Temperature Rising (A Novella) - 11. Epilogue

EPILOGUE

Welcome to the white room.

Mark sat on the floor beside his bed. It had been days since Dr. Lopez came to check up on him. When she told him about the disease, he began to hate her. She was blind like the others.

Mark felt lonely now. He didn't like talking to himself. This was all Dr. Lopez fault. She took away everyone he'd come to know. He didn't care if they were real or not.

"Who's to say what is real and what is not?" a familiar voice rang.

"Detective?" Mark said. He didn't know if he said it loud or silently in his head.

"She's nothing, Marcus. We can take care of her. And did you notice? She has become fond of you. Let her be. We'll strike her down when she least expects it," the voice added.

Why would the detective try to contact him? He had to erase him. He was a traitor. Why then would he care?

When the detective found out about SORE, Mark felt betrayed. SORE was nothing but a word on a billboard.

His mind tried to create SORE Productions, randomly picking out words on the street. The detective was smart to have found out. He was smart just as Mark wanted him to be, maybe even too smart for his own good.

"I know what you're thinking. I am more than the Detective Harold Garson that you know of. I am every voice that gave life to everyone you have created. I am even you."

Mark closed his eyes tight.

"Don't be afraid, Marcus. Chloe is here with us. We can get you out of this place. All you have to do is ask and we'll be happy to oblige. Remember, we still have work to do, so many people to awaken, so many people to teach. Don't they realize they're not real. They are only a part of us. They're blind. We need to let them see," the voice said. It sounded like it was in the room.

Mark stood and walked over to the one-way mirror. He looked at reflection, turning his head from side to side. Suddenly, he felt an itch in his left leg. His face warped. He wasn't looking at himself anymore. He was looking at a woman named Dr. Linda Lopez.

"Hello Marcus," Mark said to himself, in Dr. Lopez's voice. "Are you ready to make them see?" he added, smiling.

He bent over and scratched the itched on his left leg that was bothering him so badly.

THE END