"I need to clear my head!" he said, frustrated. He left his home, got into his van, and drove off. He had another argument with his wife. "Just talk to me!" she would say. Every time he spoke his mind, it made things worse. Over the last 5 years, he had grown more quiet, and more depressed. He had no good memories, though he was sure there had been good times. He was stressed about work, money, and the house. He was stuck, he couldn't get ahead, no matter how hard he tried. He hated himself for yelling, for always saying the wrong things. She deserved better.
As he was driving, he wondered where he should go, if he should even go. He should just go home, apologize, and tell himself he should do better. Suddenly, a memory appeared, one of an old oak tree in a grassy knoll. He knew this place from when he was a teenager. It was the head of a colossus, long since buried in the Earth. It was a gravesite. He smiled. It was 20 minutes away. He set off on an adventure, one long overdue.
He was excited. He rarely remembered good things from his past, especially from so long ago. It felt like a sign. He walked up the familiar path, glad that this area had remained undeveloped. As he got to the top, he saw it. That beautiful colossus, in the center of an empty field, just like he remembered. He walked up to the tree, and sat down with his back against it. Listening to the breeze, his eyes watched the blades of grass dance. Something caught his eye, something new that wasn't there before.
It was a flower. Purple and green. It glittered in the sunlight. Stop and smell the flowers, he thought. He could not remember having that thought before. Why not, he thought. He walked over, bent down, and smelled the flower. The smell was pungent. "My God!" he said "I was expecting something fruity." He stood up, admiring the landscape. He smiled, slowly at first, until he was grinning from ear to ear. He began to chuckle, which turned into laughing. He was laughing! It felt so natural, when was the last time he had laughed like this? He couldn't stop, and he didn't want to. He wanted to feel this way forever.
His mind began to race. He could clearly see what his problems were. He was taking life to seriously! He didn't need to be serious all the time, he could be happy instead! He would go home, give his wife and kids a hug, and tell them he loved them soooo much. That was the answer, it was so simple! Why had he not thought of it before?
Why had he not thought of it before?
Hold on, he thought, what's going on? He had not felt this way in over 5 years. Of course he had tried telling his family that he loved them. Everything he said and did was to try and prove that. His feelings never lined up with the words, and this had caused him a great amount of sadness. What changed? He saw flashes of purple and green sparks in front of him. "What the hell!" he exclaimed, rubbing his eyes. "I could hear those sparks...am I not alone?" He looked around him. There was nothing near him, except the colossus, and...the purple and green flower.
Was it that simple? he thought. Could this flower be the key to his happiness? How was this possible? He sniffed the flower again. An impossibly large grin returned to his face. "Holy shit!" he proclaimed "This flower must have some special properties." Thoughts raced through his mind. Was this a secret government project? Did aliens plant this? Had he lost his mind? An ethereal voice spoke to him "The flower has decided that you are special, and that you deserve to be happy. You are meant for greater things. You do not need to change anything to be happy, simply take the flower home with you." That was good enough for him. He picked up the flower, took another sniff, then headed home.
"Where have you been?" his wife said as he walked in the door. He had forgotten she was upset, he had felt elated for the past hour. He replied "I went to visit an old oak tree, and I found a flower that makes me happy when I smell it. See?" he said as he presented the flower to her, feeling confident she would see his happiness and respond in turn. "This...isnt right" she said "This isnt normal, something is...wrong with you. You need to go to the hospital."
He laughed. "The hospital? For feeling happy? That's crazy. I want to hug you. I want to hug the kids. I want to play games and laugh and smile. Im finally the person you've always wanted me to be. I love you." She took a step back. "Not like this, there's something wrong with you. You cannot see me or the kids. You have two choices: either you go to the hospital, or I'm calling the police." she said fearfully. He was stunned. He was just happy. Why would she try and take that from him? Does she not care? Still grinning, he said "I'm not going anywhere. I'm finally happy, you'll realize soon enough that this is a good thing." He went to go and find the kids, and she called the police.
Two officers had arrived, and one knocked on the door. The wife answered, looking terrified. They could hear yelling from inside. It was the husband, ranting about time. "I need to leave so I can get a new tablet so I can get my time back!" he yelled. The wife said "Please, my children are terrified, he found a strange flower and won't stop yelling! He needs to go to the hospital!"
"Please sir, come with us, we will take you to get checked out." one of the officers said. The husband thought for a moment. "You know what?" he said, moving towards his wife "We need to start over. I need to kill her, and myself, so that we can have a fresh start." Horrified, the other officer pulled out his weapon, and aimed it at him. "Stand down, step away from her!" he bellowed. "You are clearly unwell. I'm giving you a choice: you go to the hospital in the back of my cruiser, or in the back of an ambulance." The man thought about this, then grinned maniacly and said "I'll take the taxi!"
At the hospital, the man met with a psychiatrist. Of all the questions asked, one stood out. "Do you believe you're are God?" she asked. Matter of factly, the man said "Yes." The psychiatrist replied "You have a mental health disorder. We are going to give you some medications to stabilize you." He was taken to an octagonal room with a mattress on the floor. He was left alone for hours, hallucinating sights and sounds. The flowers effect had finally worn off, and he was left with the guilt and shame of what he had done. Regardless, the man could only think of one thing. He would do anything to sniff that flower again.