by The Awethors
Chapter 3
Paul opened his drowsy eyes, and the dream about being at work faded from his mind. As consciousness returned, awareness came back to him. He was back in the room of the tower. He looked for the Bible he had started to read, but it was gone. He sat up with a sudden start and looked around, his eyes went to the desk. The paper he had written on and left on the desk was gone.
He walked over to the desk and opened the drawer. Several sheets of blank paper, some pens, and a Bible were inside. It was as if what he had experienced before falling asleep had never happened, yet he remembered it with great detail. He glanced toward the balcony and saw the same swirling clouds and flashes of light outside as before. Yet, something felt different. He put his fingers to the side of his neck. A pulse! He had a pulse!
His stomach growled, and he realized he was hungry and thirsty. He felt his face, but still there was no stubble of a growing beard. He felt so lost and confused. Another realization came rushing into his mind. He had gone to bed and slept before he arrived here, yet he was dressed, and the clothes he now wore felt fresh and clean. They were his clothes — his gray T-shirt, blue jeans, and his shoes. Could time move for some things and not for others? He had no idea. He was not a physicist. He wondered if even a physicist would know.
The mystery of the tower was not being solved. It was becoming even more of a mystery, but right now he was hungry and thirsty. Yet, there was no food or water in this room. This drove him to try to find something in this tower besides the same room over and over. He went to the door, and it slid open as before, but there was no foyer on the other side.
His mouth dropped open in astonishment as he looked out into a larger room than his own — in the center stood a large wooden table with two chairs. What astonished him more was the food on the table. He entered and looked around to assure himself this room was real. The door closed behind him, but he paid no attention as he walked up to the table and looked it over. There was flat bread and what appeared to be a red wine in a large ceramic pitcher.
He had thought of his hunger and thirst, then there was food and drink. What is going on here? He decided to look for an answer later as he sat down in one of the chairs. There were two metal goblets on the table, and he poured a goblet full from the pitcher and drank. Yes, a red, fruity wine of some kind, or maybe juice. He was not sure, but it was very thirst quenching. He began to eat. The bread was delicious.