In which we have the story! Joey and the Time.

Time stands still at moments, one example of it: Joey waits for his doctor appointment. Time stands still, Joey is painfully aware of it, as it seems it will never be your turn to be attended. He brought a book, but he really does not feel like reading. Actually, reading makes him aware that time stands still. He has a phone, but nothing happens in the internet, making him aware that time stands still. 

No one to talk to at that doctor office, plaster walls carefully crafted, painted in different shades of white, make him yawn in boredom. His mind is in different colors but white, he have tried to study the paintings on the walls, no use, contemporary art makes him bored even more. People underestimate boredom, how powerful of an incentive it is, some people, when bored, stand still, some however, take this and turn it into energy to find something new to make. Joey is quite a figure, he has a bullet hat, tiny glasses on the top of his nose. A powerful beard he so proudly displays, everything about him screams for interactions with other humans, some action, something interesting. That's the opposite of what he's seeing at this beacon of boredom, he looks at his clock, and looks again. He's number 3. Still waiting, forever.

The thought of forever in his mind, made him realize he could not take any longer of this, he grabs his coat, on the nearby chair.

The attendant went to grab some water a while ago and never returned so far, no one to notice his absence. Quite sad, but the way to go at that precise moment, Joey put his coats on, takes his tiny glasses off and puts his driver glasses on. It's an age of information, but Joey likes to wear it for fun, when he drives in his car. 

He crosses the town on his vehicle, there is no one to be seen in the street, so early in the morning it is. The sun barely set foot in his world yet, Joey is young and so is the day, so much he could do, many places to go, he drives fast, looking at the buildings around him, boring looking city, boxes and concrete everywhere, so unlike his hometown, filled with neogothic houses that he'd love to see when a little lad. Around him, more and more of the same, it's not so boring anymore, quite hypnotic, he keeps on going. No song on his radio, only his thoughts, the time, and the landscape.

After a while, grey becomes green, and trees surround him, first some, then many, then a whole forest. Greens of every sort, and it goes and goes, on and on, as the time, it stands still. Joey likes to overdress, he likes to make friends with everyone he meets and loves them even if talking to them for only a few minutes. Joey likes to go out to pizza places on Sundays and likes to sleep early nights on Mondays. He loves doing grocery shopping and look at all the beautiful products on the shelves, so beautifully arranged.

Suddenly, the driving stops, he comes by a giant fence, extending miles in each direction, there is a gate at his front, closed. A doorman comes:

"Halt! Who comes there?"

"I'm Joey, kind sir, who are you?"

"I'm the doorman of this place! I presume you have no permission to come inside, I suggest you turn around, this place is one where people don't like to be bothered"

"I'm not here to bother people, I'm just exploring! Seeing new places!"

"Go explore somewhere else, sir"

"I trust the gentleman, let him in Sir" Said a man with a beautiful ginger beard shining under the morning sun.

"Monsieur, are you sure?"

"Let him in"

The doorman, very suspicious, open the door. Joey don't start his car just yet.

"Who are you, kind gentleman?"

"I'm monsieur Seals, and I'm to request a favor, please drive me safely back home, I ended up walking too much away from my house and now I'm too tired to walk back, help me, if you please."

"It's the least I can do, come inside"

Monsieur Seals, a very tall individual, with a blonde hair with touches of ginger, enter on the car and Joey enters on the mysterious location.

"Monsieur Seals, what makes you trust me so much? We don't know each other, and yet you requested my support!"

"I have nothing to lose, sir. I've been walking for miles and miles until I got too distant from my home, and then kept on walking. I'm exhausted in so many ways"

"In what ways can you be exhausted, Seals?"

"My life is a burden to me, nothing really matters anymore, I have no friends, no one to talk to, I live alone at my house, my routine is just the same, food comes, drink goes, everything tastes the same, time stand still."

"Don't be like that, Seals, life is beautiful, and it matters, tell me, why do you feel that way?"

"My cat ran away from my house days ago, my only daughter went to look for him and hasn't returned since! I'm so alone and at despair, I wish to have them back! My wife went to look for them also went missing, why does this place have to be so huge?" As Joey kept on driving, he could notice the place was like a long plaza, filled with arcs, columns, gardens, flowers, and huge houses at each side of the large brick road, with trees on the horizon.

"I'm sorry for this Seals, I don't want to see you that way, you trusted me for a reason, this matters to me! Without your help I wouldn't be on this beautiful place. You have a friend now, and that person is me!"

"Thank you sir, but I just want to get to my house and sleep more and more."

"I hope your wife, daughter and cat comes back to you soon, but don't lose hope on life just yet, go one step at a time, make yourself some coffee, you will be happy you did, brush your teeth when you wake up and when you're about to sleep, those small steps of your day make your life have rhythm. Motion helps your life go on, my friend. You will smile again."

"Sir, I lost my wife, my cat, and my daughter"

"I don't say I understand your pain, but I don't want to see you that way, you will smile again, not now but soon, believe on that. This place is finite and anything can happen, your dearest ones may come back soon one day! I don't want to give you false hope, but this is true! And even if they never come back, life keeps on going, I know it sounds brutal, but it's not, believe me! It's not, because as life goes on, beautiful things happen too, happiness is to be found again and you will be smiling once more sir, Monsieur Seals"

"Thank you for the words. What is your name, gentleman?"

"I'm Joey, and I'm glad to assist you, let's get you back home, where is your house?"

"We're close now"

"I can see why you wanted my help, this place is huge, is this place finite after all?"

"Sometimes I wonder that myself, you see why I'm so desperate? How can I know my dearest ones are ever to come back?!"

"I have a feeling they will, I know this means nothing, but I do"

"There, my house is there"

Monsieur appointed to a beautiful brick residence next to the road, Joey stopped the car so he could go out.

"One step at a time, Monsieur, don't do anything I wouldn't do and make sure you don't get lost yourself, you are not lost in your mind, we have that to begin with, I can feel hope inside of you."

"Don't you want to come inside? I can make yourself some coffee"

"Sure, I can't see why not, thank you Monsieur"

Joey went inside the huge home, seeing everything with his restless eyes, he loved every detail of that residence.

"You live in such a beautiful place, I know right now this doesn't matter, but that's a reason to rejoice monsieur"

Joey kept on talking on how good life can be, even if it keeps on being so harsh, and Monsieur, after drinking your mug of coffee, just listened and layed on the couch next to Joey's comfy chair. He was crying, but he listened. 

"How do you find yourself with so many reasons to smile, Joey?"

"Well, I have been through a journey myself, it teaches how to smile, those journeys, right now you are just going through one, this is how I know you'll smile again"

"My dearests have been gone for three days and my life is in shambles already, how do you know?"

"You are going through your own journey, sir, you will soon find the light at the end of the tunnel"

They kept on talking, and Seals ceased on crying, he dried up his tears, took a medication for headache and thanked Joey for all his kindness.

"I am happy I let you in this place, you helped me Joey, and I'm grateful"

"Hopefully we'll meet again on better moments, Monsieur, I bid you farewell!"

Monsieur watched as Joey kept on going his way, he was at the door and sat down.

Joey kept on seeing the houses around him, so beautiful they were. He was sure Monsieur would be happy again someday, he could feel his wife and daughter were close nearby also, and things would work out well. After a long while driving, he got to another gate, and this time this doorman opened it to him without many questions. Trees and more trees around him, then he returned to the boring city, so unlike his hometown, but Joey was smiling, he was happy. 

On a weird loop, he returned to the clinic he was in, he parked the car, took off his driver's glasses. Walking by, he could see the attendant had returned, when she saw him, said

"The doctor will see you now, Mr."

...