Fries and a Stranger To Go

The Familiar Stranger

The last sight you comprehend is the strange man across the table, smiling at you, and their outstretched arm, not moving from its place. Your head falls to the table. An eternity seems to pass as you sit there, awake, but unable to move and barely able to think. Your eyes are the only things that move, searching. Nobody seems to notice you as the store is closed up for the night and everyone leaves. You sit there all night, unable to move or think, but for your eyes, which seem to never stop moving.

You see the moon rise and fall from the sky. As the sun appears, a feeling of pure joy seems to run through you. Your mind seems to be working again, but your body is still unmovable from its place in the chair. You know people will come soon, but you aren’t sure when. You wait and wait. Nobody comes. For two more days you sit in the chair, unable to move and seeming to have been relieved of all need for food or water. You think it will never end. Your own body is a prison from which there is no escape.

A man walks through the door and looks over at the table where you sit. A concerned expression passes his face as he looks at you. It is the same person from the seeming eternity ago, the same person that sat across the table from you. He walks up to you and places his hand on your forehead. You seem to be able to move again, but the person is keeping you in the chair. Who is this person? He seems so familiar, but you have never met him in my life.

After another eternity the man’s lips part and sound comes out. You do not understand, so you make a quiet grunting sound. You can’t seem to remember any words. The person places his hand back on your forehead and suddenly you can remember how to talk. He opens his mouth again and ask a question. It is a fairly simple question, but the answer is so complicated in your mind. You can’t seem to put it into words.

His question. His one question to you — after making you sit there for so long — is: “What have you learned?”

You open your mouth and stutter. Finally you say, “I have learned nothing while sitting here. Who are you, anyways?”

The man speaks again, “If you have learned nothing in these days of silence, then you are not prepared to know who I am”. With that he stood up straight and walked away.

You stare after him for a minute or two, then you shake your head and slowly stand up, holding on to the chair and table for balance. Your legs get used to having weight on them again after a few minutes and you look around. The store is dark and no one is there. You look out the window. It’s early morning. You decide to walk home.