The Lonely Shoe Part Two

I looked around, made sure no one was watching —saw no one, except of course for the ever-present security cameras, took a deep breath, puffed out my chest, said to myself what the hell, and picked up the damn brand-new Skecher running shoe.

And as soon as I did that, I felt a feeling of dread circling around my brain, like a shark preparing for the kill of a curious seal — realized that I had made a mistake.  So, I looked at it ­—checked inside, under the laces, then turned it over and examined the shiny rubbery sole and realized it was just a running show without any phone dial buttons or detachable pieces.   It was just a lonely shoe, and way out of place without its’ mate, but my feeling of impending doom lightened somewhat, when I felt how foolish I was for stalking this poor little shoe and making such a big damn deal about.  So, I smiled to myself, put the strange shoe back on the bench, and walked away to my car.   

After about four paces away, I heard a voice behind me say, “Finally.  But your mistake was that you walked away. That’s unfortunate.”

Stunned, I stopped dead in my tracks, quickly turned around and saw no human there who could possibly be talking to me.  I figured maybe lack of sleep was causing auditory hallucinations, but then, auditory hallucinations were clearly a sign of medical or well, you know —psychiatric trouble. Now I was nervous about my condition, and turned around and resumed my walk at a much faster pace.

“Come back, Carson, before it’s too late.  No, you are not hallucinating.  It’s the shoe you call Skecher. “

Well Hell’s Bells! It is the damn shoe.  But it wasn’t a phone.  And how did whatever this is, know my name and that my thoughts told me a few moments ago that I was having auditory hallucinations?

So, I walked to the shoe, looked around to make sure it was not too obvious, then, I sat beside IT.

“Don’t worry. No one else can hear me, just you.  We chose you Carson. Also, you can talk to me, but again, no one will hear your voice.  So, let’s continue to communicate now because we don’t have much time to —”

“Wait. Who is “We” and why did “We” or you or whatever, choose me and why am I talking to a stupid shoe?”

“It is a form if EMF technology, most akin to what is referred to as telepathy.  That is why no one hears me or you.  You are simply sitting next to a shoe, and your lips are not moving, but we are communicating clearly.”

“Why me?”

“Because, you had the ability to feel something.  You felt that you must come back and pick it up, unlike the four thousand people who passed before you. It is the astral plane that exists everywhere, but few use despite it being at your fingertips, and that energy we felt when you were near —we believe to be our rare chance to communicate.”

Astral plane.  The communication ceased.  People continued to walk by and I pulled out my cell phone and acted like I was texting someone or busy, or something, but I was just staring at it —feeling alone in the world completely, and yet, in some way, peacefully strong as I have never felt before.

I got up, never looked back at Sketcher, and went to my car.  I don’t remember driving home at all or how I got there.

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