The Moments I Recall

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

*TW* *MATURE THEMES* *MIGHT BE SCARY FOR SOME AUDIENCES* 

I sit beside Harper in the backseat. Her head leans against my shoulder, Jessie's notebook clench tight in her hands. The quiet is so loud it drowns all thoughts just to make us aware of its presence. We give it the attention it seeks too afraid to disrupt it, afraid that if it leaves something more sinister will take stage in its place. We give it all our attention because, it creates the barrier. I remember I would do this as a kid after momma scolded me, but right now, I didn't know how to feel about all of this, how I feel should be the last of my priorities.

About 13 minutes ago it was about life shifting back to its normal place. Somewhere in this shift, facts we had not known collided with pasts we had chosen to forget, ceasing the movement all together. 13 minutes ago we had survived through the worst of it, we had figured it all out. 13 minutes ago, worst became an understatement. Jessie filled in the gaps, all except how we got out.

"I was spaced in the library for three years at age 13." He told us. Jessie said when you are spaced, you are synced to every child who has spaced or is on the verge of spacing. He described it like flicking through channels. Everything they saw, heard, thought, or felt, you would see, hear, think and feel. He would spend his time in kids on the verge because they had no thoughts or feelings and, he could see the outside world. Those who spaced had their eyes shut, but you could hear adults talking.

"Spaced kids had a thousand thoughts and feelings at a time. It's like they were using every part of their brain, reacting to every neural signal, but they had no idea they were spaced. Their psychological pain was amplified by probably thousands, some distant like they happen to be here and some away at the same time. " He told us. Two weeks spaced, he had come across a boy named Coby Ray who knew he was spaced, and as soon as Jessie had entered his channel, Coby woke up. They first thing they saw was a man in a navy overalls then nothing. The next minuet they were in Coby's room.

"I was stuck in Coby's subconscious for three years," Jessie told us, "He tried getting help at first, but nobody believed him." Coby chose to forget but had reoccurring nightmares at night and visions during the day. He'd even sync unconsciously to spaced kids minds some days. Coby couldn't leave town and he was only fifteen so, after some months he vowed to help.

"He could hear everything I said," Jessie explained, "after some time, he started talking to me, we became friends." Everything Coby felt or thought, Jessie could too. Last year, during Coby's junior year, he committed suicide.

"He.... He said it was the only way......" Jessie whispered. "He told me at least the nightmares would stop, at least he wouldn't sync anymore. I was there before it happened, I felt his fear, heard it screaming at him. I tried, I tried to stop him. The last thing he said to me after thanking me for being around." 

"Water is peaceful in a way," Coby said with a weak laugh. "You are alone, but it surrounds you"

"I wasn't there the whole time during, but being on the brink of death kicked me back into my own body at the library." Jessie told us. "He died to help, he left things for me to find. I can't let it all be for nothing."

13 minutes ago, worst became an understatement. Coby Ray answered the question we were all too afraid to answer. 13 minutes ago, movement ceased all together.

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We pull up into the driveway of a house on a farm like the Campbells. Jessie leaves us in the car as he makes his way to the house.

"Whose place is this?" Harper asks moving her head from my shoulder, her glassy eyes reflect the light from the full moon.

"I guess we'll find out." I tell her. Jessie walks back to the car with a girl. She holds her hand out to shield her eyes from the headlights. She's tall like Harper, but has blonde hair styled like Farrah Fawcett.