by Cooper Eaton
Looking out the windows, everything was still pitch black. The hallway was almost impossible to navigate. However, the darkness only encouraged my brooding state as I walked on without direction.
Jack's words of my betrayal kept running through my mind. I wanted to do something to ease my sense of guilt, but no solutions would surface. Jack's final words had registered with me, and yet I had no recollection of seeing a room full of lifeless testers! I wish I could remember. Did I really hit my head, or was I just forgetting? I wish something would make sense.
As I continued to walk the words from the old man the other night began running through my head. “You have the gift of the sight.”
The sight, what was the sight? Since when had I been able to see colors strands? And why did that man know about it? Something must be wrong with me, but what?
As I continued to dwell on the events of the past few days and my visit with the old man, and an odd thing happened. A weird feeling came over me. It felt like a pair of glasses had been slipped over my eyes and suddenly everything changed!
Colors appeared spontaneously before my eyes! I could see them! Everywhere! The color splashed around me as wispy cords flew this way and that! I felt like I was actually seeing for the first time!
The cords seemed to be hurrying up and down the hallway. Where are they going? Are they carrying something? Whatever they carried looked to be moving!
I reached out and tried to grab a bright green cord, but it flew right through my seemingly nonexistent had! However, the cord seemed to sense my presence and slowed just enough that I was able to see that it was carrying some kind of transparent screen. What the? Something flashed across the transparent surface, but I it was to quick! The cord, satisfied with it’s pause, bolted off!
As I looked back down the hallway from whence I came, I realized that the cords were all going into testers rooms! Why?
I moved quickly to catch up with a small red cord that was passing me, but something felt different! My walk wasn't normal! I looked down, and to my shock, I had no body!
I’d been so focused on following the stream of color, that I’d forgotten to bring along my body! I spun around in a panic, only to lock eyes with it! My body!
It’s cold dead eyes seemed to be void of emotion! The corpse that I’d only moments before occupied stared straight through me!
I jumped backwards, but everything felt weird! Instead of jumping I floated! What’s happening? How am I moving! Is this a dream?
But it wasn't a dream, I knew it! This was real. I was flying; I was floating, I was free!
Oddly enough, the feeling felt like deja vu. I couldn't place the feeling, but it was familiar. But who cared, I was free, I felt as though I was finally liberated. I had no body, and yet, I felt as though I’d been given a new control! Why am I thinking about this so much, I just want to fly!
And fly I did, I flew through walls and around hallways with absolute exhilaration! I can't believe this is happening; I feel so alive!
Then I noticed them again. Even without my body, I could still see the color cords flying around. Maybe I can follow one? And so I did. One such cord, a green one, lead me back to my room! I followed the cord, passing right through the once solid door and into my room.
There lay Rasben, fast asleep, completely dead to the world. The cord I’d followed didn’t slow, instead it flew directly for Rasben and then, right into his head! I can’t believe it! Did it just fly into his head? No way!
Curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to follow! I approached Rasben’s head slowly ready to stop if things got messy, but when nothing stopped me I slipped right through his skull! It felt just like the door, completely nonexistent!
I could fly through anything. I guess that in the spirit like the form I now occupied, the laws of physics no longer applied to me! I can move however and through whatever I please as a consciousness, this is awesome!
As I came through the other side of his skull his brain appeared! It was huge! My consciousness seemed to have shrunk, upon entering making his brain seem massive! The enormous pulsating muscle before me was slick with rivers of goo! Eww!
I moved forward with the utmost caution, fearful of being attacked by the monster before me. I slowly moved forward to touch his brain only to find that I was incapable of such an action. All I managed to accomplish was moving halfway into his brain before bolting out of the gooey mess as fast as possible! Gross!
Realizing that touching his brain was a futile idea I instead circled it, studying the foreign mass. After a minute of so of this, I'd decided to leave and was just about to, when I saw it!
The transparent surface the cord had been carrying! It was in a crevice of Rasben’s brain! What the heck? I moved closer to get a better look and what I saw was unimaginable!
The screen was moving just like that of a silver screen! In fact, it even looked like a movie! Could it be? Yes, yes it is! It’s a dream! How can this be possible? How can I possibly be inside another human's head looking at their dream! This had to be a dream of my own! How could it be real?
I wanted to leave, I swear I did, but the images flashing across Rasbens dream screen caught my attention! I couldn’t resist, I moved in for a better look.
Rasben was sitting atop a giant creature, called a horse. He wore a white cowboy hat and was chatting nonchalantly with an absolutely gorgeous woman! How desperately I wanted to hear what was being said, but to me, an outside viewer, the dream was void of sound.
Rasben said something and the girl laughed! She said something back, and they laughed together even harder. He was in the middle of saying something back when a puff of dirt flew up by his horse's hoof!
Was that a bullet? Could it really be? This must be an old dream.
Rasben jumped from his beast, going for his gun only to freeze as his eyes picked up something out of the screen!The camera of Rasben’s mind panned, and the man shooting appeared!
He had a rifle trained on Rasben and he shouted something angrily! Rasben shouted something back and when the man didn’t respond Rasben pressed his advantage, and kept speaking. The man seemed to take offense to what Rasben was saying, but instead of blowing Rasbens brains out he threw his rifle to the ground and from my limited lip reading ability said something like, “FINE!”
As if clockwork, the girl held up her fingers without missing a beat and began counting down! "3, 2, 1!" Her last finger fell, and Rasben went for an ancient 6 shooter hanging from his hip! Sparks flew and smoked erupted as he fired his deadly bullet, as they were called. He stood looking like part man, part god with the sun shining on his back as the evil man trying to take his women fell to the ground mortally wounded.
Rasben turned, from the man whose life he'd taken to the beautiful girl who stood looking on in shock. He said something, to which she replied and then he leaned in gently pulling her to him! Their lips met in a victorious embrace, and even though the moment was glorious for Rasben I laughed!
I couldn’t help it. The entire dream was so beyond the realm of possibility! I couldn't help it I began to laugh uncontrollably. However, laughing was different without a body. I felt the laugh run through my consciousness and then I started to roll while floating around unable to control myself!
Unable to stop laughing I rolled into his brain, and that's when I felt it! Rasben’s brain paused as if it had felt me, or maybe heard me? I looked over at the dream screen only to see that the images were stuttering and skipping around as if his dream were beginning to shut down! Uh oh!
He’s waking up! My laugh died instantly, and I flew right out of his head and back into the world like the bullet from Rasben’s dream!
I flew back through the door and out into the hallway. I flew down the hallway and back to where my body stood looking dumbstruck.
I swooped back towards my head, but I couldn’t get inside! What the! I just kept bouncing off some invisible force field! Crap, what’s wrong?<
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I repeatedly flew into the invisible force that was protecting my mind from outside invaders. "It's me you, big dummy!" I screamed inwardly.
But my brain seemed unable to comprehend anything without its master inside telling it what to do! I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. There’s no way I can leave. Without me my body is nothing! I have to get back inside! Without my body, my life is over! But how do I get back in?
I was about to try ramming it again when the old man's words from a couple of nights before sound in my head. "Remember to focus, focus, and you will become one with yourself."
What had he meant? I am focused, but my body still won’t let me in! Why couldn’t he have told me this would happen instead of sounding wise and mystical.
Focus, focus, focus. The word flashed through my mind repeatedly. Focus on what? What had the man meant?
Focus, focus, focus. I could only think about getting into my body, so I decided to focus on that. I shut my consciousness's eyes and looked inwardly. I thought about how nice it would be to be in my real body. I thought about how warm and comfortable my body was, and I thought about how if I was in my real body I would have the use of my brain and I would be able to think and problem solve for the future.
I continued to think about why it would be great to be back in my body for the next few minutes, but I still felt the same. Nothing was happening. This is bull crap! Screw that old guy and his crazy philosophy. I’m just gonna have to live like this from here on out.
I opened my eyes, but what I saw stunned me! I didn't open the weird consciousness eyes I had closed a moment ago. Instead, I opened my eyes! My real eyes! I’m back! I’m home! I’m in my body again! Phew, that was scary. I almost freaked out for a second.
I kept feeling myself just to make sure. Upon the discovery that I was, in fact real, I began the short walk back to my room.
The entire way back, I couldn’t shake the sense of flying. Walking felt so drab now, all I wanted was to feel free, without the limitations of a body. I wanted to go back.
These thoughts of flying and seeing Rasben’s dream coursed through me as I opened my door. I slowly made my way back to my bed in the dark and was almost there when a light flipped on!
“What are you doing out of bed?” Rasben sat up.
“Thought I heard something.”
“What was it?”
“Nothing, it must have just been my mind playing tricks on me.”
"You and me both, something feels wrong. I feel violated. You know that weird feeling you get when someone's watching you? Well when I woke I felt it, and you weren't here, so it's that much weirder. Do you think there are cameras in here?"
“I think your crazy and you're jumping to conclusions because of a serious lack of sleep. We can talk about this later, but right now, I think we both need sleep.” I soothed.
Rasben weighed my words and seemed to conclude with my reasoning. "You're right; I'm overloaded with stress. I can't think coherently right now. Sleep sounds good, but we should talk about this tomorrow.
“Sounds good.”
“Alright, goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
And with that, he rolled over and flipped off the lamp. I crawled under my covers feeling like a kid who'd just spied santa leaving presents. I don't know how to explain it, but I felt like I knew something that would get me in trouble. I have a gift. I can see things others can't, I can do things other can't, and I can be things others can't. Wow!
“Everyone is waiting in the commons area. You coming?” Rasben called from the open door.
“Yeah, I’m coming.” I rose from my bed and followed.
I’d decided to tell the group about my out of body experience and see if something like this might have happened before my accident.
As we passed Matthew’s room the thought that he might have something to add to the conversation occurred to me. “Rasben hold up a second.”
I turned to the room I’d seen Matthew enter on occasion, knocked once and then opened the door. The sight that met my eyes sent me reeling!
They were kissing! Matthew and Rachel, kissing, what the!
“Ahh! Haven’t you guys heard of a sock on the door, or for that matter, a lock! “Man, I did not come here to see that! My bad.”
I closed the door quickly pausing to get my bearings.
“What do you want?” Came Matthew’s voice from inside.
“Nothing, nothing at all. Sorry about that.” I responded back through the door.
“Alright.” Was his short answer. I turned, without waiting to hear if he had anything else to say, and left pulling Rasben along with me.
“Hurry, we need to get going.” ¶ “What, what was he doing?”
“Let’s just say that neither he or Rachel will be joining us.”
We hurried the rest of the way to the library. Walking in I was almost blinded by the mid day sunlight blasting through the windows scattered throughout the library.
"Hey, mister you're late," Jessica said as she skipped over to me and grabbed onto my arm. At first, I thought it was her way of flirting, but then I realized she was only grabbing me to steer me towards a table at which Chris was seated.
Rasben, Jessica and myself each pulled out one of the light, opposite magnet, floating chairs and took a seat.
“Thanks for coming, how’s everyone?”
“Good, but I’d be better if we could do this meeting thing later. Why’d it have to be so early?” Chris asked amidst an enormous yawn.
"It’s noon, are you serious? Anyways, what I'm about to tell you is a very touchy subject. Do I have everyone's promise of secrecy?"
“Yeah sure, but what about Rachel, or you new friend Matthew, aren’t they coming?”
“They were supposed too, but there indisposed at the moment. It doesn't matter though, what I have to be said needs to be said now. Something freaky happened to me last night; I thought you guys should know. Do you want to?"
Jessica scooted closer, “Yes.”
"Alright, last night I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk. I paced through the hallway and then something weird happened! Cords of color appeared. The cords flew past me in every direction and into testers rooms! There were blues, greens, and reds. It was crazy they were awesome…”
I told them about how I had then started to fly around without my body. And how my consciousness had left my body and how free I had been.
“It was incredible! I could go anywhere I wanted. I could fly through walls and even people. In fact, I flew into someone’s mind and saw their dream!”
"Are you serious? Is this a joke? You’re kidding right?” Chris asked incredulously.
“No, I’m completely serious! It happened! At one point I even saw the cords of color carrying dreams!”
"Are you serious? You don't expect us to believe you, right?" Jessica said losing all sense of the smile she'd worn.
I’m losing them.
“You can’t honestly expect us to believe you. There is no way that happened.” Rasben stated popping all of the air out of my already faltering balloon. "Is this what you brought us down here to tell us; that you saw colors and people's dreams?"
"It happened, I know it sounds crazy, but it's the truth," I said frantically whispering. "I can prove it. I'll show you what I did!" I said as an idea flashed through my head.¶“Do what exactly, see people's dreams?” Rasben asked.
“You’ll see! I’ll read your minds!” I said barely able to contain myself.
They’d see. I’d slip out of my body fly into one of their minds and figure out what they were thinking. It’s a fail proof plan.
I squeezed my eyes shut and thought of faraway places. I thought of my home and school hoping to escape into the world of last night.
I opened my eyes tentatively, but it hadn’t work! I’m still in my body! Why didn’t it work?
“So… Were we supposed to see something?”
Chris questioned.
I slammed my eyelids shut again! “I can do it! I know I can!”
I can do this! This time I thought about last night, I thought about Rasben’s dream! Please let me escape my body. But when I opened my eyes I was still the same! I hadn’t left, I’m stuck!
Now the three of them were starting to get angry. Jessica stood beginning to lose all patience for my antics. "You can't be serious! You had me come to the library just to tell me some outlandish story that no one would believe. Why would you do that? I thought you might have matured a little, but then you go and pull a prank like this? I don't have time for this." With that, she turned on her heel and walked briskly from the room.
Then Chris stood. "Did you honestly expect us to believe a crazy story from you after you've been acting so weird lately and not remembering anything? It seems as though you like making stuff up, it's not cool man." And with that, he left.
“Rasben, you have to believe me, I’m telling the truth.”
"There's no way that happened." And with that, he disappeared out the oak doors!
Loneliness washed over me. I was completely and utterly alone! No one believes me or cared. I guess being alone is the story of my life. All of my girlfriends had left me, my dad was never home, and I ended up taking care of my mom instead of the other way around. I’m always stuck fending for myself and wondering what it would be like if someone cared.
These thoughts of self-pity circled and absorbed my attention, so much so that I missed Dr. Madstein’s entry.
“Hello, William, how are you?”
“Not super great. My friends won’t believe me, and everyone seems to be abandoning me. No one will take me seriously anymore. I feel as though I should be able to reassure them, but I can’t think of anything to prove my story.
“Well, they don’t sound like very caring people. They sound too self-centered to listen to your troubles. I just want you to know that I'm here for you Will if you need me."
His words seemed sincere, and in that moment I wanted to tell him everything. I wanted to tell him about my crazy dream the other night with the riddle that I was still trying to figure out. I wanted to tell him about my out of body experience, and I even wanted to tell him about my girl troubles. Everything seemed psychotic, so I decided to start with the most recent event.
