Blank Stars

chapter 6

I sat on the long white couch and Alec sat next to me, refusing to break contact with my skin; I was thankful for that, I don’t think I could keep myself together without him. Marcus and Sophia sat down across from us, Sophia sat on the opposite end of the couch from Marcus, as far as she could get from us. Marcus was the first to speak.

“How have you been coping?”

I shot him a questioning look, how does he think I’ve been coping. He sighed registering my look and started again.

“I have to start somewhere, how about have you had any other episodes like that in the office since then?”

I felt a shudder run down my spine as I thought about my dream, Alec caught on and silently urged me to speak.

“None like in the office, but I’ve had a really bad nightmare.”

“Can you tell me about it?”

The hairs on my arms raised as I remembered the terrifying man and the horrors which had occupied my mind. Alec rubbed my arm comforting me, I looked up at him and his eyes were filled with sadness and pity.

“It started with me in a field, then my leg was bleeding, and then the blood was burning away at my leg, and then I couldn’t move, and then, and then…”

I felt tears stinging at my eyes and I choked on my words. Alec pulled me into a hug and I felt my chest heave before I pulled away, taking in raggedy breaths as I composed myself. Marcus looked at me, willing me to continue with my story.

“There was a man in the dream”

I sat back, resting myself against Alec.

“What was he like, or what did he do?”

I thought back to the dream, I don’t remember what he did all I remembered was that smile; threatening to destroy my very being just with one grin. I shook my head, forcing the image from my mind; I felt my body shaking violently. Alec took my shoulders, trying to comfort me but all I could see was the horrible image of the man. I heard Alec talking to me, and the picture faded away, I looked up and saw him looking worriedly at me, I looked over to Marcus and saw a slightly worried look mirrored in his eyes.

“Let’s leave the dream aside for now, I can see that it’s hard for you to talk about.”

I nodded and sat in silence, not willing to speak.

“Other than that, how were you after yesterday’s incident?”

“Ok I guess, I mean I’m still trying to adjust to what they did to my dad.”

There was a moment of silence before Marcus spoke up.

“Who are ‘they’?”

I looked at him, how could he question who had done this to my dad, it was obvious that this had been orchestrated by the government. I was about to question him about it when I remembered the words of my dad, what he said in my vision, don’t trust anyone.

“Whoever killed him, I mean we don’t know who did it, do we?”

I wonder if Marcus had noticed that I was acting unusual, probably he was trained to read people. I now had a sudden urge to get rid of him, I needed him gone; with him here I was filled with apprehension and a fear that he knew me better than myself.

“Yeah, I guess so, so what about living here, how do you feel about it?”

I tried my best to keep my face blank, I thought about it, if I was going to continue my dad’s research then I needed his books and research, which evidently couldn’t be found here.