Good company

It is a wonderful afternoon, you are in a lovely restaurant, sitting around a large round table with your family, your partner, your loved ones.

You have chats about life, about what happened lately. You laugh a lot, you are feeling good, accepted, calm. Comfortable. Loved.

Out of the blue, your partner stands up, shouting at your parents.

'Look at this, isn't that a huge pile of shit? That's not turkey hen, I tell you, never is that turkey hen.'

Your parents start laughing. 'Oh, come on, turkey or chicken, doesn't matter, eh? Just eat it. It is really good.'

Someone holds a sandwich right in front of your nose. Your partner.

'That is not real, have a closer look, this whole thing is a lie, I tell all of you this is not reality.'

You start to wonder.

You feel different.

Kind of intimidated.

And ashamed.

'Oh stop it, you're talking rubbish', someone shouts at him. Your brother. Everybody laughs.

'But can't you see it? Can't you feel it? All of this is a lie! You must believe me, why can't you see it?'

The laughters are getting louder, strident, painful and terrifying.

Your partner yells at you.

'I'm begging you, please wake up! This is not real, you are in danger!' He cries.

'You must wake up! My love! Please!'

You cover your ears and start to cry. It is too loud. There are too many noises.

The scene starts to change. It is getting hot, too hot. Your skin itches, your veins are on fire, your stomach bubbles. You are in indescribable pain.

You take a look around.

You are in a dark room. There are two windows but someone covered them with holey bed sheets.

It stinks of excrements, piss and blood. The smell of death and terror.

The sofa you sit on is covered in scratches. Every other seat is also shabby and stained.

The table is a wooden disaster. You see huge open plastic bags on it, filled with white powder. The person next to you, asleep or passed out - not dead, his chest is still moving up and down, he's breathing - is covered in white powder.

There are other bodies in the room, sitting around the table. All are covered in white powder.

And blood.

There is blood everywhere.

On the furniture, on the light wallpapers, even the ceiling is splashed with the dark red fluid of life.

All bodies are beheaded. Some are slit. Some of them got their limbs removed and nailed on the walls, arranged to swastikas. "Conducive to well-being", you murmur. You've once read that on Wikipedia.

Suddenly, you hear a click, the entrance door opens and shuts. "Aye, see who woke up!", the voice shouts. Too loud. You try to cover your ears but you can't move your arms. Why can't you fell your arms or legs? You start to cry. The strange guy puts his hands on your shoulders, rubbing and kneading them. "Ah-ah-aaah! No tears, darling. This is a happy place. Remember what happened to your sweetheart?" He drops something heavy in your lap. A bloated, rotting head. Your partner's head. Something nibbled on his tongue, his cheeks, his ears, he's covered in bite marks. And he stares at you with white, lifeless eyes. You scream as loud and as long as you can. Tears blur your sight. The unknown man puts his hand on your mouth and your eyes. "Shhh, it's all good. You're in good company. I help you. I'm here for you." He takes his hand off your mouth. "And now, take a deeeeeeeeep breath through your nose. And relax." You follow his order. You sniff something. You sneeze.

Your eyes explode.

The left side of your head explodes.

You see colours and varying shapes behind your closed eyelids.

Your body prickles, you hear distant laughter.

You're back in the restaurant. You rub your partner's back. "I am sorry for screaming, darling. I don't know what's gotten into me." He looks miserable and ashamed. You smile at him. "It's all good. You're in good company. I help you. And now take a deep breath. And relax."