All We See or Seem Read Online Free PDF

then asked him several questions about his childhood and had him do a logic puzzle while she kept an eye on the monitor and keyed in notes periodically. She was pleasant enough, but there was a certain reserve in her manner as she questioned him. Chances are, it was just due to the clinical nature of her job. She was testing his brain, after all, he reasoned.
    â€œHmm… one of my electrodes has stopped communicating properly. I’ll need to replace it. You sit tight here, and I’ll go grab another one.” She walked briskly into the adjacent office.
    Aaron shifted in his seat slightly, but the movement caused the faulty electrode to twist and reverse polarity. It was a freak accident, and the surge was only momentary, but Aaron jolted and sat straight up in his chair. His exclamation of surprise brought the technician out promptly.
    â€œWhat happened?”
    â€œI don’t know. I moved. I felt a shock.” His heart was beating wildly.
    â€œLet’s get you out of these.” She immediately palmed the switch to power down the current and hastily began removing the electrodes from
    Aaron’s head, neck, and chest, talking rapidly as she worked.
    â€œDoes it hurt? Are you seeing any spots or flashes? I’m so sorry. This has never happened before. Are you sure you’re okay? I’m so sorry, captain.” Her voice was thick with concern, and it was clear to Aaron the technician was quite fearful about the incident, so he did his best to put her at ease.
    â€œI’m fine. Just a little jolt. No big deal. It’s fine.”
    She kept flitting around as if disoriented by the occurrence. Genuinely confused and disturbed by it. Aaron wanted to calm her, let her know it was okay — at the very least get her to stop moving so frantically around him. He reached out suddenly and took her hand in his. She stopped abruptly and glanced into his eyes. Her look of sheer terror dissipated in that moment, but the tenderness that replaced it jolted some shadow of a memory embedded deep in Aaron’s mind with a sudden flash. His consciousness couldn’t grasp its origin, but it made his mind reel. As if sensing his uneasiness, the technician gently retracted her hand and fixed her gaze on the office door.
    â€œI’m sorry, captain… I’m sure you’re tired. I’ll call an orderly to take you back to your room.”
    â€œYes. That… that would be good,” Aaron muttered and looked away. Evidently, the technician wanted to forget the incident. Since there was no damage, he was inclined to oblige her. No doubt it could cost her livelihood — even if it wasn’t her fault. Besides, he wanted to sort his thoughts privately, to understand what was going on in his own head, without a lot of questions and the feeling of being under a microscope — everybody looking at him like a science project gone wrong.
    If he could just make it through this day — tomorrow he would go home.
    ****
    â€œ Gryff … Gryff — ” He could hear someone calling his name — but it wasn’t his name at all. He looked around to see who was calling. It seemed to be coming from just over the fence in the shadows.
    â€œ Who ’ s there? ” he shouted into the darkness. Then he heard weeping. The anguish in it broke his heart. He followed the sound of desperate grief until he reached the iron fence. Through the bars he could see a shadowy form crumpled on the ground, shaking with sobs.
    â€œ What is it? ” he asked. “ What ’ s wrong? ”
    There was no reply but more weeping, so he tried again louder.
    â€œ What is it? What has happened? Please. Let me help you. ”
    Slowly the girl stood and turned toward him. She stepped into a solitary beam of light, and he saw her tear-stained face regarding him. “ Gem. ” The name played on his lips, hardly a whisper. She reached out for him—
    He woke in a cold