the project note staring at him in the top corner: Manny Bates, 2011. This was his notepad. There was no mistaking it. He slumped forward and scratched his forehead with his hands. Why was this happening?
The door creaked and Sara was in the room again. This time, she was with another man—a man in a white coat. He smiled at Donny and nodded, his eyes flicking to the pad.
“Who’s this?” Donny asked.
Sara bit her lip and brushed away her tears. “Donny, this is… this is Doctor Rogers. He’s—he’s here to make you better, honey. He’s here to make you better so we can make a fresh start again.”
Donny’s hands shook as the doctor walked towards him. “But—wait, I don’t need a doctor. None of this—all of this happened. I was there and I fell through a painting and, and… and Reginald. Ask fucking Reginald. I’m okay. I’m here now. I’m here now and I’m oka—”
“Donny, you’re not okay,” Sara said, pity in her eyes. “But we will be soon.”
Donny squeezed the sides of his head. This could not be happening. He’d got back. Things were supposed to be okay now. Things were supposed to be better than ever.
“I just wanted to finish my novel,” he said. “I just wanted to finish my novel.”
The doctor bobbed his head, bearing a fake smile of understanding. “I know, Donny. And we’re going to help you with that. We’re going to give you all the support you need so you can finish it, right?” He turned to Sara and smiled, who shrugged her shoulders and nodded.
Donny stood up and shook his head, staring the doctor in the face. “I didn’t write this. I swear to you, I didn’t write this. It’s… it’s them. They’re watching. They want me to know they’re watching so I never forget that. They… they’re inside me and they won’t ever let me forget.”
The doctor nodded with absolute sincerity. “And we’re going to make sure you feel much better about that, aren’t we?”
Donny looked over at Sara, his eyes stinging. All that trust, all that faith, banished in an instant. “You said you believed in me,” Donny said. “You said—you said things would be okay. You said you thought things woul—”
“Things haven’t been okay for a long time,” Sara said, raising her voice. “You agreed, Donny. You agreed—any more strange behaviour and I called the doctor.”
“This is not strange behaviour,” Donny shouted. His entire body was shaking. “It’s—I know it’s strange, but it’s true. I swear to you, what I’m saying is true. They… they’re watching.”
“So your little notebook says,” Sara said.
Donny turned back to the pad. Two words, sprayed across every single page.
We’rewatchingwe’rewatchingwe’rewatchingwe’rewatching.
He hadn’t written that. He—he knew he hadn’t written that. His writing sessions, they had been productive. He hadn’t written those words.
Had he?
The doctor held his hand out. “We just want to make sure you’re feeling completely well so that when you come back home, you’re all ready to finish that novel, eh?”
Donny shook his head and looked between them. They’d set him up. Something had set him up. It had happened. Everything had happened.
“You people, you’re the organisations and—and the authorities who keep it all covered up. The—the gaps. You keep the gaps a secret but soon you’ll be like the other side. Soon you’ll be—be treating them like prisoners too. I’m—I’m from this side, okay? I’m not one of them.” He reached his arm out. “I don’t have a chip, see? I—I don’t have a chip. I… I just want to finish my novel.”
He turned down to stare at his feet. What was he doing, trying to convince them? Maybe they were covering things up, but Sara thought he was crazy and there was only one thing he could do about that. He took a deep breath in through his nostrils. Calm yourself. Calm yourself. Then, he looked at the doctor and smiled. There was nothing else he
The door creaked and Sara was in the room again. This time, she was with another man—a man in a white coat. He smiled at Donny and nodded, his eyes flicking to the pad.
“Who’s this?” Donny asked.
Sara bit her lip and brushed away her tears. “Donny, this is… this is Doctor Rogers. He’s—he’s here to make you better, honey. He’s here to make you better so we can make a fresh start again.”
Donny’s hands shook as the doctor walked towards him. “But—wait, I don’t need a doctor. None of this—all of this happened. I was there and I fell through a painting and, and… and Reginald. Ask fucking Reginald. I’m okay. I’m here now. I’m here now and I’m oka—”
“Donny, you’re not okay,” Sara said, pity in her eyes. “But we will be soon.”
Donny squeezed the sides of his head. This could not be happening. He’d got back. Things were supposed to be okay now. Things were supposed to be better than ever.
“I just wanted to finish my novel,” he said. “I just wanted to finish my novel.”
The doctor bobbed his head, bearing a fake smile of understanding. “I know, Donny. And we’re going to help you with that. We’re going to give you all the support you need so you can finish it, right?” He turned to Sara and smiled, who shrugged her shoulders and nodded.
Donny stood up and shook his head, staring the doctor in the face. “I didn’t write this. I swear to you, I didn’t write this. It’s… it’s them. They’re watching. They want me to know they’re watching so I never forget that. They… they’re inside me and they won’t ever let me forget.”
The doctor nodded with absolute sincerity. “And we’re going to make sure you feel much better about that, aren’t we?”
Donny looked over at Sara, his eyes stinging. All that trust, all that faith, banished in an instant. “You said you believed in me,” Donny said. “You said—you said things would be okay. You said you thought things woul—”
“Things haven’t been okay for a long time,” Sara said, raising her voice. “You agreed, Donny. You agreed—any more strange behaviour and I called the doctor.”
“This is not strange behaviour,” Donny shouted. His entire body was shaking. “It’s—I know it’s strange, but it’s true. I swear to you, what I’m saying is true. They… they’re watching.”
“So your little notebook says,” Sara said.
Donny turned back to the pad. Two words, sprayed across every single page.
We’rewatchingwe’rewatchingwe’rewatchingwe’rewatching.
He hadn’t written that. He—he knew he hadn’t written that. His writing sessions, they had been productive. He hadn’t written those words.
Had he?
The doctor held his hand out. “We just want to make sure you’re feeling completely well so that when you come back home, you’re all ready to finish that novel, eh?”
Donny shook his head and looked between them. They’d set him up. Something had set him up. It had happened. Everything had happened.
“You people, you’re the organisations and—and the authorities who keep it all covered up. The—the gaps. You keep the gaps a secret but soon you’ll be like the other side. Soon you’ll be—be treating them like prisoners too. I’m—I’m from this side, okay? I’m not one of them.” He reached his arm out. “I don’t have a chip, see? I—I don’t have a chip. I… I just want to finish my novel.”
He turned down to stare at his feet. What was he doing, trying to convince them? Maybe they were covering things up, but Sara thought he was crazy and there was only one thing he could do about that. He took a deep breath in through his nostrils. Calm yourself. Calm yourself. Then, he looked at the doctor and smiled. There was nothing else he
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