A/N: Well, it is finally here! The next chapter you all have been waiting for and I hope the wait was worth it, and that I did it justice. I sincerely love playing in this world and I hope you do as well. Please for all that is lovely in this world, spill your thoughts, tell me your views, drop a review I spend loving time on each one of these chapters and I live for your input. Especially as an aspiring literary writer.

Anywho, I own none of the characters aside Jadan. Everyone else, and sadly Julian, is owned by Lisa Jane Smith.

Enjoy lovelies.

Until next time see you in:

On Enemies Ground

This chapter was created by this song:

Artist: Jacob Lee

Song: Demons

Chapter Fourteen: Choices

She swallowed, trying but failing to steady her frazzled nerves.

"Tell me again," she said, licking her lips her eyes shuddering closed as she sucked in a breath.

"Jenny," came his gentle reply, "you haven't left the premises since you were five years old. Unfortunately, you appear to be experiencing an episode right now. In which reality blurs with fantasy."

"No!" Jenny stepped away, brows furrowing in agitation. "This is where you've lost me." She held out her hand, displaying the gold ring that glimmered in the light. "What do you call this then? Pretty sure jewelry isn't allowed in a psych ward."

"Well," he cleared his throat, adjusting himself on his wheeled stool. "That's because this isn't a psych ward, we prefer the term inpatient home services. You're free to roam around this establishment; you are not isolated here." He pointed toward her finger. "Certain allowances have been made for the significance it holds to you. We've found it keeps you steady."

"But I didn't have a ring like this when I was five years old."

"No, you did not. This was gifted to you through a friend."

"You mean Julian, the same maniacal man hell-bent on destroying me. Cut the crap, Jadan."

"Ms. Thornton there's no need to get defensive." He responded. "Would you like to know who this Julian you speak of, is?"

"Yes!" Jenny threw up her hands, exasperated. "I'm not crazy. This ring is from him! Which just proves this is all another game!"

"Ms. Thornton, I'm afraid this is part of your illness." Slowly he got up from his stool, tucking his clipboard into his side as his spectacled gaze focused on her. "We have a patient here by the name of Julian, but I assure you you've never spoken." He took off his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "You see, what you perceive as these Shadow Men you speak of, and this Julian, are actually part of your trauma. When you were five, your grandfather's house was invaded by a couple of thugs. Or, as these shadow men you call them. Your grandfather was a gambler, and he journaled all his dealings in his journals. What you witnessed that night was a murder. Now such trauma inflicted a chemical imbalance in your brain. The stress alone caused a fissure, a split more or less— in personality."

"Are you...?" Jenny swallowed, shaking her head to clear his words settling like fog upon her. "Are you inferring that I have some type of personality disorder?"

He nodded, "Yes, Ms. Thornton. See these friends that you believe you have? They're part of you; a part of the personalities; hidden desires if you will. Almost like imaginary friends to you as a part of coping."

That was not whatshe'd expected him to say.

It sounded insane.

"I don't believe you," she stated. "Memories don't lie. I know what I saw that day my grandfather was tortured by you sadistic creatures. His spirit was forced into a mechanal wizard left in agony until I freed him by self-sacrifice. You know, the rune Gebo. And I'm not the only witness."

"You mean these?" He held out a folded paper tucked in the back of the clipboard.

Jenny snatched it from his hands.

Her eyes settled on the series of stick people she saw there beneath a drawn sun. Figures, all similarly dressed as her friends by hardly an artists hand. That wasn't to say Jenny couldn't decipher the characteristics. But as her eyes followed the loops of handwriting written next to each figure, reality froze.

Dee: Strength

Zach: Creativity

Summer: Freedom

Michael: Intelligence

Audrey: Confidence

Tom: Passion

Her jaw only seemed to drop the more she read. Confusion speared through every sense. What was this? "How," she began. "I... are you implying I made these people up?"

He nodded, face grave, "Ms. Thornton, these are your drawings. These are needs you crave. Something your counselor notated. They're not real but you are."

"And P. C and Slug?" Jenny could hear her voice weaken, less sure. They too had been released by her and Michael from their torment in the arcade of Joyland.

"Workers here." He stated promptly. "At one point you thought they were chasing you. But really, you were out after hours. They were only trying to return you to your room. For your own safety of course." he added.

"I..." A strenuous headache was beginning to form, shifting her focus. All this thrown at her at once nearly knocked the breath out of her. "... And you? You're my doctor?"

He smiled, nodding curtly. "Well, the villain in your story at times. Understandable, no one likes the doctor with bad news."

Jenny nodded more so to herself, "Right."

"Here, I'll bring back your nurse, okay?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a walkie, speaking in some type of code before placing it back in his pocket.

In less than two minutes the door opened, Jenny moving to the side as the nurse she'd awoken to peeked in with a smile. Her state felt so fragile and only seemed to crack further once Jenny glimpsed the name tag, "Claire Eliade."

Not Dee.

Dee was considered a figment of her imagination. Dee was supposed to represent strength. "I need some air," she said, rubbing her forehead.

Suddenly she felt mentally, emotionally, and cosmically drained.

"Why don't we do that," Jadan suggested.

He signaled to the nurse who pushed the stool out of the room and ducked out. He tucked the clipboard into his jacket, ushering Jenny forth with a sincere smile. "Let's get some fresh air then, Ms. Thornton."

As he opened the door Jenny noticed a security lock.

"After you then."

She nodded, slowly, walking in a complete daze as she stepped out into a hallway. The walls were completely bare, the hallway void of life. It seemed to stretch out before her like an endless corridor, passing numerous doors all in numerical order. Everything inside of her felt numb, the weight of despair threatening to sink its claws into her psyche.

None of this made sense.

"Ah, here we are." Jadan pulled a steel door to the far left, revealing pale rays of sunlight.

It opened into a beautiful, floral garden.

Jenny couldn't help but gasp aloud, the colors vividly radiant.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, finding a spot on one of the marble benches grouped around a cobblestone patio. To the far right trickled an angelic carved fountain, the rays bouncing off the waters like fallen diamonds.

Fallen diamonds...

"More peaceful?" Jadan sat down beside her, his hands steepled.

Jenny nodded, "Strangely, yes."

She watched as two birds settled in the fountain, bathing themselves as they chirped away, happily. Laughter rang out and Jenny turned to see a group of patients not too far, lounging in the thickets of grass with faces upturned to the sun.

Seemingly without a care in the world.

It stirred something within Jenny, a visible ache that shone outwardly. She couldn't remember the last time she'd smiled or laughed. Where she'd felt truly free from the burdens upon her shoulders. Or at least, what she thought she'd carried.

Where did she start?

Where did she begin to unravel these new revelations that, logically made sense? Yet was hard, very hard to accept as reality?

"You can feel like them you know." Jadan had leaned in closer, taking in the scene with a small, lofty grin. "To feel the freedom, they do." The last of his words ended in a whisper sending a cool shiver down her spine, while Jenny observed the others laughing unencumbered.

"Freedom, is just a hairs breath away, Jenny." Jaden's lips brushed the shell of her ear, "No longer bound to the shadows and darkness that plagues you. But true, limitless freedom."

Jenny gazed at the scene displayed before her, "Yes," she breathed out, longing to feel what they did.

"Yes," Jadan answered, placing a hand on her shoulder thumbs caressing the hint of skin. "All you have to do is say you give up, and you'll be free of those chains... forever."

Yes, give up.

Begin to live her life free of pain, of burden, of the nightmares that trailed after her. It would be so easy. Jenny opened her lips, ready to concede in agreement. When a shaft of sunlight peeked through the overhanging cherry blossoms above, illuminating the ring there on her finger.

Jenny was thrust into a memory.

"Nothing really dies as long as it's not forgotten..."

Julian.

And just like that the spell broke hold.

"Wait." Jenny stood, looking down at Jadan whose gunmetal eyes glimmered behind those thick frames. "Somehow... I know this isn't real. I know this is NOT reality and I'm NOT insane. You're using that for me to face; I've figured it out."

Jaden's expression didn't shift, not entirely. But then a slow, devilish grin lifted those lips. His eyes flashed once in their near victory. "Shhh." He pressed a finger to his lips, eyes flicking to the group of people. "Or they'll hear you."

To her horror, Jenny was no longer viewing a serene group of people soaking in the afternoon heat. No, they were cackling the sound like nails on a chalkboard. Raising the hairs on her arms. Their smiles twisted grotesquely, morphing their faces. Snatching one of the birds flying overhead, Jenny watched their eyes glisten like blood rubies in maniacal thirst.

"Come here little birdie." They hissed.

There was an audible crack as the bird's wing snapped.

Bile rose from her stomach as it's shrill screams punctured the air. Straight to her gut. She covered her ears as a deafening crunch resounded with a shrill, "Make it stop, Jadan!"

Jadan simply laughed ignoring the spectacle, "You have to admit that was an Oscar-worthy performance; I nearly had you!"

He pointed at a yellow buggy parked in the drive. "Oh, don't worry that pretty little head of yours, Jenny. You're getting a head start. But you may want to hurry." He pulled out a pocket watch, tapping the glass twice. "Time is always tick tick tickiiing."

Jenny wasted no time.

She took off in a run, terror building in her chest. Acid coated the back of her throat, reminding her what she'd just seen and buried far into the chasms of her mind. Jadan had nearly won. She'd nearly fallen for the entire act. Which just showed Jenny no matter how strong she was, Jadan knew what weaknesses to pull. This had to mean he was in communication with Julian, directly. No other Shadow Man knew her so thoroughly.

Which made the game that much more deadly.

She had to beat him at his own game.

As she threw herself into the old clunker—Summer's back on earth—she realized Jadan exhibited a weakness. And he wasn't even aware of it: pride. Jadan truly believed he was the master of all trades. That everything he created was flawless.

But he'd slipped up.

I am going to beat you, bastards, just you watch.

A muscle ticked in her jaw as she threw the car into reverse. Tires screeched against the asphalt as Jenny sped down the streets, the burnt rubber pungent. She was in her neighborhood left clueless as to where to go. What mattered was putting as much distance between herself and those creatures as possible. Checking her review mirror once, she jerked the steering wheel, tires squealing as she made a hard right.

Soon Jadan would catch up and she had to be ready.

As if on cue the top of a red fire hydrant spouted off just ahead of her, blasting water straight into the windshield. Jenny screamed, braking hard to avoid a head-on collision.

Breathing hard, fingers white-knuckled against the steering wheel, she'd just switched into reverse—

When a knock sounded at her window.

Jenny jumped and looked up to see Jadan standing there with an impertinent grin. He was dressed as a uniformed cop. A pair of Ray Bans slipped down the bridge of his nose, "Jenny, speeding in a residential zone? Tsk tsk. Naughty, naughty."

Unfortunately, he gave her no time to react before he'd pulled the door clean off with a jarring grind of metal twisted off, rattling her bones and kickstarting her heart into overdrive.

"Scootch over."

Jadan didn't even wait before he pushed her into the passenger seat. With a flick of a wrist, he pulled out a pair of handcuffs and slapped them unto Jenny's wrist lightning fast. "Buckle up, buttercup."

He winked, leaving the salvaged door behind as they sped off.

The shrill winds yanked at her hair having to spit out a chunk nearly lodged in her throat. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Oh, Jenny, everything." Jadan tutted, the car tilting haphazardly to the side enough for Jenny to cry out as they skid around a block before the car righted itself again. "It's part of the thrill."

The madman had handcuffed her! Jenny forced herself to focus, mentally calculating the perfect timeframe for dislocating her thumbs before rolling out of the car. She'd watched enough dramas to figure it out.

Surely, he wouldn't see it coming?

"Oh, don't you worry, Goldilocks." Jadan eyes glittered with intrigue, already one step ahead. He revved the engine with a suggestive brow. "You'll learn to love the high, toots."

Jenny wasn't sure what kink Jadan was acting out. She was anything but a willing player. "Yes, because near-death experiences are so arousing."

"They can be," he snickered with a dramatized sigh. "Ah too bad I've killed many in the process. None have compared to your level of foreplay of course..."

"So, I'm being kept alive for your pleasure, how comforting."

"Aw, you wound me. Don't you look forward to our quality time, Red?"

"Whatever kink you're playing out—" But Jenny's voice broke off as she noticed the skimpy, silver dress now adorning her body.

"Now that's much more stimulating."

Jadans grin said it all, those gunmetal eyes straying far too long on her chest. "Quite the vision, for a human." At Jenny's protest, Jadan rolled his eyes, the tires of the car screaming to a screeching halt so abruptly—Jenny was nearly sent flying

Had her hands not been handcuffed.

"You're welcome, by the way."

The metal had cut into her skin, drawing a small incision that bled.

"Gee, thanks."

Her attention was already diverted, settling on the brick building ahead of the parking lot. The familiarity came in a rush as she took in the details like the mascot perched on the roof of the establishment.

"My middle school?"

"Precisely." Jadan nodded, unlocking her cuffs. He pulled the lever of the car door and kicked it open. "Now out, your date awaits," he added with a jeer.

Jenny noticed the streetlamps flickering as she got out, realizing it was nighttime. "How—"

But her words trailed off as she turned around.

Jadan and the car had completely vanished.

"Of course."

She sighed, looking up at the building before beginning her trek across the parking was eerie how every detail was completely committed to reality. From the potted plants and manicured lawns to the erect flagpole where an American flag waved. As she approached the entrance doors her reflection glanced back.

The long, golden tresses were curled, and a silver, liquid-slinky dress accentuated her figure, her bare back on display aside from two crisscrossed straps. "God, I feel naked." she muttered, unenthused by Jadan's "tastes". The clear heels looked nice, but that was about it. Upon looking at her eyes, she saw a hint of makeup accented the cypress shade.

A darker stain on her lips.

Wasting no more time, Jenny took a deep breath, sending out a silent prayer for strength before she stepped inside. Immediately she was met with a rhythmic beat pounding underneath the soles of her feet, the sound stretching from a pair of gymnasium doors ahead. She passed the long stretch of blue lockers. Her nervousness grew with each passing second as if she were a little girl in middle school again.

How strange.

As she neared the open doors, Jenny heard herself gasp aloud. The realization sunk in the moment her eyes pieced together the decorations she was seeing addressed around her. Silver snowflakes hung from the ceilings. Blue and white streamers fluttered in an unseen breeze with glittering balloons strung up in different sections. Spinning in the center was a disco ball, its reflection refracting off the walls.

This wasn't just a dance.

This was her 8th grade Winter Dance.

Only there was someone now standing at the center with different throws of light in their frosted hair. Dressed in a silk shirt that paired with those sharp, cobalt eyes framed by thick, black lashes that lifted upon her entrance—was none other than Julian.