Chapter 4: CHapter 4
Adam’s mind struggled to connect the memory of his own death with the reality of sitting in his teacher’s office. He was breathing. He was unharmed.
The open sky and the man’s hands on his throat felt more real than the quiet cubicle around him.
He grabbed his head with both hands.
A wave of vertigo washed over him so intense that the room seemed to tilt on its axis. The world felt unstable a flimsy film stretched over a violent and repeating truth.
Seeing this Mr. James stood up from his desk. His expression was filled with genuine alarm.
He walked around the desk his chair scraping against the floor. He placed a hand on Adam’s shoulder. "Adam are you okay? You look like you’re about to pass out."
The touch made Adam flinch violently. He recoiled as if burned. He looked up at his teacher.
For a moment he saw not a concerned educator but another potential threat another face in a crowd that wanted him dead. He had to get away. He had to think.
"Teacher," he said forcing the words out through a tight throat. "I think... I don’t feel well. I’m going to the nurse’s office."
James’s concern appeared genuine. The worry in his eyes looked real. "Of course. That’s a good idea. Go get some rest. I’ll let the nurse know you’re on your way."
Adam stood up on shaky legs and walked out of the cubicle. He left James watching him go with a worried frown.
Once he was out in the hallway his thoughts began to spiral. He leaned against the cool wall trying to catch his breath. His mind raced putting the pieces together.