I get headaches

I get headaches.

I try to eat better, sleep better. I cut down on using the phone, the computer. Get some over the counter headache pills. I take them.

I get headaches.

I go to work. I mention the headaches. I get sympathy. I try to lighten the mood. I mention the weird billboards that have been turning up lately, with kind of nonsense advertisements on them. My coworkers have no idea what I’m talking about. They tell me they hope the headaches get better.

I get headaches.

I drive to work. I turn on the radio. I don’t recognize the music. I don’t recognize the language. I can’t understand what kind of genre its in. It makes the headaches worse. I mention the song at work. No-one has any idea what I’m talking about. For a moment, Susie’s eyes narrow, like she’s trying to think. She goes back to normal. She says these headaches must really be getting to me.

I get headaches.

I take a day off. I must be overworked, or tired. I get a care package from my coworkers. It’s a nice gesture. I have no idea what anything in it is meant to be. They included a card. In the card Kevin says he put in some Headache pills. I find a canister that looks like it would have pills in it. It’s full of pink liquid that moves too much. I trust Kevin, he’s nice. I drink the liquid. I vomit.

I get headaches.

I check the news. Prime minister of england meets with Grand Ruler of Western Ichalit. I’ve never heard of that place. They don’t show where it is on a map. They don’t mention why they capitalized it’s name but not england. They don’t mention why the Grand Ruler looks wrong. They don’t explain why he can move his hand in the still picture. They don’t explain why the article becomes gibberish halfway through. I don’t understand.

I get headaches.

I go back to work. Susie is gone. A new Susie is there, but it isn’t Susie. It isn’t human. Nobody else notices. I don’t mention it. I don’t want to make a scene. It’s Kevin’s birthday, can’t ruin it for him. New Susie keeps jabbing people with her pointy tail. They keep complaining about Mosquitos. I don’t mention mosquito bites don’t make welts like that.

I get headaches.

I go for a walk. I want fresh air. New Susie is getting extra jabby today. A man approaches me. He apologizes. “Sorry you had to go through this fuckin’ ametuer hour production here. Couldn’t even keep you from noticin’! Don’t worry your pretty little perceptive head. We’ll have this shit cleaned up and getting a real pro operation in here, you’ll never notice them!”

I stop getting headaches. Sometimes I wish I still got them. Other times I try not to look to closely at things and be glad it doesn’t hurt anymore.

I don’t get headaches.