Talking to myself
Dinah, wake up.
I'm on a plane.
I think I'm floating...
It is the funniest feeling, ten feet above the ground.
The world is spinning.
The floor seems so far...
That's not the floor, that's the roof.
Where the hell am I?
Oh, in my bedroom. Let me rise,... if I can...
I am not flying after all. Everything is so blurred, my eyes hurt. Am I dreaming?
This is my bed I am on, I also recognize the furniture.
Wait a minute, why am I dressed up? What happened last night?
Oh, my head! Did I drink? I don't drink... Can't even stand the smell of alcohol...
Damn, I have to take those shoes off! Hnng!
The room smells awful,as if there was a dead rat somewhere.
Now that's strange. I did some cleaning up on friday. How dome I didn't see an...
Jesus! What's that?
"Terry? You scared the life out of me! What are you doing on the floor? Get up and go home, you fool. Mary must be freaking out. Not that she should. I'm not close to sleeping with you."
Bastard is dead drunk. Doesn't even hear me.
Oh my God! I hope we didn't...
Nah! He's lying on the floor and I'm still dressed.
What time is it anyway? It's so dark, must be around three.
I need some aspirin.
"Terry! Get up! Today's a work day, remember?"
What's wrong with him?
"Terry, Terry..."
Now that's what I call dead drunk. I'm shaking the bastard like a coconut tree and he doesn't ev... What's that?
Looks like... blood! Oh shit!
"Terry! Answer me, goddamn it!"
Calm down. He's probably just hurt. Nothing to fret about...
What the hell do you mean "just hurt"? Like that's not bad enough.
O.K. What do I do now? Yes,check his pulse... Oh no...
C'mon, Dinah, you can't check his pulse just by looking at him! You have to touch him. At the base of the neck.
Shut up!
Damn! I'm so scared I'm talking to myself.
No pulse. Shit! Shit! Shit!
"Oh my God, oh no! Terry, talk to me, please! Say something, anything!"
Relax Dinah, this is a dream, a very bad dream. It has to be... you're going to wake up right now with a gasp, sweat all over your body, you'll get up, take a shower and it will be over.
What happened last night?
"Please God, whatever I did yesterday, I promise I'll never do it again, please just let this be a dream!"
Calm down... Breathe deep...
I'm still stoned, yes, that's why I couldn't feel a pulse.
That's better. Calm down, do it again...
Shit! Still no pulse.
O.K. Relax... keep cool.
I have to get out of here, get some help.
You can't do that!
Why not?
Think, dumbo. You're alone in a room with a corpse. What does that make you?
What?
A suspect. You touched him.
But I didn't kill him!
How do you know that? Do you remember anything of what happened?
No... But there's no way I could have killed him; I mean what would my motive be? The guy is, was, my friend, for crying out loud!
Don't tell me, tell the police when they ask. And, since you don't remember what happened yesterday, you don't know wether you got a motive or not. After all, you could have quarelled, and under the influence of... whatever is giving you a hang-over now, you... snapped. Remember you have a gun in the bedside drawer?...
This is nonsense!
Maybe, but you better figure out what happened here before you do anything.
I'm trying, but nothing comes out!
I have to get out of here.
The door... it won't open!
No use trying to brake it down...
You wanted security.
Yeah, but I never planned to be locked in with a dead body!
"Hello! Is someone out there? Please help me!"
Who could be hearing you from here? You're loosing it, girl.
The phone, I have to get to the phone.
Where is that stupid thing? Oh, bedside table.
Oh God, help me, I have to step over him.
C'mon, girl, move! Just don't look at him. That's good. There you are, safe.
No tone. I think I'm going to scream.
Get a hold of yourself, girl. Where's "Din-ice", the iron lady?
"Well I'm doing the best I can, under the circumstances!"
Did I sense irony in that? Good. Can't keep a good girl down. You're taking control.
Thanks.
Check that gun while you're at it.
What am I looking for?
The number of bullets left in.
Oh.
All, there. That's strange.
What now?
The window...
What do you think you are going to do? Jump off?
Exactly.
Good luck! after all, it's only twenty feet.
Ahh!.. I have to step over him again.
There.
Open, thank you God!
How come this window was opened? I always close it.
Anyway.
You must be an interesting sight! A half dressed girl stepping out of a window on the first floor at dawn,... or is it dusk?
How could I know? Does it matter?
I suppose not; on the other hand, if someone sees you, trouble...
It could be Mrs Koly.
That old hag!
She just looooves gossip.
I can picture the scene from here: " Mr. Maga, you wouldn't believe what I saw this morning; the young Dinah Okemi jumping off her window! Half naked! I always knew there was something wrong with that girl."
The police would love to hear it. Not to mention all the people you offend with your youth around here.
Can't help it if I don't have enough money to move up-town!
These old people, all gossips!
Too late now anyway.
Jeez! it is high!
Don't tell me you're afraid of hights.
Dunno, never tried sky-diving before.
It's cold out here.
I will have to jump sometime. I must look all but belonging here.
Don't close your eyes, stupid! Who knows where you could land.
Okay! Here goes nothing!
Aouch! Damn ankle...
Wasn't that bad.
Thanks for nothing.
Now to get out of here.
Wait a minute!...
Now what?
Look around.
Oh God!
"Gee, Dinah, be careful, will you?"
"Terry?!"
"No, the boogeyman. Get off me!"
"Hnng... I had the strangest dream..."
"Well I'm in for a nightmare when I get home. Mary's gonna kill me! What time is it anyway? i'm a mess..."
"I dreamed you were dead..."
"Whoa! No bad omen, please."
"Funny, you know, in my dream, you were lying on the floor, just like now."
"I was? Shirt... shirt..."
"Don't you find it strange?"
"What? Look, sorry, Dinah but I really have to get home. You'll tell me about your dream tomorrow. Where is that damn shoe? "
"There was blood..."
"Dinah, help me here! I can't find it!"
"I jumped off the window..."
"Shit, three a.m. And there's work today. I'm doomed."
"It's not right..."
"What's not r... Jesus! Dinah, what are you doing? Don't point that thing at me!"
"It's just doesn't feel right..."
"Dinah, if this is one of your jokes, the timing is very bad. Now put the gun down. You're scaring me. Is it load..."
"You were dead, you know!"
"Okay, you win, I'm scared, I'm really scared now, please put the gun down."
"I think I have to continue from where it stopped. I mean, it was intersting."
"Dinah, what are you talking about? Stop this thing right now! It's... sick! You sound like you're out of your mind or someting..."
"I was talking to myself, and I, I mean SHE, was very clever!"
"That's... great. Okay, I'm coming over there to get my jacket, just... cool it, right?..."
"You know the strange things that happen in dreams... so ... real... I really want to see how it ends."
"Dinah, no!!!
So, Dinah, where are we?
I don't know. I think we're lost.
What now?
This was never part of the plan, you know...
I know, but fantasy is so much better than real life. And you're more fun to talk to anyway.
Thanks.
So what now?
The window.
Oh yes, that's where we were...
What do you think you're going to do? Jump off?
Exactly.
Stanislas Sodonon
Talking to myself.
