Ten years ago
Jubilee was looking in the fireplace in the living room. She was playing a game of Life with Rogue, Bobby, Kitty, Peter, and John. She was the yellow car.
"Jubes, it's your turn!" John said a little impatient. She spun the wheel and got a five.
"You know, they should make this more realistic. Like 'Oops! You got AIDS!' or 'Sorry, you had a miscarriage, lose a turn!' That's more believable than winning a Nobel Peace Prize," Jubilee pointed out.
The group laughed lightly, then John spoke out, "Or, 'Turn into a drug addict. Move back two spaces.' I would hate that one."
"Here's one, 'Gain mutant abilities. Lose a turn," Rogue joked.
"That would be a depressing game!" Kitty yelled.
"It's better than this big pile of lies!" John got up and walked out of the room. Jubilee got up and followed.
"Hey what's wrong?"
"I'm sorry. I can't stand the game of life."
"Then why did you play with us?"
"Because you were playing," Jubilee blushed a little while John was rubbing the back of his neck. Just yesterday he kissed her on the lips when they finished a Danger Room session.
"Hey, how about we forget that game and go some place a little more private," John suggested. Jubilee walked up to him with a smirk, "Okay, you lead the way, Mr. Allerdyce."
John took her hand and they went to his room.
Now
Jubilee was sitting in the lawn chair still looking in the flame. It was at that moment the small flame rushed to her glass of vodka and lit into flames. She fell out of her chair and yelled. She scrambled to her feet and saw the glass starting to crack, then in the blink of an eye the glass exploded.
When the fire died, Jubilee could have sworn she heard laughter. She looked around and saw no one, only her reflection in the window.
9:00 p.m.
"I'm telling you Kitty, it just busted into flames!" Jubilee yelled over the phone.
"I thought you told me that you quit drinking?"
"That's not the point!"
"Where are the kids?"
"In there room. Why?"
"Did you tell them?"
"No! I don't know how they would take this, especially Kira."
"Do you really think it's…him?"
"I don't know. It felt like him. You know how you get hit with hot air?"
"Yeah."
"It was that feeling. Only I felt it on my face running down my arm after it happened. Then I swear I heard laughter!"
"Like what kind?"
"The one that he would make right after he pulled a prank on someone. You know, like the time he put hot sauce in Bobby's pasta."
"You heard that kind of laugh?"
"Yeah, after that whole thing happened I ran inside and hide in under my blanket."
"You need to tell someone."
"I did, you!"
"Jubes!"
"Okay! Okay! I'll tell someone, but who will believe me?"
"I know who."
2:30 p.m.
A knock on Jubilee's door echoed in the house. She walked over and opened the door to revile Kurt Wagner. Kurt became a priest after a few years. He baptized the twins, married Jubilee to John, and spoke at his funeral.
"Jubilee, it is very good to see you."
"You too, Kurt," the two friends hugged each other.
"I find it sad that I don't see you at church anymore."
"Well, it's been rough since… you know."
"I understand. Now tell me about this situation."
"I just need you to bless the house or whatever it is you do to get rid of ghosts."
"That is no problem," Kurt took out some holy water and started to release a spray of it in each room while saying a blessing. When he finished blessing the house he went back to Jubilee.
"You should have no problem now, but do you vant to talk about this?" Jubilee tilted her head.
"Talk about what? You, spraying holy water in my house?"
"No, about your experience vith the undead."
"It wasn't a big deal, it was just—Look thanks for stopping bye. I'll see you later, Kurt," Jubilee was confused on what to think of this matter so she decided just to show him out.
"Auf Wiedersehen, Jubilee. I do hope to see you in church soon." Kurt left the house without another word. Jubilee then went to the kitchen and took a bottle of vodka out of the cabinet. She poured herself a glass and took a tiny sip.
Jubilee heard an angry knock at the door and set the glass on the counter. Who the hell was banging at her door? She walked to the door and looked through the peep hole. No one was there. It was then she felt a cold chill down her spine and the hair on the back of her neck stood up.
Click! Snap!
All the air in her lungs escaped so she shut her eyes to hide herself. She ran back to the kitchen to get a knife. Jubilee thought, "What's a knife gonna do?"
She looked around to see if anyone was there, "Of course not, I'm just losing my skull!" Jubilee felt like a moron.
"Maybe I should quit drinking—," Jubilee looked at the counter where her drink was, but when she saw the glass it was flipped upside down with the alcohol surrounding it. She tilted her head and stared at it with an open mouth. As Jubilee approached the glass she saw it…shake?
Jubilee reached out her hand to touch the shaking glass, it was then the glass flew into her hand cutting open her flesh. Blood ran down her hand and she shirked as she fell down on the floor and saw a light shinning in front of her.