He finished filling out the questionnaire and the midget scurried back over to take it.
Scanning the clipboard, the midget says,'I am obligated to explain a few things to you. Please listen carefully because the force generated by the machine can be very dangerous. You know, a few people lost control a few weeks ago and, well, to make a long story short, we went in to get them and there was nothing to find.'
He nodded and tried to listen but the words kept blurring together as his mind raced trying to comprehend what he was about to do. 'Is this what I want? Is this who I am? Do I need her this much?' The next thing he knew he was signing a release form and standing in front of a large steel door holding hands with his wife.
The door swung open and they stepped into complete darkness. For a moment all he could hear was the sound of their breathing and the pounding of his rapidly beating heart.
In a flash, he was standing in a park - his wife was sitting in front of him on a playground swing. He instinctively gave her a push and she swung her legs to gain speed. He kept pushing as he tried to figure out where they were.
He thought, 'I remember this day. This is when we were young and hard to disappoint. Is this supposed to teach me something, give me some point of reference to hold on to?'
His arms had to work harder as he had to use more and more force to keep her moving. Suddenly, another flash and they were in darkness again. His mind raced, 'Has going back there taught me anything? Could I ever be that happy again?'
He felt his left hand go empty and reached out for his wife. 'Babe? Where are you?', he asked. He swung his arms and found her gone. He was about to scream when he saw light out of the corner of his eye.
He spun to face it to see off in the distance a dim light being carried by someone walking toward him. He briskly walked toward it calling, 'Is that you?', but still there was no answer.
He slowed down as the figure approached and he could make out that it was a candle lighting the area. As the figure raised the candle, he could make out the face.
It was him. At least, it was the same face he looked at in the mirror every morning.
'Who are you?'
'I'm you, and I'm here to tell you what you want.'
He swallowed and asked, 'What do I want?'
The figure took a step closer and said, 'My message to you is, your desire, your purpose, is when evening falls, when you take shelter that you need to be loved. To be wanted at least somewhere.'
He stood there dumbfounded when there was another flash of light. He found himself sitting on a sofa in the entryway. His wife was sitting next to him smiling contentedly while the midget was filing paperwork behind a desk.
She asked, 'So, what do you think?'
He thought about it and smiled slowly, 'It was good, let's come back next week.'
no subject
Scanning the clipboard, the midget says,'I am obligated to explain a few things to you. Please listen carefully because the force generated by the machine can be very dangerous. You know, a few people lost control a few weeks ago and, well, to make a long story short, we went in to get them and there was nothing to find.'
He nodded and tried to listen but the words kept blurring together as his mind raced trying to comprehend what he was about to do. 'Is this what I want? Is this who I am? Do I need her this much?' The next thing he knew he was signing a release form and standing in front of a large steel door holding hands with his wife.
The door swung open and they stepped into complete darkness. For a moment all he could hear was the sound of their breathing and the pounding of his rapidly beating heart.
In a flash, he was standing in a park - his wife was sitting in front of him on a playground swing. He instinctively gave her a push and she swung her legs to gain speed. He kept pushing as he tried to figure out where they were.
He thought, 'I remember this day. This is when we were young and hard to disappoint. Is this supposed to teach me something, give me some point of reference to hold on to?'
His arms had to work harder as he had to use more and more force to keep her moving. Suddenly, another flash and they were in darkness again. His mind raced, 'Has going back there taught me anything? Could I ever be that happy again?'
He felt his left hand go empty and reached out for his wife. 'Babe? Where are you?', he asked. He swung his arms and found her gone. He was about to scream when he saw light out of the corner of his eye.
He spun to face it to see off in the distance a dim light being carried by someone walking toward him. He briskly walked toward it calling, 'Is that you?', but still there was no answer.
He slowed down as the figure approached and he could make out that it was a candle lighting the area. As the figure raised the candle, he could make out the face.
It was him. At least, it was the same face he looked at in the mirror every morning.
'Who are you?'
'I'm you, and I'm here to tell you what you want.'
He swallowed and asked, 'What do I want?'
The figure took a step closer and said, 'My message to you is, your desire, your purpose, is when evening falls, when you take shelter that you need to be loved. To be wanted at least somewhere.'
He stood there dumbfounded when there was another flash of light. He found himself sitting on a sofa in the entryway. His wife was sitting next to him smiling contentedly while the midget was filing paperwork behind a desk.
She asked, 'So, what do you think?'
He thought about it and smiled slowly, 'It was good, let's come back next week.'