Chapter 10

Nightmare (Interlude)

Blue.

It absolutely surrounded her. The various shades and hues all crashing and collapsing in on themselves in an utterly hypnotic kaleidoscopic type effect. The smell of salty sea air was carried on a gentle calm breeze that filled Jasper's nostrils as she looked around in wonder.

"Where am I?" she asked softly as the colors faded away and were replaced by a gentle seafoam foam color.

Looking around she saw an endless seafoam green landscape. A mirror like floor rippled with each tentative step she took as she tried to make heads or tails of the landscape around her.

Looking down at the floor Jasper let out a gasp as she she saw her reflection. She wasn't a grown woman in her thirties anymore. She was an eight year girl with her auburn colored hair neatly pulled into pigtails and was wearing a orange dress with rainbow colored socks and black dress shoes.

"Careful Jasper." A kind voice said suddenly, "You don't want to get your dress dirty."

"I won't get my dress dirty Skinny. I promise." Jasper replied without meaning to watching a water like version of older sister materialize out of the glass like floor. Her wild hair cut and her tall lithe frame highlighted by a tank top and bell bottom jeans.

"Jasper!" A woman's voice hissed, "Don't you ever call your sister that name! Do you hear me?"

"Yes mother." Jasper replied quietly hanging her head.

"Skinny is what they called your whore birth mother." The woman's voice said coldly, "While Julie is almost entirely useless she's not a whore. Now apologize to her."

"I'm sorry Julie." Jasper said hanging her head.

"It's okay Jasper." Skinny's double said softly.

"Now come with me Jasper." The woman's voice said softly, "You're nothing like Julie or your whore birth mother. You're useful and intelligent but you're fear of water is holding you back. So I want you get out of your dress and get into the bathtub now."

"But mother I almost drowned." Jasper whispered quietly.

"But nothing Jasper!" The woman's voice hissed as chains of water suddenly emerged from the mirror like floor wrapping around Jasper's wrists, "This silly and incredibly pathetic fear is holding you back. Now you get out of that dress and get into that tub NOW!" The woman's voice screamed as Jasper was drug screaming into the mirror like floor into a vast dark abyss where water filled her lungs as she floated in that dark abyss feeling absolutely weightless.

Pink.

The clouds, the walls, the floor, it was all pink. Cotton candy hues in the clouds and soft matte shades of pink on the walls and floors. A gentle and relaxing atmosphere directly radiated from the room. The scent of fresh roses wafted throughout the circular shaped room reminding Greg of a woman he lost years ago.

"It's been so long since I've been in your room Rose." Greg whispered softly as the clouds slowly begin to move around the room.

"You know Mr. Universe I've never met a man quite like you." A soft gentle voice said joyfully.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" He replied softly remembering this night perfectly clear even though it occurred almost fourteen years ago.

Unfazed he watched the clouds slowly float and change shape. Soft fluffy pink clouds becoming large plump curves complimented by a long flowing white dress. Her pink dyed curls bouncing softly as she walked towards him. Her full lips pulling into a gentle smile as her wide hips swayed as she walked towards him. Gently taking his hands in hers she leaned down and kissed him.

"Care to dance Mr. Universe?" She asked as she broke the kiss.

"Of course Rose." Greg replied softly as he laid his head on her chest feeling her slow and steady heartbeat.

Swaying with her to a gentle melody he absent mindedly watched as the ceiling became a starry cloudless night sky with the moon full and bright above them. The floor became sand beneath their feet as walls became the beach outside of Rose's home.

"I have to tell you something important Greg." Rose whispered quietly

"Really?" He asked nervously as he felt her heartbeat began to speed up, "What is it?"

Taking a deep breath she stopped their dance and looked directly at him.

"I'm pregnant." Rose said seriously.

"R-r-really?" He stammered excitedly recalling the ecstatic feeling the night this actually happened.

"Yes really." She said as the room began to change yet again.

The beach became an attorney's office. The sky an imposing ceiling and the sand a polished hardwood floor with a desk in the center. Suddenly he was sitting in a chair across from Rose who was wearing the uniform she was buried in. Her eyes were empty and devoid of life.

"Unfortunately for you, Greg," Rose began her voice cold and hollow, "you'll never see him. You'll never be a part of his life."

"R-r-r-rose." He stammered unable to stand up.

"R-r-r-rose." she mocked coldly, "Did you really think I'd leave mine and Pearl's son with a fucking loser like you Greg? Did you really think you were special to me, like Pearl was?" She asked standing up, "You were just another means to an end, Greg. Nothing more and nothing less."

Unable to stand up he begin to weep as the room changed once again this time into Beach City Cemetery the day she was buried but instead of Rose being put into the ground.

It was him.

Feeling the dirt cascade over him he saw the light slowly fade as he was buried and forgotten.