Come and Go

Life was such a drag. Always the same thing. Wake up, eat, shower, work, go home, relax, rinse and repeat. Routine, routine and routine again. He needed a change, something to spice up his life, a drastic change that would make him unable to live the same again. A vacation wouldn’t do, it was his life he wanted to swap. At twenty five years of age, he had always imagined his life a way... Himself in a certain way. Yet, life was life. It doesn’t go according to your will but instead follows its own flow. Bastian was nowhere near the person he had strived to become one day. At fifteen years old, he would think of this age. This day where he would reach twenty five. The perfect age according to his teenage self, part of him that still lived within him and would harass him with guilt and snide remarks of his failure. He would come and go, rant his speech of self-hatred or try to encourage him, he was always there.

One day, one lovely wife, one marvellous house, one amazing job, one close circle of friends.

It was simple, no? Do good around you, have a great life. But no, he was nowhere near that. He had wanted a career in business, so he could one day be free of a boss and master of his own schedule, so he never have to stay late at work or lack time for his family. But he had never managed to climb the corporate ladder very high, he instead worked right below one of the bigger bosses who would never throw him more than a few bones and only gave him false hopes.

If only, if only everything could change... Just like this, with a snap of his fingers. Everything could suddenly become perfect, something that he would give up anything for, stand for and defend at the cost of his own life. If he could just look at his fingers, snap them and...


“Bastian.” Called a feminine voice he could not remember. Maybe just his imagination. Surely, no one else had been in his bed for a long time after all, he reminded himself with a low groan. He tossed and turned a little, the voice wouldn’t stop calling him. He would start believing it was true and drive himself to the nearest psychiatry hospital if this went on for too long. Maybe if they gave him a good dose of whatever medicine they could send his way, he would start dreaming that his life was what he had wanted it to be. Perfect.

“Wake up!” He groaned once more before opening his eyes halfway. When had he painted his apartment? He didn’t remember it being so a vibrant blue. “Thanks for the new color.” He murmured before closing his eyes once again. He didn’t care that he was talking with himself in the end, who cared about sanity. Way overrated.

“What are you talking about? Please, wake up!” The voice seemed to get desperate now. With a sigh, he rubbed his eyes and sat up. As in took in the surroundings correctly, he realized he wasn’t in his bedroom. Nor in his bed. Maybe not even on Earth? Had he been suddenly kidnapped by aliens? The forest surrounding him seemed thick and offered no view of the sky. But the colors... Such beauty. The bark of the trees were a shiny grey, whilst their tiny but abundant leaves were a vibrant blue, like a fluorescent light. The grass he was sitting was of a similar color, slightly darker... But spotted with these bright white circles. Like sparkles. The girl kneeling in front of him, maybe the one who had been calling out to him... So stunning. She could not be described, words would do her no justice. She seemed familiar... But who could he know in this peculiar world he was entirely a stranger to.

“Finally, you’re not dreaming anymore. I’ve been trying to wake you up for a long time now.” She cooed, her voice so enticing and sweet. He couldn’t help but stare at her for a moment. This was something... Something. He felt like he was fifteen years old again. “Who are you?” He finally asked, slightly disturbed by the fact this woman was in no way intimidated or embarrassed by the long stare and silence. “It’s me, Samantha. Don’t you recognize me, Bastian?” She whispered, sounding as if she was losing all hope. He panicked for a moment. He didn’t want to scare her off, even less disappoint her. It didn’t matter who she was, if she cared for him. “No, no... Of course I do, Samantha. I’m just confused.” He explained quickly, hoping he didn’t hurt her feelings.

As she gave a small smile with eyes full of hope, the surroundings suddenly changed. Everything was white now. But the foliage remained likely, only less dense and more... Maze-like. How weird. What a strange world. But everything feels perfect somehow. “I’m glad you’re back. I thought I lost you.” She let out, taking a deep breath. Water gathered at the corner of her eyes and she threw herself over him, giving him the tightest hug he had ever received. “But what happened? You don’t need to worry about me, Samantha. I’m fine.” He encouraged, he didn’t want to worry her. He wanted this girl to be happy, forever. “You mean you don’t remember? In fact, it’s quite... weird. You just passed out, for no reason.” She told him, eyeing him up and down for any signs of injury or sickness.

“Oh... Well, I’m fine now, am I not?” He asked while getting up, offering her a hand she was happy to take. “We’ll be forever together now.” He breathed out, kissing those dreamy lips softly. One kiss that would bring them together forever, their first and last one. Nothing more was necessary than this one, it was eternity to him, where he would forever be. His little paradise.


“Bastian?” Samantha whispered, hearing a beeper going off loudly. Not this alarm, please no. “Bastian!” She cried out, shaking him roughly. “Please, don’t leave me! I’m sorry for everything, don’t go!” But her screams were vain, a team of doctors and who knows what barged in the room and pulled her out. There was nothing to be done.


What had happened? Just a moment ago, he seemed perfectly alive and well, just a little confused... If only she hadn’t called out to him the first time.

“Bastian.” Called a feminine voice he could not remember. Maybe just his imagination. And he turned around, in shock. He knew who this voice belonged to. Samantha. But she had left him months ago...

“Wake up!” He groaned once more before opening his eyes halfway. When had he painted his apartment? He didn’t remember it being so a vibrant blue. “Thanks for the new color.” He murmured before closing his eyes once again. What was he talking about? His apartment walls being painted blue? The car was blue...

“What are you talking about? Please, wake up!” The voice seemed to get desperate now. With a sigh, he rubbed his eyes and sat up. As in took in the surroundings correctly, he realized he wasn’t in his bedroom. Nor in his bed. Maybe not even on Earth? She couldn’t believe her ears. He wasn’t there anymore. He was gone for sure, or he would be soon... Her tears took no longer to escape.

“Finally, you’re not dreaming anymore. I’ve been trying to wake you up for a long time now.” She cooed, her voice so enticing and sweet. He couldn’t help but stare at her for a moment. This was something... Something. He felt like he was fifteen years old again. “Who are you?” He finally asked, slightly disturbed by the fact this woman was in no way intimidated or embarrassed by the long stare and silence. “It’s me, Samantha. Don’t you recognize me, Bastian?” She whispered, sounding as if she was losing all hope. He panicked for a moment. He didn’t want to scare her off, even less disappoint her. It didn’t matter who she was, if she cared for him. “No, no... Of course I do, Samantha. I’m just confused.” He explained quickly, hoping he didn’t hurt her feelings. And she was full of hope, maybe he would stay with her for real now, make up for the lost time, for the biggest mistake of her life. His five week long coma was coming to an end.

“But what happened? You don’t need to worry about me, Samantha. I’m fine.” He encouraged, he didn’t want to worry her. He wanted this girl to be happy, forever. “You mean you don’t remember? In fact, it’s quite... weird. You just passed out, for no reason.” She told him, eyeing him up and down for any signs of injury or sickness.

“Oh... Well, I’m fine now, am I not?” He asked while getting up, offering her a hand she was happy to take. “We’ll be forever together now.” He breathed out, kissing those dreamy lips softly. One kiss that would bring them together forever, their first and last one. Nothing more was necessary than this one, it was eternity to him, where he would forever be. His little paradise. His words filled her with joy. He seemed to understand everything, to forget of their break up and take her back as a wife again. In a split second.


“Bastian?” Samantha whispered, hearing a beeper going off loudly. Not this alarm, please no. “Bastian!” She cried out, shaking him roughly. “Please, don’t leave me! I’m sorry for everything, don’t go!” But her screams were vain, a team of doctors and who knows what barged in the room and pulled her out. There was nothing to be done.