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Jillian
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A couple of seconds have passed since he left, and Jackson hasn't returned. Worried as I was for Jimmy and myself ... I started feeling uncomfortable.
A billion things started to cross my mind that just couldn't keep me silent. The lights were still off and could sense that something was terribly wrong.
However, I couldn't figure out what that was, but being impatient could have its downfalls!
"Jack is taking so long! He should have been back by now!" I blurted out loud.
I tapped my fingers against Jimmy's bed, as I crossed my legs over each other.
"Calm down Jill, Jackson might just be playing a trick on us!"
I sensed that Thomas was looking straight at me as he said this, but refused to look at him. Covering my face now was all I could do, to cover up my shame. I felt this all my fault!
If the macho guys didn't fight over who was right and wrong, none of this would have ever happened. And the fact that I let Thomas inside this house in the first place was a huge mistake!
Don't get me wrong, Tommy was a handsome lad. Kind of like a young hot singer I used to adore, and when I asked him to sit on the sofa to wait for my brother, he used his southern charm to woo me in. I just had to play along, so the dude would leave me alone.
Thomas's curly dark blonde hair made me swoon for him, but in truth, I wasn't ready for a boyfriend! I'm only ten years old for heaven's sake! Besides Jackson already laid down the rules for us; Thomas was off limits!
But Tommy did make me laugh and when he held my hand, it made me confused, yet I forced myself to smile. The tingles in my body made me emotional all that time.
I was just playing with Thomas; he's out of my league.
But then that's when big brother showed up without my knowledge.
But the fact that I toyed with him earlier, made me feel guilty. For all I care, the smooth- talker should have been the one who went inside that closet instead!
Now the scumbag probably figured out through my constant movements that I was nervous. My cheeks must have turned into different shades of a rosy color.
I have been told that does happen when my nervous attacks occur. A minute passed by and brother still hasn't shown up.
If what Thomas said earlier was true, that nothing odd had happened to my brother, I'd be wringing Jack's neck when he comes back!
This wasn't funny anymore. He's about to give me a 'heart attack'!
"Turn the lights back on, George!" I ordered Thomas's friend to stand up. He was seated at the edge of the bed, so the dude was the closest one to the light switch.
And I was happy to know that George gladly followed my orders. It's not every day, that you can get good help!
~~
Once, the lights were back on, Jimmy stared at me with his sad 'puppy dog' expression. By that look, I knew that he was starting to get worried too.
Little brother probably wanted me to do something about Jackson's brief disappearance through telekinesis. It was a sibling thing, just as if we, as a trio, knew what the other was thinking at the exact moment.
Thus, I knew I had to go inside that closet! There was nothing to be afraid of. After all, it was just a pile of clothes Mom washed yesterday that's inside there.
Just like Jackson, I know that monsters weren't real, although I started having chills running down my spine.
I started to stand up, but Thomas prevented me from doing so.
"And, where do you think you're going, sweetheart?"
Sweetheart, Sweetheart! Where did that nickname come from?
Speaking of the devil, that's when Tommy put his arm around me, but I kept moving away from him.
But taking Thomas's arm off my back was quite a challenge! That guy was super strong, that I had to put all my might into it!
"I'm going to find Jack, even if it kills me! So, I'm going inside that closet! Besides if you were a real man, Thomas, you would have all saved us the favor of going inside the closet instead! Just look at Jimmy's face! He's nearly in tears!"
My little brother's pale face flooded with wet droplets as he started crying. He was scared and I'm sure that he didn't need to hear my little rant with the boys either.
"I'm doing this also because Jack must be mad at us because of you, Thomas tried to charm me earlier!"
Thomas's wide set eyes soon stared at me, while his mouth was wide open.
"What? So, that's my fault now? Is that so my precious? I thought you were enjoying it! All that giggling and holding hands. So, was that all an act?" Tommy stood up and his grayish eyes started to glare at me.
I became fearful of what I had done but nodded my head to tell him the truth. I did like Thomas as a friend, but he bothered me, as he came to our house more than often, as if he lived here. It was rather an unusual circumstance that he did so since the dude hardly visited us before he disappeared earlier this year!
His parents were worried that their son left town for good, or worse, perished in the hands of who knows what. But Thomas suddenly showed up in front of his doorstep last month. When asked where he had been by the townspeople, Tommy's only reply was that he heavily fell asleep in an unknown part of the forest and when he woke up, he walked into the next town to find some help but was shooed away. Doesn't that kind of remind you of the Danish story of Rip Van Winkle? A gentleman, who slept for a long time and somehow wandered off to find out he dozed off for 20 years! Thus, it is rather peculiar that we have our very own version of a fairy tale in Truth or Consequences.
Therefore, I have my suspicions that he is not the same Thomas Hudson anymore. He could fool the town and his parents, but not me! But I didn't have any evidence to prove my point, so I kept quiet. What would I know, after all I'm just a girl who should mind her own business?
The dimwit continued onward by saying to me that he was disappointed.
"I'll never understand you, girls!"
That reply made me angry, so I fired back with my own reply.
"And I will never understand you, boys!"
~~
Despite the constant squabble that was going on, George and Jimmy remained silent. I bet they didn't want to interfere with anything but knew a certain seven-year-old shouldn't be hearing these outbursts.
That is why when George interrupted my thoughts, I was surprised! He barely spoke in front of me ... maybe that was because I was Jackson's only sister!
"Leave her alone Tommy! Look, why don't you let her do what she wants to do!" All heads turned toward George's direction, as he said this.
Jimmy kept calm and was now sitting near George's side. I don't know a lot about that mysterious guy, but right now, he was doing a better job than Tom Tom. And I want to call Thomas that from now on because he was acting like that frisky cat!
"Oh, will someone please bring Jack back?" Jimmy asked. Tears started to flow down from his eyes again.
He pointed directly toward the door.
"I told you there's a monster in the closet! And now he has Jack and ... and I'll never see brother again."
I kept telling Jimmy not to worry as I promised to take care of things, as no one else was eager to do anything productive.
Sigh! The things a girl must do when being confronted by obnoxious guys!
I stood up again and this time I opened the door of the closet as wide as I could.
Creak!
It sounded a bit as it was getting rusted like our front door. And assume that was what Jimmy was afraid of. But without hesitation, I moved my shaking legs. One foot after another.
My eyes remained closed, so I didn't know if the lights were turned off again. I made it inside, but someone closed the door on me.
Just typical guys. Very funny!
But I was surprised when someone pulled my hand. I was about to scream when I felt dizzy ... as if I was riding a roller coaster!
~~
Thud!
I landed on my buttocks as if I came from a teleport of some kind.
My aching neck caused me to exercise it. And when I looked up, the sky was now purplish-blue.
I wanted to say, "Toto, I'm afraid we're not in Truth and Consequences anymore, "but I didn't.
I brushed myself up from falling debris, and as I turned my head, I saw a glimpse of a dark-haired boy who resembled to be of my brother's physique.
I ran towards him and shouted his name.
"Jack, Jack! It's Jill!" But he only nodded his head in my direction. I didn't know what was going on until I saw a fat little green man talking to him.
Oh no, could it be? The monster that lived in Jimmy's wild imagination?