Short Stories

Patient Faxon Jäger

I fear the worst will be upon me and I may not live too much longer. This is why I break the moral rules of being a therapist. I was a therapist not long ago before the nightmares began. I had a well-paying job and a nice car and home. I never saw myself as a family man and I am honestly glad I didn't as I would only pass on this curse to my children or wife if I had a family. I'm getting side track, I was a therapist working almost every day and helped many people getting over dad issues or tragic experiences, etc. This was till Faxon Jäger became a patient. His problem was simple nightmares and those are normally easy to fix,  but little did I know this was no nightmare. I foolishly accepted to aid him in his need to get rid of these constant nightmares. I agreed to see him on August 8th of 2019. This was a day I had patients come in and tell me about their life and the problems they had when it started and everything. I would need to know to find the perfect way to help them. I normally recorded my sessions, it helped me replay the whole conversation I and my patient would have. Today he was very well dressed. He looked like he was in his mid-20s at most with his body well washed and hair styled. It was almost like he was applying for a job interview. This is the recording of that day. 

The sound of the door creaking open and light footsteps coming closer and stopped as the sound of something sitting down in a chair could be heard. 

"Welcome Faxon Jäger, I am glad to help you in any way possible. First I need you to tell me a bit about yourself and what brings you here to seek help from a therapist." 

"Um, well my name is Faxon Jäger. I lived in America all my life, I had a normal childhood at least I believe so. My father was around till he had a heart attack at the age of 68. My mom is still around to this day. I am the only child of my parents, I am currently 25 years old and I work at a home depot just down the street from here. Is that enough about my life? Okay um for why I am here well I've been having these very odd dreams, almost like nightmares. It started about a week ago and every night I go to bed I have the same nightmare. I am in what I guess is a trench in WW1. I am in a full German uniform and for some reason I am terrified. I normally try to wake myself up but I can't. Next would be a loud alarm just back of my head, covering my ear in response to and within minutes German soldiers rushed through the trench I am in and got to position against the wall as if we were about to defend our position. Expect the threat to come instead of screaming... God-awful screams deeper in the trenches could be heard. This is when the men around me began to look at each other confused. As more screaming continued growing closer. They readied their guns and began to rush into the trenches towards the screaming. God the screaming, was not human... It was like an animal trying to mimic a human screaming in pain. I...I stood there as I was left alone again, it was as if my feet were glued to the floor." 

Faxon was visibly shaken up by recalling the dream, but I needed more information. So this is when I began to push him a bit to try and get more information out of him. 

"Tell me more about what is normally around you in the trench and have you ever tried to escape from the trench when you are in this nightmare, furthermore do any of the soldiers look familiar like you see them before?" 

After a long pause as he stared at his feet, he took a few deep breaths and finally spoke again. 

"There was a nazi flag on a pole in the sky over the trenches, the trench and the walls were made out of mud and wood. I am normally facing forward towards no man's land, which I have no clue what that means but somehow I know it. To my left and right, the trenches go about 20 feet in each direction, and on both sides comes a turn going deeper into the trench where the screaming comes from. I... I can't escape or run away. Instead I was forced to stay in that spot as gunfire and screams echoed throughout the trenches. I have tried to get away but I would get blown up or shot in the head and wake up in cold sweats. For if I know any of the German soldiers, no they all are strangers. Oh, um one time I tried to run before the siren went off to the right where the soldiers came from after the alarm. Except the trench comes to a door which is locked and I'm unable to open it. The strange part is when I was at the door the alarm went off and I appeared back in the place I normally am when the nightmare first started and the soldiers came in once again like every other time."