Soul Experiment (In Editing/On Hold)

Chapter VI

Jace felt his heart in his throat as the man sat down across from him. 

They were in a fairly small room, filled with nothing but a metal desk, two chairs, small lights, and small video cameras.

He occupied the chair furthest from the door on one side of the table while the man sat on the opposite side across from him.

Jace remained silent as he surveyed his surroundings, noting only the grainy colors and swinging lights above.  

“Now,” the man across from him looked to be in only his early thirties, his dark hair neatly kept as he set a file down on the cold table. “I just want to speak to you. I’m not going to hurt you, I just want to ask you some questions.” 

As he spoke, Jace was hardly listening. Though he was physically present, his mind was elsewhere, wandering for an answer. He unconsciously nodded, which the man took as an understanding between them and smiled. 

“So,” he began. “How did you know Tessa?”

 The name snapped Jace back to reality. “She’s my best friend.” He said, his voice hoarse and weak as he moved his hands into his lap, trying to stop their quivering.

The man nodded and jotted something down. “Would you like a glass of water, Jace?”

 He nodded, and as if on perfect cue, a uniformed man brought in a glass and set it down before leaving without a word.

 Fingers still shaking, Jace took a cautious sip, hoping he could now speak without sounding so weak.

“Good,” the man continued in a soothing voice. “So tell me, what happened after school the day Tessa went missing?”

Jace closed his eyes for a moment, thinking back. Before he knew, he didn’t have a care in the world. He didn’t bother trying to memorize every little detail that could mean life or death later.

“It was like any other day,” he slowly began to speak. “But there was a party that night, and we were going to go together, just as friends…” he trailed off, seeming lost in thought before continuing. “As usual she said she’d take the bus instead of letting me drive her. Said she had to pick up her sister at school anyways. Then when I went to pick her up later, she wasn’t there.”

After he finished a dead silence hung in the air. Suddenly there was the scribbling of pen on paper, the man recording everything Jace just said, breaking the silence.

“So how long have you known Tessa?” he asked when he finished, weaving his fingers together as he looked at Jace.

“Five years,” He answered without hesitation, not even blinking an eye. “We first met in sixth grade. Been best friends ever since.”

The man nodded his head again and jotted it down. “Thank you. Stay here and someone else will come and take some data, right?”

 Jace numbly nodded as the man stood, walking out and letting the door shut with a soft click.

 “Please come back to us,” Jace murmured, staring at the scratched surface of the metal table.

~

“I’m burning!” I shouted with a horrendous shriek, feeling the heat of the flames licking at me, trying to engulf me completely. “Help me!”

 On the other side of the glass Conner just stood there, calmly as if I was only imagining the flames.

 It was real though, I could see my hands before me, skin beginning to burn and melt off my bones like wax. Before long through all the tears and screaming, I could only see skeletal hands before me, my hands.

 “It’s not real Tessa,” I faintly heard a voice, calm and relaxed. “You’re just imagining it. Think of yourself the way you were before. 

The fire was still eating me away, tearing apart my body. I knew I needed to listen to the voice, but part of me saw what was in front of me as something all too real.

 “Dream. Not real.” I murmured, squeezing my eyes shut and trying to block out the scorching heat.

When I opened my eyes I saw my hands were as they were, covered in skin, as they should be. The flames continued to swirl from all directions, as if I was in the middle of my own firestorm in this little confined space.

 On the other side of the glass Conner stood there, a faint smile on his lips, though it was twisted with pain. “See?” he said. “Come here, you’re alright.”

 Slowly, I moved through the flames, a part of my mind still convinced that I’d burn if I went through them. I didn’t though, I made it safely to him, the torturous heat transformed into something pleasant, like sitting in front of a warm fire on a snowy day in Winter.

 “It was all in my head,” I said quietly, resting against the glass as I spoke. “How is that even possible? Am I going crazy?”

 He chuckled, giving me a funny smile. “No, you’re just dead.” He must’ve seen the look in my face, the result of his reminder. “I’m sorry,” he quickly apologized. “Your mind’s natural thought is that if you’re in fire you’re burned, but you don’t truly have a body anymore… so you can’t be.”

 “I feel like I’m going crazy,” I murmured, brushing a hand over the flame. Slowly, I formed my hands into the shape of a cup, pretending to scoop up some of the flame.

 To my surprise, the flame actually stayed in my hand, resting on my skin like a little ball of energy.

 “Tessa,” Conner leapt from where he was, pressing himself against the other side of the glass and staring at the flame in my hands in fascination.

 I couldn’t do anything but stand there and gape, looking at the flame dance in my hands.

 “You’ve discovered something great.” He whispered as we both just stared in pure awe.