Wouldn't Dad Be Proud?

A Story by lost sock

Response to the prompt "After more than twenty years, a man finally solves the Rubik's Cube he got in high school."

'Since you're so smart now, figure this one out,' had been his father's words upon handing him the graduation gift. Brian smirked at the memory, knowing his dad had had no faith in him completing that task.

Top layer, left... Right layer, up...

His breaths came out quicker and shallower with each twist. This was it.

Left layer, down... and bottom layer, right!

He flipped the Rubik's Cube around and viewed it from all angles, then thrust his fists in the air with a big long, “WHOOO!!”

And you thought I couldn't do it, Dad! His hand immediately flew to the telephone perched beside him, the one that was always ready for the moment that had finally arrived. After eagerly punching in his parents' phone number, he sat and waited. And waited.

Not ringing.

With a frown, he hung up, then tried again.

No dial tone either. Huh. That was when Brian noticed how dark it was. He shuffled across the room, tripping over a few unidentifiable objects, then played with the light switch. Up, down, up, down. Each click was just as unproductive as the last.

What the...?

He headed back to the abandoned cube, as if it held all the answers, but stopped short. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw what appeared to be a mess of long, tangled hair.

Dude, who let the caveman in?

He turned to get a better look, and found that the mop was accompanied by a tangled beard equal in length, and filthy, wrinkled clothes. He also realized that he was looking in a mirror.

Oh.

Wondering what else had passed by him unnoticed, he took his first good look at the room. Everything was coated in dust and cobwebs, there was an enormous pile of bills shoved under the door, a dark green substance was growing in at least four places that he could see, and resting by the stain-covered couch was a bowl containing what appeared to be a dead goldfish.

“Oops.”