The Story of North West: A Ballad of Procrastination

Background:

Hey Steemians!!

So, I wrote this story a few years back as a part of my English assignment. The deadline was 3 hours away and I had to come up with something to pass. The teacher told us to be creative and spread our wings. Now, I spread my wings so wide there was darkness below haha. Anyways my friends seemed to like it and so did the teacher (gave me an A :D ) So, if you have any suggestions or remarks, please let me know. Now, Lets Begin.

The Start

To anyone who's reading this, may be tomorrow, may be way ahead in the future or may be even centuries before this time will exist if they ever discover time travel and this piece of writing manages to be the traveler’s favorite piece of writing and gets left behind, though I highly doubt that; this is no ordinary story. As a matter of fact, this is no story at all. This is a real life event that actually happened in a place not so far away. This is around a complex time for humanity. You might ask how so? Well, this was a time where you could die for not liking a picture on social media. Hypocrites were calling other hypocrites, hypocrites. Everyone was planning on nuking each other alive. Wait, I’m getting a little too carried away. Back to the topic.

This is something that took place 4 years and 8 semesters ago. In a time where, you could take 6 tests and fail in 7. A time where a subject was not just a subject but a time dilator which could turn 4 years into 5. This is what happened almost 50 subjects and 12 backs ago. Before 52 downloaded pdf projects and copied lab sheets. Even before seeing hundreds of glass bottoms and put out cigarette filters. This story takes place where a part of humanity got tortured in a classroom and put to sleep using words that are “intellectual”. Yes folks, this is a story about an Engineer student. This story is not supposed to have a protagonist per se. But since I’m a slave to my Procrastination, this story will need simplifications.
Therefore, I shall now introduce the protagonist. His name is North West. Now, here is what was so special about North. Nothing. Unfortunately, North was never special. In a world of extraordinary people, he was a nobody. That is before he found engineering. He was never really sure what to do with life before he came across this epitome of academy. It was at that moment that he realized that he had powers. He never thought he would be able to do the things he did in life in those four years. This is how it all began.

North was a Bachelors’ student. He never knew of being special. He wanted to but he knew the concept of specialty was too far fetched and narcissistic. So, he had given up on the ideas of being something much greater than his mind and body ever could. He was never set out for greatness or so he thought. He was now in a place where the male species of the homo sapiens were predominantly to his avail. But it did not make any difference to him since he never had any interest in girls ever since Kate broke his heart when he was in the second grade. But as he set foot into the class on the first day of college, he was startled.

He saw Kate. Kate was this beautiful brunette who had the eyes of an angel but the mouth of a truck driver. Every sentence this woman spoke had a foul letter or two. But seeing her did not make much difference to him. Since, it had been years since they were together. But please don’t confuse this for a romantic story. Of all the ways this could be described, romantic is not the word I would use to describe it. So, as we were, he saw Kate. He went upto the very last seat and took the corner. Before the teacher could arrive, he started snoring.

This depth of his sleep was unfathomable compared to the usual slumbers he had had so far in life. This was nothing like anything. He was aware of everything in his surroundings and yet asleep. It’s as though he let his body fall asleep but his mind was still awake. All his senses were numb except his eyes which were showing him the silhouette of what could only be described as Eigengrau. He could see and turn that shadow into any possible shape he ever so desired but suddenly this shadow he was seeing was taking shapes on its own now as though it were signifying that his mind was now on the verge of sleep as well.

But he woke up as soon as there was a hand slamming at his desk. “And what are you doing?” , the teacher asked. “Nothing”, he answered looking unphased by the teacher’s reaction. “Well, you have plenty of time to do nothing at home. Here, we focus on growth son.” He said in a voice that had a disciplinarian tone but was as firm as ever. “He nodded his head laughing in his head.” Well now that we have that out of the way, let me tell you something.”

The teacher started. “This is not any ordinary engineering college. Here we study subjects you have probably never heard of before.” North was just not interested and was trying to figure out how he could sleep without getting noticed. But his meditative state was being disturbed by this Al Pacino looking man who just wouldn’t stop talking about how this college was different from other colleges. So he decided to listen any way because Tony Montana over there wasn’t going to stop blabbing. “Let me tell you a secret.”, said the teacher. North was telling himself, “Yeah sure. Tell us where you keep the the drugs.” The teacher continued, “We’ve had great scholars leave our institute . The rich history of Alumini could baffle you into thinking our existence to be real. Archimedes, Euclid, Tesla and Einstein. These are only a few of the students that have had the secret learned to them. ” “Man, these guys must have had a rough childhood having names like that.” Thought North. “Who the heck names their kids after nerds?” This thought made him smile a little.

But the teacher ever so firmly, continued. “If you ever feel the need to question our authenticity, you may do so. We’ve always encouraged questioning and curiosity ever since we were first an establishment in Egypt.” North was confused. “I thought this college was established 50 years ago.” The teacher then went on to say, ”A few among you are directly connected to these so called Alumini by blood while others, by virtue. But some of you have been selected merely from the fact that you had the an aura for this. You will probably not understand what I have been talking about from the start. But you well get a detailed lecture on this from our Principal when you go to the orientation this Friday.” Again, North was confused.

“What is with these multiple orientations? I thought we just had one a few weeks ago. These people really know how to surprise.” He was really confused now. They were talking about all this weird conspiracy theory, Dan Brown stuff. What was next? Aliens and space ships? Area 51? Who knew? Perhaps, but North was just thankful that this talk was not getting religious or political in any way possible because if it did, he would have already jumped out the window. But alas, the teacher spoke once again. I mean he was still speaking but the descriptions in this story are being hurried up so you get the gist. So, he went on. “You will not last long in this college if you don’t want to get along with the program. So you better acknowledge God already and believe it.” North was laughing in his head. “Yes yes. I will. And I will also acknowledge and believe in unicorns and fairies and vampires and werewolves and politicians and world peace.” His mind went on a spree.

Now, the teacher was quite for a bit. Long enough for North to notice. He was infact staring at North now. “Did I say that out loud?”, he asked himself with that voice in his head. The teacher said,” No Mr. West. No one in this class heard.” “Holy mother of the dude who walked on water! How did he? But I?” The voice in his head was crashing like a failed program. “And no Mr. West, I do not look like Al Pacino. I’m more of a De’Niro fan.” North was just phasing in and out of this situation. He was paranoid. How could someone know what he was thinking. But the teacher was savage with this. He continued.

“And Aliens and Spaceships are not until your 3rd semester. So you don’t need to worry about that now.” He came closer
to North and his face went closer to his ears. “One more thing Mr. West. I am no religious nut. I have seen God. In fact, not just God. I’ve seen the fallen angels too. Lucifer himself showed me to his entire armada. You could learn a paper I did on this incident in our Archives. Of course, they do not allow everyone into the Vatican.” North was cold now. He started looking around for cameras to see if he was being pranked and would end up on youtube next week. As socially anxious he was, he never wanted to be infront of a camera so bad his entire life as he did this very moment.

He was hoping if this was a dream. The teacher then suddenly spoke. “Yes it is.” North was afraid but he asked the question nonetheless. “What do you mean?” The teacher answered, “Yes Mr. North. This is a dream. You are still drooling over your desk. And miss Kate is sitting beside you sleeping too. This is just a demonstration of how our mind can manipulate the state of learning. Right now, I’m the one manipulating yours but by the time I’m done with you, You will be able to do the same.” North was still not convinced and started to look for the cameras again.

“You won’t find them Mr. North. Please stop wasting your time and my energy.” Now, North had really had it. “Is this a joke? Because this is not funny!” The teacher replied, “No, Mr. West. No joke. Everything you’re experiencing is true. Just the setting is in a different version of reality than you have experienced before. You need to learn to get yourself together with these new environments, Mr. West.” “I don’t believe this!” North screamed. “This is not real. Even if I were to assume it was, just tell me one thing. What am I here because of? Blood? Virtue? Huh?” “None of these, Mr. West.”, said the teacher. “I was shocked myself when I found out that you were selected for this college. I even put in the effort to talk to the principal into rejecting you. But he just said you had the ‘Aura’. Now, this is a mystery to even us. I don’t believe in this Aura or ‘Mana’ as they call it out there in Andromeda. But I felt it today, Mr. West.”

“It is rare when the Principal recommends someone. He has seen something in you Mr. West. And I have to go with his judgment. No matter how atrocious I think it may be. So here is what I suggest. You can talk to the principal yourself and tell him this isn’t the place for you.” And as for the memories you have of these events, they will be with you. After all, who would believe you. You’ll end up being just another conspiracy theory buff whom no one will believe and you’ll spend your whole life trying to prove it. So this is your choice Mr. West. What will it be?” But North was not even there the entire time.

His mind was gone. North was confused, anxious, happy, sad, scared and angry. All at the same time. He did not know what to do. He was like a mime in a box at a time and a spot where the mind did not stop. He started to question his existence and all the ‘truth’ he had come across so far. May be that was the very foundation that the teacher was talking about. But would he ever know what he was getting himself into? Was this all a prank? Was he in a coma and dreaming all his life and this was merely a part of it? You will find that out the next time I procrastinate.