ADSactly Short Story - The Red Doll

The man just stood up and felt himself gradually rise and float away. He looked down beneath and noticed the black fumes rising high into the sky. He took a deep breath and could not perceive the smoke. That was strange. He continued floating upwards until houses were as tiny as ants.

^Source

Suddenly he felt a pull downwards, and starting dropping so fast he braced himself for the impact which seemed imminent. It was as if he was shot off a rocket, within a second he was almost near the ground.

But just as the fall started, it ended abruptly with him suspended about two feet off the ground. The environment where he was, consists of mangled cars, luggage scattered across the tarmac, broken pieces of glasses, a smartphone that its screen is blinking as if there was an incoming call, and a red doll.

The red doll has a strange effect on him. He was attracted to it. It was as if an invisible thread attached to it was pulling him towards it. Then he remembered that was the doll he bought at the mall just a few minutes ago. Wait. No, it was like three hours ago. No, it was two days ago that he went to purchase the doll. No, it was.....Wait! Let me think! It dawned on him that he had lost track of time.

Why is he even worried when he could check the expensive Rolex watch that had never failed to give him the correct time. He stretched his hand and out of reflex made to pull back his shirt to reveal his watch. That was when he realised that he was not wearing any clothes! The horror. He must hide before the passersby would think he was insane.

But then another strange thought crept into his mind. Why is everywhere so QUIET?

In the midst of every thought bombarding his mind, the floating upwards plus the terrifying flight downwards, the strange red doll, his inability to recollect the time, his nudity, one thing had been constant in the midst of this turmoil; the quietness.

He prides himself to be a very rational man, but one thing he could not understand is the irrational fear that is hounding the new-found discovery that there is a perfect quietness. The quietness made him apprehensive since it has a semblance of the calm before the storm.

^Source


He listened so hard for any sound. Nothing. He decided to explore his environment. Immediately a stunning bright white light blinded him. Then a faint beep. He couldn't believe he actually heard a sound. Beep.. It was unmistakable this second time. He could hear. He wanted to shout. He wanted to laugh. He wanted to dance. Then he could hear a female voice.

"Please, someone called Dr. Martins, it looks like Mr. Tika had finally awake." The excited voice said.

There were excited voices, shuffles, and a frenzy of activities. Muffled footsteps could be heard. The door opened and closed. Then a male voice asked, "Is he still holding onto that doll?"

A female replied, "Yes Doctor, you know the doll is the reason he was here. He went to buy a doll for her daughter's second birthday and got knocked down by a hit and run driver and had been in a coma these past three weeks."

The man replied, "I know Nurse, I have read his chart, please inform the receptionist to contact the wife."

Authored by @greenrun

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