When They Sleep

DRAMA: AN AURAL EXPERIENCE™ Episode 6: When They Sleep. Please wear headphones for the best experience.

Most normal people do their laundry at a reasonable time. Sunday 4:15 Just before starting dinner. I do my laundry late at night. It was two in the morning.

The elevator doors opened and I dragged my two colorful bags to the laundry room. I had this recurring lower back problem problems, so I avoided lifting anything. Nothing worked for my back.

Arnica, biofreeze, acupuncture, massages, Rolfing. I tried everything. I sorted the clothes and started the washing machines. The noise of water rushing filled the room. Chorus of washing machines.

I love that noise. I think the reason I don't mind doing laundry is because I get to hear that noise.

I slowly lifted the machine covers and poured detergent in into each one. When I got to the last machine, I picked up the jar of bleach and began to pour. Out of nowhere a man seemed to come up next to me.

He was well dressed in black and white with a sort of bowler hat. I figured he was one of the Orthodox Jewish husbands in my building. But why was he up so late?

The strange thing was that he didn't come from behind me, but almost beside me on an angle, as if he came through the metal gate. He wanted my attention. I could feel an urgency in the room but continued my laundry routine.

Just a minute, I said as I twisted the blue top onto the bleach bottle. I set it on my side and when I stood up, the man was gone.

The silence that surrounded me was less comforting than the r sound of water, so I slammed down the COVID of the machine in front of me. I did another take around the room, but no one was there. Rather than running upstairs, I made the decision to stay.

When I turned back to the machines, I felt a strong cold hand on the small of my back. I closed my eyes and stood still. The intense sensation rippled up my spine. This feeling lasted less than 30 seconds and then stopped.

I stood up straight and looked around the room again. As I turned back to my laundry, I reached down to my back and didn't feel any pain.

I got everything into the machines and as I shut each one, the sound of water grew loud with great intensity. I picked up the bleach and detergent bottles and headed towards the elevator and stopped, turned around and thank you and headed back upstairs.

My back pain had gone away.

DRAMA: AN AURAL EXPERIENCE™ Episode 6: When They Sleep Starring Dara Kramer, Written by Jeffrey James Keys Original Score by Manuel Pelayo and Giancarlo Bonfonte, Marketing Director Madeline Cochorin Associate producer Matthew Solomon Directed, executive produced, edited, and engineered by Aaron Salazar.