Dr.
Alan Fenris.
Jason was able to do some research on him before he arrived for his initial appointment.
20 years at his current office, 35 years of total experience.
Specializes in PTSD, trauma and addiction.
Just as Alex promised.
Jason studied the room, stereotypical magazines, coloring books, etc.
The intake paperwork was just as he expected.
A bunch of questions asking whether he had Homicidal Ideations, Suicidal Ideations, etc.
The receptionist was nice enough, but definitely not one Jason would look at twice.
25 minutes down.
Good thing I am not suicidal, Jason thought, I have all the time in this waiting room to make it happen.
“Mr.
McNair.” A very familiar woman called out from behind the clinic door.
Holy shit!
Jason thought, that’s Marie!
Jason stood, walking towards her, the name tape…Marie Daphis.
“Jason.” He corrected.
“Right this way, I’ll be doing your intake before you meet with Dr.
Fenris.” She explained.
Jason stared at her as she walked.
The hair trailing behind her, her short frame, her curves.
He stared.
Marie must have noticed, she cleared her throat and had a somewhat aggravated expression, “We’ll be in room number 2, just ahead.” She stood aside, allowing Jason to pass.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to stare, I just feel like I’ve met you before.” “That’s alright.” She let him into the room.
Jason found himself staring again as he sat waiting for her to log into her system.
She hummed the same tune that Daphis sang when she strangled him.
Jason found it hard to take his attention off her, off the contradictions in his own mind.
“So, tell me a little about what brings you in here, Jason.
I read you were having trouble sleeping, focusing, and struggling with depression.” She was clinical in her speech, but still sounded sympathetic.
“Yeah, pretty much sums it up, but I have been struggling with something else more recently.” Jason admitted.
Marie typed as she listened.
“Want to tell me about it?” Jason thought about how to put it into words, “I don’t fully know how to explain it, but I can’t figure out where time is going, I can’t tell what is really happening and what isn’t, and I don’t feel like I can trust myself.” “With what, Jason?” “Amything.” Jason said.
“I wake up in the middle of events that have already happened, don’t know if what happened after really happened or not.
I wake up with new experiences and then wake up again with those experiences gone.
I hear people say things, then apparently that never happened.
Now I’m just confused all the time, and I feel like I can’t control the direction my life is going, or the negative impact I am leaving on my family.” Marie made note.
As she typed, the image around him began to distort.
It was as if the image in front of his eyes were just a reflection in water in a bathtub that had suddenly started draining.
As the image went away completely, it was replaced by the walls of the cottage.
Jason was laying down again, eyes half open.
Headlights illuminated the darkness outside, then shut off.
He heard footsteps approaching the door.
Then knocking.
Jason stood, shaking his head as he splashed water in his face.
Alex stood there at the door.
“Jason, you called but you never spoke.
What’s going on?” Alex asked, genuine concern on his face.
Jason was confused, he looked at his phone, sure enough, he had called Alex.
Six times, to be exact.
He had no memory of doing this.
“Jason, what the fuck?!” Alex demanded as he stormed inside.
Jason turned toward Alex, now inside the cottage.
More empty syringes picked up off the floor, now in Alex’s hands.
Jason looked in disbelief.
“Jason, I told you to stay clean!
I just moved three dead bodies for you, and you said you were going to try!” Alex shouted.
Jason suddenly became enraged, but he tried to control it to the best of his ability, “Did you do this to me, Alex?” Alex paused for a moment, looking stunned by the words that just escaped his former friends mouth.
“Did I fucking do this to you?” Alex looked at the syringes.
“Listen to yourself, Jason.” Jason clenched his fists.
“I saw you with Fenris.” Alex shook his head, “Who?” “You told him you were going to do this.
Drug me, confused me, try to keep me out of the forest.” Jason started slowly approaching.
“Forest?
Jason, what the fuck are you talking about?
Why would I drug you?” Alex was more confused than enraged at this point, “You need some serious help, Jason.
And I can’t give it to you anymore.” “No, Alex.
I don’t think I need any help.
I think I need clarity, and you’ve finally given that to me.” Jason said as he looked at the syringes in Alex’s hands.
Alex recognized the face Jason made, and wasted no time springing into action.
Alex bolted forward and attempted to get past Jason.
Jason, as if he were possessed by the force that made him such an effective soldier, moved like he had a purpose, immediately grabbing Alex and flipping him onto his back, throwing an elbow directly into his nose, knocking him unconscious.
Jason reached into Alex’s jacket, finding the bolstered 9mm.
Time to go to work.
Jason started toward the Cobalt, still where he last parked it.
He turned and bolted the cottage door, locking Alex inside.
Jason started the cobalt and punched in the address he remembered from the note.
Time to visit Fenris and get some answers.
Jason drove way faster than he should have.
Fenris told him to look inward for the answers, and he trusted his instinct.
Alex was up to something, Alan Fenris was involved, and he had been drugged, explaining the distorted ‘reality’ he had just experienced.
Jason was sure of it.
Sure enough to get a confession from someone who could talk.
Jason was ready to get his own life straight so he could do what he needed to do in the forest.
Jason pulled directly into the driveway, seeing the same things he had seen before, childrens toys, everything.
He stormed up to the front door, and began knocking furiously.
The door started opening, and to Jason’s shock, Marie answered, looking exactly as she had in his altered state.
Jason stood there, starting again to question everything, but he shut that down, now wasn’t the time.
“Who are you?” She asked.
“I’m looking for Alan Fenris.” Jason barked.
“Mommy.” A young girl asked as she crept up behind Marie.
Jason felt compromised, he couldn’t do anything crazy now, children were here.
Another man appeared, not Fenris, Jonathan.
Jason was truly confused now.
“He isn’t here right now.” Jonathan said, noticeably wary of Jason.
“Do you know where I can find him?” Jason asked, taking a softer approach.
“It’s very important I talk to him.” Jonathan stepped outside, closing the door after telling Marie to go inside.
“Look pal, Alan has been dead for over a year.
I don’t know what this is about, but it’s the middle of the night.” Jason took a step back.
Fuck, he thought, Alex wasn’t lying.
“Sorry I bothered you.” Jason turned immediately to the car, leaving Jonathan confused.
He opened the door, stepping inside and out of sight.
Jason drove slowly this time.
Not only did he just go in ready to kill a man, but he hurt Alex.
Facing this would be hard, if not impossible.
Jason punched the hell put of the steering wheel as he rolled to a stop.
How could everything finally be going right, only for it to go so wrong again?
He had to have done something wrong.
Maybe he was still too focused on finding answers.
Jason sat there for a moment.
He didn’t know what to do, so he decided to just go back to the cottage.
Maybe Alex would be willing to help one last time.
If he truly wasn’t out conspiring against him, maybe Alex could bring some sense back to Jason.
Jason arrived to the cottage shortly after, no sign of Alex or his RAV4.
Maybe Alex got out.
Jason picked up his phone and dialed.
“Jason?” Alex asked, groggily.
He sounds like he just woke up, Jason was curious, “Alex, we’re you here tonight?” Alex yawned, “No man, why?
Did someone break in?” Jason paused, not answering for an uncomfortable amount of time.
Did he not attack Alex and go to find Fenris?
What is going on?
“Jason, do I need to come over?” Alex asked, now suddenly more alert.
“If you would, please.” Jason said.
He had to talk to a friend, tell him everything.
Alex was the best man he knew, if anyone could help Jason, it was Alex.
“Alright brother, sit tight, I’m on my way.” Alex wasn’t angry, Jason knew no other man that would willingly come see him at 3am for no reason other than to help.
“Thanks, brother.” Jason said, hanging up the phone.
He stepped inside, went to a mini-fridge, hoped for the best, found good stout, breathed a sigh of relief, and waited for his friend.