Martoons

Cast of characters

Miss No

Mr Go

*

The last thing Miss No had heard was the rolling door going up yet she was dismissing it as an alcoholic hallucination.

She emerged from her stall in the women’s washroom, reached the sink to wash her hands but felt dizzy.

That forced her to sit down on the floor, lean against the tiled wall and assume a fetal position.

She briefly blacked-out.

Then came more inebriated imaginings – fragments of voices coming up the stairs! She momentarily awoke and felt goose bumps on her arms.

Bundled up on that cold bathroom floor, she pulled her knees in tightly to her chest. Slipping back into a daze, she dreamed of Mr Go being nearby.

She could feel his presence. He was walking around. But how could it be anything more than an alcohol-induced image? He’s dead!

* Will Miss No realize the truth of the situation? *

She snapped-to and listened closely. Nothing.

Her head nodded back down on her arms and the dream (or nightmare!) continued – this time taking a flight of fancy: It’s one of our Sunday picnics from better days gone by.

I’m sitting by a rushing stream with Go, who’s standing down at the edge taking a leak!

The recollected image lasted only briefly – bladder pain awakened her. Yet as she struggled to get off the floor something didn’t make sense: She was awake – wasn’t she?

Portions of her dream, however, were still running through her mind. The trickling stream was still audible – and so was Go. But now he was cussing.

“Ayeesh! She-bal! I hate to waste the water!”

No was confused; had lost her mental bearings. Am I dreaming or is this real? Or somewhere in between?

Is the late, great Mr Go just stopping by for a last-minute tinkle on his way to the after-life? She sighed. More likely it’s just that alcohol again playing with my perception.

She took a deep breath, swallowed to hold down the contents, and tried to focus. Actually not surprising that our Mr Go went mad, a slave to alcohol during most of the time he’d graced this good earth!

She sighed again, long and drawn out. I pity that man. At least now he’s out of his misery.

* But he’s not… which she’ll no doubt soon find out! *

No propped herself against the sink to catch a breath, but felt her forehead and it was covered in sweat. Then her stomach knotted up.

E and her digestive tract shut down. Consequently, her stomach reflexively switched into evacuate mode.

* Will she be okay? *

She scampered back into the stall and quickly dropped to her knees, vomiting vigorously for a good 15 to 20 seconds.

After catching her breath and not feeling any more heaves coming on, she carefully got up to get some water from the dispenser.

She’d have a drink – or two, or ten – and the icy cold fluid would dilute and neutralize her stomach acids.

However, when she set foot outside the washroom, suddenly Go’s voice was audible again – only several steps away – from right inside the men’s washroom!

“Ayeesh! Stop!” he was saying. “Close you stupid plumbing valve!

There was no rational explanation for it. No thought the alcohol was out of her system yet her sense of reality versus dreams was still blurred.

Mr Go is this close? How can he be? He’s no longer with is, is he?

Or is it me that’s dead – from alcohol poisoning? And I have gone to join the man on some after-life dimension?

Instantly electrocuted with terror, Miss No fled down the hall to the stairs. Clutching the banister, she pitter-pattered her feet down rapidly, extra careful not to stumble.

In total blackness at the foot of the stairs, she felt around the lower frame of the rolling door for the latch. She thrust the door up, stepped outside and flung it back down.

Thankfully – her cab was still waiting. She ran over to it frantically flailing her arms. “Let’s go! Let’s go!” she yelled. “There’s a ghost in that building!”

*

Tomorrow: Miss No gets overwhelmed by paranoia of the supernatural.