Dreamer Easy

Evaluation

9.          Evaluation


          Cold fingers snapped in front of his face. Searing light pierced his eyelids. He curled his eyes open halfway and was immediately blinded by a particularly focused circle of light emanating from a steel cylindrical pen. The fingers snapped again, and the light clicked off. Jack Dresden blinked his eyes open.

         A middle-aged man with curly hair stared at him, tilting his head. He was sitting on the same chair that Ian had been with his legs crossed. The man put his pen-light away and then snapped a couple more times.

         “Are you awake, son?” he asked. Jack had awoken in the same small room he had before. This time, however, the ceiling light was on and the room was fully lit.

         “Um…yes.” Jack said faintly.

         “Good, good,” the man said. “I hope I didn’t disturb anything…?”

         “Just a dream, that’s all.” he responded. The man scrunched his nose.

         “Ah, I’m sorry about that,” he said shaking his head. “I’m sure you can continue it some other time.”

         Jack looked at him a bit confused. “Um…I suppose so.”

         “Mhmm, Mhmm, well that’s good.” The man nodded then picked up a clipboard from the floor.

         “Where’s Ian?” Jack asked.

         “Oh, Ian? Well, he’ll be back soon.”

         The man flipped through some pages of his clipboard somewhat quickly, saying ‘Mhmm’ at seemingly random intervals.

         “Well, who are you?” Jack spoke.

         The man looked up, somewhat surprised by the question. “Kester.”

         “Kester?”

         The man nodded as he looked around the room. “Yes, Kester. Why do you ask?”

         “Just curious.”

         The man’s eyes traveled back to Jack. “Well, that’s good. It’s good to be curious.”

         “Um…I suppose.” Jack looked down and crossed his hands. He was still lying on the cold steel recliner.

         “So, then….” Kester began. “Are you ready Mr…?”

         “Dresden.” he said. “Jack Dresden.”

         “Yes, well, Mr. Dresden. Are you ready?”

         “For what?”

         “You’re Psychological Evaluation, of course.”

         “My what?”

         Kester shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Ian is never reliable, I swear.”

         “You’re evaluation. Don’t worry, it’ll just be a few questions.”

         Jack sighed. “When can I leave?”

         “Whenever you want.”

         “So, like, right now?”

         “Now, not right now,” Kester explained. “But whenever.”

         To Jack, that made absolutely no sense. He didn’t quite understand what was going on, but figured that a few questions wouldn’t hurt him and decided to entertain Mr. Kester for a little while. He nodded in recognition.

         “First, though, I’d like to allow you to ask one question of me. But only one, so choose wisely, Mr. Dresden.” Kester said.

         “Well, that’s easy,” said Jack. “I’d like to know why I’m here, what on earth has been going on, and when I can leave.”

         “No, no, Mr. Dresden. One question.”

         Jack rolled his eyes. “Fine, fine,” he began. “Then just why am I here?”
         Kester smiled and then began to chuckle.

         “Mr. Dresden, that’s a silly question if I’ve ever heard one.”

         “If it’s so silly, then why don’t you answer it?”

         “Why are any of us here, Mr. Dresden?” Kester shook his head and smiled. “I can’t answer that. That’s something that you have to figure out yourself.”

         Jack began to get frustrated. “But, I’m asking about here. This place.”

         “The immediate reason you are here, Mr. Dresden,” Kester said. “Is to take this evaluation.”

         “I didn’t mean that specific.”

         “Well…why you are here, as in this building, I cannot really say. I simply work here, Mr. Dresden,” Kester’s voice was calm but acerbic. “I can, however, wager a guess.”

         “And what would that be?”

         “Well, you’re here for the same reason everyone else is here—there’s something wrong with you.”

         “Wrong with me?” Jack looked surprised. “Like what?”

         “Well, if you’d allow me to give you this simple evaluation, I could answer that a little better.”

         “No, no. You’ve got the wrong person. I was invited here.”

         “I know. That’s how it works around here.” Kester was smiling.

         “I don’t understand.”

         “Well, you’re obviously not functioning in society as you should, and thusly, you were, as you simply put it, invited here. You do realize you didn’t have to come?”

         Jack was too disgruntled to answer. “Well, I revoke my invitation. I just want to go home.”

         “You will, you will. Just after these questions.”

         At this point Jack Dresden was mildly frustrated, and knew he had gotten himself into something he shouldn’t have. Still, none of this accounted for the strange occurrences that had been happening to him lately, and, because of Jack’s inherently curious nature, he decided to stay a little longer.

         The questions began normally. They covered the usual formalities: name, birthplace, birthday, etc. Jack felt like he was in a psychologist’s office, just instead of the soft, comfortable sofa, he had the treat of lying on a hard, steel slab of metal.

         “Alright, then,” Kester said. “Now onto the next set of questions.”

         “Alright…I guess.” Jack said.

         “I need you to keep in mind that these are all theoretical questions. They didn’t happen and might never happen, but for the sake of a revealing answer please answer as if they were all actually occurring.”

         “Um…ok.”

         Jack squirmed in his seat, adjusting himself into a straighter, upright position. Kester flipped to the next page of his clipboard with his left hand, clicking his pen with his right.

         “Alright, so. You’re in a field—a meadow. It’s very sunny out and warm. It’s the middle of April. There are little lambs grazing in the grass. You’re sitting on a bench watching them eat. Before you know it—”

         “Wait, wait,” Jack interrupted. “Just lambs? What about sheep? Like, older ones.”

         “No, no sheep. Just lambs,” he said. “Young sheep, Mr. Dresden.”

         “I know what a lamb is.”

         “Very well…where was I?” Kester said, scanning his current page. “Ah, yes. So, before you know it a lion appears prowling in the meadow. This lion eyes a young lamb grazing in the grass, and begins stalking it. You’re still sitting there on the bench…Wait, are you alright, lad?”

         Jack was almost completely pale. This situation seemed all too familiar to him. He took a deep breath and nodded in recognition. Kester looked back down at the page.

         “The lion approaches the sheep and the sheep doesn’t move. Now, you’re still sitting on this bench, remember. So…The lion eventually comes up right next to the lamb and, in one giant gulp, swallows it whole.”

         Jack was still mostly pale and wasn’t moving too much. His eyes were fixed on the voided pale wall behind him. Kester, growing concerned, poked him on the shoulder. Jack quickly shook his head and stared down at his hands.

         “Mr. Dresden? Are you alright?” asked Kester. “It’s just a story.”

         Jack took an uncomfortably long time to produce a response. “Um…yes. Yes, I know. I’m fine.”

         “Shall we continue? Are you ready for the question?”

         “Um…yes,” Jack said softly. “I’m ready…”

         “Alright, so, keep in mind the situation described, we’d like for you to describe your initial emotional reaction.”

         “Wait, wait.” Jack regained his train of thought and his voice was hard and coherent. “Why didn’t I try to save the lamb? Why did I sit on that bench and do nothing? That lamb’s innocent, that’s all. Why would I allow something so innocent be killed like that? I don’t understand this question.”

         Kester nodded at looked down at his clipboard. He scribbled some things down and then looked back up.

         Jack shook his head. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand this,” he said. “But to answer your question—”

         “That was sufficient.” said Kester, smiling.

         “Is that all the questions?” asked Jack.

         “For today.” Kester said.

         “Today…?” Jack asked questionably.

         “Yes, Mr. Dresden, you’re done with me for the day. Now you can return home. I’m sorry this first day was a rough one, but I guarantee they will become easier as you go on.”

         “Wait, no.” Jack said, shaking his head. “I’m not coming back here tomorrow. No way.”

         “Yes you are Mr. Dresden.” Kester got up and walked over to the door. “I’ll be seeing you, Mr. Dresden. By the way, just follow the exit signs and you’ll find your way out.”

         “Wait, wait!” Jack said loudly. “I’ve got questions for you, now!”

         Kester wasn’t listening, he was still heading for the door.

         “What happened to me today? I gotta know that! Come on!” Jack shouted.
         Kester turned around and smiled at Jack. “Mr. Dresden,” he began. “I’m not entirely sure what you are referring to, but I’m sure it’s your mind telling you something, although I couldn’t guess what.”

         Jack didn’t know what to say. All he could think of was: “What kind of place is this?”

         “A place that helps lost people find a way back to themselves,” was Kester’s response. “If you want answers, Mr. Dresden, they’ll most likely be here.”

         Kester opened the door and stepped through. But before the door closed completely Jack got out a few final words.

         “I’m not lost!” Jack shouted. “And I’m not coming back tomorrow!”