And now, as one of those useless special DVD features, we present the short story on whose mention this movie was inspired. Bear in mind that it was done in a rush a year ago, during the same time I was writting about Midget Pizza Men getting shitted and eaten, in that order
I go to the park to take a walk, and strech my legs. I think about several things there, mostly about routine; about how it doesn't change at all. About how would it be if things had been different.
I think about my Mike, my roomate, about how I'm going to kick his ass as soon as I see him for what he did yesterday. I thought he was my friend, but aparently he's not. Hell, I think I've always known he's not.
I also think about her, Carla. I can't get her out of my mind. I know nothing will ever happen between us. She's insane. The stuff he talks about... She's really cute, but I don't know if I could be with someone so screwed up.
I come back home. I notice Mike, my roomate, is not home, otherwise I would have heard what he calls music before entering the building. The latest TV guide it's in the dinner table, it was about time it arrived. A TV show, "Slackers", is featured in the cover as "the show of the year". Maybe I should check it out.
I take the TV guide to my room, turn the TV on, and, as I'm about to sit, I notice something is wrong.
I look around, at the stuff in my room, and I slowly realize that several things have been changed. At first it looked normal, now it feels incredibly weird. My lamp is on the other side of the room, a book I've never seen before is in my night table, the Lego Technic Factory I buildt last month is lost, and there are several little unimportant things missing, and some I've never seen before.
It must have been Mike. He must have done this as a joke, or for some incredibly stupid reason. Dammit. I really liked that Lego Technic Factory.
I check Mike's room, but hasn't changed.
Then I check my closet, to see if something has changed there. I'm surprised to see that some clothes that aren't mine in there, but not as much as I am when I check my comic book collection. Some of my collections have been finished, others aren't there. The fanboy in me is excited to see so many new comics in my collection, but I can't help being terrified by this whole situation. I hear a voice coming from the TV announcing the second season of "Slackers".
It's obvious that this is my room. But it's not.
Someone knocks at the door. It's... Carla?
The moment she says "Hi, honey" my mind blows. What is this? Where am I? Where am I? Whe--
"Would you excuse me for a second... honey?"
I run to my room, pick up the TV Guide, and check the date.
June, 2002.
I have no idea what happened. I need to talk to someone. Maybe my "future" self (or present, whatever) trusts her, but I barely know her. I tell her I'm not feeling well. I must find Mike.
As soon as she leaves, I leave too. I'm going to the video store where Mike works. He should have left work one hour ago, but maybe he's still there.
On my way there, I look the slightly changed streets and freak out. The headlines on the newspapers wouldn't mean anything to a regular person, but I examine each one of them, without slowing down, and wonder about almost everything I read. Then rain starts falling.
When I'm about to get there, I see Shirley, Mike's girlfriend, waiting for the bus.
I hope they didn't broke up during the time I was... I was... away.
"Hi" I say.
"Um... hello" Shirley, shy as always answers.
"So... where's Mike?"
"M-Mike...?"
Oh my God, they broke up.
"Yeah, uh, I..."
"Are you OK...?"
"Oh! Yes, I just forgot--"
"You forgot??? You...??? I knew this would happen"
"I'm sorry, I..."
"YOU ARE INSANE!! Did you know that?"
The phrase "shy as always" comes back to my mind.
"Face it, would you???" she cries "If I did, you can do it!!"
"Uh... face what?"
She looks at me with a mix of pity and care.
"Mike is dead"
It hits me like a punch in the face. In the soul. She starts crying.
"He's dead"
I fall on my knees and the cry too. She hugs me.
3 hours later, she leaves me in the cementery. Before going away she says "Please see a doctor. You need help. I'll be there if you need support". I promise her I will, tough I don't know what she means, or maybe I don't want to.
go to Mike's grave, and try figure this whole thing out. Maybe this situation is a gift. Maybe I couldn't get over Mike's death and I started going nuts. That's why his room was exactly like before. Maybe I didn't realise what I had become, and I needed to look back at what I was to see that, so I made myself "forget" the last year to do so.
Totally out of the blue, I hear an helicopter, a bullet and some explosions.
Maybe this whole thing was made to make me appreciate what I have.
The explosions increase, followed by cries and...
I wake up.
"Oh my God..." I say.
The TV alarm woke me up. I go through all my stuff to find someone with the date on it.
June 2001.
I don't move for a while. A voice in the TV says "Watch the first episode of our new sit-com 'Slackers' next week at..."
"Heh" I say to myself.
But then start thinking... putting things together.
"No..." I say.
The door opens. It's Shirley. Her eyes are wet.
"No..." I say.
"I-It's... it's Mike... he's... he's..."
"No."