The Weavers of Illusions

Chapter 3

Max stood pacing in the a hospital waiting room. He bit his lip as he remembered the events that quickly followed,Kevin fainting. As soon as Kevin hit the ground, the kids at the tables leapt up and got the teachers, who were quick to get Kevin to a hospital, and question Max about what happened. When met with the question, "What did you do?" Max told them he did nothing. Max didn't want to tell them about the vision with the witch, it felt strangely personal. After he finished organizing his thoughts, a nurse came into the room looking extremely puzzled.

"What happened to Kevin?" Max inquired anxiously.

"Well, it is a little complicated, but basically Kevin is fine , it's just that..." the nurse replied unsteadily. Max waited for a response. "Well, 1st you have to understand that in sleep there are 2 stages. 1st, you sleep and your brain waves are very slow. Then you have R.E.M sleep in which your braun waves are close to waking life. During sleep you alternate between these two modes."

"So whats wrong with him?" Max asked, annoyed she hadn't answered his question

"I think, Kevin is not alternating between the 2 modes, instead it seems more like he is awake." The nurse replied confidently.

  The door opened at Max looked towards it expecting to see his parents, but seeing instead the mysterious stranger John.

"Nurse, i'll take Max over from here, you may leave." John ordered mysteriously. The nurse nodded and walked out the door. John walked to the vending machine, put a quarter in and started eating a candy bar. He walked casually over to a couch, and sat down. "Sit down," John said once he had finished the candy bar. Max sat down, but was still wary of the enigmatic character that had asked him interesting questions earlier. "What happened with Kevin, Max?" John asked innocently. Max clenched his teeth, and said angrily,

"I didn't do anything!" John looked surprised for a second, then he regained his posture, and replied

"I wasn't suggesting you did anything, I just wanted to know what happened."

"Oh," Max replied his anger waning. John opened his mouth to say something else, but just then the door opened, and Max's parents rushed in.

"Are you okay?" Max's mom said anxiously.

"I'm fine, but something happened at school while I was there." Max replied.

"What happened?" Max's dad asked looking puzzled.

"Well..., it's complicated, but basically Kevin punched me-

"What! Kevin punched you! That's horrible! You should have-' Max's mom started to shout but was quickly interrupted by Max, who did not want a lecture,

"MOM! I'm fine, but Kevin he..he, I think he fainted."

"Fainted? Why would he faint?" Max's dad said looking even more confused. Max hesitated wondering if he should tell his parents about the odd "vision". Ultimately Max decided to keep it to himself, it still felt oddly personal.

"I um... I think that maybe he ... he... I don't know, probably some really confusing reason that has to with health and your... liver." Max said in an effort to reassure his parents.

"Liver? What does the liver have to do with fainting?" Max's, mom asked incredulously.

"I don't know, I was just using it as an example for something to do with health!" Max said loudly, exasperated with his parents.

"All right Max, but I have some bad news." Max's dad said, seeming to have to say something urgent.

"What." Max said. He was expecting some news about how his work had been shut down. Although Max wondered why he would direct news like this toward him.