I want my life back! The thought screamed out in Egon's mind. He froze. Unconsciously, he knew she wasn't blaming him, she was venting. But his conscious mind wasn't having any of it.
He stood up, walking towards the woods. He had to leave before anything else happened.
A moment later, he was deep in the woods, lost in his thoughts and his depression. He didn't hear Janine call out to him, until she touched his shoulder.
"Egon, what's wrong?" she asked, briefly touching his mind. Her shook his head, pushing her touch away.
"Nothing. I just want to be alone."
"It was me, wasn't it?" she asked. When he didn't answer, she continued. "It's my fault. I was feeling sorry for myself and I kinda got out of hand. I apologize."
"Egon shook his head. "No, Janine...it's...well..."
"No," she interrupted. "I'm tired of this. I'm tired of singing these stupid songs in my head. I'm tired of hiding my thoughts. I'm tired, I'm cranky, and I don't want to do it anymore," She took a deep breath to calm herself. This had to be done, or she'd go crazy. "I'm going to drop my defenses. I don't know how long we're going to be here or even if we'll get home, but I don't plan on doing this forever."
She patted his shoulder, then turned back towards camp.
"You found it?" Winston asked, as he and Peter got up off the floor to join Ray at the desk. Ray nodded, putting the book down and pointing to a page.
"This. It's a dimension outside the Neitherworld. Type of a paradise for us. It's actually a lab of sorts created by two beings."
He flipped the page. The next showed two beings: one, tall, golden muscular; the other, medium, wiry, dark. Together, they were opposite ends on a spectrum.
"This is Earos," Ray said, Pointing to the golden-haired one. "The other is Everis. They are the two beings in charge of the...experiments done at Pala'lan. "
Peter looked worried. "What kind of experiments?"
Ray looked uncomfortable. "You don't want to know."
Winston misinterpreted the look passed between Ray and Peter.
"We have to get them out. Especially if they're being hurt."
"Believe me, your friends are not being hurt in any way," a voice from the lab door stated. The three men turned to see the dark man from the picture standing there. He smiled over towards Peter.
I see you've done something with the dream I sent you.
Peter frowned. "No. Janine came to me asking for help."
The man shook his head. No. Your Janine is still trapped on Pala'lan. She has no idea if you are still here, or if she will ever return. I sent you the dream.
Ray looked flabbergasted. "But...why?"
For years, my colleague and I have conducted many experiments on individuals. This time, however, against my better judgment, he took your friends. We cannot touch them while they are there. This is why I came to you. You have to release your friends.
Winston frowned. "If you can't touch them, how are they released?"
The time experiment is for a month. Thirty days of your Earth time. But I fear your friends will not last another week. The bond they have is already at it's limits.
"Explain," Peter demanded.
The experiments. They are to test the bond of friendships, relationships. The individuals we place inside have a hidden desire or friendship neither they nor the other person know about. Your friends, they both have an unspoken desire for the other. They choose not to bring it up. If they are left longer on Pala'lan one of two things will happen; they will either break the bond they share, thereby destroying all friendship and otherwise with the other, or they will succumb totally to their bond and when they return, their bond will be stretched and this time break. Either way, a bond will be forever destroyed and I do not wish this to happen.
The three could only stare.
"You're talking about our Janine and Egon?" Ray asked.
"I didn't know Egon had feelings for anything other than his lab," Peter said. Winston hit his shoulder, then looked at Everis.
"Tell us what we need to do," he said.