A Week For the World: Day 1: Part 2

I awoke to a group of faces hovering above me.

“Hey! Desmond how are you feeling?” Confused, I blinked and looked to up to meet a bespectacled face. With a jolt, I tried to stand up, but only got around half-way up when I felt a needle of pain shoot up my arm. I looked around. This looked like a hospital, and that man was surely a doctor. What had happened? There were other people here too. Who were they?

“Careful there, you’re very lucky you survived that gas explosion.” The doctor said, forcing me back down onto the mattress. That was right! The gas explosion! Everything came tumbling back. The fire, the woman, the officers, Gerald...

“Gerald!” I called out, suddenly remembering him.

“Oh!” I heard someone cry out. It was the idiotic mother who left Gerald. “I’m so sorry! It’s just, as soon as you ran off, all bravely, we found Gerald. He was... under the stroller. I never noticed him!”

My eyes widened at how stupid the woman could be. Not only did her mistake nearly cost my life, but it was just plain bad parenting.

“You mean, you didn’t check?” I spoke out, much louder than I intended. What sort of mother skips checking her own stroller before panicking? I tried to sit up again, but the pain across my shoulder and arm didn’t seem to be going anywhere.

The doctor, sensing a delicate situation intervened.

“Look, my patient is obviously tired, I’d appreciate it if you all came back to perhaps visit him some other time.” A fat load of bull that was. Chances were, he cared more about his paycheck than me. He probably just didn’t want to be held liable by my parent or guardian if I ended up suffering some more. Of course, he didn’t know I had neither.

‘Wait.” One of the other people in the room spoke up. I remembered seeing him as one of the officers near the caution tape. “This boy might know something more about the busted pipe. It could have been some sort of bomb. We need to know. Did anything suspicious happen?” Idiots. Any of those officers could have came and checked the scene for themselves, but instead, they just put up a measly tape and stood there. Now, their genius idea was to ask me for details. What if I had died? Not only was our law enforcement obviously lacking morals, but apparently more than a few brain cells as well.

The officer’s words however, sparked a new thought. There wasn’t just a fire and an explosion. There was something more, something about Gerald...Something important. I tried to think. What did I remember? I closed my eyes, and in a rush, everything he said came flooding back. Armageddon, angels, Lucifer! Then in an instant, I became crestfallen. Who was I kidding? That was all just a dream. An amazing dream, but still not real. Angels weren’t real, and of course Armageddon wasn’t coming in seven days, that was ridiculous!

“No, nothing. I just remember smelling the smoke and blacking out,” I answered, upset inside. Life was just life, boring and real. Life would never turn into anything fantastical or wild.

“All right then. If you manage to remember anything later, I’ll leave my card here.” The officer spoke, as he and the mother filed out of the room.

The doctor turned to me. “Desmond,I’m going to attend to someone else for a little while. I’ll be back soon. But before I go, I want you to attach this to your wrist.” He held up what looked like a bracelet with a barcode. “That way, the next doctor can scan it and will know what medicine to administer to you. We don’t want you dying on us!” Joking, he dropped the bracelet on the nightstand next to me and made his way to leave.

Unnerved by his words, I tried to lay down and relax, but the dream kept returning to my thoughts. I sat up on the mattress, thinking about it, turning it over in my head. Gerald somehow transformed into an angel? I was confused and he said his name was, what was it, Machel! That was it! He warned me about Armageddon in a week. Despite being a dream, as my brain went over every part of it over and over again. I didn’t seem to forget anything. It was clear like a memory.

I sniffed the air. The scent of freshly baked bread wafted down from somewhere. Was this a hospital or a bakery? My stomach groaned in response, and I realized how hungry I was. What I wouldn’t give for a loaf of freshly baked bread... bread!

“Emanuel!” I screamed, just remembering. The curtains next to my bed were thrown open as a gnarled face peered inside. Balding white hair and a mass of wrinkles creased his skin.

“Would you mind keeping it down?” his creaking voice asked.

“Sorry,” I apologized, abashed at my sudden outburst.

“Really, I’m sorry for the disturbance.” I spoke again, trying to stress how badly I felt.

“Eh, ain’t nothing to worry about. I’m Scott.” The old man grinned and held out his hand.I extended mine also, getting an eerie feeling that I had done something very similar in my dream.

Before I could speak my name, Scott spoke again,“That bracelet don’t look anything like mine. Yours being all shiny and spiffy.” He held up his plastic band, just like the one the doctor had dropped on the table.

“No, mine is the same as yours,” I meant to say, and suddenly, I chilled. I hadn’t put on the band the doctor had given me. I could only remember one other time someone, anyone had given me a silver band. Machel.

Slowly, I moved my eyes over to my wrist, holding my breath.

There, as real as anything else, was the same silver band, with the identical intertwining bands of silver. Machel had called it “important”. That meant only one thing.

It hadn’t been a dream.

I gasped as Scott looked on at me with a look of amusement and surprise, “Something the matter?”

“No, it’s nothing. Look Scott, I’d appreciate it if you gave me some time alone?” I asked. Scott just nodded and ducked back into his own room muttering something about nutters.

Now slow down Desmond, my brain cautioned me. There has got to be a logical explanation, I pondered on my bed. What do I know? I had a dream. In that dream, I received something. When I woke up, it was still there, indicating that it was not a dream. There was no way to take something from a dream and make it real.

I threw my back on the mattress, trying to find some explanation that wasn’t absurd. How could something from a dream be real? You couldn’t take something imagined and make it real, but..

Then, it hit me. Something from a dream couldn’t be in reality, but something real could be in a dream. My thoughts rushed in a flurry as I hastened to stand up, wincing in pain as I foolishly favored my right side. The only way I could think of to explain the cuff was that someone had put it on me, and then I had dreamed the dream. It wasn’t much, hardly anything to go off of, but it was the only idea that made sense. I had plenty of dreams where something in real life appears in a dream, so it wasn’t entirely far- fetched.

That left me with one small problem. I had no idea who brought me to the hospital. However, the officer or the doctor might. Problem two: they had both left.

Grabbing the card the officer left, I rushed out of the hospital room as the door slammed behind me.

I had to know.

I found myself in a bustling white hallway as nurses wheeled and led patients from room to room. Through the jolting mass of people back and forth, a nurse holding a clipboard stopped and addressed me sharply. She was young with a sour look on her pale face. That, and her annoyed stance showed that she considered her job as a means to an end rather than a chance to help others. Her name tag read Luanne and I disliked her immediately.

“You there, aren’t you supposed to be in your room?” She gave me a suspicious look.

Following her gaze, I looked down at myself and was promptly startled as my eyes met the baby blue of hospital robes. Oh snap, I groaned in my head. She thinks I’m a patient who’s lost his way.

“There’s no need for any of that. I’m just on my way to--” Here, I fumbled, reaching in my pocket for the card the officer left.

“-meet with Officer Pare.” I finished, reading off the name.

“Any outside visits will have to be signed off by express permission from your doctor. I’m afraid I can’t just let patients wander around alone.” Luanne pursed her lips, obviously a stickler for rules.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized, not feeling very apologetic at all. I wasn’t going to be able to get out with her around.

“Good. Then go back to your room. I have enough work as it is, watching over my own patients.” She cocked her head towards my room and glared at me, as if daring me to rebel.

Simply sighing, I walked back the way I came.

Satisfied, Luanne turned her back on me and resumed wheeling patients to their rooms. As soon as she left her gaze on me, I ran the other way, hoping to head down the stairs at the opposite side of the hallway.

I nearly bumped into an elderly patient, being slowly walked along. “Sorry!” I called after me, trying to escape Luanne’s detection, ducking low to get to the other end.

“YOU! Get back here!” Luanne had seen me run.

She stomped over steadily. “You will go back to your room!”

I was having none of that. Taking the stairs two at a time, I stumbled, hearing Luanne’s screeching voice trail behind me.

“Young man, when I am finished with you, you’ll wish you stayed in your room!”

I found myself in a large open space filled with chairs seating people. Sunlight streamed through the double automatic doors. “Young man, you will get back here right this instance, or I--”

I never heard the rest of it as the doors opened and closed, signaling my leave.

Rounding a corner, I hid behind a crowd of shoppers as only a lone doctor came outside to check, then went back in looking worried. The coast was clear.

I glanced at the card again. I had only looked earlier for the name, and was hoping that the address was on there as well.

3128 Charston Way. 90185.

The street was unfamiliar to me, but Los Angeles was a large place. Thankfully for me, and L.A.’s growing tourist population, maps of the city were ubiquitous.

I’d taken less than five steps when the blustery afternoon wind blew one my way. Convenient, I thought, and stopped it with my foot. It was a bus route map interlaced with the train timetable. Both of these features were unimportant to me. What was important was that it was a map. Moving to an intersection, I sidestepped a crowd of pedestrians to check the street I was on.

Tracing my path on the map, I found a bus route around the corner that had a stop near Charston. Lucky me. Taking a deep breath, I stared hard at the map for a moment, then tossed it into the trash can beside me.

On my way there, all I could think about was my dream. It had to be a dream... there was just no way it had been real, the encounter... Yet, a small part of me was hopeful, wanting to believe in the wonder of everything.

Offering a little shade against the beating sun, the bus stop stood against a row of shops. I was the only one waiting. Just double-checking, I looked at my shoes again. They were my own.

The bus pulled up and I pulled the laces on my right shoe, grabbing the dollar that lined the inner sole.

A mixed expression of amusement and annoyance played on the drivers face as he waited for me to get my shoe back on. I put my dollar in the machine after stepping into the bus.

“You sick?” He asked looking at my hospital robe.

“Nope. Just in a hurry.” I spoke, trying to indicate the conversation was over.

The driver took the hint as I found a seat near the window. Not many others were on the bus at this time. An elderly woman, a couple with their kids, and some camera snapping tourists at the back. Standard fare. My eyes glazed over the blurring background. People, trees, and shops all mixed to a hodgepodge of colors.

At my stop, I turned to the driver as I exited.

“Thanks and have a great day.” I wished him, eliciting a smile from him as he echoed my sentiment: “You have a good day too.”

Taking out my card once more, I strode alongside the road until the police station came into view. I checked the address once more. It matched the number: 3128. I breathed in and out. I was finally going to get a possible answer. Why was I going through all this trouble for something so insignificant? I asked myself, but knew it was rhetorical. I had always gone overboard when I put my mind to something. Hadn’t the results I saw for myself proved that?

The musty odor of files and papers hit my nose as soon as I opened the door. A small overhead fan whirred, making a constant buzzing sound. From behind the reception, I could see a couple of officers. One behind the desk, another at the copy machine. A thin man sat at the reception, typing rapidly at the computer he had in front of him. His hat lay limp on his pale blond hair. Looking around to make sure that no one else was waiting, I stepped forward.

He rose an eyebrow. Yes?

I cleared my throat and spoke the lines I’d rehearsed earlier in my mind. “Hi. My name is Desmond Wing and I need to talk to Officer Pare. He gave me his card, and it’s imperative that I speak to him as soon as possible.”

“Well, Desmond Wing. Aside from the fact that Officer Pare is away at the moment, I’m afraid we don’t allow visitors without stating their full intentions.” The man at the desk spoke, and gestured to a guestbook on the desk.

“It’s something little...” I spoke sheepishly as the two other officers in the back took a sudden interest in our conversation.

Placing my arms on the desk, I said, “If anything, I can just come back another time...” I trailed off as one of the officers in the back took a step forward. Glancing at Machel’s band on my arm, he looked straight at me.

“Where did you get this?” He was stocky with well-built arms.

Feeling more than a little awkward, I answered, “Actually, that’s what I came here to ask about.”

The officer nodded and stepped forward again, pushing the one at the front desk away, ignoring his cry of anger and surprise.

“I might have some answers you’re looking for. Just step this way with my colleague here.” He gestured to the other officer at the copy machine, and tried to seize my hand. I darted my hand back and moved closer to the door. There was something unnerving about the way he was acting, and the look on his colleague’s face. I didn’t like either.

“Look, thanks a bunch, but I believe I’ll be taking my leave now.” I hastily spoke as I opened the door. In a flash of movement, the two menacing-looking officers had crossed the desk and walked slowly towards me.

“I’m afraid you can’t leave yet. There are a few routine questions we’ll be needing to ask you, Desmond.” I didn’t care for any of that, and ran out the station.

I didn’t expect anyone to follow me, but I was wrong. The pair of two officers came charging straight out of the station right after me. My fear rose as I thought of every possibility. I had to get out of here. Now.

I sped up my pace as I rounded a shop window, catching sight of the pair just trailing behind me. Every part of my body burned as I pushed my body to run faster. I didn’t know who these officers were, but I had a feeling that they didn’t want me for legal reasons.

More than a few people gave me odd looks as I nearly bumped into them. I was reminded strongly of my fateful bike ride that had led to my being in the hospital. All the while, my brain was churning. Exactly what was going on?

“Halt!” Fat chance, I thought as one of the men behind me called out.

Muscles sore, I knew I had to pull something fast before the police officers caught up to me. My leg, coming from the hospital wasn’t entirely better. The patter of my feet hitting the pavement was echoed only a few paces away, and every step shocked me, a jolt of pain per step.

The two men were larger than me--fighting was not an option. I would need my wits to get out of this one.

One block passed by...two blocks... My chest felt like it was going to burst as my breaths came shallow, one after another. The houses next to me flashed by, and suddenly, a wall rose up to greet me. To my left was open traffic, and the right led to a narrow alley, shadowed by the large complexes that towered over the entire area.

Startled by the sudden wall, I stopped for a moment as the two officers slowed their pace and came from an angle, blocking my path from both sides. Could this get any worse?

“Desmond Wing... you have two choices: you can come with us, or... huh, you can come with us, beaten with an inch of your life...What’ll it be?” The stockier one on the right extended his hand as if invitingly.

I backed up against the wall, feeling the cool concrete through the flimsy robe. What could I do in this situation? Both ways blocked and my back to (literally!) a wall?

“Can’t speak?” The same officer asked, and smiled as if amused. Pulling out a long, very sharp knife, he continued, “Guess you won’t notice a thing when I cut out your throat.”

My eyes widened, and my body kicked into high gear. Every muscle in my body tensed as my heart seemed to almost break with its rapid beats. Fear seeped into every pore of my skin. I wasn’t going to get away with just a scratch; I wasn’t going to get away at all...

As the man drew his knife back, everything seemed to slow down as an idea, half-formed hit me. I twisted to my right just as the knife came down, clattering on the wall. With my back to the men and my face to the wall, I took a mighty chance.

“Just what do you think you’re doing?” The officer to my left cried out, advancing forward, arms outstretched.

I didn’t have any time to think, and just reacted. Bursting with adrenaline, I knew I had to get away. If I couldn’t go horizontally, there was only one direction to go: vertically. Jumping, I caught the rough top of the wall and gave my body a push to swing my feet over.

Reacting fast, the two men reached out to my pant leg, and as my feet swung over, they caught on my shoes and tugged. The other had swung his arms up, grasping my legs. Both didn’t seem to be willing to let go.

“Get off of me!” I exclaimed, throwing my weight on the other side of the wall. With a huge ripping sound, shoe slipped out of their grip, with my pants tearing. I heard the two curse and walk around, angered, but unharmed.

I, on the other hand, dropped to the ground on the opposite side on a mixture of my hands, knees, and feet. Definitely not unharmed.

Struggling to pull myself to my feet, I looked around. Trees. Freshly-trimmed lawn. Patio. I was in someone’s backyard, and wasn’t keen on getting yelled at by a surprised homeowner.

Taking care not to disturb the yard, I scaled the fence leading to the driveway. Running to check the sign, I tried matching the street to the map I had saw earlier. After taking about three steps, I saw two dark shapes come around the corner. Caught.

“You didn’t really think you were going to get away from us with that little stunt, did you?” A familiar gruff voice rang out. I felt myself sink into a pit of despair. The officers were still on my tail. It had to have been getting late, I thought. Didn’t these guys have other things to do? Instinctively, I checked my watch (which wasn’t there), and instead, my eyes met the woven pattern of the band on my wrist. Fear settled up my spine as I remembered why the officers were chasing me in the first place.

Too tired to run anymore, I managed a half-jog as the two officers closed in, knowing that they had me. There has got to be a solution out of this that doesn’t involve me dying! I racked my brain furiously for a solution. But no solution came to me. Only the crunch of the policemen’s feet on dry leaves spoke in the quiet neighborhood. Elsewhere, a dim train whistle hooted.

That was it! I jumped up with my realization, shocking the two advancing officers.

“Hey! Don’t try anything. You hear?” I barely heard the two. This street, it’s the one that’s near it, I remembered with a jolt. Galvanized by my sudden glimmer of an idea, I took off.

My weary feet reluctantly hit the ground, reminding me how beat-up I actually was. It’s a huge gamble, how sure are you of the time? I thought to myself, questioning my actions. Doubt began to sink in, but getting caught by these two officers was not an option.

As soon as I started running. The two men gave chase immediately. I considered myself a good runner, but my battered foot wasn’t doing me any favors. How are these men still so lively? The officers weren’t showing any signs of fatigue. Almost as if they had...superhuman stamina.

I didn’t have time to dwell on this as what I was looking for soon loomed up on the horizon. I glanced at the large clock that displayed the time. Curses! I had to somehow stall a minute...Perhaps get someone’s attention? But how?

Idiot Desmond! I mentally berated myself. This was a public area! What do you do to get attention in a public area? Make a scene!

“Help! I don’t know who you are! Help!” I screamed out, getting the attention of the security officers at the scene. One, noticing my commotion seized me, pushing the advancing officers away. He pressed his radio, and seconds later, more arrived on the scene. Both me and my pursuers had been grabbed. I was fine with that. As long as the crazy policemen were also restrained. Trying to break free for a moment, the two police soon became slack as they found resisting useless. A pair of security each bound the police, while a single one held my arms.

The one at the front spoke up, looking at me, “Now, what’s this all about?”

Looking angry, I lied speaking something I hoped would cause unrest, “These officers...these horrible pigs, they hurt my sister. I saw everything happen, but I was too scared to do anything. Then, when I they finished, I ran out and when they saw me, they ran after me. I couldn’t do anything...”

A shocked expression plastered itself on both the police’s face in response to the blatant lie. The security advanced on the officers, looking ready to kill them. The officers looked that way to me. I looked at neither and kept my eyes on the clock. Ten more seconds...Nine...

Looking at me with squinted eyes, the security spoke: “Young man, you have some explaining to do. What these officers say is--”

I never heard him finish as I broke out of the hold the security assigned to me had on me. Racing across the tracks, I heard the whistle blow. I had ran to a train station. Earlier, the map I had seen had a full timetable of train schedules. It was then only a matter of time stalling until the train came. I felt the rush of wind as the train clattered its way across the tracks--me safely on the other side. I wasn’t entirely safe, though. I had to move fast.

Moving as fast as I could, I kept looking back expecting to see the officers on my tail, but throughout my entire route to the bus station, I didn’t see them.

Taking the bus back home, I breathed a sigh of relief as my stop came up. I was safe. But for how long?

Reaching the third floor, I unlocked Number 6 and stepped inside. I had managed to get home without incident, but switching buses, walking in-between, and waiting for said buses had taken me almost three hours. The whole way, I had been paranoid, looking for any signs of the two crazy officers. Everyone had looked suspicious.

I stepped into bed thinking about the craziness of today. Angels, policemen trying to kill me, this, I stared at the silver band on my wrist, what does it all mean? I couldn’t figure anything out as memories from each event swirled together. My head swam as each event took its turn, a snippet here, a snippet there, producing a patchwork of scenes I couldn’t understand.

I could have died today, I suddenly thought to myself, and shuddered under the covers. Twice, at least. Once when I tried to save Gerald, and the other... I rolled over, thinking about the officers chasing me. He was going to stab me! Everything seemed so unfamiliar and cold. I needed an anchor back to reality. My reality.

Finally finding something comfortable and familiar, I settled on the items pinned on the large board opposite my bed and closed my eyes, feeling a little prideful.