A/N: This book is officially completed in my notebooks. It just takes fleshing out the entire chapter on Word and posting it that's left.
A second is already in the works for as long as you stay on this crazy loop of games.
Did I mention I love the twist and turns?
Please lend me your thoughts it's been so long I wish I could give you all hugs. This story is NOT and will NOT ever be incomplete. I assure you that. There is about seven chapters left. Dare to keep going? 😉
No copyright infringement intended. All rights belong to L. J Smith
Until next time see you in: Choices
This chapter was created with the help of the song:
Artist: Evanescence
Song: Hello
Chapter Thirteen: Dark Reality
Light flashed, bright and unyielding into the core of her eyes.
"Ah!" Jenny blinked, purple spots percolating her vision. Her eyelids fell closed and opened several times before she was able to blink away the dancing spots. Her hands still shook, leftover from the rush of adrenaline that slammed into her veins just moments ago.
Death had been just seconds away.
"And Sleeping Beauty awakes."
As Jenny's focus sharpened a woman that much resembled the Egyptian Princesses Nefertiti, drew into her peripheral. Dark, chocolate orbs bored into her with an apprehensiveness, clad in a pair of blue scrubs over naturally unblemished, mocha skin.
Deidre Claire Eliade.
Or so, Jenny wished. "Get away from me."
The words came out sharp, but direct. Upon instinct she threw herself back, hard enough that her spine knicked ice-cold bars. It startled her with the loud THWOCK as the rickety frame met wall, Jenny realizing she was now on a cot of some sort.
Dressed in her own paper-thin scrubs, upon taking in her surroundings, the last thing she remembered was being strapped down in a windowless room. The walls had been stripped of life, the whir of a machine the last to ring in her ears while Jadan gambled her life away. A series of tubes coiled around her ready to bring her into the shadows of death.
Now, where am I?
In this room, something about the layout became familiar. Like the single window positioned where it was. The air would carry a dry, tumultuous desert heat. But instead of the dresser and a full-length mirror placed in the corner, was an open array of built in shelves. The end tables were bare of trinkets or her stained-glass tiffany lamp. No draw erase board, or yellow paint to liven the room, either.
There was no doubt in her mind, however, that this was her room: her bedroom. In the duplex, she rented, back in the real world with Summer. Except now, it looked better fit for a hospital patient.
Barren. Sterile. Cold.
"I see we are having an off day today."
This "Dee" flashed Jenny a smile, straightening the light cotton blanket draped at the edge of the cot. She drew herself up giving Jenny a quick pat on the knee. "Don't worry, Sunshine, today will become a better day, you'll see."
She winked, tucking back an ebony strand of hair that had fallen from her braid. Oh, this Shadow Man was good yet not fooling her any.
Regardless, their mannerisms were similar enough to make her edgy.
There was a knock at the door across the room then and Jenny was on instant alert. The Dee impersonator took their leave with a short bow at the newcomer.
"You!" Jenny leaped off the bed, hands curling into fists as the anger flared. "What the hell is wrong with you?! Using dice to decide my fate?! And stop using my friend's likeness, Jadan! It's disturbing as all hell!"
"I beg your pardon. Jenny, please, sit back down." Jadans voice sounded eerily calm, his eyes a less, intense grey behind thick, black spectacles. A red curl fell against the furrow of his brow drawn in concern rather than a grisly amusement.
Clenched between slender fingers was a clipboard he held aloft, flipping onto a fresh page before scribbling down something with a swanky, gold pen. It seemingly paired with the crisp, white jacket he wore.
Scrawled across the pocket read, "J. Jadan, M.D."
"Can you please state your name and date of birth, Ms. Thornton?"
Jenny looked at him flabbergasted.
With how she'd addressed him his composure should've cracked. Usually, he snapped right about now. Yet she wasted no time taking advantage of this new persona he donned, "Cut the bullshit, Jadan. This whole mind screw is getting old."
"Ms. Thornton," This Jadan removed his spectacles, running a finger between his brow before readjusting the frames against the bridge of his nose. "I assure you I am taking no pleasure in the state you're in. If you could read me off your bracelet, we can make this visit quick."
Jenny glared, "What are you talking about, what brace..." Her words seemingly trailed off as she raised her left arm to see a filmy band strapped to her wrist. "What the..." Jenny read off the dates listed.
JENNY ELIZABETH THORNTON was printed across in bold, capitalized letters.
Lips ajar, Jenny looked up as Jadan thanked her, gathering she'd read this aloud. She backed herself up step by step until she felt the coolness of the window against her backside. "Whatever you're playing at," she muttered lowly, "it's not funny, Jadan."
Jadan sighed, looking up from his clipboard Jenny wanted to all but chuck across the room. "I was hoping today Ms. Thornton we'd made progress. Unfortunately, it appears you've experienced another episode, is that correct?"
"Episode?" Jenny's brow lifted, shaking her head. "I have no idea what the hell you're talking about. Unless this is about the near-death experience! An experience let me assure you!"
"Oh, I was afraid of this." Jadan shook his head, face appearing grim. "This new medication your psychiatrist put you on appears to be setting your progress back. We will need to adjust those doses." He shook his head with a sigh, rubbing the angular line of his jaw between his thumb and forefinger. Using his other hand he flipped through another page, fixated on something there.
It grated on Jenny's nerves, her thoughts racing as his eyes settled once more on hers. But what she found there made every muscle in her body tighten There was no sadistic ploy lurking in those glimmering depths but an earnest... sympathy.
Which she found far worse than his usual, masochistic expressions.
"Seriously, bravo performance here. Broadway would be thrilled." She replied sarcastically, but even she could hear the waver in her voice.
Just what was he playing at?
This is maddening!
She could feel every limb in her body starting to tremble. But from what? This was nothing compared to what she'd experienced. So why was it causing her to lock up? Her hands pressed up against the walls. The room felt as it were closing in on her. Her breathing was becoming too erratic.
Breathe, Jenny!
She needed to calm down.
Her legs grew limp like jelly readying to give. Strange tingles spread throughout her body, nearly bringing her on the cusp of shook her head erratically and swallowed repeatedly.
Her eyes squeezed shut. "N-No, no this...this, I don't believe you this isn't real, this..."
Angry tears swelled and pricked the corner of her eyes.
She had always hated anything that resembled a hospital. They were too sterile. Too bright. Too white. Too... terrifying. Her fingers clenched at the hem of her thin scrubs that just barely covered her backside. There was too much exposure to make her remotely comfortable with these inquisitions.
Her voice came out hoarse from her labored breathing, "I... you are NOT going to convince me I'm crazy..." Her lip trembled. "This isn't REAL!"
"Jenny, I need you to breathe, okay?" His light, grey gaze was stern and penetrating behind the horn-rimmed glasses. "Jenny, everything you believed to be real, okay, it is all in your head." He sighed, adjusting the long white lab coat against his broad shoulders. "Jenny, I know this is hard to believe. We've discussed this many times, but your brain has been induced with so much trauma it forgets. But-"
"But what?!" she snapped, biting the inside of her cheek hard enough to draw blood. The metallic taste coated her tongue, forcing her to come to a dark reality that was rushing up too fast, making things dizzy and distorted around her.
He opened his mouth, the muscle in his jaw tense as he replied slowly, "Ms. Thornton, Jenny, you haven't left this hospital since you were brought in... at five years old."