Imaginary Friend

AN: Another one! I promised more updates and here they go! Oh, and if you like my style of writing, go check out my other works. I've got LOTS of other stories, both original and fanfic. ^_^




This place was worse than hell. It was much worse.

I knew that the creature holding me couldn't be my Jacob. It couldn't be. I knew it was impossible to go through all that whirlwind of madness that I had just come out of, to only wind up back in his arms.

Oh, my Jacob. I couldn't help myself from calling out his name. It made me feel better to have that sweet word leave my lips, but I was confused. Who was the thing clutching at me so?

I knew it was trying to pass as Jacob. Trying to deceive me into thinking it was my love. But I would not be tricked so easily. My face felt tight as I shook my head.

“Lies...” I managed, trying to inject as much contempt into that one single word as I could. My voice felt odd. Not like before, not like that unwilling breathy whisper I had used before when I had spoken but two times to my love. Now, it was like I had to make the words. I had to create them in my mind then form them in my mouth before they passed my lips.

It hurt. I think this was pain. The reverberation of my speech leaving my mouth felt...bad. But I'm not really sure. It thrummed.

I then realized that I didn't know what was pain anymore. Everything just felt sharper, more acute than before. Perhaps a life of not touching anything had made me delicate? Made my flesh susceptible to sensations not before felt? Perhaps everything was just more noticeable?

And now in this place, I was able to feel. Though nothing felt good yet.

But, I still didn't like it. Being able to feel everything, if I couldn't feel Jacob, was useless to me.

I also didn't like the way everything felt like it was moving too slowly. Like I was coated in that syrup Jacob liked to eat on his pancakes in the morning. It looked thick and sticky, and I felt like...now I was stuck in it.

There was a shifting of the form near me, clawing at me, then I heard that cruel tempting voice again. It questioned me. It wanted to know what I'd meant by my declaration. Fine. I'd explain.

“Lies...” I clarified. “Lies...Not Jacob...” He wasn't my Jacob. I wasn't so ignorant that I would believe this rough thing to be my beloved. And neither was I foolhardy enough to think I'd been returned to him. “Lies...” I said once more just for good measure, mustering up my strength to try and shove him away. But, my arms felt like they weren't my arms.

My whole body felt partially numb, or at least, I could feel everything, and just not completely control my limbs.

That voice came once more, urgently, speaking untruths, trying to convince me that it was indeed Jacob, trying to say something about me being visible, which made no sense. I could always see myself.

With more control over myself, I shoved again, trying to get away. “You're not...Not my Jacob!” But, I still was too weak.

There was more moisture on my chest, more of that soothing cool moisture that I suddenly wished for more of. I felt so hot still. Whatever wetness was coating my body made me tingle, a rippling of my skin without actually moving. Though, I'd only experienced this before in a much less intense way.

Now, I felt like my skin was trying to crawl off my bones.

I was jostled once again, as those tendrils keeping me hostage tightened, and a pressure began on my chest, crushing my lungs. More lies came. More false words, more claims to be my Jacob, more babbling about being together.

I slapped at that beast. “Let me go, demon!” I growled as best I could, my voice was getting stronger. “I won't be deceived by you! I won't fall for this madness!” Somehow I would escape from this. If they thought this would keep me down for eternity, then they were wrong.

I didn't know who they would be, but someone had to be behind this trickery.

If need be, I'd kill this monstrosity that strangled me so, I'd kill it, and run away. Then I'd try and end my life.

I ignored the plaintive claims from my captor, and continued to struggle.

But then something changed. The grip on my body lessoned, became almost...gentle. And I was being lifted. The abrupt change in position threw me off and I froze.

Then...that voice came again. The dreadful echoing howl of that voice was softer now, still somewhat painful in my ears, but less so, for whatever reason. Like it had been muted or hushed. The words came softer, and because of this, I could hear them better.

“I don't know what happened to you, or why you suddenly think I'm not Jacob. Because I am, I am Jacob, and I love you, and I will protect you with my whole being. Don't be afraid, don't think I'll hurt you, I love you. Abel. It's me.”

Oh god, I wanted to believe. I wanted so much to believe that this sweet loving voice was indeed my Jacob. But he felt different. More...solid. And if it was indeed him, his skin was much hotter now.

Then I felt it.

Something silken and soft pressed to my side. I recall the tie Jacob had been wearing as I'd been torn away from him. I remembered touching it as I made love to his body. Another phenomenon I couldn't explain or get enough of. But I could touch Jacob's clothing. Like his skin.

But the material of the tie was different too. The slightest shift of it against me had me shivering, my skin prickling from the texture of it.

Had it always been so textured? Why did it feel different?

Then everything went white, searing through my eyelids like a white knife and I gasped raggedly, throwing one arm over my eyes to try and block it out. It helped, but it wasn't until that light went out that I could breath again.

That had actually hurt. An ache behind my lids that made me grimace. It made me realize that perhaps I had not understand this increase in sensation. Maybe what I had thought was pain, was just...different.

A deafening roar filled the room suddenly and had me twisting in agony. My head pounded from the force of it, and I shook.

But...those arms holding me aloft were still gentle and careful with me. There was soft cooing in my ear, soft sweet murmuring that soothed me somewhat. I focused on that voice.

In my chest, my heart beat loudly, making my chest reverberate. I couldn't let myself hope this was really Jacob. If I opened my eyes and it wasn't him...

I would die.

So...I would be cautious. Accept the not-painful-anymore treatment, and stay guarded.

That roaring ceased, and I was suddenly moving, being lowered. My stomach told me the change in altitude, and I kept still.

If I was put to the ground, I was going to run for it.

But instead of hard terrain, something else suddenly engulfed my body. Something solid but not quite. Something that made noise when I suddenly flailed in it.

“Ah!” I cried shamelessly, frightened and in pain. “It's-! Ah!”

The voice reacted to my wail, murmuring worriedly and telling me something about not being hot.

I tried to stop my jerking movements, but this felt so different. Then I remembered. Maybe this wasn't pain. It didn't make me ache like the bright light had. There wasn't an ache at all. But my skin was prickling again. “It's...It feels...I don't...it's different!” I tried my best to explain, but I didn't even know the words for it.

The foreign substance spread, speckling my skin and making wherever the air touched feel different. I didn't feel hot anymore.

That's what it was. Wherever this substance touched me, made me feel cool, then when the air brushed over the areas it spattered, that felt even cooler. The unbearable heat surrounding me slowly shucked off me. My lower areas felt immensely better. Though my top half was still somewhat hot. It was getting better.

But I was scared. I couldn't help it.

And suddenly pressure returned to my body, still soft and careful, smoothing down my body and helping me to calm.

That voice kept murmuring to me, and it sounded exactly like my Jacob. So exact, that I wanted to...My eyes felt hot now and wet.

Opening them slowly to perhaps make the heat stop, I was greeted with a blurry room, dark except for a square of light that looked to be a window. I knew that. But...Why was there a window? I let my sensitive eyes shift slowly. This place looked familiar...

Jacob.

Oh my god, Jacob. My Jacob. Kneeling before me and smiling so beautifully. So perfectly. I knew it to be him in an instant. My heart knew it to be him. For there was nothing in the world that could match his perfection. No goblin or ghoul who could mimic such a beautiful angel such as him.

I raised one of my hands, resting it against him cheek in wonder. I could still feel him, thank god. But he felt different. Like everything else before this, it was different. But...not in a bad way. I realized that whatever had happened to change the way my fingertips took in his feel, was good. It felt good.

Jacob's hand came up to cover mine, and the heat of his palm made me shiver in rapture, wishing I could find the strength to throw myself into his arms. But everything was still slow and difficult. I remained sitting and kept content with just his simple touch.

“Jacob...” I began helplessly, not even knowing what to say. “You...”

And he only nodded, giving me a brilliant smile. “Yes. Me.”

I felt my heart skip a beat, then everything grew hot in my face. Like there was a pressure I needed to release, and my eyes felt hot again.

But, I blinked and noticed that Jacob was looking at me.

Looking at me.

His eyes actually meeting mine.

His pupils reflecting mine back to me.

I...

My blurry vision became more messy, and something fell from my eyes to hit my cheeks. I felt a pain in my chest again, a definite ache this time, but not...unpleasant. Instead, I felt like I was very light. Almost like I would float away.

But not like being dragged away. More like floating of my own power.

As long as Jacob kept hold of my hand though, I knew I'd be safe.


TO BE CONTINUED