The rest of my Monday is spent watching TV. They have a short segment showing the vigil for Rodney that I lap up, but I see no more unusual shadows. Probably because it’s all dark and mostly shadows. And most smart killers don’t return to crime scenes.

At least that’s what T.V shows have taught me. Other than binging on cartoons, I mostly spend my time fuming about Detective Idiot and Nancy. When a nurse who isn’t Nancy, it’s the nurse called Rachel, comes to give me some pills so I can sleep I accept both blessings gladly, even though it isn’t that late yet.

“Isn’t 8 a little early?”

“You still need a lot of rest to get better. Besides, it’s Nancy’s orders.”

Oh, well that explains that.

I excitedly chug them down with the stale water. I get to see Fintan again, and maybe figure out what he wants.

The pills work surprisingly fast. I have a faint sense of my head hitting the pillow rather hard. Like I was knocked out before I even lay down. But that’s just silly.

Um, right?

I’m in the dark again. This time Fintan isn’t in front of me, and that isn’t the only thing that’s changed. I feel present, like I’m here this time. I’m not just an observer.

“Fintan?” I call out for him and amazingly I can hear my own voice. Whatever the wall was that divided us and kept me out, it’s gone now. I walk around a little, but the ground is uneven and it’s impossible to see anything in here. Even my hand in front of my face is blurry.

It reminds me of the Spirit Chamber. But I know this place is different.

“Kara?” After walking for a bit, and calling for him, I hear him. His voice is quiet. Distant.

“Yes. Where are you?”

“I’m here.”

“Seriously?” Not this crap again.

With this guy’s directions it could take till morning to find him, so I decide to just run. It’s strange but the darkness almost feels tangible. The air is thick with shadows. It’s not easy to walk through, much less run. I can’t see anything because the darkness is literally blocking everything. What is this stuff?

“Am I close yet?”

“Closer.”

Pfft, thanks for the great directions. So helpful. His voice is getting a little louder though, so I must be going the right way. I keep running. I’m tripping over my own feet every few strides, but whatever. I’m not here to win medals.

“How about now?”

“Hurry.”

“What?” Now he’s quieter, I can barely hear him at all. I turn left.

“He’s coming.”

Getting better. My breathing is labored here too, like half of what I’m breathing isn’t air but darkness. Despite that, and unlike a lot of the other weird places I’ve been to lately, breathing is still necessary here.

“Who is coming?”

“Hurry. You must hurry.” Each word gets louder until I feel someone grab my shoulder and I scream. Oh, come on, that is getting old. I need to get a grip.

“It’s me.”

“Oh. Thank god.”

Standing right beside him, I can see him again, kinda. He has a pair of white shorts on, and I notice a, uh, well a bulge. His face has changed too. It’s more masculine now, his jawline is more pronounced, and he has a larger nose with a thicker bridge. His shoulders look broader too, he has actual nipples, and his mouth is fully formed with lips and teeth and all that. The eyes though are still very much mine. And he’s still a shiny white color.

“Um, what’s with the shorts?”

“You said I was a he.”

“Yeah…”

“Now I am a he.”

“Right.” Awkward…

“It’s not great for me either, you know. Pure Spirits are genderless. Or, at the most extreme, we are still non-dimorphic. I tried to tell you that, but you-”

“Why is it so dark in here? What is this black stuff?”

I can tell he’s going to go on about something I don’t care about, so I distract him with something I do care about.

“That’s not important right now… and neither is my situation. We’ll discuss that later. Kara, he is coming.”

“Who is?”

“I don’t know who they sent. I just know, he is the cold.”

“Ringleson?”

Is that what this is about? That creepy doctor with hands of ice? I thought I fixed that problem when I had him switched.

“Yes, you must run.”

“What, why?”

“Your blood has not yet been Tested, but you have still been deemed Undesirable by the Luciferian Syndicate, a subsidiary of the Third Eye.”

“Uh… okay what?”

“The Third Eye Order, the Overseers, they have a lot of names, but the Luciferian Syndicate is a faction of theirs. They’re acting outside of orders as usual, but you can’t expect the Third Eye to interfere, either. I also can’t sense the presence of your Protector, not that you should trust them fully in the first place. Look, the point is you need to get out of that hospital.”

“So these Lucifer Freaks aren’t following their Order’s orders, and now I have to deal with their bullshit? All because I’m supposedly this Undesirable thingy?”

“…More or less.”

“Well, that’s just insulting. Why do they get to decide whether I’m desirable or not?”

“The opposite of Undesirable isn’t- This is serious. They will kill you.”

“Oh. Like, for real then you mean?”

“You will not come back this time. Things would be different if you had your Shadow, but you don’t.”

“Wait you said they. There’s more evil doctors?”

“There are many enemies, but only two where you are, and one is…not a doctor.”

“…Is it a nurse?”

Fintan seems to think for a moment. “Yes, a nurse.”

Nancy. “It’s that bloody annoying Nancy, isn’t it?”

“Possibly. Probably. If that’s what our gut says.”

“I knew it. No one is that perky. So, what do I do?”

“You must wake up. And then you must flee. It is happening now.”

“Is that what you’ve been trying to tell me?”

“Yes. I’ve been trying to tell you to get out of that place.”

“Why weren’t we able to hear each other?”

Fintan makes an exasperated sound and grabs my shoulders, shaking me. “This is not the time for answers! Wake up!”

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“Okay! Okay…” I pinch myself but nothing happens. “Um…”

Fintan slaps me. He friggen just-! “Ow! Hey!”

Then looks surprised that didn’t work either. “You should wake just by wanting to. My hand should not have even connected to your face.” He pauses. “Did you take anything?”

“Uh…”

“Think! Did they give you anything?”

“The other nurse, Rachel, she gave me a pill.” Shit. I did conk out right away. “She said it was from Nancy, so I could sleep.” Shit.

“This is not good.”

“Yup.”

“No wonder you were able to make it here, you’re finally in a deep enough sleep.” He turns. “Follow me.” And begins walking away. Within seconds I can’t see him, and I panic and run after him until we collide, and I can see him again. “Stop fooling around and stay close, there isn’t much time.”

“I’m not- oh never mind. You know, we could have avoided all of this if you had warned me properly days ago.”

“The problem wasn’t on my end.”

“What, so I need to take super pills just to talk to you?” That’s so inconvenient.

“Eventually you will learn meditation. That method is obviously preferable.” He keeps turning and walking, turning and walking. I don’t know where we’re going or how he knows where it would be in this shadow murk.

“Right. Can’t we turn a light on or something?”

“A light wouldn’t do anything. This is all potential.” He waves his hands through it. “It’s like this now because you haven’t formed anything. You haven’t had the time.”

“Potential?” I reach out and try to touch the stuff, but it simply glides over my hand.

“This is your Dreamscape, Kara. This is your Inner World.”

“Wasn’t that the beach?”

“What? No, that…” He sighs. “That was your Dream World. It’s connected to your Dreamscape but it’s only active when you’re sleeping, and it’s not the same every time, as it’s your dream. You can even say it’s the surface layer while this is the deeper layer.”

“Uh, okay, I get it now.”

I don’t. At all. But I guess I understand a little more than I did a minute ago. That’s something at least.

“So… I need to form you, and I also need to form all of this stuff? Into what?”

This whole living thing is starting to sound like a lot of work.

“Whatever you want.” Fintan smiles at me before sticking his arm out and stopping me. “We’re here.”

“Okay…where’s here?” I look around but it all looks the same. Like, I think we passed that tree already, same.

“I believe, on your hospital bed, you called it The Other Side of Awake. The proper term is The Edge of Awake.”

I did at that. When I was freaking out about death and stuff. “Then it’s a cliff?”

I can’t even tell. If Fintan hadn’t stopped me, I’d have walked right off the edge without knowing. I’m surprised I didn’t die trying to find him if there are cliffs in this place. That would’ve been nice to know.

“You catch on quick. Here is asleep. Down there is awake.”

“So I jump and I wake up.”

He pauses again. “In theory.”

“Say what now?”

“I think that’s what will happen.”

“So I could just die.”

“Well, I don’t think you would die.”

“God…” I back away. No way. No no no no way.

“You have to jump, there’s no other option. The drug is too strong, and he is coming. Time moves slowly here. He has the advantage.”

“But I don’t want t-”

Then Fintan pushes me over the cliff. Aaaand I’m falling to my doom.

“Damn you Fintan, I’m gonna-”

And then, before I can finish my threats, I’m awake. And I’m freezing.

Thank god that worked.

When I wake up everything is cold. The air, my sheets, my skin. When I breathe out, a cloud of pure cold escapes my lungs. It’s like my room has been transported to the Yukon or something.

I’m shivering, and Fintan’s voice is in my head. I don’t know why but I just accept that.

Get out, get out now!

“Okay, okay!” I sit up and pull my legs over the side of the bed and wiggle my toes. I haven’t stood on my own feet since Saturday.

Get out!

“Don’t rush me, dammit!” I slide down heavily onto the floor and hear a crunch and feel flesh under my foot. I look down at the floor properly and scream. Rachel is lying there. I just slid right onto her hand. She’s unconscious.

I kneel onto the floor and it hurts. The floor is so cold it bites my knees and makes the bottom of my feet sting. I shake her but she’s unresponsive, and cold as ice.

“Oh my god, is she dead?”

No, she is asleep. Look around you.

I stand back up and grab my IV machine and head out the door, pulling it along with me.

Each step pains my feet and is a struggle. I feel like if I stand in one place for more than a few seconds my feet will become ice and meld with the floor. My muscles have also forgotten how to move. That added to the fact it’s so cold I don’t even know why I can move, and I don’t know how I’m going to survive this. I feel like a zombie.

I step outside my room and the scene is like a horror movie. Everyone is asleep and lying haphazardly around the place and there are papers and supplies on the floor everywhere. And everything is still. The patients, the receptionists, the doctors… this is the one of the busiest parts of the hospital and nothing is moving.

There’s not much creepier than a dead quiet recovery ward.

“They’re all asleep?”

If you don’t get out, you’ll be sleeping permanently.

“Alright, I get it.” I turn towards the recovery ward’s exit. I’ll have to pass through the maternity ward before I make it to the main lobby. If I can even make it that far.

“Kaara. Kaaaaara.”

I stop in my tracks. I know that voice. Ringleson! He’s calling me with a creepy sing song voice.

Don’t stop. The door, now!

I panic and run, almost falling with every step, and I can feel the skin on my neck get tight and pull. My stitches are going to break at this rate.

You can’t think of that right now!

“Kara, there you are.”

I reach the door and spin around. “He’s here.”

Ringleson is standing some ways down the hall, swinging his stethoscope around like a circus freak. He’s wearing his white doctor’s coat and looks mostly the same except for the fact that his skin is pale blue, and his hair is white as snow. Also, his eyes are black ovals now and capture and refract the light like a diamond does.

I guess he’s officially Shifted.

This is dangerous. Open the door and get out.

I turn back to the door and try to open it. But it’s locked or something.

It isn’t locked.

“But-”

It’s frozen, push harder.

“Frozen?” Well of course it is. That would make more sense, wouldn’t it? Freaking ice doctor. I really do have good instincts!

I push down on the bar and slam my body into it. The shock makes my neck throb like crazy, and I can feel my blood pumping through my ears. And my hands still haven’t healed so then there’s that.

Ssch ssch Ssch ssch.

“Where are you going, Kara?” I can tell from his voice he’s getting closer to me. He’s probably passed by my room already. I want to punch his smug face.

“Away from you, you freak!”

Focus.

“I am focused. The damn thing won’t budge.”

Keep trying.

“Who are you talking to?”

“None of your business, asshole.”

I know I don’t actually have to talk out loud to Fintan right now, cause he’s in my head, but it feels weird not to cause he isn’t me. I mean, not really.

“Such language. Tsk tsk.”

“Why are you even here? Just leave me alone!”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Kara. It’s nothing personal. But something like you cannot be allowed to exist.”

He’s stopped. I try to keep him talking while I work on the damn door. “Oh?” Shove, bang, ow. “Why’s that?” Shove, bang, ow.

“You’re dangerous, that’s why.”

“And you’re not? You just cast a sleeping curse on the entire freaking hospital.”

“You’re not the allowable kind.”

Not the allowable- what does that even mean? I finally break the ice barriers and fall through the door. My IV falls over and hits my ankle. Damn thing is just going to slow me down. “Ow…”

Get up.

“But my neck is-”

I said get up!

I push myself to my knees and clumsily find my footing again. I can tell one of my stitches broke. If this keeps up, I’ll die again.

Worry about that later and run. You’re in no fit state to fight, and with your lack of education you wouldn’t win anyway. Powers have limits, even in Bubbles. He may have frozen the hospital, but I doubt he has frozen the whole block. Get out, get help, survive. Think of nothing else.

I follow his advice and turn the corner towards to maternity ward. I tug hard at the IV cord strapped tight to my hand. All the damn bandages are really in the way. I pull it as hard as I can and feel it finally tear off.

A pained cry escapes my lips, and the pain causes my vison to go white for a moment.

The needle was placed in the opposite direction of my wrist, the only direction I could pull it at. I can feel the needle slash and rip my skin on the way out. The bandages still wrapped tightly around my hand are quickly soaked with my blood. I can only ignore the pain and run ahead, leaving my IV behind. Soon there’s more blood than bandage and fat red drops fall onto my hospital gown, the floor, and the walls I lean against while running because I am already exhausted.

Somehow, I make it there, and let me tell you, a quiet recovery ward is ominous for sure, but I’ve changed my mind. Nothing is creepier than a dead maternity ward.

One of the babies is on the floor. I pick them up and place him onto a nearby chair.

What are you doing?

“There’s going to be panic when everyone wakes up. They could get trampled.”

It is not your problem. He is still behind you. Do you want to die?

“I know, I know.”

I move on, glad I know this place so well. I cut corners wherever I can, but he is still there. His footsteps, so close behind, echo on the glassy floors.

Let go of your attachments. They will only drag you down.

“You think I don’t know that? Che. Don’t think I don’t know why you’re so worried.”

What do you mean?

“You don’t want to die. If I die you go with me. And all your mysterious master plans go down the toilet.”

You forget, I am a part of you. It is far more complicated than that. Turn here.

“What, why? That’s a service exit.”

It exits to the lobby.

“It does?”

Do we really have time for this? Do you trust me or not?

“No. Maybe a little. I suppose I can trust your judgment.”

It’s good to be cautious.

I don’t know when I started trusting him, but it’s not like I have much choice in this situation anyway. I open the service exit and find myself in a storage room.

The entrance is straight ahead.

I run forward and reach the door, but this one really is locked.

“I need a key.”

Just smash the lock.

“I can’t just destroy public property. There’s cameras.”

I mean, I can cause this is one flimsy lock and there’s a hammer nearby which is more than enough to wreck it, but that doesn’t mean I should. It’s illegal.

Smash it or die.

“I hate you.” I grab a nearby hammer and start whacking it. The exertion makes my vision swim. The blood loss is getting to me now. “My mom is going to kill me if she finds out.”

She never needs to know.

“Apparently,” -smash- “there is a lot,” -smash- “that she doesn’t need to know!”

Despite my weakened condition the lock breaks and falls to the floor pretty easily, and the door swings open a bit on its own. I should probably report that later. Anonymously of course.

I push it all the way out and run through. Fintan was right, I’m in the main lobby. The cafeteria to be exact, behind the counter of Taco Time. Which means the main entrance is just ahead.

And just when I find a light at the end of the tunnel, someone has to send a train my way.

Behind you!