“Yes you have to push it out slowly at first but once it begins to flow faster, let it flow.”
I closed my eyes and began to focus on the mental connection between us. It took all of my concentration but the heat began to flow and he was right, it began to flood out of me. I must have gathered more heat than I realized because as the heat was rushing out I fell to my knees. Somehow my hand remained in contact with Alexis’ neck despite the odd angle. The tunnel must have been a little more real than I thought.
When my vision went black I knew I had transferred just a little too much heat. When I finally regained consciousness I awoke to find myself not in the swamp but rather back in Alexis’ home. Looking around the room I found Alexis huddling next to two bodies, one of which must have been the transformed log. He must have made a couple of trips back and forth. “Alexis, what happened to me?”
“You prepared too much heat,” Alexis replied without looking around. “Be more careful in the future. But fortunately I’m pretty sure I was able to make that forgery permanent.”
“Wait, that wasn’t part of the plan. How is that going to hold up in court?”
With a patient smile Alexis glanced up at me as he answered. “In my youth I was a very talented doctor, and as such, quite the student of anatomy. With the power you transferred to me I was able to make an anatomically perfect copy of you. Your own mother wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.”
“So that log is now a clone of me?” I was absolutely floored by Alexis’ little revelation.
“Yes. But like I said, the next time you transfer heat to someone be more careful, you almost died.”
Confused I shook my head and asked, “I don’t remember gathering that much energy from my body. I only gathered what I thought I could spare. How did I end up passing more?”
With a shrug Alexis turned around as he started answering my question. “Don’t worry about that, most people over transfer their first time or two.”
“What?!” I exclaimed.
“Most people forget about the heat required to power the transference, but you gave me more than that anyway. Like I said, we now have a nice permanent copy of your body.” Smiling, he paused and looked down at me. “It’s an honest mistake that has gotten some young forgers killed before. Fortunately for you I didn’t pass out from my forgery, though, to be honest, it was a close call.”
“You nearly passed out?” I asked with rising alarm.
With a small chuckle Alexis explained, “Yes. This was the most dangerous part of your plan. I shouldn’t have to tell you what would have happened to both of us had I passed out.” I forced a lump the size of a watermelon down my throat and simply nodded my understanding of what could have happened.
When he saw the fear in my eyes, he finished his thought. “But I didn’t pass out. In fact not only did I manage to get us back inside my house I also managed to warm us back up safely.”
“So now what?”
Alexis smiled and mockingly replied. “Now to follow your plan, we quickly and roughly prep the room for my, or rather for Dempsey’s, grand entrance.”
“Let’s get started then.” I replied with a smile of my own.
“Are you recovered enough to help?” Alexis asked, genuine concern in his voice.
With his mention of recovery I unconsciously hugged myself and began rubbing out a phantom chill. I forced my hands back to my lap and stood as I said, “I think I can help you stage the room. Besides, it’s not like I need to do any more forging. At least not right now.”
“Fair point.” He stretched his arm down to indicate the body lying on his couch. “Then help me pick you up and drag you over in front of the fireplace.” I had known that the body we were going to make was supposed to be a doppelganger of myself. But now that it actually lay there, lifeless on Alexis’ couch, I was taken aback. “Francis, you all right?”
It took me a moment to collect myself and another second before I could to trust my voice enough to speak. “No, I’m okay. It’s just an odd feeling seeing your own corpse lying on a couch.”
“I can only imagine your discomfort.” Came the slightly testy response.
I dismissed Alexis’ annoyance and started to lift my motionless duplicate off the couch. With a sharp glance I politely asked, “Were you going to help me Alexis?” We wordlessly maneuvered my corpse into its final resting place. Then we moved on to prepping Dempsey, who was now fully dressed in a suit. Alexis must have made his first trip back to Dempsey’s home while I was chopping down the tree, that or he could have done it while I was unconscious.”
I quickly shifted my gaze over to Alexis and asked, “By the way, how long was I unconscious?”
“It took you long enough to ask about that?”
“Yeah, well I have, now how long I was out of it?” I asked, my voice tinged with irritation.
Shaking his finger at me Alexis scolded me, “Don’t take that tone with me young man. You’re here at my sufferance don’t try my patience with comments or a tone like that.”
Abashed, I looked down before replying, “Sorry.”
“Do you see that open door behind your corpse?” I nodded and waited for Alexis to continue. “Once I get back you’re going to have to go into that closet and close the door.”
“Won’t the cops try and look inside?”
“No, they won’, because they won’t see a closet door. Everyone but me will see just a stretch of wall. From the other side of the door you’ll be able to clearly see into this room just as if it were glass. But, once you enter that closet you have to stay there until I let you back out, if anyone were to see you then our illusion would be pointless and all this hard work for naught.”