A world where everyone is a unique blend of other people

Max was the world’s collective unconscious, and every time he had a dream he got to see what other people were thinking of. Max woke up to the sound of his mother calling from the kitchen, so he shuffled on over to see what she was making for them today. <br><br>When he opened the door she said, “Oh, Max! Good morning, darling! I’ve made pancakes! Would you like some?”. She then said in a whisper, “I’m going to miss you when you leave for college. It seems like just yesterday you were born.” She had a small tear in her eye, so Max hugged her. “It’ll be okay, mom. I’ll call you all the time.” <br><br>He sat down, and as he was about to take his first bite he had a vision of what everyone in the room looked like underneath their skin. They were all unique blends of each other. Max saw his father’s face on his mother, his mother’s hair on his father, his best friend’s eyes on the mailman. The only person who didn’t look like anyone else in the room was Max. He looked like a unique blend of people Max had never met before. Max was confused, and so he decided to ask his friend Timmy about it when he got to school. <br><br>At lunch time, Max walked over to Timmy and asked him, “What do you look like underneath your skin?”. Timmy looked at Max with confusion, then said, “You want to know what I look like underneath my skin? Of course not. Why would you want to know that?” Max thought of a way to ask the question he wanted to ask without alarming Timmy, so he said, “Well, I had a dream last night where I saw my mom crying because she was going to miss me when I leave for college.” Timmy looked confused again and said, “I’m sorry, man. That doesn’t make sense.” Max then said, “Well, I saw you in the dream crying with my mom.” Timmy laughed and said, “Ha! Why would I be crying with your mom? I don’t even like your mom! What’s for lunch today?” <br><br>Max tried asking Timmy about his appearance under his skin a few more times, but Timmy kept dodging the question, so Max gave up. Timmy went back to his normal self when Max wasn’t looking at him. Max felt confused and frustrated because he couldn’t seem to get an answer out of Timmy. The day went by with Max trying to ask everyone he met about what they looked like underneath their skin. <br><br>Everyone Timmy associated with kept dodging his questions or acted confused when he asked. Max couldn’t seem to get anyone to answer his question. When Max went back home he found his mom in tears again. This time she was crying about her father passing away. Max knew that his dad wouldn’t like seeing his mom so sad, so he decided to go talk to his dad about it. <br><br>Max went into his dad’s study to ask him what he thought of his mother crying so much lately. He saw his father sitting in a leather chair, reading a book. When Max approached him he had the same vision of everyone he looked at having a unique blend of characteristics from other people he knew. Max decided to ask his father about what he looked like underneath his skin, just to see if anyone would answer. <br><br>Max asked, “What do you think of my mother crying so much lately? I don’t think your health can take seeing her cry so much.” His father put the book he was reading down, looked at Max, then said, “Well, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Max asked, “You don’t know what I’m talking about? Your wife is crying all the time. Do you not think that’s abnormal?” His father said, “Normal? Abnormal? What are you even talking about, boy?” Max asked, “I’m talking about your wife crying all the time! Do you not think that’s abnormal? You’re not even concerned about her health?” Max’s father looked at him and said, “Max, what’s wrong with you? You’re scaring me.” Max’s father then got up and walked out of his study. <br><br>Max was frustrated that no one seemed to be able to answer any of his questions. He decided he needed a change of scenery so he went for a walk. He walked by the park where children were playing. He saw a little girl who couldn’t be more than five years old, playing all by herself. Max decided he wanted to meet her and see if she would answer any of his questions. He walked on over and introduced himself. He asked the little girl what she liked doing for fun, and she said she liked climbing trees and reading books. <br><br>Max then decided to ask her about what she looked like underneath her skin. She looked at Max and said, “Well, Max. What I look like underneath my skin is you.” Max was surprised and asked her why she said that. She said, “Well, my mom and dad said that you’re a unique blend of people you’ve never met before.” Max asked, “They said that about me? What else did they say about me? What do they look like underneath their skin?” The little girl said, “Your dad said he doesn’t know what you look like underneath your skin because you don’t exist. You’re a dream he had once.” Max was shocked at what he heard and asked, “What do my parents look like underneath their skins?” She said, “Your mom looks like my uncle and your dad looks like your grandpa.” <br><br>Max thanked the little girl and walked away. Max couldn’t believe that his parents didn’t exist and that everyone he met didn’t exist. Max couldn’t even believe he existed. Max couldn’t take it anymore so he decided to go see a psychiatrist. He couldn’t believe his own eyes, and he couldn’t believe anyone else’s eyes. Max went to the psychiatrist and told him everything that was happening to him. <br><br>Max said, “Everyone I meet is a blend of characteristics from other people.” The psychiatrist said, “That’s interesting, Max. Do you think that could be a result of something you ate or drank?” Max said, “No, it’s more than that.” The psychiatrist asked, “How is it more than that?” Max said, “Everyone I meet is a blend of characteristics from other people, but what I really can’t believe is that they don’t exist.” The psychiatrist asked, “What do you mean by that, Max?” Max said, “They’re all just a dream. They don’t exist at all.” The psychiatrist said, “That’s quite an interesting notion you have there, Max. Well, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with you. I think you just have vivid imagination.” Max asked, “You think I just have vivid imagination? What do you look like underneath your skin?” The psychiatrist laughed and said, “I don’t look like anything underneath my skin.” <br><br>Max walked away from the psychiatrist’s office feeling confused and frustrated. He couldn’t believe that he was the only one who knew the truth. Max couldn’t even believe the truth he knew himself. Max couldn’t even believe if he existed or not. He couldn’t believe if anything he saw existed or not. He couldn’t believe if anything he felt existed or not. Max couldn’t believe anything he saw, felt, or heard. Max couldn’t even believe himself. He couldn’t believe anything. Max felt lost, confused, and alone.