The Wrong Guns

Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

I opened my eyes to see that I was encased by and submerged in a tank filled with strange water. Tubes up both nostrils and a mouth piece allowed cool air into my lungs. I see Benson and Harley through the glass of the tank. They're facing each other having a conversation. There's a humming sound, I started looking around for its source, and Harley notices my movements.

He came closer to the tank and looked at me through the glass; he gives me a thumbs-up. I gave him two.

Harley got a white board and wrote '3 more hours' on it. Another thumb up. Then he dismisses me for his company. Guess I'm just supposed to sit here.

'Hpw long have I been in this tank?' last thing I remember is drinking Harley's potion. So how I got here wasn't a mystery, and neither was why. I mean, it didn't take long to notice a difference. I felt an abundance of energy like nothing before. I looked at my hands and noticed I've lost almost all body fat and that I need a change of underwear.

I knock on the glass and Harley walks back to the tank. He gives me a gesture, 'What?', and quickly makes the assumption once I take off my underwear. Bringing a fresh pair; I noticed he didn't go too far to fetch it.

Benson wearing an orange vest and some camouflage cargo pants - climbed a small step ladder to open a hatch over my head and drop the dry underwear through. It soaked, and sunk within reach. I throw on the fresh pair.

It wasn't evident in the water but I'd been pissing and shitting on myself while I was asleep apparently. So I figured that humming must have been some kind of filter like the ones you'd see in a fish tank. Reflecting on it, I wasn't expecting the drink to knock me out like that. I laughed bubbles.

'Maybe I should have savored it like Harley said'.

I decided since I was going to be here for three more hours, that I'd meditate to pass the time. Good thing I did. The meditation became more like hallucinating. My ghost - or energy-body: I felt it as tangible as my physical body. It's not so much hallucinating I could see colors clear as day with my eyes closed. A purple mist surrounds my body and my chakras are vivid amongst the fog, I see myself from behind my eyelids. Then, I imagined walking out of the tank, much to my surprise, "- a good kid." Benson's voice! . . . I heard it loud and clear.

As quickly as it happened I was back in the humming of the tank peering through the glass; and there they are, Benson and Harley, talking. I meditated and left my body. But I must have lost a handle on the experience because of how surprised I was, and how easy it was. Actually, I go for it again.

"Doesn't," I hear Harley finishing his sentence. He had a proud reason behind what he said.

"If it would of: think we would be done for?" Benson, asked Harley, something - more, for the hell of it than curiously to which Harley replies.

"I'm glad he's on board."

I guess they're talking about me.

I saw Harley pick up the white board and while writing something, start to approach the tank. In an instant I am right back in the humming water and can't hear anything outside of it anymore.

I tapped the glass of the tank to get Harley to look up, from what he was writing. He looked at me, raising an eyebrow.

In a shuffle, I poked my chest a couple times - sign language for, "I" then, pointed at my ears, to say 'hear' and last, pointed at Harley. Then as if to add more to that routine, pointed at Benson with my other hand and make my hands talk like they're hand-puppets.

Harley's raised eyebrow didn't budge, but I wasn't hopeless. He finishes what he's writing, 'How do you feel?' reads the whiteboard . . . thumbs up.

Harley looked at Benson and said something.

I went Ghost again and heard him say, ". . . hear us."

How awesome, I thought. By simply imagining it I could detach from my physical body and perceive things outside of it. I am ecstatic and want to get out and explain everything. Laughing bubbles to myself back in the tank I tapped at the glass pointing a finger to Harley who looks, and my ears; nodding an agreement. Then, I demonstrated a sitting meditation but immediately regretted walking my index and middle fingers towards the glass. I knew I only confused him more. He asks that I settle down, but I can't.

I want to go find Eva in the house; figure I could get her to come downstairs and translate. My ghost body flies out the tank, and I float through the doors of the room to climb the stairs up to the house. I come to an epiphany, 'Why don't I just take a shortcut?' I floated through the ceilings, walls, and floors - like a mouse cursor around a computer screen. I check every room. She's not in the House.

When I floated out to the backyard I find her . . . catering to some huge wings that sit on the grass. They were shaped like bat wings but without the dark element of a cave dwelling rodent. The wings jointed by three bucket-shaped leather cylinders, each an individual backpack from what I can tell as Eva filled them up with arrows. The whole set looked patriotic. White wings, with a few red and blue feathers - here and there - and the brown leather backpacks, for a second there I wonder how she would look shooting arrows and flapping those things, "Hey Eva." I call out with thought and intent.

She heard me. Eva looks around. "I need you to come downstairs and explain something to Harley," I think, and she leaves her wings on the grass and is headed for the steel doors.

In an instant I was back in the tank looking at Harley tapping it. He stepped back when my eyes opened. I pointed towards the door of the room and he gestured, 'what?' and as if orchestrated perfectly Eva walks in a few moments of anticipation later.

Harley turned to her, "What is it?" He asks.

Eva shrugs, "Danny's awake isn't he? I swore I just heard him."

"Yes..." Harley replied, turning to look at me. I'm in the tank with my eyes closed.

"Tell him I can float out of my body in astral form," I think, talking to Eva, from I float my perceptions is between the two of them.

She told Harley and I'm back in the tank to see the two look at me come alive and their faces screw up. Harley smiled then gave me an "OK" sign with his hands, before pointing to the white board, 'IMPRESSIVE -but please stay still'.

I guess I shouldn't be moving around in the water. I might disturb whatever process I'm currently going through.

Three hours later like Harley said the humming in the tank stops, the tank empties and as it did I unplugged all the breathing devices. I can't wait to climb out and stretch.

"Let's get to work," Harley says and throws over a towel through the hatch.