Layers

Contributed by iansharman on 04/03/10

Somewhere, off in the next room, Conscious could hear Collective Unconscious indulging in a rousing chorus of “Livin’ On A Prayer.” He sighed and sank down into the plush, leather armchair, tightly clutching the blue glass which was now half full of Coke. Opposite him, sprawled in a leisurely manner, sat Subconscious, an unsettling grin playing across his lips. Off to one side, passed out, and almost slipping off his chair, slumped Unconscious. The three of them had retired to this more peaceful corner of the house as the party had rumbled into the wee small hours of the morning.

“All I’m saying,” grinned Subconscious, “is that you need to stop being so damned paranoid, and accept that you’re generally well liked.”

“Oh, oh, sure,” replied Conscious, “people seem to like me, but deep down it’s all a sham, they’re just pretending.”

“What makes you think that?” asked Subconscious, taking a swig of Coke from a clear glass, which Conscious suspected was laced with something a little harder.

“Past experience,” Conscious frowned, “you were there, you know what happened. Remember? Lots of people claiming to be my friends, and yet the stabbing of the back, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera… Just because you’re paranoid, don’t mean they’re not after you.”

“Nirvana lyrics?” scoffed Subconscious. “You’re really going to quote Nirvana lyrics to back up your argument? Yes, I was there, you weren’t exactly being honest with everyone either, you weren’t exactly being true to yourself. Why do you hold other people to ideals which you yourself refuse to live up to?”

“Stop making good points, do you know how annoying it is? Besides, I thought I was doing the right thing.” Conscious got up to refill his glass, nudging Unconscious as he squeezed past.

“Parfait…everybody likes parfait…” mumbled Unconscious, as he tried to get back to sleep.

“I think it’s simpler than that, anyway,” continued Subconscious, “I think you think everybody hates you because, deep down you hate everyone. You’re just projecting your own views onto everyone else.”

“I resemble that remark!” exclaimed Unconscious, before sliding back into oblivion.

“What? Why do I hate everyone?” protested Conscious.

“Because you think you’re better than them!” Subconscious replied.

Just then Ego popped his head around the door, screamed “Damn right, you’re awesome!” and left again, leaving everyone a little startled. Conscious’s phone bleeped, and he struggled to fish it out of his pocket to check the message.

“Oh, good grief,” sighed Subconscious, “we all know you’ve got an iPhone, no-one’s impressed. Who’s it from?”

“It’s from Id, he keeps sending me these really disturbing picture messages,” frowned Conscious.

“They’re not of fluffy bunnies, are they?” asked Subconscious.

“No, why would they be of bunnies?” Conscious replied, not looking him in the eye. “I like bunnies, is that okay? Is that a crime? Am I not allowed to like bunnies or something?”

“Did I touch a nerve?” laughed Subconscious. “Anyway, as I was saying, you look at everyone else with contempt.”

“That’s just simply not true, you’re generalising and oversimplifying. You can’t make such a broad statement about my opinion of everyone else on the face of the planet!” argued Conscious.

“No, you’re right, I was just being annoying,” smiled Subconscious.

“I hate you.”

“See…I knew it…classic case of self loathing…you ought to see a therapist…”