Dreamer Easy

Breath

5.          Breath


        Jack Dresden stood in the stairwell with his eyes closed. He breathed in and out slowly, cooling his restless mind. Jack had closed door to the room he had just been, as he could not take the presence of the burning house any longer. After a minute of thought and breathe, Jack opened his eyes, slowly looking around the pale stairwell. It was as bland as everything else in the building, and Jack was beginning to harbor a serious aversion to this simple, ugly color. He noticed a camera positioned in the corner of the wall on his left, but thought nothing of it. Besides this piece of equipment the only things around him were pale walls and faded metallic blue stairs.

        “It’s almost over” he said to himself. “Just all the way down these stairs, then out to fresh air.”

        His mind tumbled through his experiences in this dreadful building. Why was he here? Who had invited him? What was this place? These were questions that Jack wondered initially—after entering the lobby on the first floor, even after riding the hallucinogenic elevator. But now Jack did not care. He didn’t care why he was here. He didn’t care what he was here for. And he didn’t care what he could gain from it. His sickened state had taken over, ensuring himself that there wouldn’t be any more unnecessary dread.

        Jack had never wanted to breathe fresh air more in his entire life.

        He took one last deep breath, stood strait up, and started walking forward, down the stairs. About five steps down he reached a platform, and the stairs continued down in the opposite direction, ordinary in most building stairwells. He stepped onto it and slowly turned to face the next set of steps. He took another deep breath.

        Standing straight up, Jack put one foot out to reach the next step—one after another, until he reached the next platform down.

        He turned towards the next set of steps and his stomach turned with him.

        There was nothing there.

        Jack swallowed his throat and began to feel sick allover. His face turned red, and his forehead burned with it. He quickly turned around in panic—Nothing. The stairs had ended. It was a dead end. “Elevator!” he said to himself in panic as he turned towards the upward steps.

        Jack rushed back up to the door much quicker than he had come down. He hoped for the elevator to still be open. He grasped the handle quickly and pulled on the door, but was met with an opposite force. The door was locked and Jack Dresden began to panic even more.

        His forehead beaded with sweat, his face grew redder. His stomach was turning upside down and inside out. He felt like a rat trapped in a maze, but feared there were no curious scientists looking in that could free him when he got himself lost. There was no cheese. Even if there was, it wasn’t worth his sanity.

        Jack had never handled bad situations well, and, to make matters worse, he had already convinced himself that this whole building and the people inside it were out to get him.

        “What the hell is going on!?” he cried loudly. “What in god’s name is happening!?”
        Jack looked towards the ascending stairs. His mind raced with thoughts of panic, until he finally reasoned that he had to go upwards, as it was his only option.

        “Maybe…” he said breathing heavily. “Maybe they’ll be a way back down up there.” he said, trying to calm himself down from panic. He began to sprint.

        Jack ascended those stairs faster than he ever had in his entire life. He was apprehensive for something—anything—that would help him further. Help him get out of this god-awful place.

        Almost completely out of breath, Jack reached a door, almost identical to the one he that had locked itself. He panted loudly as he bent down and put his hands on his knees.

        “God I hope…” he said to himself, breathing heavily. He looked up at the door.

        After finally catching most of his breath, he slowly moved his right hand on to the handle of the door. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He tugged at the door. It swung open revealing a dark hallway illuminated only by rectangular fluorescent lights.