Trapped

Chapter Nine

January 7, 2060

This can't be, is my mother trapped in here with me? Could it be that Doctor Eckhardt has taken my mother as well? I start to shout 'Leave my mother alone! Don't hurt her!' I continue in the direction I was going and reach a room which has three possible directions. I shout once again: 'Mom! Juliet! Where are you?!' There is no response. I look at the different paths, each of them too dark to see where it leads. Should I know which way to go? I am clueless in this world, I don't know how it works, why I'm here and how long I've been here. The only information I have is that I'm in a dream and that I need to find myself to escape, and even that I don't know for sure. Maybe I'm overthinking it, there is no reason for my mother to lie to me. If we are both in this created world, it could be that she figured out how to escape and Doctor Eckhardt won't allow it. My mother did mention that this maze is filled with memories and information about the dream, I might be able to figure out more if I explore more of it. I look at each of the three possible ways, none of them invite me to investigate, but I will have to choose one. I decide to go with the one in the middle. While moving a bit further into the tunnel I notice a glimmer. A couple extra steps reveal that the path leads to a door. The door is a slightly darker grey than the concrete walls surrounding it. It's a solid color with nothing but a single door handle on it. There seems to be a small sign next to the door with something written on it. Upon closer inspection I see that it reads: 'Timekeeping.' My hands are slightly shaking, not knowing what I'm going to find. I reach out for the handle and slowly push it down, with a small touch forward the door smoothly opens. A slight ticking sound emerges from the room. It's is lit up by a single white light hanging from the ceiling. I take a step forward and I notice there are two clocks on either side of the room. On the left side the clock has a black case with white pointers, while the one on the right side has a white case with black pointers. There is something curious about these clocks, they appear to run at different speeds. I follow the clock on the left for a while, counting each second in my head. The ticks are exactly on the count, this one seems to be running at a normal rate. I move a bit closer to the right clock, so I can hear its ticks. It's obvious that the ticks are going at a faster rate. I count the seconds in my head, there are two ticks for each second. The pointer moves up a second for every tick, making time go by twice as fast. While looking at the clock I notice there's a small window just below the center, it reads: '02/2080.' This is weird, I wonder what this clock is supposed to represent. It might have something to do with the photo's I found earlier, which showed my mother in the year 2078. I walk back to the other side of the room to inspect the clock. It has a similar window which reads: '01/2060.' Could it be that the dream is supposed to lure me into believing I have lived for another 20 years?

There is nothing else in the room besides the clocks, it doesn't provide a way forward. I will have to go back the way I came and try a different path. I leave the door open as I walk back, the light from the room making it possible to see without my flashlight. When I reach the room to which the paths connect I have to turn it back on. I stare into the two remaining openings, seeing if I can spot anything which might help my decision. While investigating the left tunnel with my flashlight, I catch a glimpse of something that looks like a statue. I'm surprised I didn't see it before. It looks like a dead end so I decide to go in. A few steps in I can see it's a pedestal with some papers stacked on the top. When I reach around the pedestal I can see that the papers are neatly stacked on one side. It seems to be an official document. The first page reads: 'Consent form: Cognitive Training Through Dream Induced Therapy. I have read the consent form and recognize that my child's participation in this study is entirely voluntary and that I am free to withdraw him/her at any time during the course of the study without consequence. I understand that any information resulting from this study will be strictly confidential. I realize that I may ask for further information about this study if I wish to do so at any time. I have received a copy of this consent form for my own records. I agree to my child's participation in this study.' There is some spacing before I see the signature on the bottom of the page. The form is signed on January 2040, by.... I can't believe what I'm seeing, but there is no denying it. Juliet Marie Welling, it's right there. I stare at the form, I can't hold back the tears. They roll over my cheeks and start to fall on the paper, smudging some of the signature. I whisper to myself: 'Why would you do this to me mom, why? I can't believe you just signed away my life like that. I don't understand.' There is a small pulsating feeling in my neck and my hands. I pick up the stack of papers and rip it in half. I throw them on the floor as I kick over the pedestal. I start to scream: 'Let me out! Let me the fuck out!'

If there was ever a time where my mother should show herself, it would be now. I need an explanation for this, but I doubt it will justify her actions. Either she or Doctor Eckhardt should release me from this dream, or nightmare rather. The third tunnel must lead me further forward since these were both dead ends. My breathing is still uncontrolled from the overwhelming anger that is going through me. I clench my hand around the flashlight to release some more steam, even though I know it won't do much as an outlet. I move back to the room I came from and make a left towards the third and final tunnel. The inability to see the end of it was troubling at first, but it gives a sense of liberation right now. It means I'm hopefully getting closer to leaving this awful place. I can't shake the feeling that my mother was telling the truth about being able to leave when I find myself. But the fact that she is the reason I'm in here makes it hard for me to trust her. If she would just speak to me again, maybe I can figure it out. I walk through the tunnel with quite the pace, but the end is still not in sight. Suddenly there is a sharp feeling in my head, as if something is trying to pry it open. 'David, would you mind stopping for a moment?' I flinch as the voice starts to talk, I recognize it right away as Doctor Eckhardt's voice. 'Yes I would mind, let me out of here!' Doctor Eckhardt leaves a slight sigh before he continues. 'I understand that is on your mind right now, but I would like to reason with you before any rash decisions are made. You will have to trust my expertise in this situation.' I wonder if he has completely lost his mind, all he has ever done is lie to me. The therapy, the medication, it was all fake. I want answers, I'm not going to do what he wants anymore, I'm done with that. He might answer some of my questions if he thinks I will listen to him afterwards. Once I have my answers I will continue looking for my body to get out of here. 'Fine, but I want to ask some questions first.' There is a small pause before I receive a response. 'Fine, if that is what it takes.' I doubt whether he is going to tell me the truth, but it's worth a try.

'The clocks I found in the other room, what do they mean?' I ask hesitantly. 'I knew you were going to ask about the clocks. First off it's important to know you were never supposed to come here, your mother made a mistake bringing you down here. As for the clocks, they represent time zones of sorts. One for the dream and one for, well, the real world. You found the contract as well, so you can figure out what that means.' What does he mean figure out what that means, this is not what I asked for. 'Stop being cryptic and just tell me!' Doctor Eckhardt sighs. 'If you're that eager to know, I will tell you. You've been in this dream since 2040, however, time in the dream moves at half the rate of the real world. This means you are in the virtual year 2060, while it's truly 2080. This also means you're 44 David, not 24.' My eyes widen and my legs start to shake. I'm 44. My head hurts while trying to process how this is possible. It can't be, he must be lying. My body feels slow and weak, I need to sit down. 'This is why you can't know David, the mind functions fine if it's not aware of the state it's in, but now it will merge real impulses with that from within the dream.' Could he be telling the truth? I have to find out. 'Where is my mother, was she telling the truth about getting out of here?' Doctor Eckhardt's voice is firm as he replies. 'It's not important where she is at the moment. She was telling the truth on how to get out of this dream world however. That's the reason I came to talk to you, I want to convince you to not let it happen this way.' He can go to hell, I'm not going to fall for his lies anymore. Since I now know my mother spoke the truth, I have to find myself. 'I don't care what you want, I'm getting out of here regardless of what you're going to say.' I start to pick myself back up from the floor, I hold on to the wall as I get my second foot positioned on the floor and push myself up. With my side against the wall I shuffle further in the direction I was going. Doctor Eckhardt's voice returns: 'Look David, you've been in this dream basically your entire life. If you were to release yourself from the dream like this, you're not going be able to do anything in the real world, that requires some preparation. I would strongly advise against it, I'm sure we can arrange another way for you to be released.' Everything is better than being in here at this point, I don't care how I end up out there. 'Fuck you John, I'm going to do this my way for once. I'm not done with either you or my mother when I get out of here!' It feels good to stand up against him after all that he has done. It's finally over.

Doctor Eckhardt's voice returns after a short while, it's loud and uncontrolled, a tone I have never heard from him before. 'Your mother? Your mother is dead David! Just like you are going to end up. You are both nothing but a nuisance to my work. All these years of hard work and you decide to fuck it all up. Go ahead and find yourself, I don't care anymore!'