Jennifer sat with wires attached to her face, chest, and fingers. She was in a government laboratory with researchers analyzing her every function.
"Tell me about your darkest fears," Dr. Ledgard said.
She gathered her thoughts. "Seclusion. Victorian style homes. Empty rooms. Empty spaces."
The researchers monitored the computers that instantaneously provided analysis from the wires hooked to Jennifer's body. They quizzed her about the sources of these anxieties and she gave a quick rundown of all the things that happened in her youth.
"Is that what inspired you to become a writer?" Dr. Ledgard asked. "A way of confronting these fears, perhaps?"
Jennifer nodded. "It's a great way to make a living. And I get a real rush from facing these inner-struggles."
"There's also something else," the doctor said, trying to be as professional as possible for this last point. "This hadn't been asked in any of your pre-screening interviews, because it didn't seem relevant at the time, but last night someone on the team discovered a potential flaw in the system."
"Sure, ask me anything."
Dr. Ledgard gave a hard stare. "Don't feel embarrassed answering this question, but do you have any strong fetishes or deviances which could possibly compromise this experiment? Any impulses or compulsions?"
"I can assure you, I'm as plain as vanilla," Jennifer said bashfully.
And she was being truthful, too. Outwardly, she was a straight-laced, mostly conservative woman who was known for having impeccable manners.
There was, however, one secret fantasy she had. Something dark and taboo. Something she'd never, ever tell anyone for as long as she lived. Something that would ruin her if people knew what she liked to fantasize about.
Surely, her fascination with hardcore mother/son erotica wouldn't be an issue here. How could it? It was no one's business but her own, so she decided to keep that to herself.
And even though her son had agreed to help with this experiment, why would that be relevant? She had
never
fantasized about him before, no matter how desirable she thought he was. She was a good girl when it came to separating her fantasies and her real life relationship with her son.
"My apologies for that question," Dr. Ledgard said. "We can never be too careful. Part of scientific research is to anticipate all scenarios so we can avoid disasters."
She smiled, "No offense taken. I trust that I'm in good hands."
"Then we'll begin."
They prepared a small machine that looked like a rectangular box. They brought it close to her, pointing a device towards her head, then they stepped back to get behind their monitors and computers.
She stared straight into the machine, wide-eyed and enthralled by this. Secretly, her mind reeled from all the sci-fi movies she watched growing up. She even thought about how this experience could be used for future novels.
"Sit still," the doctor said. "Don't move a muscle."
As soon as Dr. Ledgard gave the signal, the machine was activated and it made a low, humming sound. Jennifer sat still as the device sent frequency waves towards her head.
Dr. Ledgard talked in a soothing motion. "Think of your deepest fears."
Her mind drifted and she focused on the causes of her anxiety while the waves were aimed towards her.
Roughly a minute passed before the doctor gave the order to turn it off. The rest of the team had their eyes locked onto the different monitors to examine whatever neurological changes were happening in Jennifer.
The wires were removed from Jennifer's body and she beamed when the doctor gave her a handshake. They both knew that this would be groundbreaking. But they just didn't realize how.
***
The rules of the experiment were simple:
- Jennifer was expected to live in a secluded home in the forest for 15 days. As a novelist, it was great for writing.
- Her son Zack was a college student and he agreed to stay there for a small fee. In exchange, he was expected to assist with the experiment by administering the frequency machine on her.
- The upstairs bedrooms had full privacy. But the downstairs rooms had an array of recording equipment so the doctors could visually monitor everything.
- Under no circumstance could she leave the premises. And she wasn't allowed to make physical contact with anyone either. Food and other necessities would be provided to her.
It was Day 3 of the experiment and they got comfortable already. The researchers were generous with their accommodations. The refrigerator and cabinets were filled with fresh food. And their safety was being monitored as well.
They went to the dining room that afternoon and Zack, doing his new duty, hooked up his mother to a set of wires and pointed the machine at her head.
"Here it comes," he said. "I'll try not to shock you."
She winked. "You better not."
The frequency waves were activated and Jennifer focused on the things which caused her fear. Per the instructions, she thought of it repeatedly.
When it was done, Zack switched the device off. Then he gave a thumbs up to the camera in the dining room, which recorded this and was also being monitored live by the researchers.
"Nicely done," Jennifer said. "You know, this is some pretty good job experience for you. You're quite believable as a scientist."
He smiled, "Pushing buttons and hooking up wires is easy. Real science is difficult."
"Fair enough."
"How's your new book?" Zack asked while unhooking the wires from his mom's body.
Jennifer rubbed her skin as everything was unhooked. "Great. I did a ton of writing in my bedroom before I came down here to be shot with rays."
"Nice. Anything good?"
She gave a coy expression. "In my opinion, yeah. Being part of this experiment is the best thing that's happened to me in a long time, inspirationally speaking."
"Nice," he nodded. "How about everything else? Less anxiety?"
"My anxiety feels... I'd say... about the same so far. Honestly, if I were here by myself, I wouldn't be able to sleep. So I'm happy that you've agreed to stay here with me."
"Mom, they're paying me generously. Soon I'll be a rich man."
She laughed. "Then you can help me pay the bills when we get back home and return to our normal lives."
With the session completed, they both gave a thumbs up to the camera indicating that everything ran smoothly.
***
Later that night. Jennifer was in the bedroom typing on her laptop. She customized her work-desk with her personal things; like framed family pictures, jewelry which had been passed down from her mother, along with many religious items that she always kept by her bed.
Her son was in a separate bedroom. They learned early on that the walls were thin and hollow, which meant that they could hear each other. They had joked about it and they both knew that they had to be mindful of their privacy.
In this old house, although Zack had the volume low while watching tv in his room, Jennifer was still able to faintly hear what he was watching. It wasn't a big deal though. In fact, she thought it was amusing.
When she heard the sound of her son's bed creaking, she thought nothing of it. It was such a routine movement for anyone.
But something piqued her ears. The noise was ever-so-faint but it happened every few seconds. It was a rhythmic noise. She had an idea of what it was, but she didn't want to speculate.
As she tried to focus on her computer screen, lewd images and thoughts washed over her mind. She couldn't stop thinking about what was happening in the other room. It got so bad that she couldn't work.
She stood up. She needed a stretch after sitting for so long. She gently paced her room, trying to rid herself of the noises she heard and the thoughts that followed. She considered wearing earphones and listening to music.
But she heard the faint creak of the bed once again.
