2046

[Bomby]

After the disappointment that was Emily, I became lost in the world, and full of questions. After wandering about aimlessly in Milwaukee, I remembered 2046. 2046 is where I would find all the answers.

I saw the numbers when I returned, and felt a strange comfort within. "Is room 2046 open?" I asked the landlord. "Well, nobody's living there right now," he replied, "but the room is being remodeled right now. 2047 is open, though. What's the significance of 2046 to you, anyways?"

"It's just a number that brings back good memories."

"I'll tell you what, how about you move into 2047, and when 2046 is done being remodeled, you can switch rooms."

"Works for me."

It didn't take me long to figure out why 2046 was being remodeled. In fact, it was only a matter of putting two and two together.

A baby had been delivered there, by a young woman named Rachel. While they thought the delivery was going to be clean and smooth, it was a complete mess. Ironically, I was the one who brought the woman to that room. No, the baby was not mine.

She and I were good friends from working together. The truth is, I never saw how much I cared about her until she started dating the future father of her child. I wasn't mad, though; I liked her boyfriend. He was a good guy. I did feel a bit disappointed to see them together, but I tried not to make anything of it. Despite all this, talking to her would usually be the highlight of my day.

I did drop Rachel off at 2046 that night, but I left before the baby decided it was time to begin life. Was there regret? I guess so. I knew I loved her, but maybe I wasn't in love with her. Or was I? Either way, I would be unable to speak these feelings without causing a rift.

By the time 2046 was completely remodeled, I had gotten used to 2047, and decided to stay there instead of switching rooms.

The first person to move into 2046 after the remodeling was a young woman named Stephanie. We had connected for a bit, since we had some similar interests. But other than a few good conversations, that was as far as the relationship went. Before any sort of deeper relationship between us could really start, she left 2046. I was a bit saddened to see her go, but it didn't really affect me too much.

After Stephanie left, much to my surprise, Rachel had moved back in with her husband and daughter. She'd changed a lot since I'd last seen her. She no longer went out with her friends, and instead just stayed home with the baby, and fought with her husband. She really should've put the baby up for adoption, but she wanted to keep it.

I wanted to help, but I'm not Superman. Even if I was Superman, I still couldn't. She'd have to save herself from this situation she'd gotten herself into.

I was out getting CD-Rs one day at a Walgreens when I ran into a completely different Rachel, and I began to have flashbacks.

I had been really fond of this other Rachel, much like I used to be of the Rachel now residing in 2046. In fact, this Rachel and I had our own 2046 in a completely different apartment.

This Rachel was also involved with another man, who, much like the other Rachel, I actually got along with quite well. The main difference between the two Rachels is that I didn't get along with this one very well at first, but we eventually grew fond of each other.

I was living in room 2046 at the time. The two of us would meet there to write stories. We became close. I secretly wanted to be more than just someone for her to write with, but was unable to speak these feelings. When I was rejected by Emily, she was the first one to find out, and was the first one to really comfort me.

I had to leave 2046 not soon after Emily. Rachel did not leave with me. Sometimes I wonder if she'd wanted to.

It would be detrimental to the understanding of this story to not explain what had happened with Emily. I met her after the first Rachel had her baby and while the second Rachel and I were in a strangely close relationship. She was a very pretty girl, probably moreso than either of the Rachels. We would see each other while out and about, and joke around a bit. She kept my mind off the second Rachel. She was single, and since we got along, I figured I'd try to woo her.

After I was rejected, I spoke my feelings. We would not get along at all after this.

It took me until I got to 2047 to realize how little I knew Emily, especially compared to the Rachels. When I spoke my feelings to her, I thought the feelings I was speaking were meant for her. In fact, it was far from that.

You see, I had a lot of built up feelings stemming back from even before I had met the first Rachel. I was never able to speak these feelings for any of these women. I buried any romantic feelings I'd had deep down inside me, like a seed into fertile soil. With each woman passing through my life, my heart would cry tears, like rain falling from the sky, which caused the seeds to sprout into a flowers. Flowers that I shouldn't have given to Emily.

One night, while the first Rachel and her husband were fighting, I suddenly realized that 2046 was really none of my concerns. In 2047, I had the space to be rational. I'd decided to start writing a new screenplay, one that would capture the essence of the 1990's. I even imagined myself playing a role, of a young man who was in a relationship with a woman that had become completely boring and in need of rejuvenation. However, I was low on cash, and needed to take a day job in order to pay the rent, so I could stay in 2047.

I began to work at the local video store, which made sense given my passion for cinema and my desire to be a filmmaker. I don't think most of my coworkers were too fond of me, but I didn't care, given the easiness of the job.

Every night I would go back to my script with writer's block. I knew what I wanted to shoot, but I didn't know how to put it down on paper.

Strangely, inspiration came from a conversation with one of the few coworkers who I did get along with. He used to date the second Rachel, before I had even met her, and ironically was now dating her younger sister.

It reminded me of how the second Rachel had wanted to be an actress. Because her and I had been on good terms, I knew she would probably be more than happy to play one of the lead roles in the script if I were to actually shoot it. I began to imagine her as a young woman in a relationship with a man that had become completely boring and needed rejuvenation. She became somewhat of a muse for me.

Even though I'd only seen her once in the past year.
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Inspired by both my real life and the movie 2046, written and directed by Wong Kar Wai

[Demonicus Prime]

*sympathetic applause*

[Bomby]

It's a true story. 2046 and 2047 are metaphorical, but the relationships are 100% real.

Basically, the first 90% is for entertainment, the last 10% is the situation I'm in right now that I needed to vent.

[Godot]

...Um, wow. ... I'm speechless.

[Bomby]

Yay, I left someone speechless. That's good... I think...?