it’s 2:20 pm. you blink. it’s 2:20:01 pm. you blink. it’s 2:20:02 pm. you blink. it’s 2:20:03 pm. you blink. it’s 4:36 pm
the next chapter of your textbook is 5 pages long. when you turn the page, it’s exactly the same as the page before it. you read it anyway, and turn the page. it’s exactly the same as the page before it. you can’t remember what you read on the page before this one. you still have 5 pages left in the chapter.
you are told to highlight the important parts. you highlight the important parts. when you look back, everything is highlighted.
you leave for class ten minutes late and get there ten minutes late. you leave for class 30 minutes early and you get to class ten minutes late. you leave for class on time and get to class ten minutes late.
the professor says your research paper can be about any subject. ‘any subject,’ he repeats. he meets your gaze, his pupils swallowing the iris and whites of his eyes. ‘any subject,’ he drawls. the floor cracks open at his feet and you can hear the buzzing of millions of flies from the crevice. ‘you have all semester to finish,’ he adds. ‘no check-ins.’ the crack in the floor extends under your chair. the flies swarm up under you. ‘good luck,’ the professor says. the buzzing fills your head and blurs your vision.
the professor is talking about something you learned last year. you pull out your phone to play a cell phone game until she gets to something new. when you look up, she’s handing out the final exam. you check the date on your phone. the semester has ended. you remember nothing.
