“What is that space in the middle? I can't quite make it out... what's its damn name?”
Levey's attempt to consciously review the content of his subjectivity caused it to drift off into the dark unknowns of Inner Space. He put his head back in his hands with a sigh and closed his eyes again. "I can't take this any more!" he muttered to himself for the millionth time.
Universes shifted places in a burst of fire and colour. Time stood still!
Levey found himself standing face-to-face with his own Suicidal Thoughts. He recognised them instantly as each one emitted an energetic signal that conveyed the experience of the moment – the emotional charge it carried in its full 3600 multidimensionality.
There was one Thought in particular he couldn't tear himself away from. It stood apart from the others and had something attractively simple about it. The words 'Escape Route' dangled precariously nearby and Levey was sure he saw a door open up at the base of the Thought.
Drifting closer he found that there was indeed an opening. Moreover, he was the right size to enter.
In he went!
“Jeezo this looks really bad! D'you think he'll live doc?”
“Maybe, maybe not! He's taken a big overdose of morphine and his guts are shredded. Nurse, hand me the pump!”
Upon opening his eyes, Levey found himself in a park not far from where he lived. The sky was blue and the abundance of flowers suggested Spring or Summer. Physically he felt fine although his mind seemed blank and unable to reach for the images which were circulating around the peripheries. He scratched his head and set off home, automatically checking to see that he had keys.
It was a ten-minute walk but he passed nobody en route, not even a dog-walker.
There was no traffic on the residential streets that took him home either, although at one stage there was a distant siren and the high-pitched sound of brakes being applied in a hurry. None of this registered consciously in Levey's mind however, and he proceeded to ascend the stairs that lead to his flat.
Inside he found his partner, Gloria, in hysterics.
“What were you doing outside you idiot?” she screamed. “Don't you know about the lockdown and the virus and the penalties for breaking curfew? Go and wash your hands at least! God, you're not even wearing a mask!”
Levey looked at her uncomprehendingly unable to say anything; mouth half open, mind still blank.
“And don't you start up with your conspiracy theories about predatory billionaire philanthropists and your so called 'plandemic cabal'. That's all debunked bullshit as far as I'm concerned. I've had it with your anti-this, anti-that crap!”
After he had showered and she had calmed down somewhat, he eventually managed to convince her that he had absolutely no idea what she was talking about - none! This took a great deal of time and effort.
Gloria, cautiously at first but with increasing confidence, outlined the situation with the deadly virus which was spreading across the globe and threatening the very existence of the human species. She detailed the responses of governments to the situation and stated how important it was to comply with these measures until a vaccine could be produced.
Finally, she tore apart the 'conspiracy theories' which she said he had been suckered into believing by his pot-smoking friends. In exchange, she presented him with official and authoritative-sounding pronouncements on the current global crisis and made him watch a number of 'official' reports.
Levey's mind was now full of dread. He had no recollection of these events whatsoever and didn't know what to make of it all. Over the days Gloria spent telling him about the situation 'outside', his gut became tighter and tighter as he considered the impact that this would have on all the things he loved about life, everything that made him feel human and motivated.
Days became weeks. Time crawled.
Levey's outlook altered. Much to Gloria's annoyance, he had begun to research the situation for himself and was back into the conspiracies that Gloria had so vociferously debunked. He couldn't help it! The official narrative made little sense to him and appeared to contain contradictions and deliberate manipulations. Gloria wasn't interested in discussing his thoughts and he had given up trying. Besides, he had stumbled upon a few online personalities who offered a different interpretation of events and these he had now come to accept as more plausible than the official narrative.
Heaviness continued to mount all around, as did a sense of isolation.
After months of this, Levey and Gloria had grown miles apart and the tension in the flat had become unbearable. Yelling was commonplace and items were hurled at each other and smashed. All sorts of threats were exchanged and they spent most of their time behind locked doors in their respective rooms.
Moving out was impossible, as was separation. There was nowhere to go, nowhere to hide!
“I can't take this anymore”, thought Levey in despair after a particularly vitriolic argument during which Gloria called a friend and asked her to inform the authorities that he was a 'denier' and had not yet been tested for the virus. “I don't want to live like this any more. I'm done with this shit." He went over to his desk and pulled out an old bag of prescription morphine pills he had acquired from a friend who had owed him some money. "I need an Escape Route!”
The instant he had formulated these words, his mind went blank again.
“Look doc, he's coming round. He made it after all!”
“How're you doing son? That was a mountain of morphine you took. We pumped over 130mg of it out of your system but you'll live!”
Levey stared up at them from his bed, completely bewildered. “What about Corona?” he eventually managed in a croaking voice.
A gentle breeze blew in through the window bringing with it the sound of laughter and traffic. He looked around and saw that there were other patients in the hospital ward, many of them with visitors. Nobody was wearing a mask!
The nurse and doctor glanced at each other and smiled. “You want a beer? I'm afraid you'll need to wait a few weeks before you can drink again.”
“....but......the virus, the lockdown, the masks, the vaccine, the cabal-compliant system, the hysteria, the hoax, the fear....what about all that?”
The nurse turned to Levey with a look of concern and gently put her hand on his head. “Don't know what you're talking about lad, you're beginning to sound delirious. Everything is just as it has always been. Get some sleep now!”
Levey looked up at them for a few moments without saying anything, taking this in.
Then he closed his eyes once more and a smile began to play across his face for the first time in months.
