Agnes in JackieLand

Chapter 17

I headed to my hospital room on the fourth floor. I hoped nobody was there because I would like to try astral traveling again. I was more alert today. I had a good feeling that it would work, and it was bolstered even more when I found the room empty. It had to be a sign.

My physical appearance hadn't changed; I took that as a good sign. Someone had changed the purple fuzzy blanket back to a standard pink hospital blanket, probably because it was warm in here now. It was the last week of May and pretty warm outside.

I noticed that my shaved hair looked like stubble now. I had no clue what I was going to do about my hair. I may be stuck in Jackie's body as long as it took to grow back. I sure hoped not.

That thought spurred me to get moving with my idea. I sat in the chair beside the bed and grabbed hold of my hand, gently squeezing it to see if there was a response. Even though I knew there wouldn't be one, I felt a little sad when there wasn't.

Settling back in the chair, I closed my eyes and tried to achieve some peace, to block out the machine noises and the voices in my head. I did a slow backward count from a hundred into the dark. Nothingness floated around me until I noticed a tingling sensation in my hand, more like a vibration that traveled bit by bit up my arm. However, I ignored that, too, knowing I had to relax a little deeper. I visualized the vibration of my body slowing and the sensations getting fainter until, finally, everything went still.

It happened slowly. My body became nothing. I couldn't move my arms and legs. I almost panicked until I realized this was supposed to happen. I had achieved it. Fear gripped me, but I beat it back down. The next step was to visualize myself going upward like I was floating.

I didn't know if it was working, but I felt light as a feather. The motion felt like I was buoying in water. I opened my eyes and almost crowed in delight. I was hovering above Jackie's body, sitting in the chair. We really did look like we were sleeping. Wait, when did I start referring to Jackie's body as we?

Focus Aggie.

I turned to my body, looking down at it, expecting Jackie to rise out of it. When nothing happened, I called out to it. "Jackie, wakie wakie. I'm here. I want to be back in my own body."

Nothing happened.

I wanted to stop my foot and act like a five-year-old, but I couldn't while flying. "Jackie, I don't want your crappy life. You can have it back now," I hissed to no one.

Frustrated beyond belief, I flew back and forth in the tiny room as a way of pacing. Pacing always helped solve problems, and this way was no different. What if I had been wrong, and there was no soul to swap. Maybe I was just lying there empty, and all I had to do was lie down in my body, and it would somehow fuse itself back together. It was worth a try.

Positioning myself over my body, I closed my eyes and guided myself down into it. It felt weird, like somehow it wasn't me. I tried to meld into it but knew it wasn't working. I had to be doing something wrong, but what?

"What the heck is going on?"

Like a rubber band, my soul flung itself into Jackie's body. It hurt like a giant body slap. My mind was jumbled, and I felt shaken.

"What are you doing here?"

The man's voice was familiar. I knew it. It held a warmth that the chilly note of his question couldn't hide. My dad. Opening my eyes, I let go of my coma-self's hand. Jackie's hand was sweaty from holding my hand. How long had I been astral surfing? The clock on the wall over the door read that I had been doing this for just over an hour. It felt like ten minutes. Crazy.