Nothing's Real

e sat on the hill. Head between his knees.

"Nothing's real." he said to himself, "Nothing, except.."

"Except for what?", a voice questioned.

He didn't look up. There was no one about.

"Nothing, except for the memories.", he finished.

"Is that not enough?", came the questioning voice.

"No.", he paused, then started again ,"I've done everything, been everywhere, seen everything that there is, and its not enough. None of its real."

"And what do you expect me to do about it?", asked the voice.

"Give me a friend."

"A lover?"

"A friend. Somebody who is real. Someone who isn't me."

"You know I can't really do that." said the voice.

"I know. But do it anyway.", came the resigned reply.

So the voice gave him a friend. She was everything he could ever want. Kind, thoughtful, intelligent, attractive. But she wasn't real, anymore than the voice was real.

After a while, he got up, opened the door and went to work.