Lights swam in front of Jess' face like translucent fishes in a calm, clear pond. Or like silver, shinny, smooth silk flittering in the wind. Or like the wings of some beautiful silver bird flying the sky, catching the sunlight on its feathers. Jess's mind wandered from thought to thought, yet she never thought about where she was.
"Jess? Jess?" A voice plunged into her pond.
"Can you hear us?" Another voice cut through the silk.
"Earth to Jess." The third voice shot down her beautiful bird. Jess sat up her head throbbing like an open heart. On the other side of a glass sat her friends, cross-legged on the floor but as she sat up they sprang to their feet and pressed their hands against the glass.
"What did I do?" Jess recognised this room, well it was more of a glass box suspended in another bigger room. It was a strong box, meant to contain something big and dangerous, aka Jess, and she could only be in it for one reason.
"It wasn't you." Ruby reassured Jess. This smacked Jess in the face and flicked an internal switch. She ran to where Ruby was leaning on the glass and smashed it as hard as she could.
"Shut up! Saying the monster and me are different is rubbish; we're the same ok, just accept it. I'm a monster and there's nothing you can do, I do all those things, and, trust me, I hate it more than you but at least I don't delude myself about it! Ok?" There were tears in Jess' eyes threating to spill. One solitary drop rolled down her cheek and Ruby watched it with shock.
"Jess," She whispered, "It really wasn't you."
"SHUT UP!" Jess couldn't bear to look at them so she turned away; really letting the tears flow now.
"Jess, listen to us." Betty persevered.
"No." Jess couldn't take it, "I just want to be alone."
"It was Alex." Aine's words made her turn, "She took over your mind. " Jess sighed with relief, for once, she really wasn't the monster.
"I'm," Betty stumbled over her words, "I'm sorry. I… I should have worked it out quicker." Jess smiled at her friend:
"It's ok Betty. Can I come out now?" The group shifted awkwardly.
"Well," Ruby began, "you have to stay in there for a twenty-four hours, sorry. Just to be safe." Jess nodded dejectedly.
"We can get Agent Telford to bring you a magazine or something." Aine tried to brighten the situation.
"Sure." Jess put on a brave face for her friends. It was going to be a long night.