Jumper 2 - Own written sequel

Chapter 13 - Safe Heaven

The last few days especially nights have blurred into one; days are tolerable but the nights are the worst.

I’m staring at the ceiling but not really seeing anything; tell you the truth I’m just distracting myself. There’s too much to think about and every time I go to sleep I either have a nightmare or I dream about Griffin who is lying in a hospital bed fighting for his life while I lay here in Alice’s embrace. The worst part is; it’s my fault. I put him in there and I haven’t even visited him yet… I just can’t bring myself to see him right now because I know he’ll hate me for leaving him, defenceless and alone.

I feel my warm tear run down my face as guilt swallows me whole. At least it keeps me from the nightmares; normally, I go to sleep and I’ll have the same dream every night. I know what’s going to happen but it still kills me every time and wakes me up startled and confused breathing for air. It starts with Alice and me in our safe heaven, Italy where we are now and then I go out to buy breakfast for Alice. On my way there I meet Sophie crying in the street and I ask her what’s wrong. She looks at me with eyes full of hatred and screams, ‘Griffin is dead. I asked you one thing. One thing…’ I try to comfort her but she just shrieks cries of pain of how she never got to say goodbye and tell him how she really feels. Then she looks at me straight in the eyes and says, ‘you’ve killed me, Jamie. What if that was Alice? What if…’ I push her off of me and run towards our hotel dropping everything in my hands. I open our hotel room and there’s Alice dangling in the arms of a paladin. Dead…

‘Jamie! Jamie! What’s wrong!? Did you have the dream again? I’m fine, I’m fine. I’m here.’

I look over to Alice who has tears streaming down her face as she tries to calm a hysterical me.

‘James, it was just a dream’ she caresses my cheek as I try to calm down.

She’s fine. She’s fine. I just fell asleep and had a nightmare. Breathe…

‘I know, I’m sorry’ I wipe the tears from her face, ‘I didn’t mean to wake you. Go back to sleep.’

‘I was going to wake up anyway’ she sniffs and kisses my cheek.

‘No you weren’t, it’s 3 a.m.’ I roll my eyes at her.

She laughs gently, ‘Okay, maybe I wasn’t but I’ll stay up if you want.’

‘No, no, go to sleep’ I trace her face with the tip of my finger and smile at her.

‘Go to the harbour or something’ Alice suggests.

‘No!’ I snap, ‘I mean I don’t wanna leave you.’

‘Okay, don’t worry’ she kisses my jaw where my bruise is carefully.

‘Maybe we can go there together’ I suggest, ‘after visiting Griffin in the hospital?’

After a moment of silence, ‘are you sure you’re ready?’

I shake my head and she rests her head onto my chest. In a few minutes she’s asleep and I’m alone with my thoughts again.