I could not believe my ears, granted, I had just become aware of them; yet still, I could not believe them.

There was a voice in my head.

I could hear him.

And he was crying, moaning aloud,

dry heaving sobs that not only shook him but seemed to physically shake me as well.

I felt uneasy. I wanted to explore the newness of my surroundings, but I could not allow the sobbing to go unchecked.

"Where are you?" I ventured to ask. I peeled my eyes left and right, surveying the room.

The sobbing halted with a gasp, and a choke:

"Wh-what?" the voice stammered "Y-you talk?"

The reply was puzzling. Perplexed, I ventured forth an answer "Why, yes, I do.

Would you rather me not?"

The man let out a howl; I could tell he was a man, for his voice was distinctly male, yet by his howling,

at this point he sounded more akin to an animal under deep duress.

"My God!" I replied, startled by his reaction to my answer,

"What is the matter? Are you in trouble? Please, come out so I can see you plainly! Or should I come to you?"

I made to move forward, but to my surprise, found the opposing side of the room drawing away from me with every step.

I halted in surprise, then made to move again...

"Stop! P-please stop! I can't take this! Oh G-God!" The male voice shouted.

I stopped, bewildered, my eyes searching wildly around the room for the origin of this anguished disembodied voice.

"I want to help you!" I cried, " Come out where I can see you! You have nothing to be afraid of!"

The man's sobs really were shaking me. I could not understand the situation. Where was this desperate soul?

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And how was he so close as to affect my physical, as well as emotional, state of being, and yet I could not visually place him in this white, sterile room?

"You c-can't h-help me.." the voice gasped, heaving, "You're the p-problem..so you c-can't help me or y-yourself..

j-just like the doctors.. and j-just like my p-parents.. n-no one can help..they o-only have m-made it worse!" Then he descended into fresh, racking sobs. The sobs continued to shake me.

I heard a door open, then another voice spoke, sharp, clipped, and sounding strained: "Mr. Jensen.. I have scheduled you a second

preliminary operation for the soonest available time slot..the error was ours..but we will rectify it. Please try to remain calm."

"HOW CAN I REMAIN CALM? YOU MAKE THIS RIGHT!" the first man bellowed, voice ragged from sobbing, "GOD DAMN IT, HE’S TALKING TO ME NOW, HE'S TALKING AND YOU BETTER SHUT HIM UP!

GOD DAMN YOU, YOU DO WHATEVER IT TAKES!"

I felt sweat form on my brow. This man wanted to HURT me. My mouth suddenly felt very dry.

"Tell me what it is I have done! I mean no harm, what have I done?” I cried aloud.

I made to stride forward, but again the opposing wall receded from me, and this time

I felt a slight blow to the back of my head

"YOU'VE HIT ME!" the man screamed.

The second male voice appeared again within the room:

"We are ready for you Mr. Jensen. The nurses are on their way to wheel you back."

I heard footsteps start, then grow more distant. The door closed again.

The first voice, belonging to the anguished man, let out a long shuddering sigh. I could feel him shaking.

"Please.." I whispered, "Before you leave me..what is happening to you? Can you explain it to me?"

The man gave a hollow laugh, and choked on his breath as he did.

"F-fine, I'll show you! It d-doesn't matter any way.. You won't be here long!"

Then suddenly I felt my legs being pushed backwards. I was shooting forwards across the room.

"Stop!" I cried "You'll smash me against the wall!"

The man let out another hollow, choking laugh, followed by a moan and continued to push me from behind, then he turned me sharply to face a mirror.

I refocused my gaze.

And my mouth fell open.

For staring back at me from the face of the mirror was a disfigured face.

A face that was lopsided, disproportionate, unnatural,

but most horrifically, set on the back of a head.

Below the face I saw the back of a neck, and below that

the back of body clothed in a white hospital gown that was split down the back

“You see? YOU SEE?” The man howled, and then he began to scream and cry.

Then I began to scream.

And as I screamed, the owner of the neck and back did too.

And when the nurses wheeled us away,

with my own sobs smothering into a pillow on the gurney,

both the man and I, the face on the back of his head,

howled together.