A girl woke up in darkness. She sat up and looked around. She couldn't see a thing. Her heart began to race. She couldn't remember anything. The girl stood up and stumbled through the black. "Hello? Is anyone here?" She called out. Silence was the only reply. She took deep breathes as she tried to calm herself. "What's my name…? What's my name?!" She said hysterically. Such a simple question yet the answer was concealed. "Calm down… Just calm down..." The girl sat down again. Her fears were threatening to take over. She buried her head in her hands. It was her lost memories that scared her most. Why was she here? Where was she? The girl looked up. Determination took a hold of her. She needed to figure out where she was. She couldn't give in to fear. The girl got up and started walking. She kept her hands out stretched in case she ran into anything.
The girl walked aimlessly for what seemed to her to be hours. Not once did she encounter a person or a wall. The girl tried to swallow down the overwhelming sense of panic. There would be an exit…hopefully. She just had to keep looking.
After a few more minutes of walking the girl gave up. She felt tears start to form. "Someone help me please! What's going on here?" The girl sank to her knees. Everything was so confusing. Had she done something wrong? Was this some sort of prison? Did someone intentionally put her for some obscene reason? Nothing was making sense. "Just...Just think through everything...You woke up here... what happened before..."
Her thoughts were interrupted when a bright light shined through the darkness. The girl yelped and covered her eyes. Afraid, she stumbled back as far as she could. Where had that light come from? She tried to open her eyes but it only came as a squint. The girl could see something coming. Was it a person? "JESSICA!" The girl flinched at the scream. Who was that? What was that name? She felt helpless. Her eyes still weren't adjusting to the light. The person was coming closer and closer. She wanted to back away but her legs wouldn't move.
Soon the person was only several feet away. She couldn't tell if it was a male or female. The person's hand was out. "Grab my hand." The girl did the only normal thing to do, she took the hand. "Close your eyes." She obeyed. The girl could feel something warm all around her. It was strangely comforting. Consciousness slowly slipped out of her grasp and her world went dark.
"Hey, wake up." The girl's eyes fluttered open. "Oh good. I was getting a little bit worried." Groggily she tried to refocus. She saw a boy looking over her. He appeared to be 16 or 17. He had short, slightly curly blonde hair. His eyes were a deep blue. She blushed slightly. His head was so close to hers. The boy, seeing her discomfort, jerked back. "Sorry, I guess I'm a little bit paranoid." The girl sat up slowly and looked around.
"What is this?" She thought. A place she had never seen lay before her. It was a large park. Children and adults were everywhere. The girl examined their expressions. They appeared to be happy, maybe even joyful. Laughter was in the air. The girl felt a wave of longing sweep over her. Where did this feeling come from? Had she been to this place before?
"Hey, I'm still here!" The boy whined. The girl looked back at him. "So, what do you think? It's a pretty nice park huh?"
"It's so... different. From that room I mean... who are you?"
"You don't know who I am?" The boy inquired. She shook her head. The boy sighed. "That's okay. I sort of thought this would happen. We've actually known each other for years." Had they really? The girl couldn't remember anything like that. Then again, she couldn't remember a single thing. "It's okay. You'll get your memories back sometime. Are you hungry?"
"A little bit," she admitted. "I'd like to know more about where I am. I'm really confused."
"Don't worry. I'll explain everything, but right now let's find something to eat." The boy took off and the girl followed cautiously. The girl didn't know why but she felt she could trust him. Had they met before?
They walked through a small mall. The girl gawked at all the different types of people. She could see couples, families, groups of friends, and everything in between. It made her feel a bit claustrophobic. "Come this way. See that small table over there?" The boy pointed. She nodded. "Go sit there. I'll get us some food. Do you want a hamburger?"
"Sure…" It was strange. The girl knew what a hamburger was, but couldn't remember ever tasting one.
The girl walked over to the table and waited. A few minutes later the boy came back with a tray of food. He sat down beside her and offered her a burger. It was carefully wrapped. "I got it from McDonalds."
"What's McDonalds?"
"They have cheap food, well, for the most part. It's not bad, but certainly not healthy." He unwrapped his burger and took a bite. "Unhealthy has a tendency to taste pretty good." The girl nodded and took apart the wrapping. She tried the burger. It was good and maybe better than she expected. The girl didn't really care much about the food though. She wanted answers.
"So why am I here? What was the dark room for?" The boy swallowed the food in his mouth. He cleared his throat before he spoke.
"Jessica, you've been given a second chance." Was that her name? She assumed so.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"Depends. Some people would say that what you did was selfish. Others would disagree. They would say you were brave."
"I see…" What had she done? A million questions buzzed in her head, but she knew one that definitely needed answering. "Why are you here?"
"I'm here to save you."
"Save me from what?"
"Your fate." The girl scoffed.
"I don't believe in fate." The girl didn't know why she didn't believe. She simply didn't.
"Well right now you should." She could see it in his eyes. The boy was dead serious. "Everything that's happening to you right now didn't have to happen. In fact some would say it shouldn't have happened." He paused for a moment and then continued. "I'm here to help you make the right decision. A decision that will benefit you most." The right decision?
"What decision?"
"…Look at yourself. We've only been here for a short time. I doubt you've even bothered." He was right. She didn't even know what her appearance was like. The girl stood up. She had black shorts and a tank top on. Her hair was a dark brown with much length. She raised her arms and stopped. What was on her wrists? She looked closer. The girl cried out in horror. Little cuts were all up her arms. Where did those come from? Surely she hadn't done those. "You found them…" the boy said quietly.
"Did I do those?" Her brain felt scrambled. What could have driven her to do such a thing? "Why do I have amnesia?" Desperately the girl took the boy by his shoulders. "What's wrong with me?" Her voice was getting loud but she didn't care.
"Jessica calm down." The boy said soothingly. "I'll explain. Just sit down." How was he so collected? "Should I just explain to you everything?"
"Yes, please."
"Okay." He reached over and rubbed her hand gently. "This world… you used to live here. We were dating. I was in love with you and you me. Things…things weren't easy for you." He stopped. The girl gestured for him to continue. She needed to know more. "Your life was hard. Really hard. You were depressed all the time. I tried to help but it wasn't working. Eventually everything was getting so hard for you that you…" He shuddered. "You killed yourself." The girl stared at the boy incredulously. No. That didn't happen. She was dead? How could this have happened to her?
"I'm…I'm dead?" The girl looked at the scars on her wrists.
"Technically yes, but you still have a second chance at life. You can live in this world again." This world?
"This world... this is the world I suffered in, correct?" The boy took a deep breathe.
"Yes."
"Then… then why would I want to live in it again?" The girl couldn't help but say it. The boy's expression turned to sheer terror.
"Jessica, the world is a terrible place. It hurts, it stings, and there's no way that it would ever get better. There are a lot of other things in this world too! Do you see all these people? They are happy aren't they?" The girl could see the faces and the happiness, but was it real? "The world has joy, hope, and love. Those things are stronger than pain. You'll see it if you stay."
"If I stay?"
"…you have a choice. You can stay in this world or you can go back to that room." The boy took a hold of her hand. "We could stay together in this world. If you go back…" His hand was roughly shaken away.
"Why would I do that? Why would I stay in this world? You admitted there's pain and suffering. I'm not going to stay where…" She felt a sharp pain in her head. The girl cried out and fell to the ground. The boy rushed to her side.
Memories rushed into the girl's head. She could feel the beatings from her father and harsh reprimand from her mother. The bullying and embarrassment that her peers used to push her down. The man who held her roughly as he did his way with her, ignoring her cries.
The girl had seen the bad in her life. All of it. Her world had been darkness with no light. No hope had ever existed. Who would ever want to return to world like that?
Without a word the girl rose.
"Jessica are you…"
"I've made up my mind," she interrupted. "Take me back to that room." The boy stood up quickly.
"No Jessica you don't know what you're…"
"Stop it! I remember everything." The boy opened his mouth to speak but she continued. "I know how it all happened. You can't hide the truth. My life was one disaster after another. I'm never, ever going to live in this world again. Not when my previous life was a living hell. Take me to that room." Her thundering voice shook the boy to the core. The girl could tell she had made her mark. "Right now. I want back."
"...Okay." It was a simple answer but it was full of pain.
The boy took her to the park. Only a handful of people were still there. "You can change your mind right now. You don't have to go through with this." The girl frowned.
"Don't try to change my mind. The decision has already been made. Thank you for your help." The boy snapped his fingers lifelessly. A door appeared instantly.
"That door will take you back."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me. I've done nothing for you. Absolutely nothing." The girl stared at the boy's cold face. He looked betrayed and thoroughly damaged. She tried to ignore it as she walked to the door, opened it, and moved inside. The darkness seeped around her. When the girl looked back she could see the boy. He was on the ground, sobbing in agony.
It was then that she remembered clearly. She saw the blessed memories she had had with the boy. He had always been besides her. His gentle guidance, his loving arms… He was there for her through thick and thin. Never had he abandoned her. Now here she was. She was leaving him. "JACK!" The girl screamed. She wanted back! She had to go back!
But he disappeared. The door was gone and darkness was the only thing she saw. It was too late. It was all over. Her only chance was gone and she couldn't get it back. The girl could only stare into the dark abyss and wish. Wish for things that would never be. A question ran rampant through her head. It tortured her endlessly.
Why hadn't she chosen the second life?
ns 15.158.61.20da2
