Chapter 3: Doubt

In the third chapter, Alex feels doubt about what happened to him so far.

Chapter 3: Doubt

Everyone who saw him in their dreams was granted a magical talent. No one can tell how he looked, but everyone who ever witnessed him, remembers the white eyes. Other things like facial features, clothes or lack of them is forgotten. It is said that he visits people many times, but they remember only the last visit before they get their power.

Agnes Evans

Secret archives, Witnesses of the Wanderer

I closed my eyes and rubbed my eyelids. What a weird dream. I thought to myself.

“Okay, one more time, it was NOT a dream.” Just like I could hear my thoughts I could hear her voice. I jumped up from my bed, startled what the hell is going on. I was sure it all was just a dream. I quickly grabbed my mobile, which was still next to my alarm clock, and looked at the signal. Still no signal could be found.  “Oh god…” I put my face into my hands. “So it was real.”

“Told ya!” She said with an annoyed voice. I put my hands on my temples.

“Can I somehow shut you down?”

“What do you think I am some kind of a computer or a toy?”

“Okay, okay… Calm down, Jena.” Ugh… This is going to be annoying.

“Annoying you say? Annoying is that I have to listen to your whining. Welcome to the real world boy!” Her voice got louder the more she spoke.

So you can hear my thoughts just as well.

“Well, yeah? I am inside your head, where do you think those thoughts are?”

That’s good though. At least people won’t see me talk to myself.

“Yeah, because you certainly don’t look like a guy, that would do that.” I rolled my eyes to that remark.

Are you always like this?

“Only to people I hate.”

Cool… I got up my bed and looked around my bedroom. There was a virtual reality headset on a table. It’s funny how they became cheaper than monitors.

“Not really.” Jena said.

What do you mean? They are cheaper.

“Oh, yea, it’s just not funny.” I rolled my eyes again and sighed heavily. I went to the table, turned on a computer and put the headset on. “Going to watch some porn this early in the morning?”

Can you shut up at least for a minute? I try to think really loud, but I can’t say it worked. All I could hear was a girly giggle.

“Sure boss!” She said almost laughing. I got into my virtual space with 3 desktops opened. I checked my e-mail and if I ignore spam mail about moon or mars travel scams and penis enlargements, there was nothing new in last two days. I went to my social site and opened up Rose’s tab. Her page was decorated with pictures of us and her dog. “Oooh your girlfriend, huh? From the looks of it I am not sure which one of you she likes more.” Jena laughed. I ignored her and continued. There were occasionally some videos from youtube. Usually some songs she liked or funny videos. There was also a post on her wall at the very top saying: “Looking forward to today’s play!” with a link to the theatre bellow it. I open up a chat tab.

Hi, you there?

hi! <3

of course i am.

how are you al? :)

Emmm fine, just wanted to say that my mobile

broke, so we will have to meet sooner before going

to that theatre, just to be sure.

oh!

            sure thing!

do you have some specific place or time you wanna met? ;)

I’ll be going into city anyway,

do you have your way there?

hmmmm… not really? :/ but I can walk somewhere to meet you.

It’s ok I’ll pick you up at 4.

isn’t that bit soon?

not that I would mind, but did something happen to your car?

I take a slight pause. I could hear Jena’s laugh in my head.”Aww, sorry.”

I doubt you mean it.

“Your doubts are pretty accurate.” I sighed to that remark and continue typing.

Yea… it’s a long story. I’ll tell you about it when I get there.

oh ok

            4pm it is then :D

I’ll take that dress you really liked last time ;)

“Damn boy, I can feel you really liked it.” Jena laughed once again and I started to blush heavily.

Nice, soo you at 4 then. :)

see ya :*

I turn off the computer and take off the headset. Really? You can even feel my erection? Is there anything you can’t feel?

“Emotions as I said. I can hear the anger in your voice, but I can’t feel it as if it was my own.” She said with a giggle.

Great…  

“Anyway, you are kinda weird, boy.” She says in more serious tone. “You burn someone alive and then just few hours later take your girlfriend to the theatre?”

It was an accident. I am going tell her about it. I am sure she will understand. I thought as I was putting on some pants and socks.

“Sure, are you also going to tell her, that you have a girl inside you?” I expected a laugh from her, but none came.

That… I have to think about it I guess. This could get wrong really quickly.

“Maybe she will just think you are a weirdo.”

Much better… Let’s not think about it now.

“As you wish, boss!” She starts to laugh again and I raise my eyebrow.

You are taking this whole, ‘I am dead’ think really casually.

“Well I am tired of screaming, if life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.” Jena’s voice becomes almost pleasant, it was as if she smiled while saying that, but that I could not see.

I guess you are right. I walked out the room and met my roommates. Peter was reading some news on a tablet and Luke was making himself his protein shake.

“Oooh that boy in the kitchen looks cute. You didn’t tell me you have such a cute roommate.” I tried to ignore her and continued walking to the kitchen.

“Hi guys.” I said in a casual voice and they both gave me their acknowledgement.

“So you are talking to us, huh?” Peter asked without even looking at me. “I thought your melodramatic mood would last also till the morning.”

“Is there something I am missing?” Luke asked.

“Not really. Alex walked home yesterday, without a single word, closed himself in a bathroom for like an hour”

“That must’ve been some serious masturbation session.” Luke said and they both laughed. I could swear I could hear Jena in my head laugh too. 

“Ha. Ha. Ha. Really funny.” I said. “Actually I was attacked.”

“Attacked?” Peter said.

“Yea, didn’t you read anything about it in the news? Whole parking lot was destroyed. That’s also why I walked here.” I explained.

“Emmm sure, of course Al, of course.”

“Wait, give me that.” I quickly grabbed the laptop from his hands.

“Hey!” he shouted.

“Just a minute.” I opened up news site for our city and scrolled trough news for last 24 hours. Nothing… I tried other sites or even typing in ‘parking lot destruction’ and stuff like that. After browsing internet for almost 10 minutes without a single word, with my roommates looking at me quizzically I looked back at them. “Nothing.” I said. “There is nothing about it!”

“And what exactly was supposed to be there?” Luke asked.

“I got attacked yesterday by some woman. She was cutting through stuff with her bare hands and destroyed several cars while chasing me. She then died accidentally after a staircase fell on her.” The look I received from my roommates couldn’t be described in other words than complete confusion.

“I am not sure what you were having yesterday, but if it means having hallucinations like that then next time invite me. I want story of my own.” Said Peter and started laughing.

“I am serious!”

“Oh boy, can’t you at least count to ten before you say something like this out loud?”

“Shut up!” I shouted on Jena loudly.

“Whoa, chill man. I am just kidding. Let’s say it happened, do you have any proof?” Peter asked me, still with a grin on his face. I stood there for a moment. “She used some s**t and it disabled signal on my mobile. It doesn’t work even now.” I said and shown them my mobile. Peter took it and gave Luke a questioning look. Luke just shrugged.

“Let’s see.” Peter inspected my mobile. “Hmm… the signal is dead, but that could do any virus. We are living in times when sending someone a virus is as easy as walking nearby them with the right device aimed at them. Something else?” He threw me my mobile back.

“Well she cut my f*****g car in half.” I heard a laugh from Jena. “Why do you think I walked here?”

“And where that car is?” Luke asked.

“It’s in the parking lot where I got attacked. The one bellow the mall.” I said, starting to get frustrated.

“Hmm I am going to the gym there anyway.”

“So she really talked you into it huh?” Said Peter and then laughed heartily. “Sometimes, I am glad I am single, when I look at you guys.” 

“Do you really think I would be drinking this s**t,” Luke pointed at his protein shake. “if I wouldn’t be talked into it before?”

“Oh what a man wouldn’t do for a blowjob.”

“Are we going?” I asked as they were laughing. “Sorry guys, but this is making me bit frustrated. I am not making this up. The sooner you’ll believe me, the better.”

“Oh I am not going. I’ve got other plans for today, but I’ll believe you, if Luke will. I don’t think he has reason to lie.”

“And I do?” I asked with my eyes widened.

“Who knows, either way, I don’t have time to go to the mall. Boss wants me to meet her for a lunch, which means, that I might get promotion.” Peter said his excitement rising as soon as she started to talk about his job.

“That’s oddly personal.” I said.

“Well, as long as she is this pretty I don’t mind kissing her a*s.”

I looked at Luke and we both shrugged. “Fair enough.” Luke said and took his gym bag. He then went to the table and grabbed keys that were laying on it. “You’re driving.” He said, throwing me his keys.  “Why not just turn on auto-drive.”

“I don’t trust it.” Luke said as he was walking to the doors.

“What?” I asked confused. “Why?”

“Bye, enjoy your trip you two love birds.” Peter shouted from the kitchen.

“F**k you.” Luke answered with laughter. “Because, those cars are programmed to kill you.” He told me as I was locking the door. I raised my eyebrows at him.

“Oh boy.”

“Okay? And I was the crazy one?” I let out a slight laugh.

“I am serious. If they see something on the road that they can’t avoid, they will rather put you in danger, than the obstacle. They were even bragging abou it when they put in the feature.”

“Isn’t it kind of logical though? I mean you have still airbags and stuff.”

“Whatever man, I won’t risk riding of the cliff because of the mountain goat jumping on a road.”

“Fair enough.” I gave up the point and sat behind the wheel.

“It’s a shame you are driving. You could be looking at that cute guy as he was driving.”

Oh my god, seriously? He’s my roommate I am not gonna watch his body for your pleasure. What the f**k.

I could hear her sigh heavily. “You don’t know what fun is.”

He’s a guy. I am a guy.

“So what? That’s just a standard put on by society. We are all just people. I could teach you how to have fun with a guy.”

WHAT?

“Alex!” Luke shouted and I got back to my senses. “You missed the turn.”

“Uh, sorry, I was thinking of something.” I apologized and focused on a road, ignoring Jena’s loud laughter. After more minutes than necessary, since I had to drive around the block to get where I would by one simple turn, I finally got to the mall. Weird… no police lines blocking the parking lot. I expected comment from Jena, but she was silent. I turned to the parking lot and drove in. Scanner scanned our registration plate and printed out a ticket with a number of our spot. The barrier got raised and we drove in. We had our spot one floor below the ground. That was ideal, because that’s where most of the stuff happened anyway. Jena was still unpleasantly quiet. She was bickering entire night and day and now not a single word. Did something happen to her? Did she somehow leave me? Something’s wrong. I drove forward.

“So… where is it?” Luke asked looking around from window. “I expected police and cut stuff. You know the stuff you described?”

 “It should be here. This is weird.” I looked where the door, behind which Jena died, was. No cut wall and the door were completely fixed. As if nothing happened here. What is happening? “Maybe they cleaned up. It was several hours and they need it to be working.” I looked at Luke and he just shrugged.

“Didn’t you say your car was cut too? Maybe it’s still there, just drive there before you park.”

“Sure.” I drove one floor lower where my car was last night. Nothing. Jena what’s going on? JENA!  She wasn’t answering. I stopped the car where I was first attacked. I opened the door and stepped out of the car and started to investigate. My car was nowhere to be found. No oil on a ground, no hole in the wall, no camera cut in half. I walked to the place where Jena punctured the wall with her hand. I touched the place where a giant hole was cut yesterday.

“Everything’s ok?” Luke asked, peeking out of the window of the car with raised eyebrow.

“It’s gone. Everything is gone, my car, all the damage, everything!” I said still turned to the wall, my head lowered. I kept my eyes fixated on the spot on the wall where she missed me. How is this possible? Am I going crazy? Was all of this just the thing of my imagination? Why aren’t you speaking to me Jena? This is not the time to be silent! Oh god. Did I make you up too? I got physical evidence of this happening. I wouldn’t be surprised if my car would just get towed, because Christie decided to piss me off. F**K! I punched the wall with all my might and heard a scream in my head as my hand broke.

“What the f**k are you doing? Are you crazy?!” Jenna shouted inside my head in pain.

It was real. I let out a whimper. “F**k.” Luke ran out of the car and got to me. He looked at my hand, which was bloody and broken.

“What the f**k man? You broke your hand.” He lead me to the car. “Sit down I will take you to the hospital. You really must be getting crazy.” He said and quickly rode to the hospital watching my bleeding hand. I would answer, but I knew that anything I would say wouldn’t make difference. For a few moments I was thinking about the answer, but in the end I said only three words through the pain.

“Maybe I am.”