Briar Preparatory Academy

What the Heart Fears Most

Joe POV

The air in Concord, New Hampshire is cold and harsh as I walk down the sidewalk, looking for The Morning Mug coffee shop. The sun has already gone down, and the moon lights the melted snow on the ground, making the streets shine and slick. I wrap my coat tighter around my body and push the hair out of my face. I watch my breath turn to mist and disintegrate. The streets are empty, only a few cars sliding along and stopping at the stoplights at the end of blocks.

My eyes land on the coffee shop across the street "The Morning Mug". I glance both ways and quickly cross, being careful not to slip on the patches of ice. I yank the door to The Morning Mug open and I am met with the warm air and the strong scent of coffee.

Jasper is sitting in the corner of the shop, his head bent over a Styrofoam cup with dark liquid in it. Another cup is sitting across from him, and I try not to raise my eyebrows. I shove my coat off and hang it on the rack besides the door. Jasper doesn't look up when I come to stand in front of him. "I got your call." I say quietly.

"Sit down." He mutters. I obey.

"Is everything alright?" I ask, feeling nerves shoot through down my spine. I grip the cup of coffee and take a small sip.

"Oh, everything is peachy, Joe. We've been holding this girl for almost five days and we have nothing." Jasper slams his hand on the table, causing me to flinch. We are the only customers, but the single woman behind the counter glances up as the sound reverberates throughout the room.

"She's persistent, Jasper. I need more time with her," I say quietly.

"We don't have time. I want to carry out my plans within the next few weeks, and we can't do that until you get something from her."

I shake my head. "It's not that simple. Celeste is different from the rest. She doesn't cooperate, she doesn't listen--"

"I don't care!" Jasper's voice is rising by the second, "It's not good enough."

"What do you expect me to do?" I whisper, more harshly than necessary. I can feel the anger growing inside me, barely restrained. "Harming her physically clearly doesn't work, and I can't even get through to her if I work with her mind." I pause, gripping my cup. "She's too strong." I almost say it to myself. My eyebrows furrow and suddenly my coffee becomes very interesting to look at. All of the sudden, it shoots through me again. My head and my entire back feels electrified by pain, shooting up my spine and through my shoulders. I grit my teeth together harshly. I grip the edge of the table; squeeze my eyes shut, attempt to get my breathing under control.

That's when the final wave hits. I curse under my breath and bring my palm up to my forehead, putting pressure on the spot that hurts most. It does nothing for me. Black dots swim in my vision, threatening for me to pass out. It's at times like these where I have the slightest temptation to climb the tallest mountain and throw myself off of it. I try to convince myself that it wouldn't be as painful as this that it would all end within a matter of seconds.

But I could never escape in the first place.

The pain dials down to a dull throbbing, allowing me to gain sense of my surroundings again. I start to even out my breaths, clenching and unclenching my fists. It came and went, just like the night. But just as the night always returns, I know that this will too. I am vaguely aware of the woman at the counter doing her best to avoid looking at me.

Jasper is completely silent, observing me with no emotion. I do my best to avoid eye contact, and I can practically feel his eyes burning holes into the top of my head. "When is the last time you took your medication?"