Transgression (Prequel #1)

15 - Paradise and Paranoia

Four spinning blades of wood traced over the lopsided circle above; wobbling like a lure in a shifting current. A single bulb attached to nothing dangled delicately from above the careful rotation, casting slices of shadow that ensnared him beneath its infinite path. Lying flat, existing only as an idea but physical in an unexplainable way; his conscious grew aware.

Heartbeat growing unsteady as the envisioned muscles struggled to operate with the scarce granted breaths. The whir and wisp that formed a barrier from the murky space which encompassed him was merely a whisper on a deaf conscience; idle and irate. Every tender lash of an artificial breeze tugged on his beating heart with desperate, mesmeric consistency; a lustful breath uncaring of his limits.

A vicious gust, and tremble of the fabric beneath him jostled a fragment free of this grasp; turning to dust on the floor. Total silence was instantly apparent, despite there being not a single murmur prior. Calm, he watched the fan warble; seemingly shrinking and growing with every complete circle. He caught one blade, and followed it around, and around, and around until it vanished from the base. Three remained; the entirety of its being now less skewed.

Another tremble pounding on the walls of this room granted him precious distance from the black. Introducing a shimmering glare that replaced the bulb ten-fold; bleeding past the blades. This new light was clean, granting him power. The constant refocus through his mindless stare brought a seething headache to the surface.

The engaged theory of seclusion was proven false as shadows of people he once knew stepped to the edge of the prominent light. Denied entry for they were ghosts of a past and present he need not indulge. A prayer for one second more; a chance to relish in the thought which gave him the strength for penance. A literal interpretation; one second more.

In the background of his invasive dream, the car rocked side to side; swaying his warm body against the frame. The tires scraped across the dirt and hurdled over one final bump which triggered a balancing response in him. Eyes glued shut, a constriction overcame his body while the car slowly eased to a stop and the engine went quiet.

"Hey, are you asleep?" Her distant voice summoned him from the veil.

A response played out in his head; blurry with an echo. In reality he was still, and she licked her lips with innocent enjoyment from his nap. Then she playfully poked his arm, which sent a harsh electrical impulse throughout his bones and jolted him up. He lurched forward, placing one hand on the window edge and the other raised up chest height. His eyes opened, ready to engage but as soon as he saw her delicate features, all of those strings which bound him to violence withered away.

She pulled back, "Easy."

He was able to collect himself quickly; rotating his body and putting his back to the door. "S-sorry." He apologized while rubbing his face in his hands.

"It's okay." She giggled, "You're like a bear."

Groggy, he squinted at her. "You sayin' I'm hairy or fat?"

She clarified with a smile. "You have a strong instinct."

He sniffed, wiped his nose and leaned forward.

Directly in front of the car, past the cement parking barricade was a tall wire fence. It extended nearly ten feet upwards and stretched left and right as far as he could see. Beyond the fence was a lot of green just out of focus and muddy shapes that he ignored.

"Is this it?" He questioned.

"Yup. We're here." She said as she removed her keys from the ignition.

With haste, she pushed open the door and started to climb out. Alex followed her motions, albeit a little slower. Before closing the door, she opened the back seat and bent forward to retrieve a large tan canvas bag.