Jacob Loves His Mom

Chapter 1

I was panicked when I discovered I was being pursued. I was caught on my way home from school, and like any other person, I ran so fast to protect my life. Making my way past a few strangers walking down the sidewalk, I tripped one of them by accident. They curse me, but they didn't know the danger I was in. I continued home—straight to safety. Glancing over my shoulder, I swear I see them. "Get away!" I shout as I sprint past a trash can, throwing it down behind me to slow them down all without missing a beat. "I have to get home!" I tell myself, still in a full sprint, breathing out of control from the exercise. I peek back over my shoulder. No one. I let out a chuckle and a, "Yes!" But just as I was turning my head back around, I notice something ahead of me. There they are. This discovery sends an electric shock into my chest, causing me to trip and fall face first. I look up. I can see them; three of them, darkness enshrouding them. They run towards me. I let out a scream and scream and—
I sit up; still screaming. I'm in my room now, heart still racing. I've been having nightmares for a while now. Looking towards my clock, it reads 6:57 AM. The sunlight is peaking through my window, shining on my face. I look around the room to gather my bearings and calm down. My bed is soaked in sweat, the television is still on, and the trash needs picked up off of the floor. I let out a sigh of relief and frustration. Work is in another hour, so I don't have to try to go back to sleep. Slowly, I get out of bed, wide awake at this point, but I remain startled. "What was that dream?" I ask myself as I open the bedroom door and head for the bathroom.
*click* the door opens and it's a huge mess in here. "Why do I choose to live like this?" I mutter as I step in. There's mold in the bathtub, but it's really a small shower. "This is my private time," I say to myself, "so try and enjoy it." I clean myself and get dressed. Exiting the bathroom, I head to the kitchen to make myself some breakfast, noticing the dirty dishes as I step in. I really need to clean those. I make myself some cereal and head to the living room. My mother is always in here sitting in her favorite chair. "Good morning," she says with a smile. "Greetings," I say back. I sit down and turn on the news before eating my breakfast.
"You were screaming in there. Another nightmare?" She asks, looking concerned. "Mhm. I was being chased by demons," I say to her. Remembering that sends a chill down my spine, but I shake it off. "We'll, I'm always here for you, Babe," she says, "if you wanna talk." "Thanks, Mom, but I got it." She is a tall woman. Brown hair, pale skin as white as the snow—she really should tan more, but she's a beautiful woman. Big green eyes and a smile that could brighten anyone's day. She usually isn't as expressive as she used to be, though. I check the clock and let out a sigh. "Alright," I say as I stand up, "I gotta go to work." I walk to the kitchen and put my bowl in the sink. As I'm getting ready to head out, I give her a kiss on the forehead. "I love you." "I love you too," she says back with a smile and I head off to work.
I live in a small town and work in a big city. My town is in Indiana, so lots of railroads and farms here. This town is Dogwood and where I'm going is Schappsberg. This town is worthless; I have no friends that live here. They all left me a long time ago. I start up the car, turn on my playlist, and bump all the way down the road to my job. "Maybe today will be a better day," I say before singing along to the songs.
I've lived here in Dogwood all of my life. It's about as suburban as you can get. Several parks, a downtown that is quite small, and very little history here. The education here is about as standard as you can get; one high-school and no colleges. I reflect back for a moment while I'm driving. I should've went to college. As I'm driving along, I pass by a horrid driver. I maintain my composure, but I'm a little frustrated by this and curse them in my head. Don't want to get shot by a moron driver. People are nuts; bonkers. They'll do anything to get what they want. I focus back on my driving, and before I know it, I arrive to the city.
The city has anything you could want: games, a variety of food, love. Love i think to myself, envisioning that special person. Maybe on day I'll meet them at work or at a bar, but for now I have to focus on mg janitorial work. Arriving at work with five minutes left to spare, I reas the sign on the building. It reads, "Huckle and Chuckle Corp." "What a weird name," I say to myself with a grin. "Whoever named that must be horrible at naming things!" I laugh as I park and head for the doors. Security is tight here. I'm not quite sure why, but it's how it's always been, so I just accept it without thought. I get to the desk and tell the clerk I have arrived. "ID, please," she says, putting her hand out. "Yes, sorry," I say as I quickly get out my ID. I hand it over and she checks it before getting back. "Have a good time, Jacob," she says with a blank face. She obviously hates her job. "Thanks, you too," I say back as I walk to my area.
I'm a janitor here, so I go around the entirety of the first nine floors of the twenty-one story building and clean all day. I do get to chat while I'm here, which is good. Walking over to the janitorial closet, I grab my things before heading over to clean the ground floor. I like to go in ascending order when cleaning, but I stop at floor nine unless they need me on another floor. This place is huge! It towers over the neighboring buildings, casting its shadow across a large area during the later hours. I begin cleaning the ground floor, but before doing so I place an earbud into my ear while making sure I can still hear my surroundings. "Gotta have my tunes," I say as I begin to clean and listen to those around me.
I am enjoying myself. I have my favorite tunes on, specifically Dark Red. However, as soon as it gets past the intro and I hear "something bad is about to happen to me," I get a call on the radio (we janitors have to carry a hand radio). It's the boss and he wants to see me. What could this guy want? I radio back and let him know I'll be on my way. It's not the time for training, so what could he want? The thought drives me nuts as I make my way to the elevator.
While waiting, someone else comes over to wait for it too. This person is average in height, dyed red hair that hangs down to their shoulders, and they possess an unfriendly energy. They wait at the elevator door with me while trying to start a small conversation. "I feel like half the job is waiting at these elevators!" They look at me with a grin. "Yeah, I agree." Apparently, they didn't like my response. We end up sitting in silence waiting for the elevator to arrive. It arrives with a ding and we head on inside, tacky music playing for our entrance.
"What floor do you need, uh," they check my name tag, "Jacob?" "Fifteen." They give me a weird look and click on our floor's numbers. What was that look for? It's time for a short wait. While waiting on this elevator, I think back to my mother. Memories I've had with her. Then, I try and figure out why the boss wants to see me. What does everyone always want? You know what they want, what he wants. Then it hits me, I could very well be being called to the boss's office so he can try and snatch my necklace. *ding* the elevator doors open on the seventh floor; the other floor this person picked. I make a note of that. This is the floor for members of IT. She looks back at me and smiles before walking out, but the thought of my necklace being taken makes me mutter "no, don't."
I wait for the elevator to get to floor fifteen. Be careful. Keep a close eye on the boss. The doors open, and what is revealed is a large room with a receptionist at a desk and several chairs. I step inside and the receptionist gives me a "hello" and gestures for me to head inside. When I approach, the doors open automatically. Inside, the boss is behind a desk that I assume he is at most of the day. By the window behind him sits a desk and computer with a picture of his family hanging on the wall next to them.
"Hello, Jacob," he says as he reaches for the floor behind his desk. "I've called you here to go over the new chemicals we have to use now. Apparently, the ones we were using have been recalled. A lawsuit or something." I walk over and sit down. He starts with the sprays we have to use and the entire time, I watch where his hands move. Stay focused. He talks for about ten minutes before if I have any questions. "No, sir. I got it all," I say, trying to hurry him along. "Sign here," he says as he hands me a clipboard and ink pen. I sign it and stand up, ready to head out the door, saying thanks and making my way back to the elevator.
The rest of the day went pretty well. I managed to keep my anxiety low and the bad thoughts away. No one bothered me and I got what I needed done done. Checking the time, my watch reads 4PM. I head over to the front desk I saw when I came in and let them know I'm leaving. As I'm walking out to my car, I say, "What a boring day." I let out a sigh of relief and get in my car. While I'm here in the city, I'll go around and do some stuff. Thinking on it, I decide in quite famished, so I'll eat before I do anything else.
I'm not a picky eater, so I don't decide what I want to eat but how much money am I willing to spend. I decide on Mcdonald's and drive over there. It's quite busy at this time, so I have to wait in a line once I get inside. The business is packed. As I'm waiting to order, I hear a familiar voice calling me from behind. I turn around and my heart sinks. It's the red haired person I met earlier at work. "Hey, Jacob!" She says with a grin, "Funny seeing you here." She followed you here. I fight my nerves and manage to keep myself from thinking more bad thoughts. "Hey, I never quite got your name," I say to her. "I'm Tanisha," she says to me, "and my pronouns are she/her." "As you already know, I'm Jacob," I say, managing to fake a smile. She has a beautiful face. High cheekbones, fair skin, makeup that perfects her beauty. Her vibe isn't unfriendly like earlier, but I don't let my guard down. "Sir?" The cashier catches my attention. "Sorry, I didn't realize." After my order, I look and Tanisha and tell her my goodbyes and wait over at the waiting area.
"Goodbye," she says with a chuckle, "this will be awkward since we're both waiting!" She starts laughing. What is so funny? She doesn't seem to realize I don't want to talk to her. I laugh too, just praying for my order to be done. "You seemed stressed earlier. I thought I heard you say something as I was leaving the elevator," she says looking curious. I remember I was stressed about the boss. "Oh, it was nothing. I talk to myself sometimes." "Oh sorry," she says with a blush. I ignore her and check up on the progress of my food. Luckily, I checked just as it was getting done and heading over to me. I grab it and head over to the seat in the corner, making sure I can see all the entrances and exits. Fortunately, she doesn't follow and sits by herself. "Thank, God," i mutter to myself as I begin to eat.
Eating doesn't take me very long. I only ate for about fifteen minutes, and the entire time Tanisha was glancing at me here and there. After the third time, I decided I didn't want to finish and threw the rest of it away. I didn't like her looking at me over and over; it gave me anxiety. As I'm leaving, she yells out a "bye" and I don't even look as I quickly shuffle out the door and back to my car. "How's that clock doin?" I ask the car, starting the engine. The clock reads 4:37. "Alright, let's figure out what to do." I check my options and tap my fingers on the steering wheel. Then it hits me.
There's a bar i like to drink at; it's probably not busy at this time, so I'll get the luxury of not being talked to. I head over there, music on, and singing along the way. This city is pretty huge. It has a high population and plenty to do. I plan on moving here one day with my mom. She would really like it here, and I'm always the one to try and make her happy. I get to a stop and check my rear view mirror. A red sedan is behind me, a man with with a big beard and sunglasses is behind the wheel. I look back forward again and continue towards the bar. Once I get there, I pull in and park. Next to me parks a red sedan. This bar is okay for a rich city. It's not the most popular bar, nor is it too pricey. It's clearly been around for a while—the building I mean because of all of the wear and tear, but it is a good place to visit. I get out and and head inside, paying for my entry and sitting down at the front of the bar near the bartender and order my drink. I get Gummy bear, my favorite drink. Looking around, I only see see about fourteen people. Some are playing Billiards, others just enjoying their drinks with friends. Then, I notice who's in the back playing darts. An older man, probably in his 50s, a big, long beard, and sunglasses on the top of his head.
The bartender gives me my drink, but I barely notice because I'm starting to have those thoughts again. He's following you and run out the door and race him back home are two thoughts that ring over and over in my head. I need to drink. I take this beverage and down it as quickly as possible before looking back at the man. He's smiling and enjoying his time. "See? I told you," I say out loud and let out a chuckle. I raise my hand at the bartender and order another drink. Then, I pull out my phone and check gojiki—a dating app I downloaded and, obviously, I'm trying to find a date. I've lived with my mother all of my life and I would like someone to join us. I swipe and swipe until of them matches. A message pops up and I open it to respond.
It's a 29 year old man—less than a ten year gap between us and his message is just a generic greeting. I hit him back with a generic greeting of my own and continue finding matches. I continue this for about an hour, responding to messages and trying to match with other people. "Life sucks," I say out loud with a frown, "this is horribly boring. The person to my left looks at me and cracks a joke. It's a woman with pale skin, white hair, and red irises; clearly albino. She is beautiful. Her hair hangs down about a foot and a half and she has a glowing smile, so I spark up a conversation with her.
"What's your name?" I ask. "Mine is Jacob." She smiles, "I'm Jessica. Nice to meet you. You talk to yourself quite a bit." "I talk to myself because it helps me think," I retort in a defensive manner. People usually point this out then bolt shortly after. She raises her hands up, "Easy. I didn't mean any harm. I actually think it's quite cute." I blush from hearing that. I raise my hand to order another drink. "You work around here?" She asks. "Yeah, I work over at the toy company downtown—-Huckle and Chuckle. I'm a janitor there. What about you?" "I don't work. I'm legally blind, so it's hard for me to see even with my contacts." Her smile fades when saying that. "That's alright," I tell her, "it just means I don't have to worry about you getting a good look at my face!" I laugh. She smiles, but u don't think she found that as humorous as I did. For the next few hours, we talk. She seemed interested in talking to me, but I attribute that to the alcohol.
After a long while, now partially intoxicated, I remember about the man that my mind was telling me was following me. I look back. He's still here, now sitting down and just enjoying his time with the guy he was playing darts with. I turn back to Jessica, then look at my watch. 8:37PM. Wow. I've been here a while. "Well, I think I should be going home. I like to come here every night, so I'll be back tomorrow if you're here. It was good meeting you." I smile. "You too. Have a nice night, Jacob," she says back. I get up and head out the door for my car. Im a little off balance, but I'll be fine driving. Getting in my car, I try to gather myself for a long trip back. Sigh. I close my eyes and just sit for a moment and think. She is a beautiful woman. I hope she isn't like the other people I've met. We'll see to- my thoughts are cut off by the sound of a car door closing. I open my eyes and look to where the sound came from. This turning feeling hits my stomach as my eyes lay on the red sedan. The man got back in his car. See? I told you he's after you! After your necklace! I begin sweating profusely and quickly buckle up and start the car.
   I back up and pull out of the parking lot as quickly as possible, looking back as I get to the road. He is exiting the parking lot. "Shit!" I shout out. I'll drive a little quicker than normal and try to lose him at these lights. I travel through town, driving a little faster than everyone else and I constantly keep an eye on the rear view mirror. He isn't close, but I see him in the distance. I'm sweating, but despite being anxious, I speed my way downtown, ignoring stop signs on slow intersections and stopping at traffic lights. I manage to get some distance between us while not totally freaking out, so I take note of what is getting me further and further ahead. It's the speed that's getting me away. I get onto the highway heading back to my town and speed down it, doing seven over the limit; not incredibly fast, but fast enough to get me way ahead. I move around a few cars and check my rear view mirror. It's darker now than it was earlier, but I think I know which car is his just from headlights. He's quite far now. I laugh and look back forward and head back home. It takes about thirtyish minutes, but I get there.
   Once I get into town, I move my car in a particular and intentional fashion to confuse him had he managed to catch up with me. I found a few corners and park my car at West Side Park and wait for a moment. This guy I am worried about never drives by. Great. I'm a fucking moron and just risked a speeding ticket and endangered everyone around me because I let the bad thoughts get ahold of me. I let out a sigh and rest my head on the steering wheel and stare down at my legs, basking in shame. I went to therapy for a reason! Why do I let anxiety get a hold of me? I look back up and pull my car back onto the road, now shamefully heading back to my house. It's only a five-minute drive from where I'm at and I get there without any problems—just a sense of shame. I pull in the driveway and park before heading inside.