IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD

Chapter 11- Nick Names

We stood confused at the open door. If it was a normal door, we would have kept on but the fact that it was an open cell door changed everything. I was shaking ever so slightly when Rickey turned around to look at me.

"Time is frozen. Nothing can happen as long as we keep it that way okay?" I nodded my head but he knew that I was scared. He reached out and pulled me into his arms.

He pressed his lips against my ear and whispered, "Breathe. It is all okay. Just breathe." I got goosebumps from his hot breath against my skin. Other than that, my heart rate slowed and I lost the eerie, axe murderer just around the corner feeling.

He let me go and turned around. The only noise that filled the area was the sound of our bare feet hitting the ground. We kept walking until we reached another, you guessed it, huge metal door. It was obvious that it normal had a working key pad and everything but in frozen time none of those things had an effect.

We both had to pull the big door open. When it was open enough for both of us to squeeze through, we ran in. It slammed hard back into place with a crashing boom. The sound made us both jump.

Inside were panels of buttons, screens, and lights. It looked like the inside of a space ship. "Umm... what now?" I asked. "That seems to be the question." He replied. I sighed in confusion.

"Crazy right?" Rickey asked leaning against a wall. "What?" I asked joining him by the door.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, but it's crazy that this is all in our heads. None of this is real. It's all in our heads yet it is real but just happening inside our brains. And we are five, yet we know more than the population of the world combined. Kinda' crazy right?"

He looked at me with a half smile. "I think that it isn't crazy but freaking awesome, but hey no ones askin' me." Rickey laughed for a second. "Do you always do that?" he asked still smiling his devious smile.

"I am sorry? Is the smartest man to walk the earth confused?" I said giggling. "That is what I mean." he paused," You make the situation easier to process. You ease the tension with humor and stuff like that."

"Well I can breathe down your neck, criticize you, and be super uptight."  He laughed at my reply and then walked over to one of the panels.

"Okay." He hit three buttons on the wall and then started back to the door casually.

"Whoa there. Are you sure that worked?" I questioned raising one eyebrow.

"Nope. And if it doesn't work, then we better hope the dude you let out doesn't have anything sharp." I smiled at his childish humor. "So how do we get out of this Awake Lucid Whatcha'macallit?" He grabbed my hand again and then in a matter of seconds we were back in the common room.

No alarms were blaring. No one was running. Everything was silent; almost to silent.

No one moved. No one spoke.

Then James came around the corner and led each kid back into their room. We were the last to be escorted. When James finally walked over to Rickey and I, he spoke in a sleepy yet harsh voice.

"What just happened?" He first looked at Rickey. Rickey put his hands up in the air saying," Don't look at me!" Then James turned sharply to me," You know anything? 

"Pu-lease!" I said with booming emotion," You don't even know what happened so why would we know what just happened?"

James nodded in a way to say 'good point' and then he just left us out in the common room without another word.

"Well at least it worked!" I exclaimed smiling at Rickey. He high fived me making my hand tingle from the impact.

He looked at me quizzically,"I need a nickname for you. I can't stand having to say Katrina. I need something shorter and easier." I replied with utmost mocking emotion in my voice,"Aww... does poor baby Rickey get a wittle tired havin' to say twee wittle sywables?" He just laughed and smiled.

"But seriously, I can't call you Kat. And well I haven't really tried anything else."

"Okay then, for a nick name you can call me..." I paused and thought," Kay. K-A-Y."

"Well then  Kay, I suggest that you go back to sleep and try not to blow up anything." He smiled and walked back toward his room. I did the same.

**********

I woke up at eight o'clock, well-rested and ready to face the day. I got out of bed and changed into a white t-shirt and grey bottoms. I let my hair do it's own thing and I really didn't care.

I met Rickey at a table where I ate some toast. He told all about a dream he had and how weird it was but I didn't say anything. I just sat starring into his green eyes.

The people in the room all went about their business. The day seemed normal and plain.

"So did that really happen?" I asked Rickey after he finished his story. "By that, do you mean going inside our own heads, freezing time, and stopping that M.U.D.R.P. then yes. That really happened."

We sat in silence for a moment and enjoyed the simplicity of sitting there and then...