Dimensia

by Steven Thornton, Jr

  Chapter: Thirteen.

  Concluding the first of many conversations, we had conceived a plan. Our brink of Google (genius) was to drive to Columbia, which was only a few short hours away. My medical condition discouraged driving long distances, but we decided that we had to. In regards to my prognosis, I had stopped taking the pills, so that wasn't going to be a problem. I actually kind of enjoyed not being numb to everything. In the car, we took off driving north towards Columbia. The drive felt peaceful and exhilarating. Towns came and passed as pictures played before my eyes of scenes I had always regrettably overlooked. We listened to Wild Beasts and I felt the cool night air pass and howl in the dark as if it was searching for listeners. Chance and I spoke of past relations and shared stories about growing up as if it were something different, as if it were yesterday. For the first time in sometime, I was conscious of the world around me and able to kick back and relax. I was actually existing rather than just living in a daze or going through everyday motions. I felt that I no longer had to worry about being terrorized or having to hide.

  Soon after we arrived in Columbia. I took him by my old dig (apartment), which was a bit emotional in the fact that I had just recently lived there. Not to omit the fact of the one time neighbor/girlfriend/love of my life, which I missed badly. We then headed for the lab. At this point it was nearing eight o'clock in the evening. I hoped that Dr. Scott would be there. Drawing from intuition and circumstances surrounding our last encounter, I recalled it was around the same time as I pulled into the parking lot. To my relief I noticed Doctor Scott's Lexus SUV was the only car parked in the parking lot. As an anxious feeing set in as I coasted my car to a parking space and killed the engine. Chance and I sat comfortably in the car for a couple of minutes. Neither of us spoke but instead, thought. After a few minutes we decided to exit the car and started our trek to the top of the hill where the lab was located. Upon arrival, we grabbed a seat on the concrete bench that was positioned in front of the building. It was a chilly, thirty-degree evening in the heart of Missouri. As minutes passed we grew increasingly tired of the scenery. I jumped inside the building using my talent and located Dr. Scott sitting at his desk. Wham!! Bam!! Pow!! The plan! The plan was to ask questions and find out what exactly we were getting into. We were thinking that if the next dimension were time travel, then maybe I could go back in time and try to stop myself from looking into dimensions in the fist place, thus enabling me to have a somewhat normal life.

  Jumping back to my current position, I looked down at my phone which read eight-thirty p.m. I realized that we had been waiting for half an hour as the cold temperature began to set in. I pumped my legs in hopes of keeping my blood circulating. Just as snow began to fall, I glanced up to see Dr. Scott heading toward us. I quickly stood and approached him as the snow began to fall heavily. I raised the hood of my coat over my head as Dr. Scott raised a newspaper to block the falling snow. Walking against the wind, I yelled out his name, but received no response.

  "Dr. Scott," I yelled, thirty feet off, only this time louder than the previous attempt. When Dr. Scott turned in my direction, I smiled and waved cordially. A few seconds later, our paths intersected and I reached out and shook his hand.

  "Well, did you make any progress mate?" he asked in his Aussie accent.

  "Yes, it's true, everything you said," I replied, having to speak loudly due to the circumstances of the weather as he smiled exuberantly.

  "Like buggery. Would you like to grab some coffee?" he asked.

  "No, I don't believe in kangaroos," I replied with a smile as he placed his arm over my right shoulder and we continued to walk.

  "I would love to hear your take on the dimension," he said. As he smiled pleasantly we entered our cars. Moments later we were at a local coffee house. Arriving at the location, Chance and I headed inside and grabbed a seat at an empty table that could seat four comfortably. We scanned the establishment and I noticed the wait staff consisted of a couple of cute chicks. I assumed that they were in college. Seconds later, Dr. Scott entered and approached our table, absorbing the seat across the table, sitting directly on top of Chance. I laughed as Chance expressed a frustrated look and stood. After ordering our drinks from one of the cute waitresses, Dr. Scott opened conversation as he disrobes his jacket.

  "Well, what is it like?" Dr. Scott asked excitedly.

  "Well, besides everyone thinking I'm crazy, including the family shrink, it's gotten better." This invoked a smile from Dr. Scott.

  "Can you see things? I mean supernatural things?" Dr. Scott asked, eager to hear my response.

  "Yes."

  "Jingoes! You beut! Do you see anything here, now?" he asked as I sensed urgency in his voice.

  "Sixteen." I said, as Dr. Scott assumed counting the occupants of the diner, and then turned to look at me while wearing a sideways expression on his face. He leaned forward on his forearms at an acute angle.

  "I count nine," as I grinned in response.

  "At nighttime they come out more," I said.

  "How are you are able to be somewhat civil while seeing this absurdity?" I then explained how it had almost gotten the best of me, and followed with explaining Chance's role.

  "Is he here now?" I heard excitement in his voice and saw enthusiasm in his eyes. I located Chance, who had a way of drifting off but was standing behind the Dr. extending a pair of bunny ears.

  "Yes, he is giving you bunny ears as we speak." I laughed.

  "Fascinating! Absolutely stupendous!" he said in a manner that reminded me of a kid in a candy store as he turned back to look.

  "Great work Fisher. I commend you and thank-you for enlightening me," he said.

  "No problem, I'm actually here for the next dimension or your knowledge of it," I said as I leaned in toward Dr. Scott.

  "Well Fisher, you are as far as modern science has prevailed, actually, a little further seeing as you have a friend to guide you on your journey. We have theories, speculations, but nothing concrete. We believe that the next dimension will hold the key to time travel and wormholes perhaps. Unfortunately my friend," as he took a brief pause, sighed, and while dazing out the window continued,

  "It's something I will never see materialize." he hung his head as if in defeat. I read his energy and replied,

  "What are you talking about?"

  "Well, the plug has been pulled on our research as the investors see no potential materialization. Naturally, they think we are mad and wasting their precious time and money. Our funding comes from certain affiliations of the government, but not openly affiliated naturally. When they say you're done, you're done. There is however, one thing I would like to ask of you."

  "Sure, what is it?" I replied hesitantly. As he reached into his wallet and began thumbing through a stack of business cards, he extended one toward me.

  "Will you call or write, and inform me of your findings? I could die a happy man to know," he said with a solemn look on his face.

  "Sure," I smiled in response.

  "I will, and I will give you my information, in case something should go wrong. I'll let you know before I go." He smiled, took a sip of his tea and wiped his mouth with a paper napkin.

  After about an hour of sharing stories and personal experiences, we finished our drinks, closed our conversation and parted ways. Sitting inside my car about to depart, I witnessed Dr. Scott walk toward his car as if all the life had been drained from him. It was definitely a change of pace from our previous encounters. I could tell that he was wondering about all the scenarios that will forever plague his mind. I felt sad and somewhat sorry for him as I watched him leave. Something about that moment struck a nerve in me. Shortly after, I started my car and began to drive off. I paid attention to hearing and observing life that was in the motion of its everyday routine. As I continued to drive, I listened to the world and felt like I understood my purpose for the firs
t time in my life. It was a pure moment of enlightenment. Life I realized is funny about certain things. We as humans are programmed in the process of domestication. All in order to think we need certain things, to strive for or achieve a certain platform. We think we will be happy if and when we get them. Perhaps it's the crack in the wall, but the irony that we are never satisfied but always searching for something more, new, better, or different. I felt, heard, and even smelled for the first time peace, with my newly discovered outlook. Well, not exactly different or new, but different and new to me. It was how I saw things. I guess the right word would be perspective. I looked around as I continued to drive and saw smiles on people's faces. I looked at drivers in their cars as they stared off in space, zoning out. I wondered what they were thinking or if they were thinking at all. I saw people looking at me and I could read their expressions and body language. In doing this I smiled, and would receive a smile back. I felt happy once again, and my faith in mankind had returned after what I imagine to be a long Spring Break in Miami Beach.

  *

  Voice:

  "Positive energy is much more contagious than negative. Emotional poison only births more emotional poison."