How the Brain Works in Space

Chapter #1

word count: 1641

     Ferris glanced up from his papers and over his glasses. His patient sat across from him, staring him down. A wide grin seemed plastered on the woman's face, her eyes wide, like she was desperately trying to stay awake."So this time it was about, what?" Ferris pressed his pen against the file reports, prepared to write.

     "They're coming for you," The young woman started to giggle then took a heaving breath, "They're looking for you!" She howled laughing, her smile never faltering.

     "Why do you say that, Lyra?" Ferris took a nervous breath, fixing his posture, and scribbled a few notes down.

     "They told me." She played with her hands, twisting her arms like pretzels.

     "Who is 'they'?"

     She paused, looking at him, a smile still on her face.

     "Lyra, who is 'they'?"

     "The ones that look like you and me, the ones that can copy your black hair, the ones that can mirror those beautiful green eyes of yours," she laughed, "the ones who will steal your mind."

     The young man pushed his glasses up his nose. This has been the same response whenever he asked her about these dreams. Strangely they matched the nightmares Ferris dealt with every night. "Why do you say these 'beings' can do that, why do they say this to you?"

     "Because," Lyra giggled, "they want it," The patient heaved a breath, "And they want me to take it."

     Ferris's tried to stay professional, but all the same trying to remember his dreams, trying to remember any pattern, any object.

     The young woman's smile twitched, "They tell me you have it, they tell me you're the one." Her voice became hoarse. "Give me it!" She screamed and jumped from her seat, charging at Ferris.

     The psychologist tried to get away from Lyra, but she had gripped on to him. Ferris's glasses fell to the floor. "Help!" He screamed, squinting and thrashing around as she tried various ways to pin Ferris down. His hair covered his eyes, creating blackness in the blurry world. A pain appeared in his arm that slowly grew worse.

     Security ran in, grabbing Lyra and tearing her from Ferris.

     "No!" She screamed, "He has it!" She trashed, kicked, and fought against the guards but was no match. "He has the beacon!" She screamed as she was dragged out of the door.

     Other psychologists from the break room peeked into the room, and other security guards rushed in to gather Ferris.

      "Mr. Towne, are you alright?" One of the guards asked.

     "Fine." He tried to refuse the help but ended up taking it anyway, Ferris pushed his hair back into place so he might see a little better.

     "Mr. Myer, please stand back." The other guard tried to hold back another blurry figure.

     "Ferris, you're bleeding." It was the voice of Ryuu, a coworker at the hospital. The coworker pushed the guard's arm down and walked to where Ferris's glasses laid on the ground. The guards huddled, speaking into their walkie-talkies. Ryuu walked closer and held out the eyeglasses.

     Ferris took them and slid them on, blinking a few times to adjust to clear vision.

     "That was your last patient, right?" The concerned friend he was, Ryuu tried to dust off Ferris.