The House of Folly
They continued walking, and by they time Jessica got home and said goodbye to Elliot, nightfall arose.
She went immediately to the bathroom and undressed. Hoping that Elliot's predictions failed this time. He always knew about that odd stuff. Sickness and how would it be most likely to get sickened. Sometimes he worried Jess. More than he knew.
Jessica passed the soap trough-out her whole body. Not conscience about it at all. She just thought about him. About Elliot, and his soft words, his wary smile and those mysterious eyes.
Instinctively she felt a trembled coursing through her veins and decided that daydreaming or, in this case, nightdreaming was enough. She got out of the shower and dripping wet shielded herself with a towel.
After that glowing spasm she checked her face in the mirror, only to find her neck swollen and red. Obviously, Maria's inevitable curse was still in her delicate system. She cursed and dressed her body.
…
That night she couldn't sleep at all. Nightmares about Maria, Elliot, and herself were in her every thought and her conscious and subconscious self.
Truly, one of the most dreadful dreams she had witnessed was that of a resembling reality.
She was in the cafeteria room, already, been constricted by Maria's hands and suddenly Elliot appearing over the old lady's shoulder. She screamed at him for help. But, he didn't answer he just stood there looking, analyzing her in every way. As if she was a laboratory mouse reacting to some freakish exam.
At that morning, after not been able to sleep at all, Jessica wished she could just fake sickness and stay home. She looked around her tiny room. Seeing its dark color's as a heavenly welcome, her big hand-me-down stereo calling for some strong soothing rifts…she cursed at the thought that it was already morning.
Showering and getting dress were oblivious to her mind. She didn't remembered going to the bathroom, thus she was already dressed and smelling like soap. She liked the baby smell in her body.
Though all her internal whining and cursing were effective in her mind, she couldn't really try to convince her parents that she was sick. So defeated and in a bad mood since the night after, she picked up her grimy backpack and headed for school.
…
Normal, boring, and dull were the best ways to describe the school day.
Every time Jessica checked her clock it said that it was the same hour, with the same damn minute, and just a second more than before.
Recess came finally and Jessica was able to breathe, enjoy a little bit of her home-made sandwich, and wait if Elliot decided to join her. Surprisingly he was already walking trough the halls to her.
He walked staring at the odd apple he, one again, brought to school and sited down still staring at the red thing.
---"Hello."---he said to Jessica caught in the moment of removing the aluminum foil on the apple.
---"Umm, hi."---responded Jessica. Sending worriedly glances at him.---"Need some help?"---
---"Uh, no."---responded the boy with black haired. Concentrated in his duty. ---"Just need to remove this…one…ah…done!"---he wrapped the aluminum foil in his hands and took a strong bite out of the apple. He looked up at Jessica.---"So…you're still up on that visiting-Maria thing?"--- He said looking preoccupied.
---"Yes."---Jessica responded securely. ---"I am…we…are going to see her…right?"---she asked uncertainty and scare that Elliot would bail on her.
Elliot sighed---"Yes, I am going to take you to see her."---he responded in his special accent. It was like a mix between old English and a little Spanish. Jessica always founded his accent proper and smooth. Like an entrancing tone.
---"Thank you"---she breathed relieved.
---"No problem."---responded Elliot. Taking another bite of the apple and pointing at her. ---"But you must know…I see anything fishy and we're out of there in a heartbeat."---he warned serious.
Jessica laughed.
---"I'm serious."---growled Elliot.
---"Oh, I know, I know!"---Laughed the girl.---"It's just…so funny..you make it sound like it was a Mission Impossible thing."---
---"Well, it is…sort of."---commented Elliot serious. Looking out and entranced.
Jessica stared at him. ---"Elly,…what?"---
---"Nothing."---responded the boy and stood up.
Immediately the school bell rang.
Jessica stared at him in awed, and he, as if instinctively sensing her, stopped.
---"I had a dream!"---commented Jessica, walking toward him.
---"So said a great man not to long ago."---murmured Elliot serious.
---"You were with Maria, staring at me in an awful way, she was holding me…pressing fearlessly at my throat, and then, blood started dripping out…"---
---"Dreams are dreams, Jessica; they are no more real than a dragon sketch!"---snapped gravely the young man.
Jessica stared up at him spooked. ---"Elliot, what is wrong with you?"---sheasked mortified. Taking a hand up to his shoulder.
Elliot retreated the cared for shoulder. ---"Nothing!"---he answered almost screaming. Receiving confused signals of the students around him. He lowered his face, ashamed.---
"Nothing, Jess…nothing."---
Jessica circled around him and stared up at his worried face. ---"Tell the truth."—she told him, serious.
He lifted his dark eyes staring back at her. ---"You can't handle it."---he half mocked, half frankly told.
For a last time, Jessica put her arm over his shoulder, he surprisingly let her. ---"Try me."---she said scornfully.
Elliot lifted his gaze to find they were the only ones in the school camp. ---"Later."—he promised, staring at her. ---"Best get ourselves to the English room."---
Jessica stayed doubtable. ---Later, promise?"---she double checked.
---"Later."---repeated Elliot. Both starting to walk toward the hall.
---"Pinky promise!"---she said shamefully laughing at her words.
Elliot laughed.—"Yes."---he told her, taking the tiny finger and wrapping it against his.---"I promise, I pinky promise."---
---"Good."---She responded walking side by side to the next and last class.---"God, I can't wait to get out from here."---she said horrified at the other waiting period.
Elliot laughed. ---"Just wait 'till you're out of here for sure, you'll want to come right in, again."---
The dark haired girl stared puzzled at him for a couple of seconds. Then continued walking as if nothing he said had ever happened.
…
Finally, school ended and Jessica left the English room noticing that Elliot was still sitting in the chair behind her. She started to walk through the front hallway. Expecting to see if he was near her or back. But she saw nothing.
She started to feel weird about him again and couldn't help shielding up when he spoke. Even then at the school camp she felt as if he was risky. But he was her friend damn it! She shook the evil thought and promised herself she wouldn't think such nonsense about him.
But…what about that dream?
Nonsense!
…What if maybe in some weird way…
Shut up! Stop Thinking That!
..he was…involved.
No!
---"Good afternoon, Jess."—answered a voice quietly. Elliot was staring up at her in the near column.
---"Huh, oh, hi Elliot!"---she responded shocked.
---"You look a little shook up."---he commented. Recognizing the girl's trembled response.
---"Yea…yeah, English does that to me."---she lied. Making sure she had her backpack on. She started walking to the left and stared back at him, stopping. ---"Aren't you coming?"---
Elliot sighed. ---"I did hope that you were going to re-think about this."---He suggested. ---"Guess your minds made up, right?"---he walked toward her. Gliding his backpack to one side and removing Jessica's to his other side.
---"You guessed right."---Jessica answered smug. Trying to release the surprised and fear hidden beneath. ---"You promised you were going to take me."---
---"And I will keep my word."---confessed sadly the old-boy. He sighed once more, before taking a different route, near the woods. ---"Come along then."---
Jessica swiftly and curiously followed behind him.
The trees were hollowed above them and the bushes were thick as needles. The sound of Elliot's snickers and Jessica's heavy breathing was the only things that surpassed the hushing of the plants.
---"Jess…are you alright?"---considered Elliot, stopping and looking worriedly at her.
---"Yes…it's just…"---she breathed deeply once more. ---"Asthma…a little, it's nothing, Ely."---
Elliot stopped certainty in his tracks and his own silent breathing. ---"Then we must go."---he pronounced gravely.
---"What? No. I'm alright, Ely."---- commented quickly the girl. ---"You know…I get these little attacks…once in a while, it's nothing. I'm okay."---
---"This is no game, Jessica!"---Responded Elliot infuriated. ---"We are talking about you health I will hear no excuse!"---He started to her and took her hand. ---"We must go back and treat you."---
---No! Stop talking like I was an animal or a bleeding sheep!"---
---Jessica!"---he screamed mad.
---"Elliot, you promised!"---
---"I will take you to her after you get well!"---
She breathed heavily once again. ---"No! I want to see her now! I want to now the reason…! I…!"---her knees gave and she fell.
---"Jessica!"---Screamed Elliot grabbing hold of her waist. ---"Insolent child…"---he cursed.
Jessica breathed struggling once more.
Elliot kneeled beside her, close to her face. ---You are not well."---He murmured.---"It is best if we go and come back later."---He assured her. ---"We will come back, Jess. I promise."---
---"That's…what you said…earlier."---responded seriously and with a weak tone the pale girl.
---"And I will keep my promise!"---he gently pushed Jessica's weight to his. Sparing her from the ground he lifted her in his arms and almost fell in the instant. ---"Look, I'll take you home and after you rest, we'll come back here."---he started to walk with her in his arms.
And as Jessica's eyes began to shut, she swore that she saw the odd and small shape of an old lady in front of them. Just like Maria.
---"Elliot…"---she whistled.---"Look…"---
And darkness within her arose.
……
My apologies.
Weekly exams have prevented me from posting this chapter earlier. Let's just say Calculus wants me dead and Physics hopes that I die soon. But, on and on, I have succeeded!
I hope you enjoy this chapter. I've implemented a little more feeling and descriptive tastes. So, let's see how it goes and it's received.
Oh! And I wanted to thank Ghotwritter for the review. Seeing that I spelled the name wrong. ( U Sorry about that. To many stuff cram in my brain that day.)
My "hellos"!
Jetta Knex.