Chapter 7: Chapter 6: reunited

Suddenly I woke up. What had happened? Was I asleep? 

 

I am now sitting in a chair, one of many in a row. My back hurts a bit, I must have probably been sitting here for a while. I look around, trying to identify where I am. This place resembles a doctor's waiting room. A room that you know was designed to calm you, but ultimately only reminds you that you are here for an appointment. 

 

Dark grey concrete walls surround me. A white, long table stands in the middle of the room, it has some magazines on it. I scratch my head and say, "what is this place? where am I?".  But there is nobody here.

 

I look at the cover of one of the magazines and notice that it is printed in English, not Japanese. Its title reads "The right way to live." Well, that is helpful, I shook my head.

 

"Am I still in Japan?" I say out loud. 

 

I stand up to further explore my surroundings. Strangely, there are no displays to interact with. A very retro looking waiting room, that is where I am in. 

 

Maybe I am in the village the shrine is located in. The room is very quiet; the only sound coming from a bright white lamp on the ceiling that is buzzing and flickering occasionally. And even more strange, there are no windows here. Then I notice the door behind me.

 

"I remember being in the shrine, being hit by something. If this is a doctor's waiting room, then my injuries must be negligible. Otherwise I would be lying in a hospital bed. Right?"  

 

Whatever, let's get someone's attention here. I walk to the door and read its sign: "Waiting room 3". 

I first politely knock three times on the door, but there is no reply. Then I try to just open it, but it is locked from the other side. I loudly demand: "hello, anybody there? Where am I? What happened to me? Can someone help me?" No, even banging on the door does nothing, it doesn't move at all and nobody responds to my pleas.

 

A painting on the wall shows a sunset with some kind of motivational text: always do the right thing! Showing two laughing people giving a thumbs up. I don't get it, it must be something local. Definitely not funny though.

 

I try to gather my thoughts as I continue speaking, but now in a low voice "wait..is this waiting room 3, or does the door lead into waiting room 3? And what happened to Ima?" 

 

From this angle, I can see that the room continues around the corner. I must have missed that earlier.

Walking in that direction and inspecting what is there, I notice two more doors. They are placed right next to each other, not more than a few centimetres apart. 

 

The door on the left shows an image of Earth as seen from space. A beautiful blue sphere, from an altitude that shows no borders or any other sign of "progress." 

Looking at the image on the right door, I also see a planet, one that looks like earth, but a bit different. 

It has more oceans, and somehow looks cleaner and more green than blue overall. I don't get it, am I at NASA? Why would you want to have an image of a planet on your office door?

 

I knock on both doors, but again no reply. But just a second before I want to open the left door, I am interrupted by a message playing on the intercom : "DING DONG, maintenance <sigh> to waiting room 3 <sigh>. Repeat, maintenance to waiting room 3 <yawn>."  

The lady who just said that, was definitely looking forward to going home soon. Wait, I don't even know what time it is. "Computer, what time is it?" 

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Nothing, great, I can have it replaced again.

 

"Maybe hitting the door was not a very bright idea after all." I decide to play nice and sit down again, as if I were the reincarnation of innocence itself. I waited for 5 more minutes, but nothing happened. "Seriously, what is going on here?" I am now seriously getting angry.

 

Then slowly the door behind me opens, and an old man in janitorial uniform enters the room. His face resembles my neighbour Mr. Drake, but this man is much older. And definitely underweight, the poor guy. He must be in his 90s. Why do they let him work like this? He walks bent over, probably in constant back pain.

 

He speaks in a wavering old voice: "good morning son, are you alright? I heard something about locked doors?" 

 

I then replied "euh, good morning I guess. Yes, fine, I think, but where am I?" 

 

"You are in waiting room 3 see?" He straightens his back a bit, but stops as it obviously hurts him. He supports his back with one hand, then points at the sign on the door. 

 

"Yes, that much was obvious, but where is the exit and am I in a hospital or what?"  "Yes, you could say that this is a hospital, more or less. Probably less though. Please just go through one of those two doors, they are not locked. Damn kids, must have removed the exit signs again. You cannot use this door, as it is for maintenance staff only." 

 

I then ask "so either one is fine then?" 

 

He replies "sure, sure, I always take the right door myself on my way home. Less walking for my old bones you see".  I turn around, look at the two doors, and decide to open the left one anyway, just trying not to become the victim of an elaborate joke. Who knows what is going on here. If I don't like it, I will take the other one, so no worries.  

 

When I am about to open the left door again, a loud message plays: "DING DONG, please think if the left door is the right door."  

 

"Alright, alright I get it. You want me to use the right door, RIGHT?" I shouted angrily. But I received no reply, not that I expected any by now.

 

I decided to play the waiting game a bit longer to see what else would happen. I shout "guess this is a hidden camera show or something, I am not playing your bloody stupid game anymore! Do you hear me?!" 

 

Then after another minute, I decided to give up "alright I give up, have it your way, but if I am on camera, I will sue you! Jerks!" 

 

I briefly touched the handle of the right door, good, not hot or running electricity through it. You never know...   

 

Then I open that right door, which seems to lead into a small office. A big bulky retro looking computer sits on the desk, but more importantly, someone familiar is sitting in front of that computer.

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