Wednesday Briefs #23 The Hollow: Soul Seekers

Copyright 2014 JC Wallace

Each week a group of authors participate weekly in Wednesday Briefs Flash Fiction. Each installment is 500-1000 words long and is posted to our blogs each week. After you read the latest in my story, click on the links at the end to visit the other flashers.

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Crazy may cover Levi like a second skin but some of it was sitting right in front of him. Levi actually cracked a bit of a smile but it faded. “Okay…umm…yeah, I’m going to get going now.”

Levi rose and headed for the door.

“Fear.”

Levi halted at the word and turned slowly, trying to keep his expression blank.

“Fear, anxiety, nervousness maybe even panic? Do these sound familiar?”

“Yeah. I have an anxiety disorder. That’s why I left school.” It’s why every day of my life is hell on earth.

Dr. Winston shook his head slowly. “No, you don’t.”

“I think I would know.”

“It’s not the source.”

“I suppose lacking a soul is the real reason,” Levi said, unable to control the sarcasm that came with it. He wished he’d gone to ____, Dr. Winston’s teaching assistant to get the article. Well, too late.

“Please, sit and I will explain.”

When Levi failed to move she went on. “Our bodies need energy to exist. Yes, energy from food but most important the energy of a soul. Without it, the body tries to compensate by pulling energy in from around it. It’s kind of like a continuous drawing in of whatever is available. Everyone’s souls give off a hint of energy. So, the more energy around the more that is drawn inward, filling the body, overdosing it in a way. How do you feel in a room full of people?”

It makes his skin crawl and drives his panic to astronomical levels but he wasn’t going to confirm anything.

“You feel safer with as few people as possible around, probably even alone? Less energy to deal with,” she said and nodded, eying him as if to see how much he was buying.

Levi averted his gaze. “That doesn’t prove anything.”

“It proves everything.”

“You think because I have issues with anxiety that I have no soul.” Levi wasn’t the only one with issues.

“No, I think you don’t have a soul because I can’t see it.”

Levi frowned and looked up into the doctor’s face. “You’re a-”

“Seer. Yes. And the moment you walked into my class I knew yours was not there. That’s why I handed out the chapter on senz’anima. I was trying to tell you that I knew and figured you would come to me. Tell me why did you ask for the article?”

Levi shifted in his seat. Should he mention the old woman? Wouldn’t sound any crazier than what he’d heard from his professor.

“An old woman yesterday she...umm...she said I was senz’anima, hollow, unfeeling...empty.”

Dr. Winston’s brows raised. “Where was this?”

“In a store. She just pointed at me and said it.” Even now it sent cold chills through him. “Then I remembered the word from class.”

“She would have to be a Seer to have known that,” Dr. Winston said thoughtfully, chewing on her fingernail.

Levi didn’t like the look on her face. “But she was disgusted, even afraid.”

“Not all Seers feel that souls should be removed. There are people who believe removing a soul creates evil that will affect others around that person. They are quite...vocal about it.”

Vocal? “So this woman saw I didn’t have a soul and decided to tell me I’m evil. Nice.” Levi wanted to close his eyes and wake up in his bed. “How do you know she was one of these people?”

 “Seers aren’t allowed to approach the soulless for many reasons. Souls aren’t just taken at infancy. At the age of consent, some choose to part with theirs.”

Who in the world would choose to part with their soul and feel gut-wrenching agony of anxiety every day of their lives?

“So I have no soul?” Levi could play along. “Why am I still walking around?”

“Your soul is still here on this plane. And you still have a small part, enough to keep your life force going.”

“If it’s so horrible to go without a soul why in the hell would anyone remove it in the first place because I have to tell you, my life has been no picnic.”

Biggest. Fucking. Understatement. Ever.

“It’s not supposed to be like that.”

Levi smirked and shook his head. “And what’s it supposed to be?”

“What is left of the soul still allows the person to feel and function and avoid the influx of energy from the environment.”

“Listen, I really appreciate your concern for me, however misguided it is, but I have an anxiety disorder diagnosed by a real doctor, treated with real medication and counseling. Actually, until I came to college it was pretty much under control.” He just didn’t feel emotions.

“Medication. Hmm. What about now? Is anything different?”

Except for a panic attacks and his psyche preparing to crack into irretrievable pieces, and the crushing pain in his head and the intense emotions driving his insanity, oh, and the whole psychopath thing, not much.

“I stopped taking my meds. Couldn’t stand not feeling anything anymore. I felt so closed off, so dull. I recently read that it’s a side effect of anti-depressants.” It had been an epiphany at the time.

“Really? When was that? Did your doctor take you off of them?”

Levi regretted saying anything. He knew full well that you never stopped meds without your doctor’s okay. “Almost two weeks ago. I just decided to stop taking them.”

“And what happened?”

“More anxiety, a huge panic attack.”

“What else?”

What did she want? She appeared to be digging for something.

A knock at the door startled Levi, his heart pounding. He hadn’t realized how tense he’d become. Even Dr. Winston looked a bit unnerved but regained her composure.

“Excuse me,” she said, passing Levi to the door.

Levi stood and moved to the other side of the office to make room for whoever was at the door. Probably a student needing to meet with Dr. Winston which would give him the opportunity to get out and fast. He’d indulged the fantasy world of his former teacher long enough. But what about the man?

Dr. Winston opened the door and spoke to someone on the other side out of Levi’s view. A few nervous glances at Levi then Dr. Winston drew back and opened the door wide.

Fuck me sideways.

It was the man who’d nearly killed him.

 

Chapter 12

Levi scrambled back into a pile of books, knocking them over, his eyes frozen on the dark-eyed man, sans the black hoodie, looming in the doorway. He’d never forget those dark eyes, the harsh glare. Adrenaline surged readying Levi for flight however, he was trapped in the far corner of the room like a rat by a big fucking cat. The only exit blocked. Levi raised his hands toward his head ready for the mind exploding pain and pressure to come…but nothing.

Dr. Winston and the very tall man in the black T-shirt that stated ‘I’m the evil twin’ in white letters watched Levi.  

Even without the bone crushing force he’d experienced last in the presence of that man, Levi was terrified. Sweat formed on his brow, pushed out by his rapid heart rate. That man was here, sixty miles from his home, in his professor’s office, stalking Levi.

Dr. Winston looked to the man who raised his eyebrows with a slight nod. Her expression told Levi they were acquainted.

The man returned the look and shrugged his shoulders. “Looks like it worked.” His voice was rough and low, almost like a growl.

They returned their gazes to Levi. If he ran fast enough, he might be able to knock the man back and get into the hallway. But then what?

Dr. Winston took a few tentative steps toward Levi, raising her hands as if approaching a frightened animal ready to bolt. That was so Levi at this minute. “Levi, it’s okay. I know Jeb.”

Jeb. The stalker has a name. Levi gripped his fingers tight on the windowsill he leaned against. Three stories. Looking down there was no way to jump for a quick getaway.

Jeb, the stalker, leaned a shoulder against the doorjamb, settling in. He reached a large hand to his chest and fingered an object hanging from a silver chain around his neck.

A calming rush came over Levi. His hands relaxed, his shoulders dropped. What was he afraid of? Dr. Winston knew this man. She’d never allow Jeb to hurt him, right? If so, then why did part of his brain scream ‘lies’ at that logic?

Levi looked into the eyes of the stranger, which weren’t black but a deep, dark chocolate with an actual flicker of amber light within them. And now that he wasn’t glowering, Levi noticed the sharp line of his jaw, his high cheekbones. His black hair wasn’t straight but not curly either. It swept across his thick dark eyebrows, curled a bit toward his ears where dark sideburns reached down the sides of his cheeks. In the back, the hair curled around his nape. Jeb reminded Levi of Logan with his confident air, but this guy bordered on the edge of cockiness.

“Levi, we have a lot to discuss so why don’t you sit?”  Again, Dr. Winston motioned to the chair where Levi had been seated.

The idea of talking now seemed okay. Thoughts of fleeing left Levi’s mind and he returned to his seat.

Jeb waited for an invite and passed before Levi, sauntering toward the windows. As he passed, the uneasiness and calmness within Levi faded replaced with trepidation and apprehension. What was he thinking staying here a moment longer? Grasping at the arms of the chair, he decided to wait until Dr. Winston sat once again and then he would bolt. However, Dr. Winston didn’t sit but leaned against her desk. Would she try to grab Levi if he ran?

I have to get out of here!

Jeb leaned his back against the wall, regarding Levi in silence. What was he looking at? Levi almost said it aloud but bit down on his lip. Levi’s eyes darted between them. A puzzled looked on Jeb’s face gave him pause.

“Relax, Levi. You look terrified. Jeb’s a nice guy,” Dr. Winston said to reassure him.

A nice guy who was stalking Levi and had practically caused his head to implode. At least he hadn’t been deliberately trying to hurt Levi, as he’d had thought, but he wasn’t convinced that Jeb wouldn’t release his mind meld on him.

Jeb went back to playing with his necklace, eyes intent on Levi. Levi took a deep breath relaxing his muscles, rolling his head to release the tension. He leaned back against the chair and released his grip on the arms. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Jeb and thought he saw a ghost of a smile.

“That’s better,” Dr. Winston said, the smile returning to her face.

“Who is he?” Levi asked, talking as if Jeb weren’t in the room.

“He’s a friend. Well, and part of the Seer community.”

“You’re a Seer?” Levi asked with a bit on contention.

Jeb snorted still playing with his necklace. He had quite a fetish over it. “No.”

“I sent Jeb to check on you,” Dr. Winston confessed without a hint of remorse.

Levi straightened in the chair. “You what?! You sent him after me?"

 

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