Witness Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Break

When I came to I remember the first thing I was aware of was the smell: ammonia and rubbing alcohol. I heard what sounded like a PA system only different. There was a strange resonance in the voice as though it was speaking in song. Then came the throbbing pain in my skull. I groaned and moved to rub my aching head between my hands...only I couldn't move at all.

With terror building in my mind I opened my eyes and saw a bright light shining from a fixture above me. I tried to move my head but could only move my eyes around. I was starting to wonder what could have happened to me. Did I break my neck? Where was I? How did I get there?

"Hey, calm down or you'll hyperventilate."

Hearing this I tried to slow my breathing reflexively as I glanced to my left and, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tiger sitting straight back in a chair by a door that looked like it was made of solid gold so pure I could see the opposite wall in its reflection. He was reading what looked like a book with pages made of solid light.

I tried to speak but it felt like my jaw was wired shut - without the wire. So all I could do was speak through tightly clenched teeth. "Why can't I move?"

"Heh, she put you in a multi-localized temporal lock. In short: you won't be able to move your joints until she releases you." He answered half-hearted as he turned a light page and continued reading.

"But...why?" I asked through clenched teeth.

He glanced up at me. "Don't tell me you don't remember what happened."

"I don't," I strained through my teeth. "I remember being thrown down toward the ground by a giant and then I was standing in the middle of the beach and all the fighting was done. I felt an intense pain then nothing. Next thing I know I'm waking up here."

I could tell by his expression that he didn't believe me, but he still answered me anyway. "Alright, I'll play along for now. You erupted in a bright light and went berserk. You single-handedly took out that entire squad in minutes. You tore through their bodies like they were made of light-paper."

"What? How'd I do that?" I asked concerned.

"I don't know, but that's what we're here to find out." He looked back down at his light-reading.

"What does that mean?" I asked getting more nervous every second I was restrained. "What are you going to do to me?"

"Just a basic analysis, and if that doesn't show us anything we'll have to force that power out of you again. You see, someone from your world shouldn't have the biology to do what you did, but don't worry, we won't kill you. Apparently we have strict orders not to from The Creator Himself."

"My 'world'? I see. So I really am on another planet then." I said with grim realization.

At this he looks up from his book and laughs. "Wh-what makes you say that?"

This confused me. How could this be a different world yet not I thought. "But, y-you said I was from another world."

"Oh, I see. Yeah this doesn't seem to cross translate very well." He said this with a smirk, like he knew something I didn't and he wanted to lord it over me for a moment. "I really shouldn't be telling you this, but since you're here now I guess it's only a matter of time before you find out anyway.

You are in another 'world' BUT you never left Earth." He says smugly.

I stared at the ceiling as I tried to process what he'd just told me. Then it hit me like a bag of bricks. "Wait, are you saying I'm in a parallel universe?"

"Oh, so you do know what this is?" He asked with a strangely melodramatic tone. "I was concerned you'd think this was an alternate timeline. That would be more frustrating to explain."

I thought about Back to the Future, which is actually what I thought he was talking about. "Wait, if this universe isn't a different timeline then how does it exist?"

"Heh, how else? God made it that way. You see, in the beginning everything was whole and perfect, but one day humanity chose to deliberately disobey God, even though they didn't know what disobedience even was at the time. When this happened God commenced with what is now called The Great Fracture. He took every human, plant, animal, and every molecule in His Creation and divided it into thousands of equal pieces. This created the known Multiverse in which each universe holds a counterpart of everything The Creator created and continues to create. That includes humans. He divided the human body, soul, and spirit among each world evenly. However, when God did this He knew he would have to fill in certain aspects of each world with imperfect filler thus creating an imperfect creation as He continued with His plans for us all."

My head was now reeling from that huge info dump. "Wait, why would God need to go to such an extent? Why not fix us without undoing all Creation?"

"What do you think you're doing, Adrian?!" A female voice boomed through what felt like the entire building. In an instant the unicorn lady materialized in the room at the foot of my hospital bed. She was visibly angry, her furious gaze turned on Adrian, which was apparently the tiger's real name.

He glanced in response and said nonchalantly, "I'm telling him what's going on. Just thought I'd answer some questions while we waited for you, spirit."

"It is not your place to answer such things," she said with a hint of contempt in her eyes.

Obviously he noticed this because it made him bristle. " I am your liason to my troops. I am NOT your personal assistant," He growled. "I will answer any damn questions I wish. You do not rule over me."

"Um," I chimed in. "Sorry to interrupt your little spat, but is there any chance you could let me go? I got an itch and I'd really like to scratch it."

She looked at me and sighed. "I am sorry, but I can't put everyone at risk like that. Especially not yourself. That power you used nearly killed you. In fact even the doctors that looked you over when we brought you in believe you're only alive by the grace of the Father."

"But you can't just leave me locked up like this forever," I declared.

She responded swiftly. "And we won't. Just until we can purge this power from your system."

I was terrified. What did she mean by purge?! "Wait!" I said desperately searching for a way out of this. "D-did God say you could do this?"

She looked at me like I was ignorant. " Why would He say otherwise?" When she said this I found some hope to hold onto. With a silent prayer to God I asked her, "Could you just please ask Him first? It would make me feel better about all of this if he's the one who orders it."

She just looked at me like I was a fool. "You want me to go to the Father's throne and ask Him directly if you should be rid of a power that could kill you only for Him to tell me what I already know must be done thus wasting His time and mine?"

"What do you mean? Can't you just speak to Him from here?" I asked confused as to why they don't just pray to God.

"I could, " she replied, "But I wouldn't hear back from Him. While He can hear me wherever I can't hear him from just anywhere."

That didn't make sense. Christians can hear from God. If she's really an angel then why can't she? I swallowed my nerves and said, "I don't think God wants this power taken from me."

She just laughed. "Who are you to claim to know the mind of He who made all? You are just a human." Adrian growl at this as well but strangely held his tongue. "Now then, no reason to wait any longer. Especially if certain people are going to continue revealing what they shouldn't." That last part was directed at Adrian.

She had now directed her full attention to me. Walking up to me as she built a strong light in her left hand. When she was right next to me she placed her hand on my chest...and continued pressing it into me! Her hand was now reaching around inside my chest yet, while I could feel her as she felt around inside me, I couldn't feel her touching my organs. It's as though she had physically reached directly into my soul and spirit.

I gasped at the strange sensation. Then she hit something and I panicked. I grunted in pain and discomfort as she tugged on it.

Break free. I gave you my power. Now use it.

God? I asked. Is that you?

She may be my servant, but she does not know my intent. She has pride such that she cannot see she has already demonstrated hypocrisy. Now break free from your restraints.

But I can't. They're too strong. I pleaded with pain and fear.

My child do not fear for I am always with you. You may be too weak on your own, but you are not on your own. Let My power flow through you.

"I'll try." I said aloud through my clenched teeth.

"Hm? You'll try what?" She asked.

Without answering I grunted and began to strain against my invisible bonds. She only rolled her eyes and continued trying to pry something inside of me loose. Just then I felt something explode from within me and I was filled with a powerful...I guess the best way to describe it is an emotion. It's as though I was literally filled with the love of God.

Speak My will and my breath will make it reality.

At that encouragement I yelled through my sealed jaws, "BREAK!"