The Dreamer

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

          Travis awoke. The first thing he noticed was his head. The pain subsided, but a dull headache still throbbed in his skull like a hangover.

          Travis was in a hospital room lying in a bed, with a tube attached to his arm. He groaned and reached his hands up to my head. He felt a bandage, figuring that he must’ve bumped his head when he fell.

Travis heard shuffling to his left. He slowly shifted his eyes over, and saw Britt talking in hushed tones to a man in a uniform.

          Travis groaned again, this time louder. They both saw him and walked over.

          “Travis, how do you feel?” Britt touched his hand.

          “Like somebody smashed my head with a bat, and then stomped on it.”

          The man spoke. “That’s from your fall. When you were scrambling to get back into the maintenance room, you tripped and your head collided with the concrete floor. And let’s just say the concrete won.”

          “Yeah...who are you?”

          “I’m David Taylor. I’m a security guard at CSU, and your sister found me and I helped you over here.”

          “What happened? I remember running through a tunnel, and then…” Travis’s voice faded.

          “That’s partially why I’m here. First off, from what I understand you’re going to be just fine. A day in the hospital, and you’ll be out. Just a knock to the head. Second, I understand this all happened because you ventured into the tunnel, correct?” His eyes were very accusing.

          “Uh, yeah.” Travis nodded.

          “What I’m about to tell you often scares people, and it’s meant to. The last time we went down there, we had a dead body. And not a clean dead body either. The bones were all broken, so the body was like a rag doll, no sturdiness to it at all. The skull was beat in, and the face was too destroyed to recognize.”

          Travis stiffened up.

          David nodded. “Yeah, so as a warning, it’s best to stay away from there.”

          “When we were running, I heard footsteps behind me, and then felt like somebody was pressing down on me, and it actually felt like something was…entering me.” Travis shuddered at the thought.

          “Well,” David sighed, “as you heard from the conference we held discussing this, particularly about staying away from the tunnel, it was discovered that some occults were meeting down there. However, they’ve obviously left. There are no ‘supernatural’ or ‘spiritual’ forces at work in the tunnel. Yes it is creepy and terrifying at times, but nothing involving angels and demons. In my opinion, it’s just students taking what they study too seriously.” He shrugged.

          “So you don’t believe that maybe, there may have been like…a demon or something that was in the tunnel?”

          “I don’t believe in that stuff to begin with, so I don’t think so.”

          “But I felt as if something was reading my mind, or…I don’t even know.”

          “I wouldn’t think much of it. Probably just delusions from hitting your head. Not uncommon in a case like yours.”

          Travis nodded in silent agreement.

          Nobody spoke for a few minutes.

          David broke the still, “Well, I’d better be going. I’m glad you’re alright, but remember. Stay away from the tunnel, okay?”

          Britt and Travis both consented without hesitation. “Don’t worry, I don’t even want to think about it ever again.” Britt shook her head, repulsed at the idea.  

          “Good. Get better, Travis.” David left us.

          After he left, Travis asked Britt, “What exactly happened? Before David came?”

          Britt hesitated. “It was pretty scary. I saw you on the ground, and it looked like you being sat on or something, but I didn’t see anything. Then your body sort of jerked and your face went all weird. Like somebody was inside your head or something. I saw you run towards the door and collapse again, so I yelled for help as I dragged you into the room. A few minutes later, David came and we carried you outside to his car and we drove you to the emergency room. What happened to YOU?”

          Travis shifted his position. “Well, after I fell down, I did feel like something, or someone was pressing down on me. Then, my mind felt like it exploded. Like something went inside my head and shattered my brain.”

          “Do you think it was…” Britt’s eyes were filled with fear, “a demon or something?”

          Travis took longer to answer. “I’m…I’m not really sure. I don’t really want to think about that right now.”

          The possibility of might have just occurred hung heavy in the air, and it seemed to almost chill the air.

          A nurse came in, and spoke to Travis. “Well hello there Mr. Ryland, I’m Linda, your nurse. I heard you had quite the adventure today.”

          He nodded.

          “Well, I jus came to say that aside from a light concussion, you’re perfectly fine. You should be out of here by tomorrow. Alright?”

          “Sounds good. Um, I have sort of a silly question.” He paused.

          “Yes?” Linda responded.

          “Um, well, is it possible that you could run some tests for…I’m not sure how to say this, but uh, possession?”

          Linda raised her eyebrows. “Possession? Like by a supernatural something or other?”

          Travis nodded weakly.

          “Well, there aren’t really ‘tests’ to run for that sort of thing. That’s something that if it’s true, medicine can’t heal. I know why you’re saying this. I know the history of the tunnel you were in. But if you really feel like this might be a possibility, which I doubt, then seeing a priest or something is probably your answer.”

          “So there isn’t anything that you can do?”        

          She shook her head. “Nope. As far as X-rays go, your mind looks fine.”

          Travis leaned back. “Okay, thanks.”

          “You’re welcome. Get some rest. It always helps.”

          “I will.”

          “Oh, one more thing. We contacted your parents, they’ll be here tomorrow they said.”

          My parents were coming? “Thank you.”

          “Mom and Dad are coming?” Britt was surprised.

          “I guess.”

          They were coming to see them?