I can't sleep (Story Prompt for Wednesday)

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Long day at work. Very productive, but also very tiring. My body craves a good night's sleep after a hearty meal.

So, I lie down in bed and close my eyes.

My eyes are closed, the room is dark. I should be falling asleep. But I'm not.

Because.....

"Did I lock the front door?"

An inner voice asks.

To this another voice replies "who cares? This building is safe!".

The first voice shoots back "what if a serial killer breaks in and chops you up into tiny little pieces and stores those pieces in your own freezer?"

Fine.

I get out of bed and check the front door. It's locked.

I get back in bed and try to fall asleep.

No luck. Suddenly I remember that funny post I made on X.

I wonder if it has any likes.

I reach for my phone and open the X app.

I'm thrilled to see that I have 168 notifications. And most of them are from my funny post.

Does 188 likes, 28 reposts and 11 quote posts count as a "Hit post"?

I'll ask the group chat.

Most of the other members are in different time zones. They're wide awake and are happy to engage with me. The overall consensus is that yes, this is indeed a hit post.

I thank everyone and close the app.

Time to sleep.

Time to sleep....

"Have they announced the release date for The Batman 2 yet?" The voice asks.

I must check.

I ask Google and it tells me the movie will probably come out in October 2026.

Wow! That's far away. They must really be cooking up something good.

I put the phone down and get under the covers again.

Must sleep.

But..... where are my arms supposed to go?

On my sides? No, they start to feel uncomfortable after a while.

Folded? No! Who can sleep that way?

OK. I'll sleep on my side.

But which side is more comfortable?

The right side makes my head hurt. But the left side just feels wired.

I lie on my back again and place a small pillow under my right bicep.

There! That's comfortable.

Now it's time to sleep.

Eyes closed, warm and comfy and.....

"Which country has the lowest per capita income?"

WHAT???

"You heard me." The voice is shameless!

Can't sleep unless I know.

So I Google it and find out it's Burundi.

And the highest?

Well, that's Luxembourg.

OK, I'm done now. Now I'm going to sleep.

Eyes closed. Eyes closed....

I can't fall asleep!

What the hell happened?

I was tired and sleep deprived. I should be fast asleep right now. What's wrong with my brain?

Do I count sheep?

OK, I'll try.

I lost count after 43 sheep and this annoys me. The annoyance makes me even less able to sleep.

I toss and turn. And in my tossing and turning I glance at the clock.

It's three in the morning! How did that happen?

I'll have to get up at six-thirty. If I fall asleep now, I'll get one three and a half hour of sleep.

Eventually, I do doze off.

My slumber is interrupted by the shrill sound of the alarm.

It's morning already?

I couldn't sleep much. Now I'll be groggy and grumpy all day.

The humanity!!