Broken Stream
Chapter 3: Sanity Check
Disclaimer: don't own Evangelion
Warning: Teen rating: Language, expect an F-bomb
"EVA?"
Yeah, I am officially freaked out. Hopefully it doesn't show on my face.
"You heard of it?"
Crap.
"Well... maybe, yes... I think?"
She gave me a pointed look and turned to her computer. She inputted the word into the search and the computer crashed again.
"Maybe the database isn't working right now?"
"It worked when I searched for other things..."
Damn it, I really don't want to deal with this right now. I don't want to be insane for one moment in my life. Its bad enough the dreams and hallucinations are getting worse but that I might of found someone who in fact could be going through the same stuff that I'm going through.
"Asuka... do you have a tendency to see things that aren't there?"
"Uh... no, why?"
Yeah, don't sound like a complete nut ball. Make an ass of yourself in front of the girl why don't you.
"Never mind." I could see the headache I had earlier would skyrocket soon.
"I do have strange dreams though..."
My eyes widen a little, finally something good to hear for a change.
"What kind?"
"Well... I know your going to think I'm crazy but I've been having this reaccuring dream..." she pulled on my tie so that I was eye level with her, to say the least I thought I was in a fantasy right now, or in the one that I had a few minutes ago, "promise, you don't say this to anyone?"
"Of course."
"Well, I'm in a room. I start to walk forward to a door of another room. When I open the door, I see a person hanging from a ceiling... I don't know who it is, or what it means..."
Jeez, I thought it was going to be about monsters...
"I'm sorry..."
Wow... that sounded really weird coming from my mouth.
"For what?" she looked at me questioningly.
"Well, no one should have those kind of dreams..."
"Do you think I'm crazy." She lets go of my tie as she asked.
I stand up and look at the window in the far corner to see the same tentacle monster destroying our rival business next door.
"Hardly."
The work day was over, the conversations between me and Asuka consisted of work, her making fun of me for my little penguin ornament that I have on my desk, and me making a reference of her IQ being the size of her bra. The last one ended up getting me kicked in the shins and threatening sexual harassment. I'm really starting to love that woman, and it's only been a day.
I walk back to my apartment complex, remembering I left it unlocked again I just walk through the door and plop all my stuff on the couch. I really need to redecorate, with my income I could buy some decent stuff. Instead I just have a small couch, TV, and DVD player in the living room. My bedrooms worse, a desk and bed. Looks like I didn't grow out of my college living. I can hear a knock from the front door. Probably Misato asking me to cook for her again.
"I'm coming..."
I open the front door only to be surprised to see Rei Ayanami from work there.
"Uh... Rei, what are you doing here?"
"... I came to discuss something with you..."
Oh yeah, pale girl in a poorly lit hallway... not creepy.
"Sure... come on in, have a seat..."
She sat down and put her bag to her lap. She seemed to be more concentrated looking at the table then anything else.
"Do you want a drink or something?"
"Water would be fine."
I walk up to the fridge and take out a cold pitcher of water. I pour some into a cup and put it back in. I walk up to her and offer the glass, which she accepts and sit down next to her on the couch. It's times like these that I wish I had more furniture.
"Don't mind the place, I'm not much of a pack rat."
"It's alright, I'm pretty much the same..."
"So... Rei, what brings you here?"
"Well..." she seems hesitant at first but then looks int my eyes. Her red eyes seem to shine an emotion that I have never seen before. Hell, I didn't know anything about this girl. All she did was come to work, work, and then leave for the day. I just seemed to assume she was to herself, I didn't mind it. I liked doing the same thing, only for some reason I make friends with out effort. I guess its the personality or something.
"I was wondering if... do you... "
You know the more I think about it, I'm expecting something to happen. Either we have sex or she kills me... I'm kind of hoping for the first.
"I have been having these weird... visions...?"
"Visions?"
Her too? Maybe I can get answers... or either the employees are playing a trick on me.
"I see these monsters... in the streets and everywhere..."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"I notice you looking in the direction of where they are when were at work."
"So I assume you saw the one today too huh?" her nod answered my question.
I got up slowly and walked up to one of the empty shelves in my apartment. I tried to collect the questions I wanted to ask her... maybe I wasn't going crazy. This actually got me in a good mood. Maybe I can get answers. Maybe I'm not crazy.
"Rei... I..." those words die in my mouth when I see a penguin sitting in her place on the couch.
Okay, this can be explained. It's a trick.
"Rei?"
"Yes?"
The penguin talked... and it had her voice...
I think I have official gone off the deep end.
"Ikari, are you okay?"
I look back to see Asuka in the penguins place. See, now originally the talking penguin was bad enough but seeing Asuka in a skin tight red suit that looked like some reject 80's workout outfit seemed to make my eyebrow twitch. She still has Ayanami's voice.
"Shinji? Your pale, really pale. Are you sure you don't need any medical attention."
More like a mental evaluation. There was something really weird going on. So I decided that in order to keep my sanity, I would close my eyes. Maybe I'll wake up from this dream...
"Shinji?"
I open my eyes to see an old man with a NERV uniform, graying hair and an air of dignity surrounding him. This was seriously enough. I don't think I can handle anything else. Then I heard the wall behind me collapsing. I knew what was there, I knew when I would turn around I would see it. I would see it and I would wake up and I would be happy because it was a dream. I turned around and slowly my mouth sank down to the ground. There was an enormous watermelon sitting on top of the rubble that was my wall. I slowly turned around again only to see now it was Misato, next to her was Asuka, next to her was Rei... everyone I seemed to know where around me. Surrounding me, they were clapping... Why the hell were they clapping? Congratulating that I finally broken down mentally? This was when I noticed I couldn't move. I was surrounded by all these people, in black nothingness. I tried as hard as I can to move, but I couldn't. Then I saw it, green eyes lit up in a distance. The ground was trembling as it was coming closer. This didn't make sense since I was standing on black... Jesus... there was no ground! What the hell is this? The eyes... the eyes... coming closer. The black ground seemed to quake until I finally had to crane my head up to look at the green orbs standing high above me. I looked around me and noticed that I could move. I didn't see anyone. Where did they go? A bright light shun down from the heavens and lit on one lone figure in a distance. I could see the glare of the light from his eyes. He must have had glasses on, I slowly started walking toward him.
I wanted answers now. I started running to the figure only he seemed to be moving farther away from me. This was it, I think I have finally gone insane. I was panicking, I was surrounded by darkness now. I noticed that my shoes were getting wet, I was in a white room slowly filling with some copper colored liquid. I went up to the nearest wall and started pounding on it, the liquid was rising, I was screaming but I couldn't hear myself. Soon I was floating to the top of the room. There was no where else to go and this liquid seemed to be coming from no where. Soon I was engulfed in the liquid, though my knowledge I know drowning was painful and when your surround in a space with water, completely engulfed in it, you know what's going to happen. I completely lost it. I thrashed and held my throat as my lungs were begging me to breathe. Well, this officially sucked, I'm dead. I let go of my breath and expected sweet darkness to come again.
I was breathing. I was breathing under this "water". I looked around and realized that I wasn't dead. I slowly sank to the ground and I just looked at my hands. I moved around, the resistance proved I was in liquid only there was a slight difference.
I could taste blood...
"Shinji?"
I heard the voice and turned my head to it. I saw Misato standing near the fridge as she seemed to be pillaging something for it.
"Huh?"
"Fantasizing about that Asuka girl huh?"
"Where's Rei?"
"Rei was here?"
"What?" Okay, this is very strange. I was in a room before right?
"Ayanami came here? You dog" I could feel her smile as she was foraging through my fridge.
"It looked like you were thinking about something, I knocked but no one answered. I remembered you don't lock the door, which I think is bad, so I just walked in. I saw you sitting on the couch looking like you were out of it so I just helped myself to your food."
Was it another hallucination? But it seemed so real...
"Yeah..." I tried coming up with lie, "seemed I forgot to ask Rei something at work, guess I got lost in my thoughts."
"Seemed so. You were gone, I thought you were drooling over the red head."
Her head popped up with a small piece of chicken in her mouth and a few Tupperware of food in her hands.
"You know, you have food too..."
"Yeah, but I can't cook for shit. Oh Shinji, if only I could meet a man that can cook as well as you." She then sat down next to me. She sat where... everyone was sitting before.
Okay, don't say anything. Act calmly and think about it later.
"Shinji, your really pale?"
God... the headache worsen.
The night was a cool one. I was thankful as i slowly strolled through the park, I needed this walk. Who knows what other crap might happen if I was in that apartment alone. It was bad enough I had to fight off Misato with a stick about Asuka. She was like a troublesome mother wanting grandchildren. It was amusing, but annoying too. I walked a little further until I found an old bench. What I liked was that this bench was next to a small garden of watermelons. Like I needed a monster watermelon to eat me or something. Regardless of which, I sat down and slouched into it. Oh man, this was heaven. Cool breeze, calm night, some old dude playing chess by himself in a corner, and the sound of jazz coming from the distance. Guess there was a small jazz band playing the park. Musta been a Sunday?
"Hello, young man?"
I looked up at the old guy sitting on a stone stool, a chess board in front of him and another stone stool, only it was empty.
"Can I help you, sir?" I have a habit of being polite to strangers, even though at this point I wasn't sure if I could just be an asshole and wake up back in my room.
"You wouldn't happen to be up for a game of chess now would you?"
I smiled, "Sure thing".
I got up and sat in the empty stool. This was when I noticed that the old man wasn't old. He looked like he was in his forties, weird he had long hair in a pony tail. He seemed to give off a fatherly aurora, a calm look on his face, and he seemed dressed really laid back. I liked this man instantly.
"So, what's a guy like you doing sitting alone with a chess board like this?"
"Waiting for a hopeful player, of course."
That got me to smile, he was cryptic.
We started playing, every now and then he would ask really general questions. Work, life, and everything else in between. I didn't know how long I was there, but I finally had him in a move where I was sure I'd get the checkmate only to have it backfire on me and give him the win.
"So... mister?"
"Name's Kaji, Kaji is just fine."
"Well, Kaji, you beat me good."
"I was surprised, your good. I didn't think I would win. Letting an old man win just to make him feel better?" he cracked a smirk as he looked at me.
"Ha... no, you gave me a run for my money."
"So, Shinji was it? You didn't answer me to why a young man is out here in a park by himself instead of mingling with some young thing."
I slowly lifted my hand and glided through my hair. Should I tell him I'm crazy. Maybe I should be asking myself why I'm so calm over this?
"Well, Kaji, I just came out here to straighten my head.. sort to speak."
"Hmm, a girl?"
"Well I do know a nice girl, if that will sober your curiosity?"
"It does." He smiles and motions me to keep talking.
I tell him about Asuka, everything I could say about her. I mentioned that I might of met her before, but refused to mention the fact that its through different hallucinations. He looked at me with a small smile, either hes reminiscing on something from the past or I could of sworn he was hiding something.
"Shinji, my friend, you know this girl for a day yet you have a strong connection to her. She could be your soul mate if you believe in that."
"I'm not really a believer..."
"That's a shame, you know 'all you need is love'".
The reference puts a smirk on my face, I could feel his hand pat my back as he slowly got up.
"It was nice talking to you, my friend. Let's hope we bump into each other again. If you do come around here again, do me a favor? Water my melons for me, I love those melons as much as I would like to be in between them."
I got the reference but it seemed that I heard that before. But from where?
"Sure thing", I answer and look at the chess set in front of me, "what about this chess set?"
"It's yours".
"I can't take this." I turn around to see him smiling at me as he made a motion with his hand to take it.
"It's alright, go on... it'll bring you some comfort, and you can get some practice for our next match."
I laugh as I begin to clean up the set.
"Oh, and Shinji?"
"Yes?" I was cleaning the set, so I didn't turn around.
"Let's hope you do better getting a girl then your father did".
I dropped the king piece in my hand and shot up from the stool. No one was there. He was gone... he couldn't of been gone, theres a long stretch of sidewalk and no trees in this area. I started controlling my breathing, and slowly put my hand on my heart. My parents were dead... I never knew anything about them. They died when I was young. Could of that man known my father... damn, I shouldn't of let him go. But how would of I known that he would know anything. Now that I think of it was he real in the first place? I look forward, skim through the area expecting him to come out but he doesn't. I then look down at the chess set only to see it no where in sight. My eyes widened, my heart was racing. I started to slowly hyperventilate. This was too much.
"Shinji?"
I look up to see Asuka walking down from the other side, she looked like she was carrying her bag from work. As a matter of fact she was still in her work clothes.
"What are you doing he... are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Shit... she had no idea.
I was distraught, I was proud of myself that I actually kept myself together while walking Asuka home. Even though I still wanted to curl up in a ball and die in a corner, hopefully where these hallucinations wouldn't find me.
"I found out something about EVA..."
I looked at her.
"What does it mean?"
"It's an old project... seemed like it was active at the time of the great disaster that happened awhile ago."
Makes sense.
"So what exactly is it?"
"I don't know, it only had a date... that was it."
"I see..." Damn so much for hopes.
"Shinji... remember when you mentioned those visions?"
Shit, I did not want to talk about this.
"Yeah, why?"
Here it comes...
"I wasn't being truthful..."
"You see them?" I let that out fast.
"Yes, no, I don't know..." She clutched her bag close to her as we walked across a street.
"I mean at first I thought it was stress related but it started to get progressively worse..."
"I know what you mean."
"You do?" She looked up at me hopefully, apparently I just made her day.
"Yes, unfortunately. It was small stuff before, now it's gotten to the point where I can't tell what's real and not..."
"What do you see?"
I looked down at her, I looked into her eyes. I can't tell her I saw us together in bed, it would be just awkward. I can't tell her about the newest ones either. The monster? Jesus, I don't know if I even believe that.
"I see a variety of things. People, some weird creatures, something the seemed to be me in a past life..."
"Past life...?"
"Yes, like it was..."
"... memories you couldn't remember?"
I stopped as she gave me a sad look. She was seeing the same things.
"Shinji, I know I met you today. But to be honest with you... I think I've known you before..."
Don't tell me she's seen the same thing I've seen...
"What do you mean?"
"When I saw you at the train station, I had a vision... or hallucination of us sitting on a beach..."
Well that isn't so bad...
".. the ocean was covered in blood and giant monsters on crosses stood in the water..."
... that's pretty fucked up.
"Oh..."
Holy crap, how do I answer to that? I looked at her as she seemed to be regretting she ever said anything.
"Asuka, I'm sorry. I shouldn't of said it like that. Yes, I've had visions... of us. Monsters too, destroying the city and of this giant purple thing with green eyes."
"I have a giant red thing with four eyes..." she smiled shyly up at me.
You know if I had known that at any point in my life that I would be talking about crazy stuff and having a connection with a girl, I would of just went up to a random girl and said that bar stools talk to me.
"Hehe, well it's nice to know that I'm not the only one messed up."
She laughed as we walked up to an apartment complex. I looked up and was surprised to see it was mine.
"You live here?"
"Yes?"
"I live here too."
"Really?"
Wow, need to thank fate for this one.
We both walked up to the floor below mine.
"How long have you been living here?" I asked, a little relieved that I could actually go to her with all these mental problems I've been having.
"Just a few days, I moved in when I got into the country".
She was fumbling in her bag for the keys and slowly lifted them out. She was looking through the keys until she found the right one.
"You know, Shinji, I'm grateful that we talked like this... I thought I was going crazy, you know?"
"I know the feeling."
"Of course you do!" She laughed as she unlocked her door and swung it open.
My eyes widened, I looked to my side to see the same expression on her face.
"Shinji?"
I looked back up answering her.
"Yes?"
"Please tell me you see that?"
You mean the middle aged woman who's got a noose around her neck, hanging from your ceiling?
"Yes, I do..."
To be continued...
Third chapter the next day... just seem to be banging out this story.
Seems my grammars everywhere in this one and I have no idea where I pull all this stuff out of... well enjoy.
Formated it with spaces, make it easy to read.
Reviews are welcome.
