Interlude (6)

Jonathan swam in his dreams. He swam with his arms held to his sides and legs together, cutting effortlessly back and forth through the water. Like an eel. To the eel, there is no water, there is no breath or orientation. Jonathan saw specks of light and fishy crumbs floating through the darkness. He heard nothing, or maybe something, but only in the same way that the water was nothing and he was nothing as well.

The darkness took shape and became his office. A layer of sediment and greenish slime lay on the cubicles and laser printers, smoothing the buttons on multi-line telephones and gradually obscuring pencils left on desktops. Perhaps everyone had just stopped coming one day. With nothing better to do, perhaps the office simply sank a little day after day until it rested here. He swam down empty halls past unused fire extinguishers and folding chairs. He found himself in darkness again.

Jonathan woke up. He smiled.