The Ark of Eden

I awoke to the allure of sleep yet again, falling under its gentle spell with my room blanketed in the unnatural glow of an errantly left-on light. The morning symphony of my alarm served as no distraction from this peaceful slumber. They say every professional journey begins with a single step, and it appears my everyday pilgrimage to work would yet again start groggily on the back foot of a deceptively brief few hours of sleep.

I muster enough willpower to pull myself out of my warm refuge of dreams, venturing into the bathroom that marks the first threshold of reality. Mechanical like an automaton, I spark the shower to life, going through the customary motions of brushing and shaving the ritualistic ablutions performed to appease the deity of discipline we know as routine.

A quick curtsy to the mirror in order to rinse-off reveals phone screen flickering with digital numerals; 8:45! A momentary panic ensues. What conspired last night to summon me this early? A Tuesday unveiling itself revealed the answer - today was my prerogative to breathe life into my workplace's business day.

Draped in a towel - my makeshift robe of the early riser - I stepped into the sanctuary of my bedroom to clothe myself in the ensemble of day-to-day grind. A diversion from the task at hand materialized as a radiant glow from a corner of the room. Investigating, I uncovered a box atop my dresser; a contraption of pure white emblazoned with letters in gold reading "Ark of Eden."

Beads of nervous uncertainty began to sprout, the anxiety stemmed from the mystery of this boxs origin. Tailoring sensational stories of contrabands, illegal cash or perhaps a volatile explosive hidden within caused fear tighten its grip around me, threatening to choke rational thought.

Panic was interrupted by an uncanny sound intruding upon the intimate privacy of my living space- the telltale signs of a break-in! My confrontational shout, hurling cautionary questions at the unwelcome visitor, yielded only a brief hesitation in the perpetrator's efforts. The alien invader resumed his sacrilege with increased vehemence, leading to an intensification of my silent internal turmoil.

Yet another sound, this one emerging from within my confines, stole my attention away. It traced back to an arguably bewildering source - the very same mystical box that sparked these series of events!

Resolution began to uproot restraint, tempting me to tear apart the enigma gleaming before me when a sudden soft chirp rang from it, transcending the realm of my four walls to reach Sal, a voice Id known previously. But something wasn't right - he was addressing me as Daniel, a name I bore no allegiance to. His approach was defensive, a wordless pledge of non-confrontation reinforced by his elevated hands and pacifying words. Us seated on opposite ends of my bed felt surreal.

His calm inquiry and evaluation of me strayed into territories unfamiliar, lighting the spark of realisation; my outfit having transformed overnight into an animal hide ensemble, incongruous with yesterdays garb torn in the throes of day-to-day labor. The foreignness of Sals appearance matched my own, from his overgrown hair to distinguishable facial hair transformations to even an inexplicable gain in height.

Overwhelmed, I strategically chose this discursion down memory lane as my defense.

Rendered near-mute by startling revelations moonlighting as newfound realities, I gave in to the tidal wave of change sighted at dawn - from Sal's unanticipated resurrection, to us being together in an unnervingly familiar yet comprehensively foreign setting, and more importantly, the solitary conclusion being - could Sal be a celestial entity? An angel?

With shades of a prior conversation staining the present, I found myself asking him the same question, an echo of astonished disbelief accompanying 'Youre an angel, arent you?' Hopeful denial made for a second layer to this question; a plea to be spared the knowledge of Sal's celestial identity.

Let this tale, inspired by Joe Flicker, be a fitting tribute to his enduring spirit that remained undefeated despite a prolonged six-year battle against the menacing gliomatosis brain tumors. His journey ended on December 5th, 2017, may he find peace beyond the corporeal realm. Henceforth referred to as 'The Ark Of Eden', this narrative is committed to eternally commemorate his valiant fight.