Husk

Chapter 6 - Cross

Chapter 6

 3:27 am.

 I woke up screaming again.

I forgot to take my medicine. This time I knew I needed to call Azra's specialist. I knew that was the only way I would be able to get any of this out in the open.

 His name was Cross. He asked me to meet him at his office about an hour away in one of the cities most urban areas. He was a tall man, Egyptian descent, probably in his late thirties. He walked with a cane. He had served as a medic in the military and had retired after he lost two of his husks. In other words he had died twice while serving the country and decided that enough was enough and got out. After that he had his implant removed and got a degree in various medical fields and psychology focusing on implant patients, DNA manipulation, and dream interpretation. He was also apparently the one that burned Azras's implant when she was twenty three which is why they have such a close friendship. She was one of the few people aside from myself and her father that she trusted.. and her father was dead so that made only the two of us.

 "Please no hipster bullshit" Those were the first words he said to me,

“and no conspiracy theories either. I am here to listen and help you the best I can without prejudice or ignorance. Now so long as you understand me we can go and we can begin to unravel the truth behind your so called nightmares." I felt like I already liked the guy. He was very direct, straight to the point. He didn't clutter shit up with small details about this and that.

 So here I am. The middle of one of the largest cities in the world, an urban jungle and I am talking to the man that burned my girlfriend's implant, altered her DNA - A man that has died twice and burned his own DNA (my father would never imagine such a thing). It's amazing what love does to someone. I never in a million years imagined I'd be talking to anyone about "dream interpretation".

 "So first thing I have to ask you." He paused. "Are you a husk?"

 I felt shocked. Why is this the first thing everyone has to ask. Why should it matter if this is not the body I was born into. I am who I am.

 "Yes," I proclaimed. I felt hesitant but I didn't let it show in my voice even though he must have sensed it.

 "It's alright, you know very well that I too am not of my original form. It is quite alright," he said comfortingly.

 "What does this have to do with my dreams?" I said knowing very well the bridge had everything to do with my dreams. The only problem was I couldn't explain anything else. The dreams in the desert. The nightmares of husks coming to life and chasing me down as a child.

 "Sometimes when someone dies a traumatic death, the images, the pain lingers on. From husk to husk for these poor souls things only get worse. Did you take the medicine?"

 "I tried." I replied knowing that I did take the medicine just not on nights when I was with Azra.

 "How many times have you died?" He asked.

 "Once,"

"Can you be certain?"

"Yes," I said.

"Then you know exactly how many husks you have left?" I knew the answer but at the same time I thought about how I hadn't actually seen any of my husks since I was a child. The questions about husks continued to bother me. It was like standing on a grave. I felt disturbed and wrong. Then I realized the answer and finally said it out loud, "No. I haven't seen my husks since I was a child, but I have only died once so I have nine left."

"Even most people visit their husks at least once a few months. What was your problem?"

"My father pays for mine."