Tadeusz

He felt in the ditch, what the heck; he forgot why he was on the street at this hour. What's his name? Shit, he doesn't remember.

He whispers: "Chris? Christopher?" Was that his name, or the name of the other? He puts his hand to his left temple. What the heck is that white spot on the back of his hand? Ups looks and smells like Cheesecake. Was he at a birthday party? Perhaps… a date? He sits and tries to remember how he landed in the ditch. Was he driving? "Nope, there is no car around." Holly shit  ... he was running, and then he was flying, but why? Finally, he stands up and moves towards a street lamp. Automatically he checks his phone: shit is midnight!

         My granny told me never to be outside at this shitty hour. Anything can happen. My granny is half gypsy, and she thinks that midnight is the hour when the most malevolent spells are performed. If by mistake, you step in any of the ingredients used for the spell you are not yourself anymore. He remembers her words; his sister was scared by one of those magical spells for life. She became the shadow of the child she used to be. Nowadays, she lives in a forgotten hospital in Hungary. He moved one and come to the States to study cybernetics.

He checks the pockets of his fancy suit. Usually, he wears it at church or when he goes for interviews. Damn it, now is ruined by the stupid cake and the oven gas. Really, oven gas? How, from where?  He never cooks. Never mind, he finally finds what he is searching for. He still has his wallet, so he was not mugged; happy he checks his license and exclaims: "My name is Tadeusz. WOW! That is me! Then who the heck is Chris? Think, Tad. Where you on the university campus ground? Maybe a pub?" Accidently he brings his hand to the nose: "Wait a minute why do I smell like gas?" He looks again at the phone, checks his calendar and sees an entry 17 September, Jessica's birthday – location Canteen - University. So he went to a party, indeed. He looks around and tries to look for clues. He looks up, OK I see the residence area, and twenty meters to the left is the University building.

He starts walking towards the campus; he needs a shower and an aspirin badly: His head is spinning and falls again on his back. What the heck? Was he drugged? Did anybody put something in his drink? He usually is cautious. He heard about these stories when other people are jealous and want to make you an addict, they spike your beverage with nasty stuff.

He sits again, and blurry memories are coming over his brain: "Wait a minute, there were two Police Officers on the campus. But, why?" Who cares! He needs to go back to his room. He will talk to Jessica tomorrow and will find out what the hell happened. He tries to walk again, but something is wrong, he cannot get out of that ditch. He checks his body, and everything seems normal. All the hands and legs are home. There is nothing broken and no blood anywhere, but still, he is plaster on that black ditch. He tries to scream, but nothing comes out.

He talks to himself:" Tad do not panic; if you can't get out of this ditch, then sleep here. Tomorrow at the daylight the things will look better. Just to be on the safe side, let's say a prayer — our father, who is in heaven…. I forgot what is next? Let's try the one with the Guardian Angel – Little Angel sends by God, strange, why I cannot say any of these prayers."

Tad looks again at his body, and a crazy idea creeps inside his mind:" Maybe I stepped in something evil that is why I am  glued to this ditch. I need some holy water. "All of this is his fault. He usually has some holy relic with him that guards him against the evil eye and magic. However, today, he just forgot. Chris was waiting for him, and they didn't want to be late. OK, so Chris is his roommate. Now he remembers. Chris was cooking something before they left. "Oh. No! The Oven exploded; apparently, the gas pipe had a nervous breakdown. That explains the flying, but how do you explain the Cheesecake on the back of your hand?

Oh, sweet Jesus, Chris was making that cake for Jessica. It was a surprise. So if he is here, where the heck is Chris?" Scared, Tad starts searching the ditch on his fours. He blindly goes over the rocks from the ditch. Finally, he feels a leg on the left side of the trench. Scared, he searches for a pulse. He feels nothing, is Chris GONE? Now he remembers he was in the washroom when the Oven exploded and Chris was in the same room with the Oven. That is why he flew over, Chris didn't make it, and he was too close to the pipe.

Early in the morning, two police officers are coming close to the ditch.
Tad light waves:" Hi guys, thanks to God, you found me!" The duo continues to walk like they don't hear him. Finally, one of them approaches the ditch. "Hey, Paul, come here, I think these are the two bodies that were missing from room 13. "

"Stephen, do you think there was a murder? Like how it is possible for that Oven to explode right before they were ready to go to the party."

"I don't know Paul; maybe it was the eastern European mafia."
'Seriously, Stephen, you are watching too many horror movies man. We have no mafia on campus. I think it was an unfortunate accident. Moreover, let the firefighters finish their investigation. We need to call the ambulance now; it is not OK for the other students to see them here."

Tad cries softly:" I am dead, I am the dead body! Why?" He hears the ambulance approaching and thinks; "my granny is going to be so upset when she is going to receive my body in a bag. I cannot believe that I am dead. How is this possible? I feel pretty alive, and the only things are that I cannot stand up. Otherwise, I hear and see everything. I even smell charcoal. What the heck, who is making a barbecue so early in the morning?" Tad exclaims: "You, idiot! You are barbecued, medium freaking rare!"

Finally, the paramedics are there. They check the bodies, and one of the emergency workers exclaims: "We have one still breathing!" Tad silently prays:" Dear Father, let it be me! My granny has nobody left.
Please forgive me, I am selfish, but let it be me!" Suddenly he feels something on his face. What the heck is that? He feels air filling his lungs. He hears the same emergency worker exclaiming. "This is a miracle; he is half-burned and still breathing. His Guardian Angel saved him! The other one is gone.”