Lowland Station

When I dream, I enter their world. For 134 nights in a row, I’ve consumed the obsessions of others and tonight is no different. Tonight, I feel fear. Tonight, I ran. One foot in front of the other, heavy steps in soft mud. The rain clouds my glasses. I can feel it behind me, I can hear it getting closer. I clear another spider web from my face and push through the edge of the dense forest into a clearing. Can’t stop now, maintain your lead. I hear cars in the distance to the right and in a second, I’m off in that direction. The constant rustling stops. It must be out of the forest now, but I can’t risk looking back. I see the headlights of cars blinking through the trees, maybe 200m now. I dash onto the road, directly in front of a car hoping the beast follows, it does. I hear the smash, squealing tires, screaming. I turn around as fast as possible; I must harvest it before its soul grows cold. I touch its rapidly freezing chitin and draw in what remains of its power. They are never quite smart enough to catch me.

In a moment the director pulls me out. ‘Great work tonight, Jimmy, I bet you’re just about ready for that vacation, eh?’. ‘One more night sir, one more night than I’m free,” I respond. ‘Head to the decomp chambers Jimmy, enjoy your last few hours on the station’

            Lowland Station is located on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Claimed by neither the US nor Japan it is home to the Hartman institute, a long-standing organization committed to fighting mass panic and general fear. The Hartman institute not only fought the invasion but also monitored for common trends and re-occurring themes within the population. If an individual fear grows too large it can split and become impossible to contain.

            I took advantage of my last day on station to devour 3 full meals, take a long bath in the hot tub attached to my room, and finish combing over some confidential reading I would have to leave behind for security reasons. Before I knew it, I was once again entering the decomp chambers and preparing for my final night.