Excerpt of Dream Student |
readings . I force myself to focus on it . |
That has to be the explanation . There |
… Someone ' s talking to me . Trying |
Anything to keep those images out of |
has to have been some sort of |
to reassure me . “ It ' s OK , it ' s OK .” As |
my head . Calm . Relax . I can do that . |
malfunction , some kind of error with |
if saying that over and over makes it |
I have to . |
the computer . Otherwise , this ,” he |
true . When my eyes finally start |
“ Right there . Something happened . |
waves the printout , “ is simply |
focusing again , I can see who it is . Dr . |
Your delta waves just changed - it ' s as |
impossible .” |
Ritter . He ' s standing over me , and he |
though the monitor was switched on to |
He ' s wrong . Well , it is impossible , |
keeps looking back and forth between |
someone else right in the middle of the |
that ' s true , but it ' s happening just the |
me and some papers he ' s holding . |
session .” He ' s pointing at a spot on the |
same . And his printout proves it . |
“ Hi . So much for your experiment , I |
reading where it goes all of a sudden |
There ' s something real , something |
guess .” I try very hard to keep my |
from nice straight lines to jagged up- |
physical going on here . It ' s not just my |
voice calm and casual . I really don ' t |
and-down . |
imagination , it ' s not just my |
want to lose it in front of him . Again . |
That ' s it , that ' s exactly it . I don ' t |
subconscious . I ' m actually seeing what |
Strangely , he doesn ' t look as though |
know much about brainwaves or what |
other people are dreaming . And |
this was a complete disaster ; what he |
they ' re supposed to look like , but a |
honestly , there is some comfort in |
does look is puzzled . “ I take it you had |
sudden change like that has to mean |
knowing that it is real , that I ' m not |
another nightmare , Sara ?” He helps |
something . For whatever it ' s worth , |
losing my mind . Not a lot of comfort , |
me sit up , hands me a glass of water . |
this is proof . I ' m seeing what he ' s |
but some . |
Oh , God . I take several deep breaths , |
dreaming about . Somehow . “ It ' s not |
Of course it still doesn ' t explain why |
drink the water in one swallow , then |
me . Not my dream . It ' s his dream .” |
it ' s happening to me , or how it ' s |
several more deep breaths . I tell |
“ This can ' t be right . This doesn ' t |
happening , or what I should do about |
myself over and over : relax . Be calm . |
happen . The only possible way you |
it . The only thing I ' m sure about at this |
Dr . Ritter is waiting expectantly , and |
would ever see something even |
moment is that there ' s no point in |
after a minute , or ten , I ' m finally able |
remotely like this ,” Dr . Ritter says , |
sticking around the lab for the rest of |
to speak in a relatively even tone . |
more to himself than to me , “ is if there |
the night . Dr . Ritter tries to talk me |
“ Yeah . It was different - a different |
was a sudden traumatic event , a seizure |
into it , into staying here until he can |
girl , I think I saw her on the news , she |
or something similar . And even then it |
recalibrate his monitors and reboot the |
ran away from home or something - |
wouldn ' t be this extreme .” |
computer and re-whatever some other |
and the same guy , and he …” |
I agree completely . “ OK , so I ' m not |
thing that needs re-whatevering . All I |
“ Yes , I can imagine what you saw . |
crazy , it ' s really happening . Tell me |
want is to go back to my own bed and |
I ' m sorry .” He has the decency not to |
what I ' m supposed to do about it .” |
try to get a couple of hours sleep |
look me in the eye as he says it . “ But |
He remembers I ' m sitting right here . |
without anything stuck to my head . |
you have to see this ,” he goes on , |
He frowns . “ Don ' t jump to |
And so off I go . |
giving me the papers he was looking |
conclusions , Miss Barnes . I ' m going to |
|
at , printouts of – I assume – my EEG |
have all the equipment checked over . |