[m]two

Richard caught himself staring. Although there were no people involved this time, he quickly stopped himself. He always tried to practice the “it’s impolite to stare” rule, and even when it didn’t seem that necessary, he knew that how he practiced it – even a little – would affect how he lived it.

What he had been staring at was a very, very foreign landscape. One filled with strange craters, hills, and valleys of a strange, grey rock.

The more Richard thought about it, the more he realized where he was.

It was the moon.

Richard decided that this was one time it was okay to break his staring rule. He just couldn’t figure out how, if he was on the moon, he could possibly be breathing. There wasn’t enough atmosphere on the moon for humans – or any other living thing known to man, for that matter – and he wasn’t wearing any sort of breathing apparatus, as far he could tell.

No matter how much he turned it over and over in his mind – much like he did with the problems he handled for work – he couldn’t figure it out. Maybe his friends had moved him to the woods, and then set up a picture just outside the window? He peered at the edges of the window, trying to see where the picture ended. He couldn’t. If it was a picture, than it was very large one. Maybe it was some sort of hologram? No, none of his friends was dedicated enough – or smart enough – to set up something that elaborate. Heck, they didn’t even have enough money for that…or for a giant picture of the moon either.

Richard started at the realization of having used the word “heck.” He never swore, and although “heck” wasn’t really a swear word, he still felt uncomfortable using it. He quickly brushed the thought aside.

He realized the environment he was in was far too desolate to be a reproduction. There was no noise, no movement outside, no anything. Maybe he was dreaming? He clenched his eyes really tight and tried to wake himself up. He opened them again. Nope, the moonscape was still there, staring right back at him. This was definitely real. But how?

Richard got back on the bed and laid on his back, staring at the ceiling. Well. What now? He could stay there until someone showed up, but if he was on the moon, that was pretty unlikely. Waking up in a cabin on the moon in one’s own bed was pretty unlikely too, though, so he decided to give it a couple hours. But what should he do during that time?

Richard looked around the room again. He suddenly realized that everything, except for the whole cabin-on-the-moon part, was exactly like his bedroom back at home – the dresser, the closet, and the random clothes left on the floor. Looking at the small mess on the floor, he decided that he would begin the work of reorganizing his room. This was a project he had been wanting to undertake for quite some time, and although the alien landscape would make it feel rather strange, he was glad for the opportunity to get it done. He was especially glad that it was Saturday, and he wouldn’t miss any time at work.