The White Room

Well, this is quite the predicament. They offered me top of the line but this isn’t exactly what I had in mind when they said “The best security”, well whatever a room is a room. I walk in and feel the plush carpeting hit my feet, it’s like walking on a sheep. I look for my bed and toilet and see nothing. 

“Hey, where do I sleep?” I asked,

“Where else but on the floor? Have you felt it? It’s amazing.” He says back. 

“Ok, but where do I go to...go?” I ask,

“Oh, there’s a panel that pop’s out and has a toilet, forgot which one though.” He says with a laugh. 

“Well alright then” I reply.

Well, I should probably assess my current living situation. No bed, a toilet I can’t find, and it’s so damn bright in here. That’s the best I can see for now, well, I suppose I should try and make myself comfortable, they’re saying I could be here for a while with all that’s happened. I go to sit on the floor and immediately regret it. The floor smells of a person who hasn’t bathed in a week. It felt soft through my socks but I guess it must just be my socks. It has a smooth leatherish feeling to it, I can feel that the flooring has different segments to it, like its multiple pillows layed on the floor. But I cannot explain how soft it is. It’s like pressing down on a mattress but there is no end to how far you can press. I lay my head back in comfort as I start to drift into a deep sleep.

I wake up back in my bed, back at my house. What was that? Was that a dream? I’m so lost in my thoughts that I nearly forget to glance at the clock. Nine am, shit I’m late for work! I arrive at the office at Twelve, now I am even more late than I was before. Now I have to deal with my boss which is great. 

“Why the hell are you so late?!” The boss asks me, he has a bit of a bourbon smell to his breath as he screams at me. So he’s been drinking? That makes my luck even better.

“Hey boss, my car broke down on the way here sorry.” A lie but it’s to save my skin. I don’t know what would happen to me if he knew the truth.

“So it took you five hours to get your damn car fixed?!” A bit of his saliva hits my co-worker Steph, sorry Steph but better you than me. 

“Uhhh yeah?” I reply

“This is the last damn straw, if you’re late one more time I swear I will fire faster than you can even blink!” He walks back to his office after he says this. Thank god I get one more chance. Well now to go back to my daily routine of… what is it I do again? Wait why am I blanking on this, I spent four years of my life to get a master’s in…

I blink and find that I’m back in the room. What the hell? So it wasn’t a dream? I can barely wrap my head around it when a man puts down a plate of food and simply says,

“Dinner”

So that must mean that it’s evening time right? But when it got to work it was Noon, what the hell is going on here. I get up and go to the door and ask where I am.

“Where you belong” is the only reply I get.

Well, that answered zero of my million questions. But at least I know the people outside my room are just the sweetest kindest little things. I try to peer out the door’s mail slot but I get the door opened on my face. Which doesn’t hurt really but it sure does hurt my feelings.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” A man asks me,

“I just want to know where I am, frankly I’m very confused,” I reply. I wonder why they’re looking at me like that, all I asked was a…

I wake up back in the void I now call home, feels great to be in control again. I look to see two guards looking at me with the weirdest expressions. 

“What are you two looking at?” I ask simply.

“Oh, you’re back. It was nothing, just some suspicious activity, carry on.”

I’m back? What the hell does that mean. Well, whatever I suppose I could find something to do now that I’m awake again. I move to some of the walls, seem like they’re made of the same stuff as the floor, interesting.  I rip the parts of the wall off and make myself a little bed of sorts, I get yelled at by the men but I don’t care, it’s better than sleeping on the floor. I lie down to rest my head and reminisce on why I’m here…

I wake up back in the room, what happened to the guards? Weren’t they right in front of me just a second ago? And why am I lying down? I’m lost in my thoughts that I don’t even see someone come inside. 

“Hello? Mr. Schmidt? Is that you?” She asks softly.

“What? No no, my name is James Cameron. Could you tell me where the hell I am and what’s going on?” I ask frazzled. 

“Oh well I am sorry Mr. Cameron but that’s Classified to you, I suggest that you go back to sleep now.” She says to me.

“But I don’t want sleep I want answers! Where am I? What’s going on? Why won’t you people tell me anything?!”

“Administrate the sedatives,” She says to the men outside,

“Wait what? Get your hands off me! I said get them off-”

I awaken on the floor with guards surrounding me, I sit up and they start to question me.

“Hello Mr.Schmidt, how are you today?” She asks

“I’m quite alright thank you for asking” I respond.

“Wait I’m confused,” A guard whispers “What’s going on here? Earlier he said he wasn’t Mr. Schmidt, now he’s saying he is.”

“Oh well, it’s quite simple,” She responds “He, Mr. Cameron, Has undiagnosed DID or Dissociative Identity Disorder. While we were talking to Mr. James Cameron earlier we are now talking to Mr. Richard Schmidt.”

Well, that’s not surprising, I’ve always wondered why I wake up in the middle of the night and sleep in the morning. Well in that case maybe I could have some fun with this other personality.

“Hey,” I ask “Could you tell James what I did? I think it would be hilarious.”

“I can’t Mr. Schmidt, that is classified information to him. You’re the only one meant to be in here but we can’t help that he’s in here too.” Is the unsatisfying response I get. Dammit, I guess I have to be a bit smarter with this question.

“Well technically speaking he and I are the same people, so he has every right to know as I do,” I ask.

“Well that is a good point, but like I said it’s classified to him,” she says.

“Then can you remind me what I did I seem to be blanking,” I ask and then I close my eyes in a split second to make the switch, I want him to hear what I’ve done, this false personality will be in for a shock…

I wake up again and the lady from before is saying something.

“Three accounts of First Degree Murder and One of Involuntary Manslaughter.”

“Wait what?!” I say shock ringing in my voice.

“Hold on.... Tell me your name.”

“James Cameron I told you that already.”

“Ugh Damn it he tricked me!” She’s very upset with someone. “Well, now that the cat’s out of the bag I might as well tell you everything,” Well I guess it’s time to learn why I’m in here. “You have DID or Dissociative Identity Disorder you, or the other you, decided enough was enough at your workplace and brought an automatic assault rifle and shot twelve people. Killing three and injuring the other nine. We have reason to believe the three he killed were for a reason so that’s where the three accounts of First Degree. The account of involuntary is when you ran over a woman crossing the street as you, the other you, ran.”

Holy shit… Holy shit so… I have another person inside me?! This doesn’t make any sense… i-if I did I would know right? I’m so lost… Wait…

“Wait if this… other personality did these things then why am I here? I didn’t do anything wrong.” I say sternly

“While that is the case Mr. Cameron you and he share a body per se. So we can’t just let a known murderer walk free even if you did nothing wrong.” She says

“Well, how long will I, we,  be in here for?”

“A very very long time Mr. Cameron, goodbye.” She moves toward the door but stops suddenly, she turns back to me,

“I’m very sorry that this has happened to you Mr. Cameron, I wish I could change things but I cannot.” She then opens the door and leaves with the guards. That was the last time I ever saw her again. But this is just the beginning of my other self’s antics.