WPRT (Updated 2021)

Ch. 25

Dark Passage

Aaron:

My eyes opened to a lightly lit ceiling. It's texture held a jagged pattern that seemed to be easy on the mind as I stared.

Wow, what a ceiling. I don't normally care about this kind of stuff but whoever designed it has great taste. I wonder what Jo would think-?

I shot up in terror as my last memory came to mind. The yellow face painted man firing my gun, everyone shouting, being pushed to a wall,

...and getting shot in the neck.

I put my hand to where I expected to feel a hole, only to get a bigger surprise that I felt none.

"Well… I'M GOING CRAZY!"

"I wouldn't worry."

I turned to the source while remaining in my spot. The voice came from what assumed was the only other person in the room. He was sitting on the floor in a meditative state. The man had long hair and a well trimmed beard, he was in what I viewed as jedi apparel.

"I'm sorry?"

"You're unconscious right now."

My brain's gears started to hard stop. The words came together but made no rational sense.

I asked the man, "Care to explain?"

"The recent trauma has led you to create this mindscape to help you heal. It may be some time before you can wake up."

"Trauma- oh… Alright, what do I do to get out?"

"Straight to the point? Good. Then this will make things easier. But first you need to know where you're going to get anywhere. Have a seat."

He gestured to a spot next to him. Not wasting any time, I got up out of the bed and sat in a similar way the man sat.

"Now close your eyes."

"...and?"

"Just close your eyes, you can figure out the rest from 'hear'."

He was right. Thanks to my accepted ability, it didn't take me long to figure it out from the terrible pun.

I closed my eyes and tried to listen. Nothing happened as time passed. Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes turned into hours. Then finally I heard it. A scream.

The scream of my sister. I shot up and yelled for her.

"JO!"

The man who was with me said nothing and did nothing different as I ran to the walls of the room searching for a way out.

Nothing…

I checked the floors.

NOTHING…

I checked the ceiling.

Nothing…

Only one way remained.

I sat back down in the spot I was in and looked right at the man.

"Alright, you said you know the way out and I now know where I need to go. Can you show me the exit or passage?"

The man opened his eyes and smiled. His face was one that seemed familiar, however I didn't have time to care enough.

"You do know, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. Most would take days in this situation to figure it out, but you also have the answer. What have I told you already?"

That, because of the trauma my mind has created-... no…

I sighed in annoyance.

"Really? Please tell me it's not that simple…"

"The door is easy, the journey is not."

"And what about you? No way you're a part of my mind."

"No. Just an observer, and a friend."

Strong word to throw around.

"Friend?"

"A friend of Anakin's is a friend of mine. Now let's get started."

Right, no point beating around the cliche.

Turning towards the blank wall I closed my eyes and envisioned a simple door. When I opened my eyes again the door was there.

The man put his hand on the door.

"Fascinating…"

I scratched my head.

"Well… it's a door."

"When you have travelled the galaxy, you see many doors. Automatic doors, curtains, or doors that look like a tree bark. Yours is just a change of pace. Simple and clean. Doors are a means to the core of a person."

Right…

I went up to the door myself to open it. My hand was on the handle when I stopped to think and said, "There's a catch, isn't there?"

"There is no putting anything past you."

With that I turned back to the man with my arms crossed and gave my best unamused expression I could muster.

"And you didn't stop me because?"

"As you can see, I didn't need to."

I sigh in defeat, "Alright, what's the catch."

"What have I told you?"

This again? Alright, this tiny room represents my mind… I had to envision a door to leave, and then… the journey is not-…

"What's behind this door?"

The man smiled again, "Now that's a good question…"

His face quickly darkened.

"Darkness."

"...And?"

"The darkest darkness you can experience. No sight, no feeling, no smell… empty."

"... How much is there between me and my sister?"

"Much…"

I looked down in dread and asked, "...Can I hear her?"

"Yes. That is the one thing you can keep in the dark. It's why you were able to hear your sister. But even that won't do much good."

Dare I ask?

"Why?"

"Once you pass this door you will be overwhelmed by sound. The cries of those without a 'home', The Lost."

"Then what do I do?"

"You must hold onto your sister's cry. Recognize her voice among the others, then block all others."

"...just like that? And what if I can't hear her again?"

"...Then you will be lost…"

"If I go through, can I come back?"

"I have a feeling we'll meet again real soon. But whatever you do, don't look back until you find your sister. Find her."

I looked at the door and took a deep breath and focused on the sound of my sister. As soon as I found it I opened the door and rushed into the dark.

Darks was not a good description, a black hole would have been more fitting. In the dark you could make out shapes. There was nothing. I couldn't tell if my eyes were open or not.

I could feel nothing, not even the wind you feel when you run.

Am I even going anywhere?

The last thing I was going to do was turn around to experiment and lose my place.

As I ran, I found it hard to breathe. Nothing was in the air it seemed. No taste, no smell. I was getting tired. All the while this was happening. I heard the noise. Not just my sister, but many voices crying out. It was annoying to do, but I picked my sister out of the wave of sound. I was on the right path. Surely.

Time passed on to minutes as it became easier to pick out her voice from the crowd. I was getting closer, but I could only take so much of this.

I was slowing down...

I needed a reprieve...

Then I had an apifiny. With no time to lose I envisioned the door I needed. Sadly it was so far away, and I was tiring out.

With nothing else to lose, I ran faster as the voices around me seemed to crescendo around me. Pulling me away. I ignored them as much as I could, but I understood them now.

"DON'T LEAVE US!"

"THIS WAY!"

"TURN BACK!"

My mind only thought one thing.

"NO! FIND HER!"

I was one foot from the door and reached for it and opened it and dashed inside as they felt right behind me. Slamming the door shut behind me as I collapsed to the floor in exhaustion, I called out for the only reason I was there.

"JOOO!"

As my eyes adjusted to the light of the room, I saw two figures… And all I felt was dred...

One was on the floor in agony, the other was the one hurting the figure on the floor…

"STOP!"

End Chapter