Elevate

“Just close your eyes, everything will be fine.”

“What? I-“

“Close them!”

I shut them tight, retaining the nervousness that withheld me. He spoke through the barrier once more.

“Slow your breathing. Calm your system.”

I exhaled slowly. My chest retreated to its normal state, relaxed and weightless like the rest of my calming body. Time passed on its own leisure.

“I want you to open your eyes on my cue. Three,”

Eyelids slowly relaxed.

“Two,”

They clenched together again, remembering the fear that strode through my body.

“One.”

And with a single breath and the shape of his mouth, he spoke louder than I heard before. I opened my eyes for the initial moment. Pupils dilated and shrunk, taking in the abundant light source. I froze. I was hovering, no. Floating. My surroundings white with nothingness as it bore into the soul I encompassed.

“Where? What?” as much as I wanted to scream the power within me wasn’t enough to toggle one. I found it useless and foolish to try and force one out, taken that it would make me look like a restless idiot begging for attention, or a Heimlich.

“Still.” He spoke again, once and only once as if he was connected with me, coaxing me to fall into a calm state once more.

“Right…” I sighed and waited for command. There was a stale silence. And then he spoke.

“It took a little time but I guess you passed.”

“There was a test? What-what do you mean?”

He chuckled, making him shift a little. I could not see, touch, or smell the man, but I could hear him as clear as if I was standing right near him, my ear engrossed in his sound.

“Welcome to Elevate.”