You only Live Twice. (In Progress)

<>Chapter 3- Uneven Bricks<>

After glancing at the page for a minute, I write down:

What is your full name? Jenna Quimby.

What is your greatest strength out of the following?

Smarts/Intelligence

Strength or skill

Mind control

Other: None

Smarts and Intelligence.

What is your greatest fear in life?

 Dying.

What are you hoping to see in Defunct?

Hope.

The last one throws me off a little, but I write the first word I can think of.

When everyone is done, we head down another level after leaving our papers in a whole in a wall.

Level 97 is Knot-Tying. I'm utterly confused by this, but the second we get there the assitant says "We need to prepare for battle against earth if we ever need to fight." Somehow, this rubs me the wrong way, and I act clumsy the whole time.

Level 96 is nothing. Like, nothing at all. We are required to stand silently the whole time with our eyes closed. A whole 15 minutes. Jake pokes us in the shoulders, and if one of us moves, we have to start over. It's a whole entire hour before we go down a level. When we arrive at level 95, I tune Jake out and stare out the window. There's a thin sheet of plastic covering it instead of glass. It's odd, and I see a sign next to the window:

PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH, NEW INSTALLMENT SOON.

I realize I can do anything at that very second I read that sign. It's a dumb thought, but , I'm already dead. What have I got to lose? Nothing. I'll just re-appear in the snowy room, I bet.

Is this the reason I charge the window and jump off of the building like an idiot?

I don't know.

--

The wind is chaotic. Everyone gathers at the window to see my fall. My magnificent, horrible, idiotic fall. My long brown hair floats around my head like a pillow. Tears swell up in my eyes, but not because I'm sad- the wind just hits my face so powerfully. I decide that if I could do this again, I would prepare better. I'm too petrified to do flips or anything. I just let my body dangle, the wind guiding it in no direction but down. I see the ground, once small, but now coming closer and closer. Just like my nerves- once small, but now expanding. 

 Then I hit the ground. Hard, I think at first. But no, light. It seems like there would be contact, but there is none. I feel nothing. It doesn't hurt.

Then the laughing kicks in. It comes from nowhere, just bubbling up. I can  do this again. It won't effect me. I won't die. I'll beat training of jumping out of a window, if there is any. I smooth down my crazy hair and look to see where I have fallen. On concrete, and the tall building- which I immediately name the Beanstalk tower. The top has a long net at the top, like a force field so people don't jump off of the roof, and it's bright green. I head about 15 yards over tot eh doors of the Beanstalk Tower. The Distinctive symbol is over the door. I hold my ID in front of me, and the doors open automatically. The elevators must travel even faster without me, because my touring group is already in the lobby.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?" Is the first thing I hear. I have no idea who it comes from. I hear murmurs of agreement. Jake pushes his way through the crowd, and I notice his fingers balled up into a strained fist. I can see the restraint in his eyes to not slap me across the face.

Then I shudder, realizing I see it a lot. In my teacher's eyes. In my parent's eyes. In the bus driver's eyes. In my classmate's eyes. Now I realize it.

I am a problem.

--

"You have to listen," Jake says as he pulls me away from the crowd, weaving in between people.

"Where are we going?" I ask, fed up with the questions held inside of me, bubbling up.

"Special training," Jake answers, and I feel my stomach sinking.

"I'm not a wacko, you know," I say, and I see the restraint in his eyes once more.

"I know," he says, pushing me into a room. A lady in all yellow is sitting in a chair. Her outfit blinds me, but I sense Jake leaving the room.

"WAIT!" I scream. "I DON'T KNOW! I DON'T know.... Who I can trust..." My voice fades to a whisper and I fall into a chair, crying; sobbing.

"Trust me," the lady says, her voice emerging muffled. I recognize it. I whip my face around, sure my eyes are red and puffy. "Opal?" I ask in disbelief, and the woman groans.

"WHY does everyone think I'm Opal?!" She says, facing me as if she's asking me. I just shrug.

"I'm Ash, for Pete's sake," she says, and I can imagine what my mother would be retorting:

Hello, Ash for Pete's sake, I'm Barbra, nice to meet you.

I hold back more tears and study Ash's face. "Liar," I say. "You're Opal."

"NO!" She screams, wildly waving her arms. "I'm ASH! Opal's TWIN!"

I remember what Opal had said while tattooing me:

"And you're lucky. Being in independent here, not having a clone."

Oh. Suddenly I feel bad. I stand up and pat Ash on the shoulder awkwardly.

"Why am I here?" I ask suddenly. "I'm not a maniac."

"Of course you aren't," Ash responds. "And we must show everyone."

Apparently, when someone says "Special training," Ash hears, "MAKEOVER TIME!" She spends the next hour making me try on different dresses that I have no interest in. I think of how everyone is probably picking their dormitories and making home. And I'm stuck with this crazy lady. Then, after I finish trying on a silky floor-long pink dress, Ash tells me it's time to move on, and the silliness has to stop. I grin, thinking I can go back to the group. But noooooo, I have to spend another 2 hours on makeup. MAKEUP!

Finally, I grit my teeth and speak up.

"Ash," I begin. "What did I come here for?"

"Well," she bgins, not looking up from my scarlett-patterned nails," you came here because you're distinctive."

"No, no," I say. "I know that. But what was the purpose of killing me?"

"So you could train," Ash says, frowning uncertainly. "So you.... So you can use your powers for good when you are reincarnated- if you are reincarnated."

I frown along with her at this comment. It doesn't seem right.