As a teen he had had his own television show as a real-life psychic who helped police solve crimes. He sold his services to the public at the end of each episode, so he had the phone numbers and money of many lonely, emotionally fragile women on his cell, He was often seen then with that bluish electronic glow on his face as he texted his latest visions to his poor girlfriends.
But those were his glory days.
Now he shared his story with other fallen stars who had been celebrities as children and lost their grip on reality almost immediately. Now, here he was, in his dirty apartment, hungover, late for work, and slowly rubbing his temples as he wondered why he couldn’t have just slept forever.
He would find out later that day in the cold cereal aisle at Safeway.
Had he not needed to use the bathroom, he would have stayed in bed longer. With much effort he got up and shuffled toward the toilet where he sat a while, thinking foul, useless thoughts. He remembered hearing about a Kansas woman whose skin had grown around a toilet seat she had been sitting on for two years straight. Better to be safe than sorry, he thought. Slowly, very slowly he stood up, making sure that his butt cheeks gently unstuck themselves from the toilet seat.
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Desde jóven, él había tenido su show de televisión como psíquico forense en donde ayudaba a la policía resolver crímenes. Al final de cada programa anunciaba sus servicios al público y como resultado, poseía los teléfonos y el dinero de mujeres frágiles. En ese entonces, era común verlo irradiado de esa luz azul, electrónica y pálida mientras texteaba sus visiones a sus pobres novias.
Pero aquellos fueron sus días dorados.
Ahora compartía su historia con los demás estrellas caídas, que como niños artistas que tuvieron todo lo que quisieron, perdieron el suelo sólo para volverse a caer sobre la dura realidad. Mientras despertaba su cruda, moral y física, le hizo preguntarse por qué no pudo dormirse para siempre.
Encontraría su respuesta esa tarde en el área de los cereales de la Comercial Mexicana.
Si no fuera por su necesidad de ir al baño, se hubiera quedado más tiempo en su cama. Con mucho esfuerzo se paró y camino lentamente hacia el excusado donde se sentó un tiempo pensando cosas inútiles y desagradables. Lentamente se levantó, procurando que sus nalgas se despegaran suavemente desde el asiento. Un movimiento rápido podría arrancarle la piel, pensó.
