You guy's ever heard of karaoke? Ever experienced it?
The first time I went to a karaoke place was when I was 21. I wasn't a very active person and usually stayed holed up in my room. I barely got any sunlight, because, duh, I never went out unless absolutely necessary.
School was a drag, I'd miss as many classes as I could, though I had to make it for a few things that could be considered 'important', like exams and stuff.
Anyway, karaoke, I...I changed the topic to karaoke but now I don't want to continue anymore...
I went alone, to the karaoke place. I had no friends.
Don't judge me! You keep your judgement far away from me!
I wanted to know how it felt to be in a karaoke, even if I never had the opportunity to experience it with friends, so I swallowed my pride and dignity, ignored the looks I was given and sat in a karaoke...box? room? Whatever it's called, I sat there and turned the big screen on.
Then I took the small ipad and started going through some songs, seeing if there was some song I would like on there. But just as I was about to, the ipad turned off. The lights went dark as well, plunging the room in darkness, but one thing didn't turn off...the screen
The screen stayed on, but displayed static. I found the situation odd. A power outage would have turned the big screen off as well, but maybe there was some sort of backup generator or something that only the screen was connected to...for some reason.
Rationalizing the situation, I made my way to the door to unlock it, but as soon as my hand touched the doorknob, I heard an audible *click*. I didn't like the sound of that. That sound is a bad sound to hear.
For a second I was worried I was in some horror movie. Actually, scratch that, I was so worried I was not in a horror movie. I would very much like for this to just be a silly ol' prank horror movie so I could possibly not suffer from insomnia for the next few nights.
No, haaa...I was gonna suffer from it even if this turned out to be a prank. I scare too easily.
While I was thinking all these thoughts, I was also turning and twisting the doorknob, trying to open it and aha, would you believe it! It wasn't opening!
I'm sure all of you saw this coming from a mile away, so moving on, next the screen that was showing static flared to life and showed me...how do I explain this, it showed me the life of a boy.
No, not just titbits of his life, his entire life story, from the day he was born, to the day he died, completely.
At this point I was in a trance. No, it was nothing ominous, it's just that this boy's life was fascinating. It showed me scenes sometimes through his eyes, sometimes from high above and in all sorts of ways.
He lived in a world very different from ours. It was...amazing. I forgot I was in a horror movie and just sat there, staring at that screen, watching his life.
Actually, I know I said that nothing ominous happened and I was just really interested but umm...I kinda didn't sleep, nor eat, nor do anything except stare at that screen for all those years. Yeah...I said years...that's a bit of a problem innit?
I think it didn't take me long for his life to become my life. I cried when he felt sorrow, felt anger and pain when he experienced betrayal, lies, deceit and the occasional weapon jammed into him, happiness when he found love, friendships and joy and even amazement when he discovered something awesome, saw fascinating scenes or just turned into a badass.
I think I felt...no wait...wrong word...I expressed all the emotions he couldn't express himself.
By the time it was done, and that screen turned off, and his life came to an end, I was old and decrepit. I had a long, white, sagely beard and long white hair, like a certain princess with really long hair...Ok, some of you might not get it, like Rapunzel.
What? Is it cheesy that I mentioned a Disney Princess? Actually umm...it might be...umm
No! No! Keep that judgement away! Bad! Shoo!
Anyway, I was really old, and it was a miracle I was even alive, I hadn't eaten at all, and it showed...oooh boy it showed.
I was so thin, like a stick, I was stick! Some would even call me a stickman! (Heheh)
So I was this stick, with facial hair. The majestic facial hair and normal hair was longer than me, and I was...actually pretty fulfilled.
I knew that my parents would be dead by now, I was sad, of course, that I never got to talk to them as much as I wanted to, and I never got to say goodbye either, but I felt as if I already lived a good life. That everything would be fine if I died here and now. I'd meet them again soon anyway, I wasn't that far off from death either!
I made my way to the door and opened it. It opened now, and I stepped out. But no sooner had I done that when I stopped. I couldn't move as everything started moving backward.
Oh yes...time was turning back right in front of my eyes and let me tell you, experiencing time rewinding before you is...extraordinary. Words cannot describe the rush you feel when you see everything falling back into place. The karaoke place had not withstood the test of time and had been demolished, but right in front of me, it was rebuilding from the bottom up.
After everything was done, I realized that I had become younger again as well. I was rather disappointed with the loss of my beard. I had grown attached to it. (Hehe, see what I did there?)
Barely a few seconds had passed since I went in. But I didn't stay there anymore after I could move again. I rushed out of there, not out of fear, though no one would blame me if it was, but because I decided, in that moment, that I would bring this story out into the world and let everyone experience what I had experienced.
At that point, the boy was like my son. After seeing everything he went through, who wouldn't want their son to be famous? And since he couldn't become famous all by himself, I would need to help him a little.
So that's what I'm doing. I'm writing about my son, his journey and struggles, and everything that his life entailed. I won't forget his story, as absurdly long as it was, because I practically lived through it myself, cause of the strange trance, I presume.
So here it is. Strap in, as I tell you the tale of a boy named Elliot Carter.
And before I begin, there is one more thing I'd like to say,
That was one hell of a first karaoke session!