R.E.M.: The Hidden World

by Corrie Fischer

  “You see, Ms. Morrison….”

  “I told you to call me Emily and I will wait here while you tell me what’s necessary.” Emily was getting extremely agitated. She was quite eager to see Kyle at this point. While changing, she had discovered a matching scar on her other wrist. If everything that had happened was real, that would imply Kyle was trapped in that horrible place. She would have to wake him as quickly as possible. Clearly, pain transferred to her physical body, which meant it could to his as well.

  “Emily….after suffering your minor concussion, we conducted a series of tests while you were still unresponsive.” The doctor began walking towards the elevators as he spoke the words. He acted as though he had not heard Emily’s insistent statement that they stay put. Great….so much for easily sneaking off….now I’ll have to listen to this asshole blabber AND face my father before seeing Kyle…..ugh…Frustration filled Emily at the thought but the unaware doctor continued onward walking and talking. “It was determined that you were experiencing extremely elevated levels of a particularly interesting sleep cycle, often referred to as Rapid Eye Movement, or REM for short….”

  “Like my initials?” The coincidence seemed strikingly odd to Emily. This prideful coon finally had her attention.

  “Well yes, I suppose so….” The doctor dared to laugh slightly, then immediately cleared his throat and proceeded. “You see, the odd thing about the REM cycle of sleep is that it is the only one in which the individual dreams……your severely abnormal levels seem to imply something about the nature of your dreams. Do you, by chance, remember anything from them?” The doctor was facing her now as he pushed the down button on the elevator. A two rested above the elevator doors implying she was only one floor away from the love of her life.

  “Well?” The doctor insisted.

  If I tell him….he may think I’m insane and attempt to hold me for mental instability…..then again, more answers would be nice…..but one way or another, if I admit anything now it will lead to more questions…Another doctor was now standing beside them, checking his watch. He, too, clearly wanted the elevator to move more rapidly. “Nope, I don’t remember a thing.” As the words left Emily’s mouth, the elevator doors slid open. Emily stepped inside quickly and the doctor proceeded with an attempt to follow her. She raised an open palm toward him, insisting that he stop. “I think we’re done here. Bill me.” Emily smiled as the last two words left her lips. The other doctor who had been impatiently waiting now clicked the ‘1’ button on the elevator door multiple times, as though hoping the doors would close more rapidly.

  “If you remember anything, let me know….it could save lives…” As the final words left the doctor’s lips with an odd desperation, Emily could not help but feel victorious. She clicked the ‘3’ button on the elevator’s control panel, eager to reach room 327. As the metal contraption reached the first floor, the other doctor stood right by the doors, double checking his watch yet again. Emily also wanted nothing more than for him to rush out so she could escape to see her lover waiting on the third floor.

  Emily had forgotten an additional factor though. As the doors opened, her mother stood there, smiling brightly. “Well there you are….that rude doctor insisted on talking to you alone….so I decided to wait here so I could lead you to the hospital’s chapel.” Her mother was clearly just genuinely glad to see her daughter doing well. Her intentions were pure, but at this moment, she was creating a road block for Emily.

  Should I just tell her the truth…..no, there would be far too much to explain right now….I could always see my father for a moment….ugh hopefully a moment….but then again I could just come up with some excuse….hm….the bathroom…yea….that’ll work…“Oh, thanks mom.” She followed her mother as they proceeded down the hospital’s dreary halls. Finally they arrived in front of a room with a square glass porthole on the door. Peeping through, Emily saw her father standing near the end of the room in front of a stained glass window. Her mother opened the door and held it for Emily to pass through.

  “Guess who’s awake?” Merlot happily eked out the words, possibly too loudly for a chapel.

  “Sshh, show some respect…” Simon’s whisper was cut short as he turned around and faced Emily. His movement unveiled a unique structure behind him. There, the exact direction he was just facing, rested an open book sitting on a podium made entirely of glass. Emily’s mind immediately flashed back to the battlefield. It was exactly like the one Emily saw him approaching there.

  “No.” The word slipped out of her as a barely auditable whisper. It was all far too connected. It must have been real. She needed to find Kyle. NOW! Without wasting another precious moment, Emily spun around and started running back down the hall. She had noticed a stairwell along the way. Rushing toward it, she completely ignored the random nurse yelling at her. She was on a mission. She could faintly hear the desperate steps of her mother chasing after her, clearly concerned. Emily did not care. She could explain everything to her later. Right now, she had to do something, anything to save Kyle.

  What if he already woke up too…The thought brought the smallest glimpse of hope to Emily. She so desperately wanted to believe that was the case. Nevertheless, she was already through the stairwell door and rushing up the steps before her mother could complete her yelled name. On her way, Emily nearly trampled head first into an elderly hooded woman slowly making her way down the isolated steps.

  “I’m so sorry…” She spoke the words through exasperated lips as she reached the level ground of the third floor. Her adrenaline was pumping now and she felt like she was back in the dreaded mall once again. As she rapidly reached for the handle of the third floor door, logic overtook her. You need to stop running….you don’t want hospital security to notice you….especially if you plan on sneaking into a patient’s room you’re not related to…The thought was sound and Emily followed her mind’s advice, slowing to a walking pace as she entered the third floor hall. She desperately scanned for a sign demonstrating room numbers. At last she found one pointing down a hallway to the right, “Rooms 320-331” was printed above a bright red arrow. She shuffled onward at a slightly quickened pace. A nurse turned a corner ahead and started walking her direction.

  Crap…Emily slowed down, forced to pass the door with the number 327 resting above it. Finally, she dared to look back. The nurse turned another corner and the hallway was empty, for the moment. Emily rushed into the room, quickly but carefully closing the door behind her. She turned to face Kyle.

  All hope rushed out of her. He laid there motionless with a blood soaked bandage wrapped around his head. The slow beeping of a heart monitor was the only sign of life he showed. Emily fell to her knees, sorrow filled her. She loved this man with her entire heart just as, in a more youthful manner, she loved Sam.

  No…..no….no…The word raced through her mind over and over again. Emily approached the bed, gently touching his wounded head with her hand. “Kyle….please…wake up…..please…” She could barely get the words out as tears flowed down her face. She pictured him trapped there, in Luthania, in that dreadful place she barely escaped. Anger boiled up inside her as she pictured the dreadful Lucy standing there laughing at her pain. “WAKE UP!” She yelled the words now and shook him out of desperation. Just at that moment, her mother barged into the room, followed shortly thereafter by her father.

  “What on earth…” Her mother cut the words short as she noticed the tears pouring down Emily’s face.

  “May I have a moment with her alone?” Simon was directing this comment towards Merlot.

  “Of course…..you okay, sweetie?” Her mother knew the answer was no, but asked anyway, as though she hoped the question would offer some form of comfort. Normally, Emily would appreciate the thought, but staring at her lover’s motionless body, she felt nothing but pain. Her mother exited the room and closed the door behind her.

  Emily looked up at her father. He was one of the last people she wanted to see right now,
but perhaps he could at least offer her some answers. “What happened to him? He was….he was fine….” The tears continued to pour as her entire body trembled.

  Then, something incredible happened. Her father walked up to her and did something he had not done for years. He wrapped his arms around her and embraced her in a genuine hug. “I love you, kiddo.” He too seemed on the verge of tears. Emily did not even know how to react. This was all she ever truly wanted from her father. She hugged him back for a moment; then wiped away the tears from her eyes.

  “I love you too, dad.” It was true. Despite what she tried to convince herself of, she always loved her father and always would, even when she did not agree with him. “Thank you…” She hesitated a moment and they both stood there in silence looking at Kyle. “I do need to know though….what happened?” Emily expected the answer to come along with the typical form of a lecture. This time, it would likely be about the sins of alcohol and the overall negative effects of mind-altering substances. She could picture it all before her father even spoke.

  “A neighbor heard laughing and then a very loud thud. He was quite good friends with Kyle so he decided to investigate. After he knocked on the door several times with no answer, he opened it with his spare key. Inside, he found Kyle on the ground by a pool of blood and you lying in the bedroom, your head propped up against an empty bottle of alcohol. He immediately proceeded to call 911 of course and here you both are....” Her father stopped as though finished.

  “That’s it?”

  “Yes, that is the story I was told by the police.”

  “So is Kyle in trouble with the law now too? Am I?” Tears began to well up in Emily’s eyes all over again.

  “Well considering it’s your 18th birthday and you two were not found until after midnight, you are the only person who could press charges against Kyle. The officer was also very lenient on you regarding the alcohol, considering the circumstances….and your past. He is one of the officers who found you and Sam.” Her father seemed to have mixed feelings about these facts.

  That’s it….no lecture or anything…Emily was in shock. “Wait, it’s still my birthday?”

  “Yes of course, what day did you think it was?” Her father was the one feeling confusion now.

  “I need to see Carrie immediately.”

  ***

  Later that afternoon, Emily walked along the hillside up to her favorite tree and hiding spot with her best friend, Carrie. She just finished retelling her the entire story of Neveah, Luthania, and everything that happened to her, both, from years before and more recent events. “I know I must sound crazy, but it’s all true. I even jotted down notes about it to be certain I’d remember.” Emily reached into her pocket for the envelope she relocated there.

  “I thought Sam died though, right? How could you have seen him then?” Carrie was clearly not getting it.

  “Really? Out of everything I told you, that’s the detail you’re focusing on?” Emily loved her friend dearly; but right now she wanted to laugh at her for having such a narrow focus. “The envelope….shit….it’s gone…” Emily reached deeper into the pocket, checking the other one with her left hand as an extra precaution. As she dug in more, her right hand felt something cold and hard. “What on earth….” As Emily pulled the small, round object from her jeans, a look of shock crossed her face and her jaw dropped open.

  “What? It’s just a coin, what’s the big deal?” Carrie was clearly not following her friend’s trail of thought.

  Emily knew beyond a doubt this was not just any ordinary piece of round metal. It was Sam’s coin. She had not seen it in years; yet she had absolutely no doubt about it. It was all real…..that means….Kyle…

  “I have to go after him.”

  Return to contents

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Corrie Fischer was born in Fort Oglethorpe, GA but only lived there the first three days of her life. When she was sixteen years old, Corrie started attending college. At the age of eighteen, she was accepted as a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She graduated from Northwest Arkansas Community College in 2013. She currently resides in her Fayetteville, Arkansas home with her dog Tucker and a leopard gecko named Spike.

  For more information:

  Visit: www.corriefischer.com

  Follow Corrie on Twitter @CorrieFischer13, Goodreads, and Facebook.

  Finally, if you enjoyed this work, please write an honest review. Your opinions are sincerely valued.

  The Story Continues in....

  PERCEPTION

  (Shattered Sky Series, Volume 2)

  1. Knockout

  Emily paced furiously in front of the beloved oak tree. Her friend Carrie helplessly watched, but Emily barely even noticed the girl’s presence. Kyle was trapped in Luthania; Emily was certain of that fact. The question was how to get back there and free him. “I’ve got it!” Emily declared the words to her friend but did not even glance her way. She scanned the surrounding grassy hilltop, obviously searching for something.

  “Okayyy, what’s the plan?” Carrie raised her voice, following Emily's every pacing step with her eyes. The girl's tone dripped with agitation. Emily knew Carrie hated to be ignored; it was a major pet peeve of hers. Despite this, she had still not even glanced in her friend's direction. Her mind was simply on a critical mission and she could not afford distraction by such a petty issue. It was just then Emily finally spotted what her eyes had been seeking. Without hesitation or a response to Carrie, she rushed down the hillside toward the object. “Where are you going?” Carrie remained in place, releasing an obvious sigh to express her frustration. Emily guessed the poor girl was questioning her sanity at this point. Considering the tale Emily had just told her, could she really blame her?

  Emily still did not respond as she arrived at her desired destination less than ten feet away. Looking down at the massive, dead tree branch resting amongst the green grass, Emily paused for a moment and questioned her own sanity. This really is crazy....oh well, it's the only way! It must work! With that thought locked in place, Emily leaned over and tightly grasped the branch, pulling it from its place of dead slumber. She awkwardly jogged back up to Carrie’s location with the tree limb in tow. Emily smiled brightly as she finally faced her friend. Based on the elated expression she wore, one might have pictured her holding a trophy of some form. Instead, she tightly grasped the dead wooden arm as though it was all the victory she needed. In no time, Emily was within a few feet of Carrie and her pace slowed, then halted. She held out the tree limb toward Carrie and declared her plan. “Knock me out.”

  The branch was wavering in Emily’s hand dangerously close to Carrie’s face as she insistently held it out toward her friend. As a scowl formed across her face, Carrie grabbed the branch out of self protection and then allowed the majority of its weight to fall. Her fingers barely gripped the top of the thing as its opposing end gave way to gravity and fell toward the ground with a clunk. With the object safely resting upon the ground, Carrie flung her hair out of her face, allowing her widened eyes to show. “You want me to what?!” Carrie didn't want to believe she had heard the words correctly. Sure, Emily’s story had been quite the tale, but was her friend truly convinced a dream world was real?

  “Yep…oh, hold on.” Emily dropped into a half crouched stance, resting her hands upon her bent knees, and taking several deep breathes before closing her eyes. She was ready for impact. “Okay, go for it!” Her mind rushed as she tried to prepare for the pain. She waited several seconds, braced in place. There was no hit, no thud, nothing. Finally, she opened her eyes to reveal the form of Carrie still standing in front of her, jaw now hanging open.

  “What the hell, Em! You’re actually serious?” Carrie’s jaw had been forced to move to produce the words, but her lifted brows and wide eyes confirmed the shock remained steadfast on her face.

  Emily immediately felt defensive. She strongly considered cussing the girl out in hopes she would then want to knock her out.
She knew Carrie too well though. The girl had a feisty personality but she had never been the violent type. Hm…if I do that, she’ll probably just walk away…I have to convince her how important this is….that Kyle needs me. “Yes, I’m serious, Kyle is trapped there and I have to get him back.” Emily’s tone was desperate, almost pleading. Though internally she wanted to scream at her friend to hurry, she worked hard to appear weak. She dropped fully to her knees, and lifted her face with a light frown and puppy dog eyes as she tried to force tears to the surface.

  “Oh stop it! What if Kyle's not trapped? What if he’s actually just lying in that hospital bed and all this will accomplish is giving you another concussion?” As she spoke the words, Carrie waved her hand in the air insistently. She was obviously not convinced by Emily's performance.

  Emily bolted to her feet. “You really don’t believe, do you?!” It was now tears genuinely flowed to the surface of her eyes. Here she was with the one person she could always turn to and she was being let down. A single tear drop escaped and slid down her cheek. No! Stop this Em, even if she won’t help, you must find a way! Emily’s expression transformed as the liquid tears sunk back away from the surface.

  Her attention was on the oak tree now. With only a moment of contemplation, she backed up several feet and slightly tilted her head down. Sheer rage now filled her eyes as she stared at one of the oak’s lowest branches. She tightened her fingers into fists and muttered under her breath, “Fine, I’ll do it myself then.” Carrie did not even have a chance to react. Emily bolted toward the branch at full force, closing her eyes just before impact.