When your fiction turns into reality

Chapter 7

Jess opens her eyes after what felt like an eternity long sleep. She found herself in a white dead-end room, tied to the chair. Her bruises and cuts were gone. The throbbing pain in her head was gone.

"Calm down Jess... You are safe." A middle-aged man in brown suit walked to her.

"Where am I? Am I...." Jess looked around confused.

"No, you are not dead." The man smiled to her and took a seat next to her chair.

"You are in a place... well... it's what's between heaven and hell." He told her.

"What?" Jess looked around the white brightness to no end. She panicked in the chair, trying to loosen the ropes. "Who are you?"

"Must we have this discussion every time, we've established you can't pronounce my name." He calmly smiled. "Call me Med."

"Are you an angle?" Jess asked him.

"No... I don't belong to heaven or hell."

"What am I doing here?" Jess asked him. She felt he was the first person who had all the answers.

"You are safe now, I sent Jonah down there to do the job."

"Jonah? What are you talking about?"

"I never wanted to erase your memories, prophet; but your reluctance to do what you were meant to do is really rather disappointing, this time we had to intervene."

"Prophet? I am not a prophet. I am just a writer."

'Cindy, a brave young girl dies saving her fellow classmates during a bus crash.' He started narrating real life incidents from all over the world. The incident which were too similar with her stories.

'Johnathan and Nancy Byers along with their two young children dies in a hostage situation; an un-named assailant attacks late at night, robs the house and murders the family before leaving.' He narrates her second story.

"No! No this is bull-shit. These are all just fiction. These are just the stories I write." Jess said but he kept narrating ignoring her cries.

'A brave police officer dies in a shoot-out, taking down with him a drug syndicate, leaving the streets of Harlem a little safer.' Jess struggles to free herself but the ropes only seem to tighten as she struggles.

"You are making me write these? Did I kill all those people, did I kill Sally and others?" Jess asked tears rolling down her eyes.

"You didn't kill anyone, you did write but that's what you are meant to do. You are a prophet that's what you do, that's what you were born to do."

"No!" Jess denied, what else could she do?

"Those kids should never have found you, Jonah was to make sure of that. No one can escape death, no one can escape their destiny. What's meant to be is going to happen."

"You didn't kill them, you didn't create their destiny. You just wrote, what you were told to do. You are a writer, so you write." He added.

"Let me go, I want to go home." Jess protested.

"We will send you home, you have to write the next story." He calmly smiled as he unties her ropes.

"No I will not write anything. You can't make me do this anymore." Jess stood up looking around for a way out in the emptiness.

"You will write dear, you wouldn't remember this, you wouldn't remember this night. You wouldn't remember those four or Jonah or me."

"I will not write another story." Jess firmly said.

"Yes you will." Med calmly smiled as he covered her eyes with left hand. Jess saw the same bright light and that was the end of it.

She woke up in the morning on her couch just like any other day; with an open book covering her face, her pillow on the floor. She woke up as Mark and Sam called out to her.

"Hey." She stood up in a rush, sweating out in a cold temperature.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked her as she collects her pillow and the book.

"Oh honey, are you having those nightmares again?" Her mom came out of the kitchen with a tray full of snacks for them. She sat next to her checking her temperature.

"I am fine mom, thanks."

"What a bummer?" Mark commented on the news reporting on the television. Sam turned the volume up,

'Sally Forman and Kristen Miller were found dead during what seemed like a house attack. The assailant was recognized as one Chad Boyle, a close friend of the girls. According to the police he was let in by the girls last night at Kristen's apartment. After he brutally stabbed the girls, in what seems like a guilt-ridden attempt he slit his wrists. The bodies were found by Kristen's parents who got back home later than night. The police are yet to disclose the reason for the attack.' The reported recounted the incident. Before moving on to the to the crowd.

'Our prayers go out to the girls' families.'

'I think after his best friend's death he was just out of it you know.'

'It is scary, we knew these guys. They seemed fine yesterday. We saw them at Joey's burger's they were just talking, like normal you know.'

"These kids were so young. What must be their parents going through? No parent should see their child die before them." Jess's mother said holding her hands.

"I have to go to the hospital now, you dad will be home picking up your brother in a an hour or so. Stay home till then. Take care." She kissed Jess's forehead, checking her temperature one more time before leaving.

"I am fine mom bye."

"Bye kids..."

"Bye Mrs. M." Mark and Sam shouted in unison.

"So, Jess? Andy seems to be really looking forward to seeing you at the party tonight." Mark waited for her to leave before teasing Jess. Jess threw a pillow at him before snatching his sandwich.

"Hey! C'mon now."

"Is he always this annoying?" Jess asked Sam.

"Aww he is but he is my big bad wolf and I love him." Sam gave him a quick peck.

"I love you too my little red riding hood." He smiled at her.

"You guys are so weird... and kind of cute." Jess uttered.

"Hey, I have been meaning to write a romance for a long time, maybe I'll write some weird ass love story like yours." Jess excitedly told them. Both Sam and Mark nodded with a smile thrilled about the idea.