by S. E. Meyer
“Get up now!”
John’s body suddenly jolted awake. He immediately felt a migraine shattering through his skull in the darkness. His mind felt foggy as he tried to remember where he was. John’s muscles ached from his cramped position and the pain shooting through his body suddenly ripped him from his dream-state, bringing him back to his senses. John tried to move but realized there was no room where he was sitting and he could hear voices down the hallway. Suddenly the events from earlier that day came back to him. His flight or fight instinct took over as he heard the voices get closer. They made the hair on John’s neck perk up again as he became more aware of his surroundings. John wiped his hand across his face and rubbed his eyes.
“Go! Now!” Frank’s voice shrieked in his head and John felt a rush of panic rip through his aching body. John got up slowly and started to head towards the bathroom. He began frantically looking for the towel rack then remembered the files. He turned around and quickly ran out of the bathroom. Bending over, he grabbed the folder and CD off the floor from under the desk where he had spent the last three hours, and once again sprinted into the bathroom. He began searching for the towel rack again while shoving the file and CD into his jacket. He went to the other end of the shower stall, but there was nothing there.
Damn it! John thought. Was that all just a dream after all?” The voices were coming from Frank’s doorway now. “Shit!” John squeaked, adrenaline pounding through his veins. He went to the other side of the shower stall and found the towel rack. John pulled down on the rack and a door swung open just as Frank said it would. Damn crazy, eccentric rich people, why couldn’t he have a regular door for his fire escape like everybody else. He hurriedly stepped inside, quietly closing the door behind him with a faint click. There was a narrow staircase that brought him down two floors to the second story where there was another small door in the outside wall. John pulled down on the latch and the door swung in easily. He crawled out onto the fire escape and pulled the door shut behind him. There were no cars on this side of the building so John easily climbed down onto the ground without being seen. John walked as quickly as he could without seeming suspicious and made the bend to the other side of the building where his car was parked. There was one police cruiser and an unmarked police car parked close to the front doors, however, it looked like there was no one outside. Another vehicle, a black SUV with dark tinted windows, was parked directly behind the police vehicles. It eerily resembled the one John saw outside his house earlier that day. He made his way toward his car and got in, looking at the SUV again. It looks identical. John thought placing the key into the ignition. “Please start, oh please just start. I promise I will buy you a brand new battery tomorrow if you would just please start,” John pleaded with his car in whispers as he turned the key. There was a faint clicking noise and John gasped. He tried again. Reluctantly the engine turned over and began to idle. John let out a sigh of relief and slowly drove across the parking lot, remembering to keep his lights off so as not to attract any attention. So far so good, he thought, pulling out onto the highway and flipping on his lights. As soon as he was out of sight of the building he hit the accelerator and drove as fast as he dared. He couldn’t go directly to Old Mill City. His phone was crushed so there was no way of getting a hold of Jenny and he didn’t even have a flashlight. He would have to stop at the house first.
Within a few minutes he pulled into his driveway, his heart still pounding in his chest.
“Oh my God, I was getting so worried,” Jenny said as John walked up the stairs. “It’s after nine o’clock and I tried calling and calling.” She threw her arms around him and kissed his neck.
“It’s okay, I’m here. I made it.” John hugged her tightly. “It feels good to be home.” He pulled away from her and gave her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry honey. I forgot to tell you about this.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the crushed cell phone. The cracked screen fell onto the floor as John dropped what was left of the phone onto the kitchen table. The mangled chunk of plastic fell into three pieces as it landed on the hard oak surface.
“What happened?” Jenny looked shocked at the condition of the phone. She watched it hit the table, but was more terrified at the condition of John’s complexion, which had once again become a ghostly pale white. She felt relieved to know that John was safe, but it was a brief reprieve as she studied his features.
“It got run over when I was at Frank’s earlier today.”
“I was talking about tonight, what happened at work? You look awful.” Her face was solemn with worry and she could feel her heart start to race in her chest. She ran her hand along John’s colorless cheek and then dropped it back to her side, a slight tremble in her movements.
“We better sit down, and I could use a drink.” John draped his jacket over a kitchen chair and grabbed a glass from the cupboard. He poured himself a glass of brandy with ice and began to explain everything that happened at work, including accidentally injecting himself and his discussion with Frank.
“I have to admit, this is hard to grasp,” Jenny finally said after a long pause. She was looking at him intently with a wrinkle of worry on her forehead. “I just hope whatever you injected yourself with doesn’t have any bad side effects, and I believe you of course. About Frank I mean.” She let out a long breath. “It’s just very strange John, but let’s have a look at what you brought.”
They looked through the folder John took from Frank’s file cabinet. Inside, there was a map of Mill City and several documents that looked like blueprints of some kind. There were also multiple pages of mathematical equations, hieroglyphs, cuneiform writing, diagrams and charts. Some of the mathematical information John could understand, but the rest was over his head. Jenny laid out several of the sheets on the table in front of them. “Well, now what? What does all this stuff mean?” she asked, scratching the back of her head.
“I don’t know, Frank said he was in Old Mill City and to use the map.” John picked up the map of Mill City again and studied it carefully. “The only thing I see is this, right here.” John pointed to a place marked out in a part of what the locals called Old Mill City. “But there isn’t really anything up there anymore except for a few rotting foundations left over from the first settlers that started to build in this area.” John rested his finger below a red mark located at the end of a winding road. “This is where I should start. I’ll go see if I can find this spot on the map.”
“Okay, but I’m going with you.”
“Are you sure you want to go?” John raised an eyebrow apprehensively.
“Of course, but let’s wait until morning. There’s no point in stumbling around out there in the dark tonight.” Jenny tilted her head sideways with a shrug hoping John would see reason.
“I don’t know, Frank made it sound pretty urgent. He said I needed to get him out of there as soon as possible.”
“John, you look like hell. I’m sure you could use some sleep after the day you had. I know I could use some sleep after the emotional roller-coaster I was on today. And really, what could be so urgent that it can’t wait until morning?”
John contemplated waiting as he browsed the papers strewn in front of him. He could feel the brandy starting to buzz warmly in his head. Now that he was home and Frank’s skull-splitting screams were gone, he felt more relaxed and it all seemed surreal. He started to think that maybe he just imagined it all.
“You’re right, I’m exhausted, and it makes sense to wait until it’s light outside.”
“I mean really John? This is weird and all, but I’m sure this is not nearly as big a deal as it might seem. Plus, who knows what was in that shot you took? I‘m not saying you‘re crazy, I‘m just saying it may have had some effects, messing with your head a little?” Jenny gave him a reassuring smile.
“Yeah, I guess I got a little carried away there in the moment. I’m sure you’re right, but what a strange day. I feel like I‘m going crazy, hearing Frank�
��s voice in my head.”
“Yep, you’re nuts!” Jenny smiled again to let John know she was just teasing. “I’m just kidding, it is strange, but we’ll probably laugh about it with Frank over some coffee after a good night’s sleep.”
John suddenly remembered his promise to Jenny earlier. “I’m sorry Jen, we were supposed to plan our trip tonight.”
“That’s okay. You’re still taking the rest of the week off though, right?” Jenny moved closer to him and grabbed John’s shoulders pulling him close.
“Yes Ma’am, I sure am.” John gave her a hug and then drained the last drops from his glass.
“Good! We have plenty of time then. We can worry about that tomorrow.”
“Alright, let’s hit the sheets and tackle this first thing in the morning.” John rubbed his hands together eagerly. “We‘ll go take a ride up to Old Mill City and see what we can find out, then get home and pack.” He yawned, stretching his arms behind his head. “I can’t wait to leave town for a few days.”
“Me too honey!” Jenny headed up the stairs and John followed quickly behind her.
They both got ready for bed and crawled in. It felt good to finally get some rest after the day they both had. John moved closer to Jenny and she pressed her body tight to his. He kissed her on the cheek, and then the mouth. She slipped her hand down below his waist and he felt himself grow quickly. Jenny put her lips on John’s ear.
“Oh really stud? Are you sure you’re up for it” John could only moan with pleasure as he rolled over. He wasn’t sure where he found the energy, or if it was a side effect of the injection, but they made love passionately until they finally snuggled back into the blankets, spooning in a fetal position. Within a few minutes John could hear Jenny’s deep steady breathing and knew she had fallen asleep in his arms.
John’s mind continued to turn on the day’s events. It felt good to be snuggled up next to Jenny. He could feel her soft, warm, naked skin touching his from head to toe. She’s sleeping so why am I still awake? John was usually the one to fall asleep first and could usually do so quickly. Great, it’s going to be one of those nights. John thought. I’m exhausted and now that I’m lying down I feel wide-awake. He tried to re-absorb everything as the day’s events ran through his head but it was like trying to drink from a fire-hose. His thoughts overwhelmed his mind with no way to shut it off. Maybe it’s the injection messing with my head. He felt strange, his mind flipped from confusion to moments of clarity. John recalled his meditation CD’s. He had quickly become fascinated with research on the Alpha brainwave pattern and how to achieve it through meditation. It was very relaxing, and John had used the technique in the past to fall asleep. Focus on one thing, he thought to himself. The easiest way to clear one’s mind was to first focus on one thing and one thing only. That would force out the rest of the garbage that was running around in there. The next step, he recalled, is to completely empty one’s thoughts and literally think about nothing. John continued to breathe deeply, in through his nose and slowly out of his mouth, until it felt natural and he could continue doing it without really trying. He could hear the fan on the nightstand humming its low tone. John quickly focused in on it until the low mesmerizing hum enveloped his thoughts.
Hmm
He could no longer hear Jenny’s slow steady breaths. The fan consumed his mind. He laid there thinking about nothing but the hum of the fan and his breathing.
Hmm
He imagined himself getting up and standing over himself and focused on that thought until he could see every detail of his, and Jenny’s, body lying there on the bed.
Hmm
In his mind John moved closer to the fan and its rhythmic humming. He couldn’t explain how, but he suddenly entered the motor housing through an air vent; sucked in like a tiny fragment if dust. He could vividly see the motor shaft, spinning in the dim light, and could hear the bearings whirring. Wow, nothing like this has ever happened to me before. John thought. He could now break down the humming of the fan into two distinct sounds; the rush of air caused by the fan blades, and the motor bearings whirring as they spun against each other.
Hmm
It seemed odd to watch an electric motor work from the inside. He could feel the cool air rush past him. John scoffed for a moment. Of course I’m not really inside this fan, he thought. But it is amazing that my brain is able to take what I’ve seen in real life and create what it might look like from this perspective. Suddenly John felt that he was not alone. Like there was someone there next to him, inside the fan. Then he saw it, faint at first, but then in more detail. There was something moving on top of the shaft, back and forth along its length. A voice came to John’s ears over the rush of the wind blowing across his face.
“Maybe you are inside this fan.”
“Who’s there? Who are you?” John asked the question, but inside his heart he already knew who was there. Jenny had lost her brother, Jake, less than a year earlier to a tragic work accident where he had been crushed, and killed instantly. It devastated the entire family, and Jenny, who had been very close to Jake, took it very hard.
“Who do you think it is brotha?” He called John brotha a lot when they were together. John figured it was because they were brother-in-laws, but also because it sounded funny and Jake liked to be playful most of the time.
“Really? Oh my god! Jake? This is amazing!” John tried to get closer, but stopped short of the spinning motor shaft. He knew he was just imaging being inside the fan, but the thought of falling off the spinning shaft made him queasy. He decided it was safer to sit down on the motor housing. He watched Jake run up and down the shaft while it spun under his feet. Jake had to be careful and not let his feet touch the shaft for more than an instant as the high rate of speed would knock his legs out from under him.
“What did you mean? Maybe we are in here?” John asked over the whirring motor. It vibrated through the housing and sent tingles up his spine.
“It seems pretty real doesn’t it?” Jake jumped up onto the motor housing next to John and sat down.
“Well, sure but a lot of dreams seem very real but in the end they’re just dreams right?” John asked, looking intently at Jake, still in shock that he was there. John jaw hung open as he studied Jake’s expression. “It does seem awfully real Jake, but what’s going on here is impossible.”
“So you still think this is a dream? Come with me.” Jake disappeared through a vent hole in the motor. John wasn’t sure how he did it, but with a simple thought, he was able to float after him. In an instant they were standing beside each other in John and Jenny’s bedroom. John gave Jake a hug.
“This just seems so unbelievable.” John eyes were wide with wonder.
“Let’s go out in the garage,” said Jake “but before we do…” as he said the words he leaned over Jenny and kissed her cheek. “I love you Jen,” he whispered in her ear. She rolled over and rubbed the ear that Jake had just whispered into. Jake stood up and headed through the bedroom door. John followed, but opened the door and stepped through. He proceeded down the hall to the main entryway of their home, walking through the garage service door and into their attached garage. John turned on the light and there was Jake sitting in one of two chairs next to the door where John would often sit and smoke cigarettes.
“I need a cigarette; it’s been almost a year you know?”
“I know, we all miss you so much. I can’t believe this.”
“How about that cigarette,” Jake asked again with a boyish grin.
John opened a fresh pack of cigarettes, took one out, lit it and handed the pack to Jake, who did the same.
“I don’t understand how this is possible but I really am so glad to see you Jake,” John sighed as he slowly exhaled a drag of his cigarette.
“Well, I don’t really understand it either. For some reason I am able to communicate with you when I couldn’t before. I have come close a few times with you and with the rest of my family, but I was only able to talk b
riefly, and only in dreams, but with you…. something’s different. Something’s different now, I tried with you before, but now…” he trailed off. He had a quizzical look on his face that changed to surprise. “Wait a minute; you’re not dead are you? I mean, like had a heart attack in your sleep or something? Oh my God, poor Jenny!”
“No, no, well, I don’t think so, but now that you mention it, I really don’t know. I’ve never experienced anything like this before.”
“Well, we better check,” answered Jake. Suddenly they were both in John and Jenny’s room again, looking down at John’s sleeping body lying next to Jenny. “You seem to be breathing.”
“Yeah, I guess, looks alright, right? Are you sure I’m not dead?”
“Nope, only one way to find out I guess.” Jake leaned over and was about to poke John’s body in the ribs.
“Wait.” But it was too late. John felt a slight tickle on his left side and watched his body roll over.