A Total Nightmare

Chap. 4

For at least a week mom and me don't talk much. And to make things worse. Shiro. Won't even look at me or talk to me. He just avoids me. But. Guess who stands by me and comforts me the whole time? You guessed it! Matthew! Man I love him! He's always there for me in hard moments or when life. Is just. Life. We walk down the sidewalk to go to a movie. Oh. Should've told you! It's the weekend! So... Movie night! Nothing can ruin this for me! And. Since mom is coming with us. Maybe she will lighten up and talk to me now. We walk down the sidewalk to Cinemax Entertainment. Me and Matt chat about the movie we are about to watch. Which. I'll have you know is one of my most fav movie sagas of all time. It's about this superhero named Steel Jaguar. He's like. This amazing cool hero who has enhanced abilities. In the first movie it shows his origin story. The others show his battles with his nemesis, The Shadow. And this movie that we're about to watch is about Steel Jaguar's legacy or something. I dunno. Something like that. But anyways. We make our way inside and I'm immediately overwhelmed by the delicious smells and the buzz of people. "Wow! It's packed tonight!" I say as my eyes glitter with excitement. Matthew nods in agreement. "Yea. No kidding! This'll be epic!" We then get snacks and drinks and head over to the room that the movie is being played in. I then decide to make a quick trip to the bathroom. I walk over to the entertainment center and go to the girl's bathroom. I hear someone following me and glance over my shoulder to see mom. We enter the bathroom and I turn to face her. "What's up mom?" I ask. Concerned. My mom hesitates for a moment, as if she is thinking of the right words to say. "Honey. I'm.... I'm so sorry. About what happened that night. Between us. I had just... When I saw that bottle. Something in me. Snapped. And i- I didn't mean for that to happen...." She says in a quiet and sad tone. I walk up to my mom and take her hand. Giving it a comforting squeeze. I then look deep into her blue-green eyes. "Mom. It's ok. I forgive you. I know you didn't mean it. And I shouldn't of been keeping stuff from you." She goes to say something but then decides not to. She pulls me into a hug and tears fall down her delicate cheeks. We stand there for a moment. Once we pull out of the hug, mom brushes my dark hair out of my face and kisses my forehead. "Thank you." She whispers. After that, she leaves me alone in the bathroom and I do what I need to do and walk out after a few minutes. I then join my mom and Matt in the theater. I sit in between her and him and then have fun. It's action packed. Hilarious. And just... Something I miss. My dad had gotten me into that when I was at least 7 years old. That's the only thing I remember about him before he left. He had given me a comic of Steel Jaguar. It was an older copy. And. I'd kept it ever since. Took it almost everywhere with me. Then when mom noticed how torn the pages were getting. (And messy) She ended up telling me to keep it on a shelf for safe keeping. So. That's where it's been for years now. As the movie plays, I start to notice bits and pieces of things that seem.... Off. About it. As if a secret message was hidden in it. But when I look over at Matthew and mom. They don't seem to realize. Odd. Right? Am I the only one who notices something different about this? And I'm not usually one to notice things like this. I mean. Sure. I am aware of a lot of stuff. But... This? That's. New. Especially for me. I try and ignore the little hints or things that pop up or stand out to me, so I can enjoy my time here. Everyone is laughing and aweing at it. Enjoying their time. And I'm glad to see mom back to her old self. Seeing and being around her when she's. Distant like that?  It hurts me. A lot. But I'm glad she's finally enjoying herself.....

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After the movie, we all file out of the room and talk about it. I Had enjoyed myself a lot. But... I can't tear my mind from what I kept seeing. Was it really me? Or was I imagining things? Because. That looked like dad's little puzzles he would give me as a little kid to solve. There's no way. No way at all. Because dad never worked for the company that made the movie saga. Or even just the company itself. So... How would those get there? And how come I'm the only one who saw that something was off with the movie? Didn't anyone see that? As we walk. I grow quiet. Distant. I don't even hear Matthew trying to talk to me. Matt stops walking. Mom had went to go get something really quick, so it's just me and him right now. I continue to walk. Oblivious that he had stopped. "Um. Jamie?" His voice snaps me out of my trance and I stop walking. I realize what I'd just done. "Oh! Sorry! I- I didn't even notice!" I say apologeticly, as I walk back over to him. He studies me. A concerned look on his face. As if to say, ᗩᖇᗴ YOᑌ OK? "Yea. Matt. I'm fine. Promise." He tilts his head. "You sure? You seem... I dunno. Distracted. You Did have fun back there? Right?" "Of course I did! It's just.... You didn't see that stuff... Did you?" He looks confused now. "See what?" "Oh. Uh... Nothing. Never mind.… I just thought you'd saw something that maybe I saw in the movie." "Like what? Is something wrong? What happened?" "No! Nothing happened. And nothing's wrong. It's just.... I promised I saw- I saw. Oh. It doesn't matter. It's not important." I say, shrugging it off for now. I'd thought he'd ask more. Press me. But oddly. He doesn't. "Ok." He shrugs and starts to walk again. I walk with him. My mind stuck on the stuff I saw. We soon meet up with mom outside and then head to her car. After we get in, we start to go home. The whole way, my mind is stuck on that stuff. But eventually I give up on it and stare out the window. Once we arrive at Matthew's house, we say good bye and thank him for coming. He then heads home. Soon after, mom starts down the road again. Before we know it, we make it to the apartment complex. Mom stops the car. Turns back to look at me and says, "honey. We.... We need to talk. I know you forgave me and I thank you for that. But. What I said? About your father having a connection to Hirugoto Industries-" wait. Mom. Wants. To talk about dad now? Why? Did something about the movie remind her of him? Or was it that little conversation we had in the girl's bathroom? I put my hand up to stop her. "Mom. It's ok. I get it. You don't have to talk about him if you don't want to. It's hard for the both of us. I understand." Mom looks solemn and yet sad. "No. Honey.... I Need to talk about him. Your old enough now. I think you should know." Now I'm curious. I raise my brow. "Know.... What? Mom?" She takes a deep breath and collects herself. Her thoughts. "You- you're father...." She says with a shaky breath. "He... Wasn't who you thought he was. he... Didn't leave us. H he disappeared." Ok. Now I'm definitely curious. But. I have to be cautious. I don't want to upset mom again. "He's.... Not?" She shakes her head. Her gaze becoming serious. "No honey. He wasn't. And yes. He disappeared. But for a good reason. He was... There is so much I have to tell you and so little time." Now I'm getting worried. What's going on? I saw or think I saw. The same puzzles my dad had made for me when I was younger. And now this?! She suddenly gets out of the car and motions for me to do the same. Once out. We quickly head upstairs to our apartment. "Mom! Wait! What are you talking about?!" I ask. As I hurry after her up the stairs. We stop at the door and she unlocks it. Opens it. And steps inside. I follow her in. She locks the door behind her. Mom then, walks into her room hurriedly, as if in search for something. I hurry after her yet again. "Mom! Stop! Mom wait! Mom!" I yell, fear and worry welling up inside me. All she says is, "it has to be here somewhere! Where is it!?" "Where's what?" I ask her. But mom doesn't seem to hear me. Or process my words. Because she keeps searching for whatever it is she's looking for. I go sit on the couch. Confused. Nervous. Not long after, I hear her say with triumph, "yes! I found it!" She then walks over to where I'm sitting on the couch and sits beside me. She holds a wooden box. It has a beautiful carving in it. Of mountains and a cabin. My eyes widen in recognition. "I- I remember that chest! It was dad's!" I say. happy to see it again. I was 6 when we had went on a family trip to Dad's cabin in Tennessee. I miss that cabin.... After dad... Left. Disappeared?  Me and mom hadn't been there since. My mom nods, a sort of sad , but happy look in her gentle eyes. But... I also see something else. Fear? "Yes. This is it. And... Your father had left you something. Before he... Disappeared." She finally says after a moment of silence. "What was it?" She smiles and hands me the box. "Well. Open it. Oh... And... Honey. I'm sorry if I scared you. I just was in such a rush I didn't think about it." I look down at the box in my hands. My eyes sparkle with excitement. Caution. And uncertainty. I soon will myself to open it. And what I find.... Amazes me. But also confuses me.