Discovery
Over There
Jake sat in the small cell, encased in concrete with a small barred window on one side, and a barred door opposite. The police man, the detective, and the child councilor all hadn’t believed him.
Jake was worried. He’d seemed to have fallen down the rabbit hole into a world where everyone was crazy. Or maybe it was him that was crazy. He didn’t even know anymore.
He had been laying on the hard bed in the cell for hours but sleep evaded him. His mind was racing.
For the hundredth time he repeated what he knew in his head.
I was walking home from school. I was attacked. I ended up in a bank. In a world where I don’t exist.
Okay, so I am crazy.
Jake heard raised voices from somewhere nearby, the next room maybe. And then the door at the end of the hall opened and footsteps started towards his cell.
“I’ve told you, you can’t have this prisoner without the proper documentation. He belongs to the NYPD.” Jake knew the voice as the chief police officer, he was another person that didn’t believe him.
“And I’ve told you that we have direct orders from the President of the Untied States, and if you don’t release this prisoner from your custody you will answer to him.” The voice was dark and brooding and reminded Jake of a rainy day.
The two men talking came into view, along with a third person, a woman. She was tall and thin. When she looked at Jake he felt a chill run down his spine.
The man with the dark voice was texting on his phone and then he looked back up at the chief of police, a smile painted on his face. Then the door they had just walked through burst open and Matt came running down to meet them.
“Sir,” he said, “The President is on the phone.” Matt looked flustered and his face was bright red.
The news had an opposite effect on The Chief. All colour drained from his face as he followed Matt down the hall.
The two now stood in front of Jake’s cell. The woman began to laugh, and then so did the man.
Jake was worried now. What did the two crazy people laughing maniacally in front of his jail cell want with him? His life had turned quickly from a sitcom into a drama.
“Look at him,” said the woman, “so powerful, and so unworthy.”
Peter flashed her a smile as the Police Chief hurried back into the room. He fumbled at his keys and began opening Jake’s cell.
“Sorry, Sir… Madam,” He said as his hands shook the key, “I didn’t recognise you.”
Jake’s cell door was pulled open and he sat up. He had been frozen during the whole conversation and hadn’t realized until now. He took in a big breath and stood on his feet.
“Face the wall and put your hands behind your back.” The police chief handcuffed him with care, like he was some sort of criminal mastermind and not an innocent teenage boy.
“Where are they taking me?” Jake whispered as the chief led him out of the cell.
“I don’t know and it’s not my place to ask.”
“Why does the president want me?”
“I don’t know.”
The two others had already passed through the doorway at the end of the hall as Jake started down it, a rough hand on his shoulder.
“You can’t just give me to them!” Jake was frantic. Even though he didn’t know the people he was being given to, he had a bad feeling in his stomach. “This has to be illegal.”
The chief didn’t answer him. They left the hallway and entered into the front room of the police station. A woman sat behind a desk at one end, her fingers typing at the keyboard with lightning speed, lost in her work.
She didn’t even notice when the teenage boy they had apprehended only a few hours ago, the teenage boy who didn’t exist, was handed over to Peter and Renae. And she didn’t notice when the three of them exited through the automatic doors and stood atop the stairs that led to the Police Station.
She did, however, look up just in time to see Peter grab Renae’s hand. And Renae grab Jake’s arm. And the three of them suddenly wink out of existence.
Jake was worried. He’d seemed to have fallen down the rabbit hole into a world where everyone was crazy. Or maybe it was him that was crazy. He didn’t even know anymore.
He had been laying on the hard bed in the cell for hours but sleep evaded him. His mind was racing.
For the hundredth time he repeated what he knew in his head.
I was walking home from school. I was attacked. I ended up in a bank. In a world where I don’t exist.
Okay, so I am crazy.
Jake heard raised voices from somewhere nearby, the next room maybe. And then the door at the end of the hall opened and footsteps started towards his cell.
“I’ve told you, you can’t have this prisoner without the proper documentation. He belongs to the NYPD.” Jake knew the voice as the chief police officer, he was another person that didn’t believe him.
“And I’ve told you that we have direct orders from the President of the Untied States, and if you don’t release this prisoner from your custody you will answer to him.” The voice was dark and brooding and reminded Jake of a rainy day.
The two men talking came into view, along with a third person, a woman. She was tall and thin. When she looked at Jake he felt a chill run down his spine.
The man with the dark voice was texting on his phone and then he looked back up at the chief of police, a smile painted on his face. Then the door they had just walked through burst open and Matt came running down to meet them.
“Sir,” he said, “The President is on the phone.” Matt looked flustered and his face was bright red.
The news had an opposite effect on The Chief. All colour drained from his face as he followed Matt down the hall.
The two now stood in front of Jake’s cell. The woman began to laugh, and then so did the man.
Jake was worried now. What did the two crazy people laughing maniacally in front of his jail cell want with him? His life had turned quickly from a sitcom into a drama.
“Look at him,” said the woman, “so powerful, and so unworthy.”
Peter flashed her a smile as the Police Chief hurried back into the room. He fumbled at his keys and began opening Jake’s cell.
“Sorry, Sir… Madam,” He said as his hands shook the key, “I didn’t recognise you.”
Jake’s cell door was pulled open and he sat up. He had been frozen during the whole conversation and hadn’t realized until now. He took in a big breath and stood on his feet.
“Face the wall and put your hands behind your back.” The police chief handcuffed him with care, like he was some sort of criminal mastermind and not an innocent teenage boy.
“Where are they taking me?” Jake whispered as the chief led him out of the cell.
“I don’t know and it’s not my place to ask.”
“Why does the president want me?”
“I don’t know.”
The two others had already passed through the doorway at the end of the hall as Jake started down it, a rough hand on his shoulder.
“You can’t just give me to them!” Jake was frantic. Even though he didn’t know the people he was being given to, he had a bad feeling in his stomach. “This has to be illegal.”
The chief didn’t answer him. They left the hallway and entered into the front room of the police station. A woman sat behind a desk at one end, her fingers typing at the keyboard with lightning speed, lost in her work.
She didn’t even notice when the teenage boy they had apprehended only a few hours ago, the teenage boy who didn’t exist, was handed over to Peter and Renae. And she didn’t notice when the three of them exited through the automatic doors and stood atop the stairs that led to the Police Station.
She did, however, look up just in time to see Peter grab Renae’s hand. And Renae grab Jake’s arm. And the three of them suddenly wink out of existence.