Illusions Of Truth

    Jason heaved a sigh as electric blue eyes darted back and forth, taking in his immediate surroundings. It took a minute for his eyes to adjust to the darkened room he was in, the only lights being those on the individual displays, but he had to make sure nothing followed him in here. He had to make sure everything was stationary.

"And they're all just models?" he asked, taking a hesitant step forward.

He watched as students walked around in varying degrees of awe and disgust. The Museum of Science and Industry hosted an exhibit called Body Worlds this year, and his anatomy class was lucky enough to go. They were real human bodies, donated to science and preserved in a process called plastination, or so he heard.

"What do you think they're going to do, get up and walk away?" Jean said, flipping her strawberry blond hair over her shoulder. Blue eyes met green.

"You never know, " he threw out.

He ambled over to a small display as Jean scoffed. That isn't exactly what he thought would happen but it was close enough, although he couldn't tell Jean this. He would sound ridiculous wouldn't he? The slight downturn of his lips was gone quicker than it came as Jean waltzed up beside him.

"Gross, isn't it?"

The body of this particular display had its skin draped over its arm. The various muscles criss-cross at multiple angles. Where the stomach would have been was cut open and the organs were set for the population to see. Jason caught her reflection in the display case as she grimaced.

"Not really," he replied, eyes darting around once more. "It's just what we look like on the inside." They moved to the next display.

"A fetus?" The grimace was back in full force. Jason nodded.

"Six weeks. It-"

He faltered, staring at the display.

"It what?"

It blinked at him. He was sure it just blinked at him. He leaned in closer to the display. Did it?

"Jason?"

"N-Nothing," he stammered. "I was saying the fetus was from a miscarriage." He fidgeted as the fetus blinked again. Nervous eyes glanced at Jean and back. This was the third time today he had imagined something. This was not the time to be seeing things again. He couldn't handle it. Not now. Not so soon after his mother's death. Coming out of his thoughts, he hadn't realized he had left Jean nor had he seen where she had went. He turned, intent on leaving the way he came, jerking back when he just about ran into a stranger. How startled he was, almost letting out a shout at the man in front of him. Although it was a dark exhibit, Jason saw him as clear as day. The guy didn't belong with this class. He took a few steps back.

"Sorry sir," he rushed, quickly backtracking his way to the exit. Once his eyes painfully adjusted to the new light, he scanned the flow of people looking for Jean. Now he just wanted to go home.

"Where'd you go?" Jean asked, falling in line beside him. Her eyes searched his. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

How would she react if he told her? Would she think he was crazy or weak? Knowing her nature, she'd more than likely freak out and make him go see a therapist or something. No, he could deal with it. She didn't have to know. He didn't want or need her worrying.

"I'm fine. I just got turned around. It was almost like a maze in there." he frowned at how quick and easy that lie spilled from his lips. "So where to next?"

Green eyes sparkled with interest as she rattled off exhibits she wanted to visit before they left. As calm as he appeared, Jason fought the rising panic taking hold, threatening to suffocate him.