Eyes Open

I do not know how it happened, only that it did. One moment I close my eyes on my couch after an ever so fulfilling day at the office. No not really if any of you didn't get the sarcasm. And the next moment I open them, I am in a completely new place, in a completely new body, and I have absolutely no clue what the hell is going on.

But before that, let's recap. To say that my life up until this point was dull and crappy would be an understatement. I am a twenty seven year-old office worker, for whom every day was the exact same, monotonous repetition of the one before. To top it all off I had no family to turn to, no partner in life, and the only thing waiting for me when I got home from work were the unpaid bill notices sitting on top of my living room table. 

Today, my boss gave me hell once again. Apparently I didn't submit the work on time, and it was done wrong as well. I had to listen to the barrage of insults coming my way, which were so loud that my co-workers began sneaking peeks at us to see what was going on. I just stood there and took it. I mean, what can I say? He was right about everything, about the quality of work, and about the kind of person I am. Lazy bum, failure, disappointment to the company. I had nothing to say. Standing there with bags under my eyes I just listened to it, and sheepishly apologized every ten seconds or so. I can't believe he still didn't fire me despite all the problems I brought. Are they just that desperate for workers? It was a fairly small company, so I bet that was the case. Once it grows, I'll be the first one out the door, and back to job searching I go.

The rest of the day didn't go better. I spilled coffee all over my pants, had to redo my papers because I noticed an error in them at the last minute, and endured the painful memories of my boss screaming at me. Let me tell you, I felt more miserable than a fish out of water, and even then I would have given anything to trade places with it.

A typical day at work, I thought as I packed my suitcase and left the office. It was cloudy outside, probably going to rain. The clouds were thick and dark gray. I only wished that I wouldn't get caught in the rain walking back home from the bus stop. I waited for my bus for a good twenty minutes. It arrived late, as it always did. 

But of course, as the bus began driving, the weather outside turned into a downpour. The windows were so covered in water that I barely could distinguish anything that was happening outside. Great, I thought to myself, what a wonderful day to not have an umbrella with me.

Because of the rain, the bus had to slow to a crawl, and I arrived at my destination a good hour later than usual. I waited at the bus stop for another half an hour to see if the rain would stop, but the downpour just kept on coming, even more so than it did before. I sighed as I braced myself, and wished luck to my clothes to not get ruined, and jogged to my house which was three blocks away from the stop. Uphill too.

I arrived home, soaked, miserable, and out of breath. With a clack of the door lock gears setting into place I turned my house keys twice counterclockwise, and with a screech of unmaintained door hinges I stepped into my apartment. After yet another day at the office I flicked on the light switch, the lightbulb flickering a few times before turning on, and lazily threw off my shoes into the corner near my front door. After taking off my jacket, I shook it a few times to get rid of the water clinging onto it, and hung it up on the coat hanger which stood nearby.

Making my way inside I was met with the view of my apartment. A window on the far side of the room right in front of me, covered with blinds that no longer worked and just stayed open. To my right is a couch, in front of it a low dark wooden table covered in various magazines, bill notices, and a couple empty soda cans. To my left, my TV, not completely ancient but old enough to have thick bezels, atop an old TV stand of the same color as the table. My kitchen was next to the front door, a small counter and sink with unwashed dishes from yesterday, or maybe the day before, I do not know for sure. Next to my couch was a door leading into my bedroom, with a single queen sized bed, and a bedside table to the left on top of which stood a small lamp.

It was a small place, but more than enough for a single guy to live in. Flopping down onto my couch, I leaned over to grab the remote, and turned on the TV. But as I was scrolling through the channels I saw nothing interesting to catch my eye, so simply turning on the news I stood up, walked over to the fridge, grabbed a can of coke, and lazily sat back down. I sat there for about half an hour, and seeing nothing new besides what team won today's hockey game and what new argument the politicians stirred up, I turned it off. 

Then collecting all the empty cans off the table I chucked them into the trash bin right there from the couch. I missed four out of the five shots before wearily sighing and slouching back down into the cushioning.

How did I end up this way, I thought. And to think that once I had aspirations, some sort of goals in life, but where are they now? Was partying really that more important than preparing for college finals? If I partied, then what meaning did my goals back then even carry if I was too lazy to even work towards achieving them? Well, it's not like I can reverse back time and beat some sense into the past me so that he wouldn't end up as the eyesore I am now. I truly wish that that was possible though, but the reality of life choices is such that you must face the consequences, you reap what you sow, and I am no exception to this rule. All I can do now is either whine, or accept reality.

Thinking this I fluffed up the single pillow laying on the couch, and just like that, still in my work uniform, and still drenched, I laid there staring into the ceiling, following a lone spider with my eyes. It scurried somewhere, then froze, then scurried again, and kept repeating that cycle, as if reminding me of my day-to-day life of non-ending repetition. I felt my eyelids growing heavier as I debated whether to call in sick and take the next day off, or to drag myself back to work once again for the thousandth time.

Wow, there again, I was thinking about slacking. Hah, I truly am an incorrigible, lazy bum huh? Hilarious, if I actually would've gotten a second chance, would I use it, or would I end up the same way I am now?

On that note, my breathing grew steadier, and I drifted off to sleep.

***

End of recap, and that is how I ended up here. In a totally unfamiliar room, with complete strangers looking down on me. Besides that, the language they spoke was also unfamiliar. Foreigners? Yeah that could be the case, but then would it also make sense to believe that I was kidnapped? No...that makes no sense. If that were to be true then why am I not tied down? Actually what makes that thought even more absurd is why the hell would they kidnap a complete nobody like me? I mean, they would get nothing out of it, holding me for ransom wouldn't work because nobody would give a damn, so jokes on you. Wow what a sad individual I am, thinking about it, it's more a joke on me situation. If they wanted money then they could have just taken the stuff I own while I was out cold on my couch, but then again what is there besides my old TV that's really worth taking?

As I was debating just what the hell happened to me, it finally clicked in my brain that the people I looked at seemed oddly giant compared to me. Also, why the hell am I wrapped in some kind of blanket? Oi, people, I do not know who you are or what you want, but unhand me this...!

Just then, I noticed that my hands, no, not only that, the entirety of my arms, were much different than I remembered. As I was wrestling myself out of the blanket wrapping around me I finally took a good look at them. Tiny fingers, tiny palms, and short stubby arms. What the hell is actually going on here? This is most definitely not my body, why am I an infant? In the midst of examining my new infantile body that I acquired, God knows how, I took a look at the people surrounding me. 

First off, I was in the arms of a woman, who was looking down at me with weary eyes, but nevertheless a satisfied and happy expression. From an objective point of view, she was a true beauty. Silver hair, emerald green eyes, and a round-ish face. 

The other one also had silver hair, and eyes that matched the woman's, the other was blue eyed and white haired. Both of them were wearing weird clothes that were definitely not something you would see someone wearing in the US, but more like something a cosplayer would wear.

But the one thing that struck me the most, and almost caused me to piss myself from surprise, were the pointed ears. And no, those ears did not seem to be fake, and my body is most definitely that of a newborn. Just what the hell is going on? Why the hell am I a baby surrounded by people who seemed to be the fairytale definition of elves?

Wait, let's take a deep breath and calmly assess the situation. I am in some kind of infantile body, check, surrounded by two dudes and a woman wearing strange clothes with pointy ears, check, speaking a different language I have never heard of in my life, check, and in a completely different place, check. Ok so people with pointy ears judging off of fairy tales and whatnot are Elves, and I am in some infantile body. So did I actually just get reincarnated? As an elf? Like the forest dwelling and living for a thousand years type of elf? Magical, spiritual, high and noble kind of elf? Oh dear, I certainly would not be able to fit into such a society, for many apparent reasons.

I touched my ears as a final confirmation that I am no longer who I remembered myself as, and yup, they are pointy at the top. It was actually very uncanny to touch them. It's not something you can not get used to from the start. They felt unreal, fake, or was it just that I couldn't accept this reality? But honestly, who in my position could?

But I have just confirmed myself to be reincarnated. Have my prayers for a second chance at life been answered? But wait, does that mean I died? But how? Assassinated in my sleep? Exhaustion? I can rack my brain for various theories, but there is no way that I could confirm them now. So this is what death is like huh? You just close your eyes, and the next moment you open them in a new place. But I doubt you open your eyes with your memories still intact. Wait, will I forget my memories and become a regular infant? No, the last thing I need right now is to become a brainles toddler.

As I thought this, I looked back at the men. The blue eyed guy, I assume he's the equivalent of that of a doctor here or something, or at least that was my first impression of him, turned to the green eyed guy, spoke something to him which was completely incomprehensible to the "newborn" me, and shook his hand. 

Well from the looks of it, it was some kind of congrats I guess, so I guess green-eye is my dad, and damn they have earthly mannerisms here too, didn't know there were handshakes in this world as well, cool. 

When the blue eyed guy left, the green eyed guy leaned in. Woah man too close, I kind of understand the whole yay I have a kid part, but some personal space would be appreciated here please and thank you. He snatched me up from the woman's arms. Yeah, thanks for completely disregarding my plea for personal space, though I couldn't tell him but c'mon man, the grimace I made was more than plenty, get a hint bro. And also, as an adult, being picked up like this felt freaky and wrong. No, this whole damned situation felt wrong. Imagine their faces if they found out I'm a grown man? Oh, no, let's not imagine that. 

The woman rebuked the man for something, probably the picking me up part, but he just laughed it off. He then turned to me, grinned like an idiot, and said something unintelligible in his language, followed by "Ardiel".

Safe to assume that is my name from now on. What a cliché, of course there had to be some kind of "iel" or "el" mixed into it. Thanks I guess, but for the time being I will mentally refer to myself by my earthly name if you don't mind. I guess this is the start of my "second chance" I wished for for so long, although for now it is quite awkward. It's also quite eerie to think about. Like did I actually die back there on my couch?

For the time being right now, whether this is some hyper-realistic dream or actually reality, I'm thinking of having some fun exploring this new world as a newborn.