Bitesize 1.8

I'm soooo tired...

Bitesize 1.8

Ed had listened, gobsmacked as his dad had explained that he never worked in an office. Never traded stock or filed accounts. Instead he worked as a field agent for the Paranormal Investigation Bureau since before Ed was born.
"So what? Stuff like this is commonplace, is that what you're telling me? People walking through walls is a regular day at work for you?"
Ed's Dad shook his head.
"Not exactly, no. Raddick is quite possibly unique. But there are many other anomalies that we investigate and cover up where necessary."
"But he walked through a goddamn wall. How is that even possible?"
"We don't know Ed. That's one reason why Raddick spends his days in a secure cell at the Bureau. For research into his condition."
"And the other reason?"
"He's a killer. He undergoes psychological treatment to see if he can learn how to come to terms with the consequences of his actions."
"How do you even keep a guy like that in a cell? What did he do, just walk out the wall and escape?"
"He can't pass through an electrical field Ed. The collar works the same way, encircling his neck and preventing him doing whatever it is that he does."
"So..." Ed's confusion just kept on growing. "How did he escape?"
"Something knocked out the electrical systems at the bureau." said Alf, "An EMP we think. Killed everything. We only just got the basics back online when your father called us."
"And how'd you know he'd come here?" asked Ed.
"Because it was me that caught him." said Ed's dad. "It was in Newcastle, you were about twelve at the time. There'd been murders and the police suspected a serial killer. For a long time there were no witnesses until one day, maybe he got sloppy. Someone said how they'd seen him go through a wall but the police disregarded the testimony as unreliable."
"But not us." said Alf. "We put your Dad on his trail and a couple of weeks later he caught him. We've had him at the Bureau ever since."
"Where is this Bureau?"
Alf looked over to Ed's Dad who simply nodded.
"Well." said Alf, "Perhaps you'd like to see it sometime? I'm sure your Dad could give you the tour. Maybe you'd be open to a career with us Ed?"
Ed sat back down.
"So it's a recruitment drive now?"
"I don't see why not." said Alf. "You've already seen Raddick. You handled it pretty well."
"And what if I don't?"
"At least think it over." said Ed's Dad. "If not, they'd just make you forget."
"Forget?"
"You'd be surprised what medical advantages have come of the Bureau's research Ed. And other technologies too. I'll show you around. See what you think and if not... It's just a pill. It'll be like tonight never happened."
Ed paced up and down for a few minutes, under the watchful eyes of Alf and his Dad. What he'd seen tonight, what he'd heard from his Dad. It was a lot to take in. It was all so... unbelievable. He looked over at the prone form of Raddick. He'd seen it with his own eyes, twice. The guy had walked right through the wall. What else was there? What more did he not know? Deep down he wanted to be part of this. He wanted to see what his Dad had seen all these years. Curiosity burned in his chest. He didn't want to go back now. Didn't want to return to being just another drone, working some dead end job to scrape together enough money to get drunk at a gig at the weekend. He wanted excitement. He stood back up and looked Alf in the eye.
"I wanna see the Bureau."
Alf broke into a welcoming smile.
"I thought you might. I could see it in your eyes when you saw Raddick."
Kamran came over and patted him on the back.
"You'll enjoy being part of this." he said. "I couldn't turn back either once I knew. Momentous signs have come to you from your Lord. He that sees them shall himself have much to gain, but he who is blind to them shall lose much."
Ed raised an eyebrow.
"A quote?"
"From the Qur’an. When God shows you something Ed, it would be foolish to deny its existence."
Ed nodded.
"Yeah."


The dream ended there as Ed came round, sprawled out on his bed with a headache. He'd forgotten Kamran's words until now. Ed didn't believe in a God, but he was always fascinated by how Kamran had managed to mix his work in the paranormal with his religion. He truly thought that his God had chosen him for this work. That he was seeing signs of divine manipulation. Maybe he was right. If there was a God, Ed thought, then he saw no reason why it couldn't be Allah. The quotes Kamran delivered so often made sense, seemed relevant even, far more than the Bible ever did.
He groaned out loud. It was too early for this shit. He needed a shower and some breakfast. Then he'd go see his Dad.