Alex Robin stumbled down the hallway of Cole High. Being the clumsy person that she is, she tripped over her own 2 feet causing her books to fly down the hallway. A guy ran to her side helping her up. They stared into each others eyes as they stood up. He laughed and she blushed at his smile.
"That was quite the fall." He said and she blushes even more. They talk as they walk to the next class. His name was Jake Miller and he loved football and Panic! At The Disco (a band).
They started texting everyday, sometimes even during class. They even sat at lunch together everyday and they began to fall for each other.
Jake: Hey
Alex: Hey whats up
Jake: I was wondering...
Alex: What??
Jake scratched his neck nervously before answering. He typed each word hesitantly.
Jake: Would you like to grab some dinner with me sometime?
Alex's heart skipped a beat.
Alex: Yeah defiantly
Their dates were the best, like a fairytale. After the years of highschool they decided to go to college together. One day after all their classes, he invited her to a romantic dinner. As they sit eating together, talking about anything and everything, Jake gets up. He kneeled on one knee, slowly pulling out a black box. Alex's heart was beating uncontrollably out of her chest.
"Marry me?" He asked. A hot tear ran down Alex's cheek.
"Yes! Yes!" She screamed jumping on him. Her face dug into his shoulder. He smiled squeezing her body.
"I love you Alex." He said standing up, she kissed his cheek.
"I love you too Jake." She smiled. He took both of her hands and pulled her out of the restaurant. They walked down the street holding hands. Jake picked Alex up bridal style and spun her around. She gasped in surprise. When he stopped they looked into each others eyes, sparkling in the night. They got closer, tasting one another's breath. They shared a passionate kiss for what seemed like hours, smiling as they parted.
They spent most of their free time together. In only 4 weeks they would be able to afford a house together, raising a beautiful family. A month had past since Jake had proposed. Alex had picked a beautiful chapel and arranged the flowers they wanted.
"Do you like this chapel?" She pointed to a bridal magazine.
"Whatever makes you happy dear." She smiled at the nickname. Leaping on his lap happily, she cupped his face bringing him closer to her, planting a small kiss on his lips.
"Cant wait to make you Mrs. Miller." he smiled running his fingers through her hair. She hugged him tightly. She looked at her watch and realized it was time to go.
Alex got ready for work, throwing on her Applebee's uniform and headed out the door.
"See you later." She said shutting the door. Her work day was slow, she just couldn't wait to come home to Jake. Their love was true and passionate. Suddenly a commotion up roared in the packed restaurant. Things began to shake and fall off the shelves, breaking. She ran out the kitchen to see what was happening .
A large explosion erupted sending Alex flying into the wall, causing her to pass out. Upon awakening, she stumbled back getting up. She put a hand against her throbbing head. Looking around dazed and confused, she realized she was in a deserted restaurant. Running out of the door, she was thinking of one person: Jake.
She ran around the block frantically seeing injured people rushing to hospitals, but no sign of Jake. Panic ran through her body temporarily paralysing her. 'What if he's dead?' Tears began to flood her face. 'No.' She responded to her own question.
She ran to his to his dorm, never slowing down.
"Jake!" She screamed banging on his door, no one answering. She rested her head in her hands. "Please." She begged pulling out the key to his dorm. She stroked the key as a memory replayed in her head.
*Flash Back*
Jake handed Alex a pure white box.
"What is it?" She asked caressing the hard box.
"A surprise." He replied eagerly. She lifted the top of the box revealing a glimmering silver key.
"A key...?" She trailed off puzzled.
"A key to my dorm." Alex's head snapped up and she stared at him in shock. She grinned with excitement, stood up and embraced him tightly.
*Reality*
Alex gripped the key tighter, hot tears spilling down her face, threatening her to break down. She put the key in the lock and turned it slowly. The door creaked open as she peeked her head inside. Broken glass, blood, and a limp body covered the floor. Alex ran over and crouched down next to her unconscious fiance. He was losing a great amount of blood, she knew she had to get him to a hospital, and soon.
"Help!" She cried repeatedly out at the top of her lungs, quickly catching the attention of a man. He inched closer behind her trying not to startle her.
"Whats wrong?" She turned on her heels at the sudden sound of another voice.
"I need help." She explained motioning him to follow her as they sprinted back to Jake's dorm. As the man entered the room he quickly noticed the bleeding body and paused.
"Who is he?" He said, gaze never leaving the body.
"My fiance." She said sorrow immersing her words.
"Come on." He said lifting Jake's legs while Alex gripped his head carefully. When they arrived to an unlocked car they laid his body on the rough concrete. Hot wired and ready to go they drove off seeking a hospital. After about 10 minutes of looking they found Mercy Hospital and rushed inside. Alex wasn't surprised when she saw the hospital was packed, there had been so many injured people on the streets. She still couldn't identify the cause of the explosion nor the rumbling before. The crowd consisted of people either crying over lost ones or waiting anxiously for information. As she sat down in a waiting room chair she saw something that caught her interest. The news was on and they were going over a story in the town she was in.
"Officials have confirmed a bombing in Bismark, North Dakota. It caused a large explosion making a lot of dead and injured. More at 4 with Gary Cole man. I'm Tamara Rockford and this is CNN News."
'A bombing?' She questioned in her head. 'How could they have already identified the cause? Who had caused the bombing?'
"Is an Alex Robin here?" A man dressed in a lab coat asked interrupting Alex's thoughts. She rapidly stood up making her a little dizzy. She halted at the door frame seeing Jake in a bed barely conscious hooked up to several machines. He had countless bruises and bandages.
"Hey." He said acknowledging her presence. She smiled weakly stepping closer to his bed.
"Hey honey." He tried to sit up to hug her but moved back groaning in pain.
"Hey, take it easy there baby." She rested her hand on his chest giving him a reassuring smile. She held his hand, gave it a small peck, and caressed it with her free thumb looking into his eyes with a heartbreaking look. She looked down at the ground trying to hide her tears. Jake knew he couldn't stay very much longer.
"Love sometimes comes like a dream." He began, his voice shaky. Memories of their magical dates flooded her mind. "But it can leave like a nightmare." They both began to cry.
"I love you." She said teary eyed. She kissed him one last time and watched his life monitor beep dead. She clenched his hand tighter. "Ill always remember you." She whispered spilling tears on his hand.
Alex gazed at the black coffin as it lowered into the freshly dug hole. With few words and comforting hugs from friends and family, she left Jake's funeral. Shortly after his death many family members gave her money and she was able to afford an apartment and a car. She bought a black 4 door sedan.
*Flash Back*
Alex plopped on the couch in Jake's dorm.
"I like this one." Jake pointed to a black 4 door sedan in a car magazine.
"Wow, me too." It was in perfect condition and only $1,900.00, used of course.
*Reality*
Alex threw her keys on the wooden table and took a seat on the plush couch. She brought her knees to her chest and cried into them.
Even though it had been 3 months after the bombing, and Jake's death, they still hadn't figured out the culprit of the bombing. They assumed the rumbling before the explosion was a plane or something that released the bomb.
All of a sudden, she heard the sound of a beeping monitor. She bolted up from a hospital bed. That's right, a hospital bed. She looked around at her surroundings and came to a quick conclusion she was in a hospital. She saw dead flowers on a stand next to the bed and deflated balloons that read 'Get well soon'. She pushed herself off the bed and wandered around the hospital. It was exactly like the one she took Jake to.
She stopped, picking up a newspaper, reading it silently. "October 18, 2019. Bombing in Sioux Falls, North Dakota. 19 dead and 67 severely injured." She stopped reading. This newspaper was inaccurate. It was 2022 not 2019, and that bombing happened in Bismark, North Dakota over 3 months ago. Unless the attackers hit first in 2019.
'Maybe this is an older newspaper,' she thought. She put it back and continued walking until she reached the front desk.
"Excuse me, can you tell me where I am?" She asked a lady sitting behind the counter. The lady opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted by someone with a familiar voice.
"Alex?!?" Alex turned around to face... her mother? Her mother engulfed her in a hug.
"Hey, mom... What are you doing here?" Her mom cupped her face and kissed her forehead. "Never mind that, Where am I?" She questioned.
"What's the last thing you remember?" Her father barged in.
"I was in my apartment and-"
"Apartment? You dont have an apartment." He said puzzled.
"Do you know where you've been for the last five years Alex?" She brought her gaze back to her mother.
"I was with Jake." She whisperd.
"Honey, who is Jake?" Alex glared at her mother in fury.
"Who's Jake?" She repeated fuming. Was she playing a game? How dare she ask who Jake was, after all that had happened. Her mother gave her an 'I dont know, explain' look.
"My dead fiance," she said in a 'ring a bell' tone.
"No, sweetie, you dont have a fiance. You have been in a coma for the last five years. You tripped and fell at school and hit your head really hard... coma ever since." Alex blanked out a little as she was shot with realization. She remembered that day clearly now.
She had wore her slippery converse that day. She didnt even see the wet floor sign when she tripped over her own two feet. Her books flew down the hallway and the last thing she remembered was seeing Jake standing over her, then, black. Her mom gave her a little shake and she snapped back into reality.
She didnt even know if Jake was that guy's real name. The good thing was that guy was still alive, but he wasn't, had never been, and would never be in love with Alex. Everything she had with "Jake" was a lie. Just a figment of her comatosed imagination. Alex cried for what seemed like weeka. What she thought was a magical relationship had turned out to be a dream that ended too soon.