{"id":65,"date":"2021-02-06T16:51:23","date_gmt":"2021-02-06T16:51:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/christian-papesch.de\/?page_id=65"},"modified":"2021-12-31T16:47:09","modified_gmt":"2021-12-31T16:47:09","slug":"65-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/christian-papesch.de\/?page_id=65&lang=de","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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It all started on one of those Sundays. One of those typical Sundays you can only spend in one of two ways: If you\u2019re with someone, you just stay in bed. Listening to the raindrops play snare drum on your skylight, while her heart beats the bass. Bom-bom, bom-bom, bom-bom, a melancholy love song filling the blank space in your head, until the tall trees in the not so far distance swallow the last gulps of day, drooling tangerine light all over the sky.<\/p>

If you\u2019re alone, you finally force yourself to get up, at 2:46 in the afternoon, to the nagging sound of the merciless Beethoven-whichever-symphony ringtone of your aunt Heidi\u2019s house phone.<\/p>

Dadadadadaaah dadadadadahhh<\/em><\/p>

You crawl out of bed, take an aimless swing at the little man with the big sledgehammer in your head, and stumble over an open can of cold raviolis.<\/p>

Dadadadadadadadadadadadah<\/em><\/p>

You continue towards the bathroom, leaving red footprints on your aunt Heidi\u2019s favorite carpet.<\/p>

Dadadadadaaah<\/em><\/p>

You realize that the nasty taste of half-digested Beck\u2019s beer only gets nastier when it\u2019s exposed to toothpaste.<\/p>

Dadadadadahhh<\/em><\/p>

You vomit that realization into the bathroom sink, drag yourself into the living room, and stare at the unnaturally big and unnaturally red telephone screaming at you from the coffee table.<\/p>

Dadadadadadadadadadadadah<\/em><\/p>

\u2026<\/em><\/p>

Dadadadadahhh<\/em><\/p>

You finally pick up the big red receiver. It\u2019s cold and heavy.<\/p>

\u201cHey Ben! You wiz us again?\u201d<\/p>

You immediately regret everything.<\/p>

\u201cJust wondering\u2026 How\u2019s your handy, dude?\u201d That\u2019s when you start screaming: It\u2019s called a <\/em>cell, you idiot! Or a mobile! Or just a phone! <\/em>But only inside your head.<\/p>

You listen to the caller recount the story of you dropping your \u201chandy\u201d into the nightclub urinal, as if you hadn\u2019t been there to witness it first-hand. You start wondering \u2013 silently \u2013 why Germans can\u2019t just use proper English terms for things or find a handy <\/em>German translation, instead of inventing their own \u201cEnglish\u201d words. \u201cShowmaster,\u201d for example, instead of \u201cTV Host\u201d. \u201cPublic Viewing\u201d to name a live event (usually soccer) that is publicly watched on big screens. Or \u201cOpen Air\u201d to describe an event that is happening outside. And then, very German: Combining those words, so an \u201cOpenairpublicviewing\u201d would be a live event publicly watched on a big screen outside. Zose crazy Germans\u2026<\/p>

\u201cIt vas crazy! And so funny. Especially, ven you tried to get it back out vis your naked hands\u2026\u201d<\/p>

You can feel the sledgehammer-man swinging back for his final blow.<\/p>

\u201cMann, say somezing!\u201d <\/p>

You breathe deeply, suppress the urge to smash the red phone against the white wall, and remain silent.<\/p>

\u201cBen? You okay?\u201d This is a different voice now. Less obnoxious. More worried. \u201cI think we found it, dude.\u201d<\/p>

You rub your eyes. Your mouth is as dry as the desert, and your teeth feel like you just ate one.<\/p>

\u201cDo you see it?\u201d<\/p>

Stale daylight shines on the little note your aunt Heidi left, criticizing \u201cyour obnoxious behavior when you finally made it home at 6 AM THIS MORNING!!!\u201d But still letting you know that she \u201cleft you some K\u00e4sesp\u00e4tzle in the fridge, in case your head needs a head-start.\u201d<\/p>

God had a big day when he made German aunts!<\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s huge, man! And honestly\u2026 I don\u2019t like it.\u201d<\/p>

What is he talking about?<\/em><\/p>

\u201cWhat are you fucking talking about?\u201d You hear the words echoing from the thick stone walls of your mind. But they don\u2019t reach the light. Your real-world-voice remains silent.<\/p>

\u201cWait!\u201d Now it\u2019s the first voice again. \u201cZat\u2019s it? You fucking kidding me?\u201d<\/p>

You look around. Tangerine light sloshes through the tilted blinds, painting surreal shadows on the ruined carpet. Your eyes focus on the big red telephone in front of you. It starts to flicker. A loose wire in the circuit of reality.<\/p>

Something is wrong<\/em>, you think.<\/p>

\u201cSomething is wrong with the phone,\u201d you say.<\/p>

\u201cBen? Can you hear me?\u201d The voice sounds tinny now, and more distant. As if your aunt Heidi\u2019s living room is driving through a tunnel.<\/p>

\u201cSomething is wrong with the phone!\u201d You scream into the big red receiver, as if the volume of your voice would actually make a difference.<\/p>

\u201cSo\u2026ing \u2026 wrong\u2026,\u201d the tiny voice answers.<\/p>

\u201cI\u2019ll call you back!\u201d you shout, and slam the big red receiver onto the big red phone fork.<\/p>

Then, your world turns black.<\/p>

\u201cWh\u2026 th\u2026 f\u2026ck\u2026 \u2026s \u2026ppe\u2026g?\u201d<\/p>

You scream, but your voice is breaking up.<\/p>

\u201cNa\u2026n? \u2026los?\u201d<\/p>

Then, all there is, is static.<\/p>

When the world flips on again, your aunt Heidi\u2019s living room is gone. The walls and windows surrounding you are gone. And the little man with the big sledgehammer inside your head is gone, as well. The only thing that\u2019s not gone is the red telephone in front of you, hovering in the middle of nothing. Ringing.<\/p>

Dadadadadaaah\u2026<\/em><\/p>

You pick it up.<\/p>

\u201cHello?\u201d<\/p>

\u201cHallo, Junge.\u201d Hello, boy.<\/em><\/p>

\u201cWho is this?\u201d<\/p>

\u201cDu wei\u00dft, wer hier ist.\u201c You know who this is.<\/em><\/p>

\u201cNo. No, I don\u2019t!\u201d<\/p>

\u201cDoch!\u201d<\/p>

Doch! <\/em>One of those wonderful words the German language has formed to break every foreigners mind.<\/p>

Doch!<\/em> Meaning Yes<\/em>,but as a direct comeback to No<\/em>. A verbal counterpunch crunching your face like a sledgehammer.<\/p>

No, I don\u2019t want to answer this phone call.<\/em><\/p>

Doch! You fucking have to.<\/em><\/p>

No, I don\u2019t want to listen to you anymore!<\/p>

Doch! You fucking will.<\/em><\/p>

You slam the big red receiver on the big red phone fork again. But when you lift up your hand, it just lifts up with it. As if it was glued to your hand. As if it actually was<\/em> your hand. Doch, motherfucker!<\/em><\/p>

\u201cDu hast mich gesucht,\u201d the voice from your telephone hand whispers. \u201cUnd jetzt hast du mich gefunden.\u201d<\/p>

You came looking for me. And now you found me.<\/em> <\/p>

more…<\/a><\/p>Albtraumf\u00e4nger, Prologue<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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It all started on one of those Sundays. One of those typical Sundays you can only spend in one of<\/p>\n

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