Jester Book 1: Abduction

Ch 17 Part 2: Y.O.U.

"Wh-Wha?" She was a little nervous. The question seemed so invasive.

Chester addendum, "Or not last night. The one before, or maybe it was a week ago?" Chester could feel a headache forming trying to remember what happened after he blacked out. "The night you were walking home. When you met Leon." There was a bit of alarm in her heart after hearing this, "What happened after that?"

Jessie couldn't believe what she'd heard. She remembered visiting Nita a few nights ago. It was the same night she finally stood up to Crow. He hadn't bothered her since then. Now the bird was off on a mission, at least that's what the posters say.

Besides him, she didn't think anyone was following her. How didn't she notice Chester watching her? Then her alarm started to shift, a new feeling welling up from deep inside. A volcano of excitement she struggled to keep suppressed. 'He was spying on me?' she thought with a dreamy tune.

Chester watched as she started blushing and looking away. He assumed that her and Leon's conversation was of a private nature. He shouldn't intrude but for clarity, he needed to know what happened. Leon was one of the missing Brawlers. If all the other Brawlers had been copied into robots, wouldn't that mean that the Leon he saw was a robotic imposter as well?

Jessie was still fighting back her joy. Something that Chester had to interrupt, he requested that Jessie explain what happened on that night.

"Well, I was coming back from Nita's house. She's been really upset since Leon disappeared." Chester asked whether Nita seemed angry or sad? Jessie responded, "Both. She's really torn up."

Chester again felt partially to blame for that. He was the last one to see Leon on the night he vanished. If only he had kept an eye on him.

Jessie continued her story, "So while I was walking home, Leon showed up." She decided to keep quiet about her interaction with Crow. Better not to cause any more trouble for Chester by getting him involved with those bullies.

"He stayed kinda far away at first. And he kept saying I needed to come with him. But I was upset, he made everyone worry. He should go home; Nita is going to kill him if he doesn't." Jessie seemed a bit hesitant as she tried remembering the sequence of events, "Then he grabbed my arm. And it was really cold... and heavy. He pulled me away, but we were going towards my house so I didn't fight him. I remember hearing an explosions. I asked him what it was but he just told me to keep running."

Chester thought about the timing of these events. Clearly, the Leon she met was a robot, but he seemed to be protecting her. A thought bubbled up, but he lost it when Jessie resumed. "While we were walking, he told me a secret." Jessie clammed up after that. Her hands over her lips as she stopped herself short.

Chester immediately knew that she was hiding something. Whether secret or not he needed to know, "Jessie, I need you to tell me what he said." Jessie shook her head violently. Her pigtails bashed against her beige backpack. Chester leaned in a bit closer. Jessie was able to see the blacks of his pupils through the white film. "Jessie. Tell me."

The scent of candy mints on Chester's tongue broke her. Steam rushed from her ears as she finally cracked under the pressure, "Leon t-told me he was on a mission." Chester released her, causing her to fall on her back and continue her story, "Nobody is supposed to know, not even Nita. He wouldn't let me join either."

While she tried to get feeling in her toes Chester wondered about what she was saying. A secret mission? Does that have anything to do with the kidnappings? Chester reached down to help the girl up, "Did Leon seem weird to you?"

Jessie sat back on her crate, "Well... his voice sounded... funny."

"Funny how?"

"Funny-like, auto-tuned." Jessie continued with her narration, "After that Leon followed me to my front door."