Jake

CHAPTER SEVEN

“It’s the same as when he was young.”

“Sir?”

“He only focuses himself under extreme stress.”

“I don’t doubt your knowledge, but how do you know?”

“Because I tested him.”

“You did? When?”

“Last night.”

“Last night? How?”

“In his sleep.”

* * * * *

Kyle walked into his room after class to the sight of Jake sitting at his desk with his head down. He was out cold. Kyle shook his head as he approached his roommate.

“Jake.”

Jake shot up straight, “Huh? What?”

Kyle laughed at him. “Did you make it to any classes today?”

“Mmhm,” Jake nodded as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

“Did you stay awake through any of them?” Kyle asked teasing.

Jake shook his head. “Nope. Not a one.”

Kyle laughed.

“Hey, it’s not funny. I didn’t sleep at all.”

“We’ll neither did I with all that screaming last night.” Kyle continued in a high-pitched voice, “Ahhh help me! The bad dream men are after me! Help me!! AHHHHHHH!”

“Oh shut up, man,” Jake replied.

Kyle laughed, “I’m sorry, you know I’m just giving you a hard time.”

Jake threw a book at Kyle, which he barely had time to react to. “That’s yours… And you’re gonna have to find someone else to give a hard time to because I’m going for a walk.”

Kyle didn’t have to ask. He already knew this meant that Jake was going to the park to hone his skills. “Alright man. But be back in time for dinner. And no snaking while you’re out! You’ll ruin your appetite…”

Jake swung his backpack on as he stood from his chair, “Yeah okay mom…”

Jake left the room and walked out the building towards the park. He was exhausted and had a pounding headache.

~I don’t get it, why the hell am I so tired?~ He gazed at the people he passed as he walked by, but he was lost in his own head. ~I don’t feel like I slept at all.~

By the time he had reached his spot in the park he was more than worn out. He found a large tree and sat at the bottom of it, leaning against its huge trunk. He faced the small creek that ran through the park. After a moment of contemplation, he fell asleep.

He wasn’t sure how long he had been asleep for, when he began to hear his name. It sounded distant at first, but grew louder and more clear with each pass.

“Jaaa-aake…” It was a girl who was almost singing his name. “C’mon Jakey… Open those pretty green eyes of yours…”

He knew the voice… but he couldn’t place it. He slowly opened his eyes as he woke up.

“Hey baby,” she said seductively.

Jake jerked, bumping the back of his head against the bark that supported him. “Jessi.” There was anger in his voice. He quickly scrambled to his feet, his back still pressed against the tree.

“Aw, what’s wrong?” she asked sarcastically. “You’re not happy to see me?”

“Get the fuck away from me, you’ve caused enough shit,” Jake demanded.

Jessi laughed. “That’s cute, you’re scared of me,” she prodded.

Jake took an angry step forward and yelled, “I’m not fucking scared of you, you fucking bitch!”

An amused look painted itself on Jessi’s face. “Oh really?” She flicked her wrist and Jake was thrown back and pinned hard against the tree once again. “You should be.”

He stared at her angrily. He tried to move away from the bark that he was glued to, but he couldn’t. It was as if he was bound to the tree. He couldn’t move his arms, his legs, nothing.

“This is pretty sad really,” she said stepping towards him. She stopped two inches in front of his face. “Daddy said that you were the strongest of all of us,” she toyed with the bottom of his shirt. She cupped his chin in her hand as she said, “but you’re pretty pathetic, aren’t you?”

He whipped his head to the side to escape her grip. “I could rip you in half,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Hm,” she replied thoughtfully. “I’m gonna call your bluff. If you could… you wouldn’t’ be stuck to a tree right now would you?”

A fiery glare is all she received in return.

She leaned into him, her lips by his ear as she said, “You’re weak. You’re useless.” She pulled back quickly, and stared into his eyes. “I don’t know why Daddy won’t just let me kill you.” She ran a finger lightly down his chest. “Or keep you.” She thought about this prospect for a moment. “Yes, I think that would be fun, don’t you?” she asked cupping his chin again. “You seemed to like it before,” she said as she took a step back.

Suddenly she flew back and landed in the small creek. It was as if someone had shoved her back hard. “Shit!” she said scrambling to her feet, now soaked. “I should kill you!” she yelled, marching angrily towards him. She smacked him in the face hard.

He made no sound. He only stared at her hatefully.

She sighed and straightened her stance. “Well,” she said, forcing a smile. “Maybe Daddy isn’t so wrong to believe in you.”

~Daddy… why does she keep saying Daddy?~

“Because, he made me. He made all of us… except you.”

Suddenly a look of confusion crossed his face. “How did you…”

“I can hear you, you idiot. Obviously you haven’t developed that yet.”

He was silent for a moment. The look of innocence and curiosity flashed across his eyes. “What do you mean he… made you?”

Jessi shrugged. “He did. He created me.”

~Is she talking about Carson?~

“Yes, you idiot… he made me. He made me and all the others.”

Jake tried hard to process the information. “But not me…”

“Because you were born that way,” Jessi said frustrated. She was tiring of this pointless conversation. “He thinks your special, strong, blah, blah, blah! Who gives a fuck? I don’t. The rest of us are just as good as…”

~She’s Jealous.~

Jessi stopped mid-sentence. She stepped up to Jake and smacked him in the face again. “I am not jealous.” She turned away from Jake and walked towards the creek as she ranted. “I just know what’s the truth! But he’ll know soon enough when you won’t be able to beat any of us.” She paused thoughtful for a moment and then continued. “Anyway, enough of this shit.” She began to turn back around as she said, “I need to get you back to…”

Jake was gone.

“FUCK!” she screamed as she stomped a foot into the soft soil. She ran a couple feet in an attempt to find him, but he was gone. “How the fuck?!” she yelled again. ~I must have let my guard down. There is NO way he could’ve gotten out of that by himself… he’s not strong enough!~

But he was and he did and he was now running as hard and as fast as his legs would carry him. He ran straight for him room, not sure if that would even do him any good. She knew where he lived. She could easily come there after him, but he just hoped she wouldn’t.

Jake ran right up to his room, saw the whiteboard and busted into his room anyway. He heard Kyle yell as the door was whipped open and Jake immediately threw his hand over his face as he shut the door.

“God damn it, Jake, again?!”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry…” Jake was panting, clearly out of breath.

Kyle pulled his boxers on. “You can look now. What in the hell happened to you?”

Jake let himself fall back against the door. Still out of breath, he swallowed and then said, “She…she came back!”

“Who?” Kyle asked concerned and confused.

“Jessi. She…”

“The bitch you fucked?” Kyle asked wide-eyed.

Jake shot him a dirty look and then replied, “Yeah… she found me… in the park…”

Kyle laughed, “And you ran away, like a pussy.”

“Kyle! It’s not fucking funny,” Jake insisted. He was starting to catch his breath now. “She tried to take me with her.”

“What? With that hypnotizing shit again?”

Jake shook his head. “No, she didn’t do that this time… she can… do other shit too…”

“Wow,” Kyle replied. “So what now?”

Jake shrugged. “I dunno. But they’re after me.”

“They who?”

“Carson.”

“Carson?”

“Yeah. He’s after me again.”