AE - Chapter 4

Chapter Four

I was trapped in the world of soft azurline blue.  My body was cold, painless, almost weightless.  I don’t remember leaving the air duct, but as I looked around, I realized that I was lying in a sea of misty light and nothing else.  I had no idea where I was, nor how I had gotten there.  Slowly, groggily, I sat up, further surveying the nothingness around me.

Not knowing which direction to go, I got up and started wandering through the fog.  I had to get out of here.  Stumbling along the barren void, my feet felt as heavy as my thoughts.  Where was Mandy?  Where was the lab? Hell, where were the deadly reptiles even?

I felt as if I had drifted on for hours, but then again, I had no real concept of time.  Pulling out my cell phone I tried to check on the time.  Inspecting it over, I found that the whole thing had been fried.  How long had it been since the incident?

Suddenly, a wordless whisper echoed softly in my ear, causing me to turn to look over my shoulder.  No one was there, but in the distance, I could see a silhouetted figure against the bright blue.  Immediately, I headed towards it.

It seemed to take forever to reach it, this mysterious black outline in the distance.  But with every step, the nonverbal murmur grew ever so slightly more audible in my ear.  No words had yet formed, but I could tell now that this was definitely a voice – it was just muffled, almost like it was speaking underwater or through a strong wind.

Once I got only a few yards from the shadow, the light seemed to recede, leaving behind a very familiar tree.  Jogging up to the old oak, I took note of how barren it was.  No leaves were upon its branches and if I hadn’t known any better, I’d think it had died.  But what is this tree doing here?  In fact, I knew for sure that this was the same exact tree from the park back home.  I would know – I would sit and stare at that massive oak every single day on my morning jog.  The knot under the lowest limb gave it away for it looked like an eye, which would gaze at me no matter where I would stand.  Not to mention the way that the branches twisted and ensnared made the tree appear ancient – a unique feature all its own.  There was just no denying that this was the same tree.

As I stood there, gazing at the bark, the limbs, the empty branches, it almost seemed as if at once they reverberated.  It was slight, but just noticeable enough to trigger my curiosity.  I started to reach out to touch it and it resonated again.  There was no real sound, just the muffled whisper from before.  Could it be coming from the oak?  Okay Axel, you’re thinking like a crazy person.

Crazy or not, my intrigue in the reverberant bark caused me to reach out and touch the rough texture.

“Axel…”  My hand withdrew immediately as the soft voice rang out inside my head.  I had retracted so quickly that I fell on my ass from the shock.  So, the subdued voice had come from the oak.  Sitting on the cool ground, I just stared at the ‘eye’ of the tree.  I kept hearing the muffled whisper and I watched as the bark continued to pulse in anticipation.  Hesitantly, I crawled over to the tree and slowly put my hand back out to touch the base.

“Axel, it’s been a while.”  The ‘tree’ spoke in a calming tone.  “Where have you been hiding?”  There was a long pause as if it was waiting for an answer, but I didn’t know what to say.  I hadn’t been hiding anywhere.  I don’t understand what it is asking.

“What do you mean you don’t understand, Axel?  It’s a simple question really.  Where have you been?  It’s been months since I’ve seen you last.”  I was shocked when it had answered, considering I had never spoken my thoughts out loud.  Was this tree reading my mind? I tested the theory a little further.

“I’m not necessarily reading your mind, Axel.  This is how we communicate.  Tell me have you ever heard a tree speak before?”

Great, a tree with a sense of humor. 

“And not just any tree, but none other than a Quercus muehlenbergii, so to say.”

Umm… okay.  Is that your name or something?

“What’s wrong with you, Axel?  I took you for a more intelligent human.  Did you never pay attention in your studies?”  I didn’t answer.  I never did pay much attention in school at all.  I was a bit of a hopeless slacker, but I still managed to pass with high marks.  I think the only thing I ever did poorly in was my art class.  And not that I couldn’t draw either, it was just that I never seemed to turn the projects in.  When I didn’t reply, the tree continued on its own.

“Pity, Axel, I thought sure you would recognize the name that the Latins gave me.  And considering the Latins seemed to know us quite well, I’m proud to take the name that they have given me.”  The great oak spoke so proudly.

How about I just call you Quercus?

“Oh, you humans!  Always wanting to change things to make them easier for you.  I suppose all is well anyway.  So, where have you been, Axel? You still have not answered me.”  Quercus continued on with his questioning.  “And you may think that trees have such an astonishing patience, which we do, but it is still rude to keep me waiting.  I’ve missed seeing you each day, Axel.  You’re the only one in this park that takes notice of me anymore.”

But, Quercus, I don’t understand what you mean.  I visit every day when I jog, even if it’s raining.  I was just there in the rain a few days ago. 

“Axel, I believe that you are mistaken.  The last time you visited me was nearly ten months ago.  Now you know it’s not nice to lie to an old tree – especially when we know better anyway.”

But I’m not lying.  Listen, I don’t really know what’s going on.  I don’t even know where I am.  I just know that there was that light and now I’m here!  And I’m talking to a tree!  Don’t you think that’s a little strange?! There was a pause after my rant.  I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.  Sorry, Quercus, I think it’s just settling in that I’m not home anymore.

“Hmm… so you say there was a light?  And now you’re not home anymore.  Hmm… this is quite strange, but not unheard of.”  There was another pause.  “Tell me, what do you see around you?”  I could tell he was trying to calm me down, perhaps even help me out.  It was nice to at least have someone to talk to – even if it was covered in bark.

There’s nothing around me.  Just blue light everywhere.  Then a new thought suddenly arose.  Shit Quercus, am I dead?!

“No no, Axel, you couldn’t be dead.  If you were dead do you think you’d be spending your days talking to an oak?  No, you’re definitely not dead.  But I’m thinking you may be in a stage of alter-existence.”  I didn’t ‘say’ a word; I just waited on him to explain.  “You see, it’s very difficult to explain to a human, you are all so closed-minded after all.  But with you, Axel, with you I may have a chance.”  Quercus sort of laughed to himself as if he had told a joke and it went right over my head.  “Oh come on, Axel, lighten up a bit.  Not all is lost.”  I still didn’t ‘say’ anything.  I was trying to be patient, but it never was a forte of mine.

“Now, how can I explain this to where you could understand… hmm…?  Let’s just say that within your world, there lies another world that no human can see.  It’s a place where all of the occurrences of the human world are planned out.  Are you following me so far, Axel?” 

Let’s just say that I’m not.  Are you saying I’m in another dimension?

“Well, to put it in idiotic terms, I suppose.  You humans and your ways of explaining things.  You’re living in the world that controls your ‘home’ world.  In your new existence, nature and time are the rheostats.  But first, I suppose, you must wake up from your sleep and see it for yourself.”

Wait, my sleep?  This whole thing has been a dream?

“No no Axel.  You are definitely not here anymore, nor are you there yet either.  Truly, I should have noticed earlier that you’re caught up in an existence that’s in between the two.  Who knows how long you’ve been here though.  It’s been nearly ten months since you’ve been in the human world.  I suppose it is the same in the other.”

But… I just woke up…

I didn’t quite understand what he was saying – it was just that none of it made any sense to me at all.  But I didn’t want to ask anymore.  I was afraid that any more information would just send me over the edge.  My brain was already on overload as it was.

“Axel, you need to wake up now.  And when you do, find the Vita.  They will help you make sense of all of this.”

But who are the Vita? 

“You’ll know them, Axel.  Now, wake up!” Quercus’s voice grew louder in my head as he ordered me to awaken.  As he did so, the azuline blue light began to dim and fade away to darkness.  The cool air that I had once welcomed was now becoming so cold that it was unbearable.  My breath began to materialize with every exhale.  It was almost like I was caught in the dead of winter.

But how do I wake up?

“You already are.”  And with Quercus’s last words echoing through my mind, the world converted to complete darkness.