Chapter Seven

 

I woke up because I was cold. I didn't open my eyes. Instead, I wrapped my arms around myself in an attempt to warm up. I cursed my t-shirt for being too thin and short sleeved and folded my knees up toward my chest in an effort to gather up all of my body heat. I was too tired to get under the covers. I opened my eyes slightly. The TV was off and so was the shower.

I was alone. The room was dimly lit. It was like a lamp had been left on somewhere behind me, but the light seemed too soft and had a bluish glow. It could've been the light of a neon sign shining through a gap in the curtains, but I didn't remember there being any neon signs outside. I could hear the roar of the air-conditioner behind me. It forced out cold air at a rapid pace that blew against my back. I tensed my muscles against the cold.

I was alone. The room had a strange dreamy quality--like a haze had been cast over everything. I thought about getting up to turn off the air-conditioner but didn't want to loose my sleepiness. I rolled over. On the table next to Koji's now-closed laptop was the box. A blue light glowed from its seams. I could tell that the light was bright, but not enough of it could escape the box to light up the room completely. There was just enough to cast a bluish glow over everything. I felt strangely relaxed. My brain knew that I should be afraid, but my body felt no fear.

I eased myself up on the bed and placed my bare feet on the stiff carpet. The glowing box was right in front of me, casting shadows around the room. "Koji! Eve!" I called out, to make sure I was alone. This seemed like some kind of prank, but I knew that neither of them were pranksters.

The room felt like a freezer. I shivered and even more goose bumps rose up on my arms. I stood up, reached over, and pushed the black off switch on the air-conditioner. As soon as I did, I could hear a low-pitched hum.

I reached out my hand and placed it on the box. Don't do that! Don't touch it! I thought, but I ignored my thoughts and did it anyway. I didn't know what it was, what might happen. The box vibrated in time with the warble of the hum. Warmth moved from it through my hand and up my arm. It was a pleasant feeling, like getting into a tub of warm water. The feeling crept up my arm to my shoulder, then washed over my neck, releasing the tension in the muscles there, then it moved up over my head. My thoughts became fuzzier than they already were.

I fell to my knees. My hand slid off the box and onto the table. I gripped the cold table edge, and the room went black.

**

When my eyes adjusted to the darkness, everything had changed. I was in bed, under the blanket. My bare legs slid back and forth on the smooth sheets. Koji was snoring in the next bed. I was facing the back of Eve's head. Her hair was plaited in a single braid down the back. I closed my eyes and when I opened them again the same scene was revealed. Slowly, I rolled over, trying not to disturb Eve's sleep.

The air-conditioner was no longer on high. It buzzed but didn't roar like before. The box sat on the table. It looked like an ordinary cardboard box, carefully taped across the top. It must have been a dream, I thought, and closed my eyes to go back to sleep.

I lay there for what seemed like forever, trying to sleep. I was tired. I had the ache in my forehead and behind my eyes that I always got when I felt very tired but couldn't sleep. My face started to hurt from being pressed against the pillow.

I have difficulty sleeping in motels. I'm sure a lot of people do. This bed was too hard. The sheets were too tucked in at the bottom, squashing my feet. I was cold but was too concerned about waking Eve to retrieve the blanket from the floor. I opened my eyes again. The room remained unchanged--dark and quiet.

I lay there until I could see the first hints of yellow light peek through the crack left where the two curtains met. I quietly slid out of bed and took my duffel bag into the bathroom with me. I didn't want to wake Eve and Koji rummaging through it, although I knew the sound of the shower would probably wake them anyway. Still, I tried my best to be quiet.

Eve and Koji were awake when I came out of the bathroom. Eve was sitting cross-legged on the bed. Koji was lying on his back tangled in the sheet. They were talking quietly. When I entered the room they stopped. Eve looked around uncomfortably. Koji sat up.

"How'd you sleep last night?" he asked me.

"Fine," I lied.

"Really?" He pulled the sheet off and scooted to the edge of the bed.

Eve got up and started taking clothes from her backpack.

"How'd you guys sleep?" I asked.

"Okay," Eve said. Her voice sounded weak.

"I could've slept better." Koji stretched. "You know it's hard for me to sleep in a new place. I should've brought my pillow with me at least." He cleared his throat.

"It sure sounded like you were sleeping to me," I said.

"Well I wasn't." Koji got some clothes out of his bag, went into the bathroom and shut the door.

"Indy, we have to open that box," Eve said.

I had turned the television on again and was flipping through the channels, but after Eve spoke I stopped. She was right. We had to open the box. Last night was probably a dream, but whether it was or not I needed to see what was inside the box for myself. "I know," I said.

"You know? All of a sudden your answer is 'I know.' Why the change?"

"I'm transporting it. I should know what's in it."

"We should open it before we leave," Eve said, happily.

"I want to call Tom first."