address Charlie’s voice as he and Felix approached, their steps along the light gray concrete slightly muffling their voices.
“Oh, hey guys.”
“What are you doing?” Felix let the word ‘what’ draw out in a questioning tone.
Paul looked back at the man before looking back at his friends, “Just having a conversation.”
“Ok.” Answered Charlie, “We will see you inside?”
Paul waved them off. “Yea, I’ll see you in a bit.”
They were inside the gold trimmed glass doors before they discussed what just happened. “What do you think they were talking about?” Asked Charlie.
“I don’t know. But I would love to find out.” He looked through the glass to see Paul sitting next to the man now. Paul’s head was down, and The Watcher was looking directly at him with intent, as if chastising him, but his face said otherwise.
He turned back around, remembering the meeting planned for the afternoon. The two of them got on the elevator together and headed up to their offices. Past the floor of informational technology, political progress, man-made religion, reproductive sciences, marriage studies, and many others. Superbia had managed to play a hand in almost every industry and system in the world. Charlie got off a few floors below Felix, the food sciences floor, giving nothing more than a nod and a “good luck,” in encouragement. Felix was ready, but he couldn’t shake something. The image of Paul talking with The Watcher stuck in his head, and he could tell Charlie was thinking about it too.
The tenth floor approached, and with it came the familiar ding and a long view down the hallway as the door slid open. Utilizing his time in the quiet hallway, Felix shook off the events of the last few minutes, choosing instead to focus on the task at hand.
“Morning B.” Felix referred to his receptionist as B as he walked by her desk through his own glass doors every morning. It was short for Beatrice and much easier to say.
She replied with nothing more and a casual, “Morning.”
Through his doors, he was greeted by his beloved 10th floor view. Overlooking the city from the tallest building had its advantages. He could see the industrial tops of all the apartments and other company buildings, the sunlight and roads reflecting off the glass, the golden globe in the courtyard below, and the plains and suburbia where the majority of the city’s workers lived.
He took a breath and sat down at his desk. Turning on his computer, he logged on and began his research. He figured if there was a day where his job could wait, today was the day.
He only had a few brief moments before he got a chance to prove himself, and he was going to make it count. He spent the next few hours pouring over spreadsheets, past trends, potential future trends, and where Superbia Philanthropy would grow its presence next. Afterall, as the assistant head of outreach for the global impact company, he was tasked with reaching as many people as possible.
The hours ticked by, and, before he knew it, the time had come to travel upstairs. The 65th floor was his destination. And, although it would be a long elevator ride, the trip passed by unnoticed and before he knew it, he was standing in front of the big oak door, behind which his career would be made or lost. A big deep breath was muffled by the turn of the big, bronze doorknob and a small creaking of a hinge as the heavy door rotated open. Felix had no idea what to expect. Lucias Superbia, the current leader of the company, wasn’t seen very often, if at all. Felix had only spoken to him over the phone, and no one he knew had spoken to him in person, but Felix was under the impression he would be present.
With eagerness he broke the silence. “Hello?”
Break Here
No reply. Peeking his head around, he noticed it was dim. A single lamp illuminated a desk that matched the dark wooden color of the door he had just opened. Stepping closer and leaving the door behind him open, he noticed the flooring went from smooth tile to a rough, thick, wooden plank that seemed to match the walls. Although it was hard to tell as darkness swallowed every corner. The small lamp on the desk revealed a note and a plate of food. It appeared to be a big steak with asparagus and fried potato sticks. It looked delicious.
But, where were the people? Where was the conference room? This was unlike any meeting Felix had expected. He had hoped to meet the men in charge. Instead, he was alone.
The room remained silent. The only sound was the ticking of a gold, ornate clock on the left corner of the desk and the clunking of his feet on the floor. Felix reached for the note just left of the plate of food. The paper scraped across the desk as he picked the note up to read. In thick black cursive, the note enticed: Eat your fill and join us where you belong.
Felix looked back down at the plate in front of him, the steak was tantalizing. A perfect crust surrounded the glistening meat. Steam rolled off the food like bonfire smoke on a perfect summer’s night. Was this a test? Should he turn around and leave? Those thoughts mulled in his head for a few long seconds. But, he realized he was hungry, and, judging by the note, it looked like he had permission to enjoy the food in front of him. He slowly grabbed the fork and knife and sat himself down in the green velvet and dark wood chair to enjoy his meal.
It tasted exactly as it looked. The steak was tender and juicy, the potatoes covered in a salty, savory seasoning, and the asparagus cooked to perfection. It was, to his surprise, the best meal he had enjoyed in years. The food practically melted in his mouth and left him feeling incredibly full, but he had to finish the rest. It was much too delicious to let it go to waste.
Finishing off the last bite and setting down his utensils, he leaned his head back on the cylindrical, velvety pillow behind his head. Closing his eyes, he let the heavy food in his belly lull him to sleep. In the back of his mind sat the responsible thoughts, “You have work. It’s the middle of the day. You can’t sleep,” But those thoughts were sidelined by another, more convincing collection. “Your plans for this afternoon were well known. Who’s to say your meeting didn’t go long?”
The latter took priority. Allowing himself to fall into passivity, he closed his eyes, and soon the yellow light of the lamp faded away, along with the ticking of the clock. As he was drifting off, he heard the door latch close behind him. Not hearing any footsteps and assuming the door closed on its own accord, he allowed himself to fade into the darkness and enjoy the rest he deserved.
Hours passed by before he woke. His eyes fluttering open, he noticed the clock, still ticking, now read 4:30. Felix must have slept hard and burned off that heavy meal. His brief moment of satisfaction was now being met by a hunger for more. The meal should have held him satiated for longer, but his stomach felt as if he had not touched food for days. Empty and growling, the urgency that should have been prioritized before was now coming to the forefront.
He rubbed his eyes and came to. He had to leave. The workday was almost over. Leaping out of the chair, allowing it to spin as he did so, he bolted out the door, slowing to a brisk walk when he entered the hallway. His ‘meeting’ had swallowed the majority of his afternoon.
He headed back down to his office, checking himself out in the mirror in the elevator, flattening his hair and rubbing his eyes to rid them of puffiness. Having sufficiently freshened up, he stepped out and down the hall to his office.
Beatrice was gone, she usually got to work early and left early. It was just him. He opened his door to see an empty desk. At least at first glance it appeared to be empty. His family photos, clock, memorabilia, all of it was gone. All of his personal identifiers had disappeared, along with the furniture in the other spaces of the room. In their place rested another note. The writing was in cursive. It appeared to be handwritten, not printed. The pen had left obvious indentation in the paper. It read, “Congratulations! We hope you enjoyed your meal. Your new office is on floor 63, enjoy.”
Anticipation erupted in Felix, that was only a few floors underneath the top floor! Somehow, all his hard work had paid off, whether his afternoon had made a difference, he cared not. He was about to have the career he had always desired and the office he had always dreamed of. He could not wait to go home and tell his wife. Seeing his new office would have to wait until tomorrow. He grabbed his briefcase off of his chair and jaunted down the hallway, almost skipping.
As he stepped into the elevator, his stomach growled. He couldn’t wait to get home to tell his wife and get something to eat. That nap caused his body to use a lot of calories. Reasoning through his new state, he found that he must not be eating enough in general.
The elevator clicked open several times on his way to the first floor. Finally, it opened up and a flood of people was overflowing the front entrance. Charlie was waiting for him like he always was, leaning up against the front desk, completely indifferent to the people sitting behind it and walking in front of him. “How did your meeting go?” He asked in a careless tone.
Felix just smiled. “63rd floor.”
Charlie smiled in reply, “Congratulations!” He exclaimed. Although Felix could have sworn, he heard a hint of insincerity in his voice. That was a rare thing for Charlie. Charlie leaned off of the front desk and shifted his weight towards Felix as he approached, delivering his hand for a high five. The smack of their hands was mostly drowned out by the crowd.
As they walked out and Felix shared his experience, they could see The Watcher in front of them, which reminded both of Paul. Felix asked, “Hey, did you see Paul today at all?”
“No, I don’t think that I did. Do you think he’s doing ok?” Charlie worked in close proximity with Paul.
“I hope so, he seemed pretty shaken up from what I could see earlier.”
The closer the two of them got to the disheveled man out front, the stranger they felt. The Watcher was weird, there was no doubt about that, but Felix could not tell whether he was beneficial or detrimental, or even neutral.
About ten paces from him, The Watcher slowly turned to face them. He did exactly what he always did, he watched them as they walked, slowly tracking them without blinking an eye, but the softness of his face brought comfort in an unexpected way. As they passed by, The Watcher took them off guard. “Still hungry Felix?”
Felix immediately halted, taking Charlie off guard as he took a few more steps before stopping to see Felix making eye contact with The Watcher. “What did you just say?”
“Are you still hungry?” Came his question a second time. His face was peacefully inquisitive.
Felix had told no one about his meeting or the hunger he was currently experiencing. How did this man know? What else did he know? He quickly shook his head as if shaking himself awake and slowly walked away, continuing to watch The Watcher behind his shoulder. Felix heard The Watcher say something about Felix having his eyes opened as he walked away, but he decided what The Watcher had to say was unimportant.
Charlie interrupted, “What did he say?”
Felix shook it off, “He just asked if I was hungry.”
“That’s weird. Well, are you?”
“Yes, but who isn’t after work?” Felix deflected and the conversation quickly moved onto the day. What Felix never shared with Charlie was the actual occurrences of the meeting. Primarily the meal and the nap. Instead, he shared about the desk, the lamp, the clock, and the other little details, but not the meal. To Felix, it seemed that detail was negligible in material value. Whether he wished it or not, the meal carried weight in his heart.
The rest of the night proceeded on without deviation from its typical routine. Dinner was already prepared before Felix arrived home. The conversation about his promotion was only broken up by a few comments on his full lunch box. Felix deflected, claiming he was so nervous about his meeting, he had forgotten to eat. That seemed to be a good enough explanation. After all, he had planned not to eat until after his meeting. He was not necessarily lying, just stretching the truth.
After a relaxing night and a peaceful time on the porch watching the sunset, bedtime rolled around, and the day would reset once again.
——————-
The pleasant sound of Felix’s alarm played through the fog of sleep. Its soft, high piano notes united with lower bass notes to create a generic pattern that gently roused him from his slumber.
Opening his eyes to see his white sheets and the sun just trickling around the blue shades in his room, he rolled over on his side to check the time. 6:30 on the dot, just like every other morning. He loved getting up at this time, the sun was always just coming up, the temperature was perfect outside, and he was always allotted about 30 minutes before the rest of the world was stirring. It was the perfect time of day.
Felix quickly glanced to his left. His wife was still sleeping, her blonde hair standing out in the dim lighting. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, careful not to move so fast as to wake her. Putting on his white fuzzy slippers, he quietly shuffled out of his room, opened and closed the heavy white decorative door, and made his way down to the kitchen where he would make his morning pour over. It was a habit he assumed he would never likely change.
This morning was different. As he sipped his coffee, like he did every morning, The Watcher’s question rang in his ears. It was simple, yet its implication frightened him. Why? Did The Watcher somehow know what his meeting had really been like?
Refusing to let his thoughts distract him from the day ahead, his morning progressed as normal. Felix and his wife spent some time together before he put on his work clothes: the standard pastel blue, brown belt, and gray pants he wore much of the time, and met Charlie out front.
While conversation flowed like it did most mornings, Felix was preoccupied with his thoughts about The Watcher, what, if anything, he would say to him that morning.
Before he knew it, the two of them were once again exiting the bus in a flood of people who likely had similar routines to Charlie and Felix. As they walked, The Watcher was still there, and Felix realized he had not seen Paul that morning. Where was he?
As they walked by, The Watcher did what he always did, he watched. And then, something unusual happened. As they grew even with him, he gave them a nod. “Good morning,” came his voice. Neither Felix nor Charlie acknowledged what he said, but Felix noticed it. He watched as Charlie did not skip a beat and continued to talk. He had apparently not only refused to reply, but had not noticed at all, unlike Felix.
The elevator ding startled Felix from his fog. “So, are you excited to see your new office?”
“Oh!” Felix had almost forgotten he was no longer on the 10th floor, instead he was near the top, likely in league with everyone who played a much larger role at Superbia.
“Man,” longed Charlie, “I wish I had an office that high. The view has to be awesome.”
“I will let you know what it’s like.” Came Felix’s reply with a smile.
The elevator chimed again, “This is my stop. I’ll see you tonight.” Charlie exited the elevator. One by one, everyone else got off until Felix was the last one still inside. Finally, the elevator chimed one last time, the white button read 63. The anticipation built as Felix stepped out into the hallway with light streaming in from the window to his right. He looked left to see his name on a door down the hallway in metallic lettering.
His feet clunked against the floor as he made his way towards the door. He slowly cracked the door to see a small glimpse of the city before him. Widening the gap, everything opened up. It was the same view he had before, but more elevated. He could see further outside the city. The fields of brown grass were a vast expanse with nothing beyond. The neighborhoods stretched out just far enough that they would house everyone that needed to live close to the city.
As he gazed at the expansive grasslands beyond and the still, white, and pastel homes, something a little closer caught his eye. Initially he thought it was a smudge on the glass. But, as he got closer, the brown splotch stayed relatively the same, not growing big like a smudge would have. In the path of his bus route, a bit of brown showed through the otherwise unblemished environment. At closer look, details revealed themselves. A dark, rundown wood fence divided crabgrass from a weedy sidewalk. The muddy street and a seriously overflowing trash can occupied the space underneath a street light, as if the light itself were creating a different scene underneath its beams.
Felix shook his head and looked again, straining to make sure that what he had seen was accurate. Refocusing, the scene returned to what Felix knew as the city he loved. That same spot was now nice and tidy. The fence was white and picketed. The trash can was clean, and the street back to its light gray, concise coloring.
BREAK HERE
“That was weird.” He said out loud as he watched for a few more seconds before breaking concentration. Felix turned around to get a good view of his new desk. Dark wood with ornate carpentry glorified the border. It was beautiful. He ran his hands along the lines formed by the wood, and looked at the things that had been moved from his old desk to his new one. The photos of his wife, his family. The Roman ship he had built from a kit. It was a dumb trinket, but he loved the way it looked on his desk.
In the midst of his things was another note, written in the same cursive as the one in the dark room, “You Belong Here.”
He took a big deep breath. His whole life he had worked to get to the top, and now he was here. He turned around once more and took another look out the window. Turning his attention to the globe, continuing to slowly rotate, he could see The Watcher sitting where he always was, but this time he was not alone. He was talking with a woman. The only thing Felix could see was her brown hair from up where he was. She was not an employee at Superbia. Instead, she was dressed in what appeared to be a potato sack. Felix guessed it would be an incredibly scratchy and uncomfortable outfit.
He watched as they chatted, watching her walk away after a few more moments and a head nod. Felix had never seen this many people talking to The Watcher. He had also not seen Paul since they stumbled upon the two having a conversation, and the question The Watcher posed to Felix yesterday still rang in his ears. Felix shook it off. He knew something was changing, but, whatever it was, its discovery could wait until after the work day. Felix spent the rest of the day on his new laptop listening to podcasts and watching introductory videos to his new position of Head of Influence.
It wasn’t his preferred start to his new position. Frankly, he had been hoping for a little more celebration. Even meeting someone he would be working with would have been better. But Felix was just happy to be in the position he was in.
The end of the day came faster than he had expected. He packed up his things, took one more look out of his window, and headed downstairs where he rendezvoused with Charlie in their normal spot.
“Well? How was it?”
Felix decided to embellish a little bit, “It was awesome. Everything that I expected it to be.” As he spoke, he wondered if his embellishment was a common thread among those in equivalent positions.
Walking through the doors, the conversation quickly turned towards their plan for the night. The two couples had planned to have dinner. This time without Paul and his wife, mainly because he had been MIA since the day before. And, as it had a few nights before, the expectation would be that dinner would turn into games, which would descend into something a little more exciting.
As they grew closer to the globe and The Watcher, His question for Felix the previous day rang in his ears. As they passed, something came over him. Without thinking, Felix stopped and addressed him. “What did you say to my friend?”
“Who?” His face remained steady, unmoving.
“Paul, the guy you were talking to yesterday morning. What did you guys talk about?” Asked Felix.
The Watcher nodded.“Life. His home, his hope, his friends,” He gestured to Felix and Charlie. Felix could hear the allusion to their relational decisions in the Watcher’s voice.
Felix flushed, “What about us?” Felix and Charlie were both picturing their revelry, and Felix hoped that the events would remain hidden, but Charlie seemed less worried about the prospect of that information being public.
“He wouldn’t tell me much. And how about you, Felix? How was your day?”
Charlie had walked a little ahead of him now, “Come on Felix, let’s go!”
When Felix turned his head to respond to his friend, the environment around him morphed into something foreign. The dilapidated and short-lived scene he had observed from his office now encompassed him. The smell went from fresh to rancid, as if vegetables were decomposing all around him. The gray and red brick that lined the walkways in the plaza turned to mud, causing him to quickly sink just above the soles of his now brown shoes. The buildings surrounding them were a sandy brown brick, if you could call it brick, with ivy growing all over and cracks revealing themselves on every surface. Even the people mingling around them changed outfits. The pastels slowly morphed into brown sack cloth. The kind he had only seen in history books.
The air went from clear to hazy, diluting the light around them and turning everything a slight shade of orange. Looking down at his own body, he was wearing a similar outfit to everyone around him. He blinked and shook his head, gasping in surprise.
But, just as quickly as everything had changed, the world as he had known it became his reality once more. Right back to the manicured setting he had grown accustomed to. “Wha- Wha- What was that?” He stuttered.
“Come on Felix!” Charlie was trying to get his friend out of what he considered to be an awkward situation.
Stumbling backwards, almost tripping while doing so, Felix started jogging towards his friend, his shoes clicking a little less loudly than he was used to, looking back just in time to hear, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Felix.” As The Watcher waved to him.
“What did he say to you?” Charlie didn’t seem interested, but it was apparently a conversational inquiry, nothing of substance.
“Nothing.” Came Felix’s quick reply. He decided to avoid bringing up what he had seen. While he was still rattled from the experience, he played off his vision on the way home and ignored it while dinner was enjoyed. But, he could not get the smell out of his mind. The cracked buildings, the overflowing trash cans, even the disheveled appearance of everyone around him. Was his own house that way? What did his neighborhood look like? Was any of it real?
There would be moments that night, even in bed, where the memory of that stagnant air would hit him in the nostrils and he would expect to wake up in the scene he had been in earlier in the day, but to no avail.
At around 2 AM, Felix decided sleep was out of the equation that night. Rolling out of bed, he waddled downstairs and through swollen eyes made himself a cup of coffee. He assumed he would need a couple more throughout the day. As he sat at the kitchen table pondering his experience, he became angry. Why was this happening to him? What did it mean? He could feel his life changing direction, as if the steering wheel he had been pointing in one direction was turning in another, taking him on a detour. After a few hours, it became unbearable. He needed to know more. He quickly showered and opened the door. He knew the closest place to get answers.
Paul was still sleeping when Felix knocked on the door. A few minutes passed by before the sleeping man made it to the door, slowly opening it with one hand and rubbing his eyes with the other. “Felix? What are you doing here? It’s really early.” Came his groggy greeting.
“Did you see something?”
“Huh?”
“Did you see something? Did The Watcher do something to you?”
Paul looked at him slightly and cocked his head in the same manner The Watcher was fond of doing. He smiled. “I think you need to go talk with him again.” He quietly shut the door.
Felix stood there for a second on his doorstep, thinking about his next move. The Watcher was the only logical place to go. Without stopping, he turned around and walked down his street, passing his house where his wife was still sleeping, through the gate at the end of their road, and off towards the city. It was a longer walk than he had imagined. By the time he made it to the center square with nothing on him but the clothes he was wearing, the anticipation had grown and the sun was beginning to reveal its light on the horizon. Oddly enough, excitement now replaced anger as he approached The Watcher. “Does this guy ever sleep?” Felix mumbled to himself.
“Hey!” Shouted Felix.
The Watcher stood in acceptance of his greeting. He smiled, “Good morning.”
“What happened yesterday?”
“What do you mean?” Asked The Watcher.
“What did I see yesterday?”
The Watcher waited for a second before replying. “You saw reality.”
Felix thought about what he said. “So, you’re telling me, where we live right now, it’s muddy, dilapidated, decayed, and fraying at the edges? How is that even possible? What happened to the pristine city I know?”
“Patience, Felix.” After he spoke, The Watcher lifted the veil once more, and this time Felix could feel it would not go away. The brick was replaced by mud, the structurally sound buildings appeared as if they would topple over. Even Superbia tower appeared ready to keel over at any moment with broken windows, weeds growing under the pergola, and it even appeared to have a slight tilt to it. No longer made of brick, he recognized the thick wooden material from the meeting room a few days before. From the top of the tower stretched long black tines that interrupted the orange sky. They were not solid, but they appeared as a dark mist. They stretched in all directions, making landfall all around the city.
Looking towards the globe that he had enjoyed watching so much, it was now rusty iron with a base of clay. It was still turning, but a little faster now. The energy that would radiate from its surface had dissipated. Just below the globe, the watcher sat still, awaiting Felix’s reaction.
Shifting his attention from his surroundings to the man in front of him, what Felix had not noticed the previous day was what the Watcher had been wearing. His normally mundane outfit turned all white. White shoes, white pants, white shirt. “Wha-“
“Welcome to reality Felix.” The smell was almost overpowering. They were alone, but if they had not been, the sound of hundreds of feet sloshing in the mud would have driven Felix mad.
BREAK HERE
“What is going on? How is this possible?
“What you see around you,” The Man in White gestured all around them, “is what this city truly is. No Façade.” His face grew sad.
“It did not start out this way. In fact, this city’s beauty was unmatched. But when Superbia came in,” He gestured to the building now seemingly teetering on the brink of collapse, “It was consumed, and in its place exists a cheap replacement.”
“And you know this..?”
The Watcher smiled, “I am a lot more than just a watcher you know.” He gestured to everything around them. “Although I am saddened by what my creation turned out like, it did not look like this when I built it.” His voice sounded as if he was longing for something. “I will rebuild it one day, and I want you and as many others as possible to join me. The life I live is one of peace, joy, and a lack of burden.”
Felix’s emotions must have riddled his face because The Builder noticed and smiled. “I can tell you’re confused. It’s still early. Go home, think about what I said, and come back with your decision.”
Felix stood for a second before turning around and trudging through the mud back in the direction of his house. “Oh, and Felix!” The Founder shouted at him across the square, “This is your way out!”
“My way out? Out of what?” yelled Felix. No response.
His head spinning, Felix made it all the way home. The green, grassy lawns that lined the road had turned brown and splotchy. The white picket fences were dilapidated, nearly blackened with soot and burned to a crisp in places. The houses themselves were standing, but only barely. A wide array of paint colors were all chipping. Eventually the mud turned to cracked concrete, making it easier for him to walk. It seemed to him, the further he got from the Tower, the less run down things became, but were nonetheless in rough shape.
His shoes covered in mud, he made his way through the squeaking gate into his neighborhood, the anticipation of seeing his house began to fill his mind. Followed immediately by the thought of seeing himself in the mirror.
His steps quickened as he approached his home. The first thing in view was the siding, what was left of it. Much of it was either missing or damaged. His front door was intact, but it appeared to be hanging on by a thread. The roof was caving in in places. The wood had the same dark finish as before, but it was scrapped in several areas, revealing a much lighter wood underneath. Felix noticed a broken window on the second floor.
Pushing the door open on its creaking hinges, he stepped inside to the applause of several floor cracks. His entry way was similar to what it was before, but messy and torn up in a few spots. The entry table had an obvious water stain (among other marks), the flooring was rough and splintering in spots. The paint on the walls was chipping.
The kitchen, where he would spend the next few minutes before his wife would come downstairs for the day, was in a similar condition. As he sat at the rickety table pondering what had just happened, he wondered how no one had seen this before. “Is this even real?” he continued to wonder half out loud. Maybe it was a trick, after all the claim is that the city he knew had been a false front. Maybe this was fake too?
Given the smell of the air, Felix decided that was probably not the case. The scent was decidedly too pungent to have been contrived in the mind. Turning on the kitchen faucet to splash his face, he noticed the water coming out was murky. He decided to avoid the faucet water and instead sat down at the kitchen table. The next few minutes flew by before another applause broke out as his wife came down the stairs. Felix was almost too afraid to see her. Her appearance was similar. Her blonde hair was still there, but it was more frayed. Her skin had blotches on it he had never noticed before, and it appeared that she was much more unhealthy than she had been before. “Good morning.” Came her usual greeting with a smile. Her teeth looked to be in the beginning stages of decay.
“Morning.” Replied Felix without his gaze leaving the table.
With his mind elsewhere, Felix paid very little attention to his wife, who failed to notice his lack of interest in her. Did the veil prevent the blind from seeing even how he acted? Maybe being awakened to the reality of the world around him was purposely disguised? As he thought to himself, he noticed a dark mist begin to hover around his wife. Maybe it was not her, but something else. He watched her reaction. The mist faded but she did not change. It must be a combination of both the mist and his wife.
She proceeded to chat with her husband as if nothing was wrong. In confusion and without saying much, Felix stood up, went upstairs to change, and left for the bus. She did not seem to care, but instead wished him a good day.
The ride on the bus was bumpier than normal. The now existent potholes seemed to phase no one but him. The previously yellow hand rails were now partially yellow, but mostly metallic as the paint had been chipped and scraped off. The seats were ripped, and the bus smelled as if someone had urinated on a few of them. Everyone had similarly dilapidated appearances. Many had holes in their shoes (if they were wearing any). Sack clothing was present on many. The bus driver appeared to be half falling asleep at the wheel.
Several nerve racking minutes later, and after they had passed neighborhood after neighborhood of decaying homes, the bus came to a splashing halt in front of the nearly toppled Superbia tower. Stepping out, the mud began to overcome the tops of Felix’s shoes once more. Sloshing through, Felix looked up to see the Man in White still sitting on the crest of the fountain, this time alone. As Felix passed, he winked at Felix. Not in a ‘gotcha’ way. But in a way that made him feel as if everything would be alright.
His ride up to the 63rd floor was more precarious than normal. The lights in the elevator were flickering. The wall behind him had graffiti all over it. And, worst of all, the elevator took more than a few lurches along the way, his heart dropping a little with each one. The thought of falling several stories was a constant presence in Felix’s mind. The door finally creaked open on the 63rd floor. Again, he was the only one left in the elevator. The carpets were torn in several places down the hall, with some spots of trim missing along the bottom. His office door creaked on its hinges, just like every other door he had opened since this morning.
With the reveal of his floor to ceiling windows came a revelation, he gasped. The view from his high-up office revealed the extent to which the city he knew and loved was in shambles. The city which he thought had been so beautiful, so pristine, and so glorious, appeared as a tattered remnant. Once lively in his mind, the buildings, squares, and parks all appeared dead. Bare tree branches filled the gaps in between broken-down buildings. A thin smog hung in the air, actively disguising the grassy plains beyond the city.
The rooftops were littered with garbage, and a general unhappiness seemed to fill the air. Felix was dumbfounded at the stark difference from the day before. A day ago, the air was crystal clear, allowing the golden fields to reflect waves of sunlight. The buildings were perfectly constructed, happily housing several thousand people of all ages and race. Now, it seemed all of that was false. What he once thought was fulfilling and beautiful, was, in reality, the opposite.
As he stared out the window, a knock on the door startled him. The click of sharp dress shoes quickly followed, and in walked a man who Felix least expected to see. He was blonde, with ruffled hair and tan, sun-blotched skin. His pants were dark gray, his shirt a white and gray checkered pattern. His shoes were a matching gray. A big smile spread across his face as he greeted the new promotee, almost as if he was outside of the façade, or a part of it.
“Felix! How are you doing?” He reached his hand out to shake Felix’s. “I’m Nostra. I work just down the hall. I figured I would come introduce myself. How’s the new office treating you?”
Felix was slightly confused by the situation, but he decided it would be best to continue as if nothing was wrong. “Well, it’s got a great view.”
Nostra laughed, “Indeed it does. How are you liking the new job? I mean it comes with an incredible office, but you should like the work you’re doing in it.”
“Well, I just started, I don’t have a great idea of what I’m doing quite yet.” An awkward pause ensued.
“Hm. Well, I’m sure you will take to it like a fish to water.” Something behind his voice held caution, as if he was threatening or warning Felix. Nostra turned and walked down the hallway. A few feet down and he stopped, turning to say one more thing to Felix. “Oh, and Felix, our mission here is to make the world a more, let’s say, convenient and welcoming place. It would be best not to forget that.” Nostra continued walking down the hall, his heels clicking against the floor at a quickened pace until they simply stopped echoing down the hallway.
Felix peered down the hall, confused by the sudden halting of sound. Something was not sitting quite right with Felix. Deciding he wanted, needed, to know more, he dropped his briefcase and stomped down the hallway directly for the elevator. The Builder had some explaining to do.
The way down seemed slower than the way up. At last, the elevator doors screeched open and he continued his stomp all the way into the square. By now the workforce had made its way inside, leaving the two of them alone.
“What did you do to me?” Felix was fed up.
“What do you mean?”
“Everything is wrong. Nothing is the way that it was. There is no way this is real.”
“Hm. That is how most react at first.” The Builder paused for a second to let what he said settle on the desperate man. “But, what you are seeing now, it is real.” The Builder could see that Felix was having a hard time understanding.
Thinking for a moment, the Builder continued, “What do you think you do all day in that building?” He nodded in the direction of Felix’s office.
“I help people. I’m on the front lines of helping others to succeed. I’m helping them get the resources they need to live a full life.”
The Builder shook his head. “That’s the illusion. Superbia promises human ingenuity and permanent progression. But, the result? That’s what you see around you.” The Builder gestured to everything around them. “You think you are helping people, but without the blinders off, you yourself are operating blindly. The lifestyle you live results in what you see right now.”
“Your promotional meeting, for instance. It wasn’t a meeting was it?”
Felix felt his face flush. “No, it wasn’t.”
The Builder just nodded. “It was a meal, designed to present you with the indulgence of Superbia. Just a slice of what they have to offer. Something to satisfy your desires. And your friends, you guys do more than just share a meal don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“And they both leave you hungry for more don’t they?”
“Yes.” Felix looked down at the mud on his feet. He imagined that, for a second, the look on his face was similar to that of Paul’s the previous day. To Felix it seemed like a few minutes ticked by before anything happened. In a final act to see whether or not what was before him was real, he stepped forward, stopping just before his face would reflect to where he could see.
With a deep breath, he leaned over just a little more. He peered into the fountain just long enough to see his own face. He shut his eyes in response. The image that stayed in his mind was one he would rather forget. His pockmarked skin glistened in oil. His hair was patchy, his teeth a little spotty. It was nowhere near what he had grown used to seeing in the mirror. He was not who he thought he was.
“Let me show you something, Felix.” The Builder touched Felix’s eyes, shutting his eyelids. “Ok, now open them.”
As he opened his eyes, the scene changed before him. What was once dreary became alive. The buildings became bright colors. Superbia Industries was gone and in its place stood an enormous tree. The images of flowing grass being moved in waves by the wind appeared in his mind, the smell of fresh baked bread, and the sound of laughter filled the air. What he saw, he realized, is what he longed for, what Superbia had promised and failed to deliver. Then, it was gone, but not forgotten. The hope lingered.
He thought for a moment. “So, what do I do now?” He had finally accepted the reality before him, acknowledging not only its existence, but its weight.
The Builder looked at Felix as if he could not wait to give him the answer. “Nothing.”
“What?”
“You heard what I said.”
“Well, that doesn’t make any sense. I have to do something.”
The Builder smiled. “You’re right. But you can’t. If you trust me and what I have done and will do, you are a free man.” The Builder reached out his hand to shake Felix’s. Obviously a way for Felix to show his acceptance of what The Builder laid out in front of him.
Felix looked around. He saw others trudging, unknowingly, in their own filth. He could see the need, the difficulty, the pain, all disguised by a false reality. He closed his eyes, picturing his own face. The image he had seen in the grimy fountain water. He realized that what he needed and he now had was hope, hope for something better. And that hope inspired him to change, to become someone he was incapable of being on his own. To follow this man whom he had simply walked by for years.
With courage and without care of what he looked like to others walking around him, he reached out and took The Builder’s hand. The Builder’s hand seemed to transform Felix. He no longer wore brown, instead he wore white. His clothing was soft to the touch rather than scruffy and scratchy. He looked up from himself to see the beaming face of The Builder in front of him.
”Are you ready?”
“Ready for what?”
“A life that never runs dry.”
The Refinery 
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