How to escape your imagination

Chapter 18

Clary and I exit out onto the street and she stops to draw something with the evil stick that burned me.  

"What is that thing?"  I ask reaching out to touch the design she drew in the air.  

"Don't touch that!"  She yells and reaches out to grab my hand.  I poke the design before she can stop me and it quickly opens up and sucks me through into darkness.

I explode out onto wet pavement, scraping my hands on the concrete.

Clary gracefully jumps out behind me and laughs.  "Next time don't touch it."

I glare at her playfully and then jump to my feet looking at the area around me.  

We are standing on a boat dock, with what looks like storage boxes all around us.  There is a large building to my left with multiple canoes out front leaning up against the door.  

In front of me, a small box shaped building stands, looking as though it's seen better days.  The words 'Jade Wolf' are displayed above the door, with the letters 'a' and 'l' un-glowing.

"Let's go."  Clary says breaking me from my thoughts.  I don't respond but continue looking, and so Clary grabs my wrist, rolling her eyes and drags me towards the restaurant.

"Simon lives in a restaurant?"  I ask.  Clary shakes her head.

"No, he just hangs out here often with the werewolves, he's--"

"The what?"  I stutter and stop walking.  "What did you say?"

Clary frowns.  "Um, Werewolves?"  She grabs my wrists again but I plant my feet into the ground.  "No, I don't want to see any werewolves."

"By the angel, Jonathan."  She manages to slide me across the ground towards the building.  "They're in people form you'll be fine."

I shake my head and release my hold on the ground causing me to lurch forward, bumping into Clary.

"Sorry,"  I mumble.  

She rolls her eyes and we walk to the restaurant together.

The door swings open and we walk inside.  I feel at least 20 pairs of eyes on me and they are all really intense.

As I am about to walk out of the restaurant from fear, a tall African American man comes through the swinging doors to the kitchen, and a smile grows on his face.  

"Clary!"  He says joyfully.  "I haven't seen you in so long!"

She smiles and the two of them come together and hug for a long time.  

A young boy with sweepy brown hair comes out of the kitchen behind him, smiling at Clary, then frowning slightly at me.

"Clary who's this?"  Luke asks.  

Clary wraps her arm over my shoulder and waves her hand at Simon.  "This is Jonathan."

I see the boy step back slightly.  "His name's Jonathan...?"

Clary smirks and the boy looks taken aback.  

"Not the same guy, Simon don't worry."

"Wait this is Simon?"  I ask surprised.

Clary frowns.  "Um yeah, this is who you were looking for."

"I don't know who this is."  The boy called Simon says walking forward again.

Clary looks between the two of us with confusion.

"Wrong Simon, Clary."

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"Well how was I supposed to know that this wasn't the Simon you were looking for!" Clary raises her voice.  "You never told me your Simon was from some other dimension, typically that stuff doesn't happen!"

"I thought you had like demon things that come from different dimensions."  I question, glancing over at Simon and Luke who look very uncomfortable.

"Yeah, it's not the same.  The dimensions the demons come from are like hell on earth, you wouldn't last a second."

"Challenge acc--"  I start to say when Luke cuts me off.  

"Look, I don't know who you are or why you're giving us this bullshit story, but if you keep screwing with our heads, then I'll have to have you escorted out."

Clary rests her hand on his shoulder and gives him a pleading look.  "It's fine, Luke, I got this."

I stand there awkwardly as Clary pulls away from Luke and over to me.  

"Jonathan, you've had a tough time since you came here, you almost died twice."  She says with sympathy.  "But you can't let that take hold of your imagination."

I shake my head but she continues.

"Just listen to me, escape it.  Get out of your head and escape your imagination."

Almost as though trying to pull me into a trance.  I shrug my shoulders and turn to walk out of the restaurant.  "With or without your help, I need to find Simon."  I look back over my shoulder at a confused Clary.  "My, Simon."

Clary chases after me and grabs my wrist.  "Just wait, I'll help you."  I look into her eyes with a disbelieving glare.  "Stop trying to mess with my head, I don't need  your help."  

Simon is now beginning to walk up behind Clary and I try to yank my wrist out of her grip, but she doesn't let go.

"Clary, stop."  I say firmly, but her fasten on me doesn't loosen even slightly.

"Simon now."  She says looking away from my face.

Simon stares into my eyes with his.  The deep brown flares attract mine and I begin to feel confused.  I make another lame attempt to pull free from her hand but I'm too weak.  Simon begins to talk and I can't help but listen, as I'm trapped in the prison made specially for my mind.

I only catch select words, words that make me believe everything he's saying.

"You're a regular Shadow Hunter,"

I nod my head slowly.

"You transferred here from the Jersey  Institute."

I continue to listen until my mind is swept of everything that makes it my mind.  One thing remains in my head and I repeat it over and over.  I know he's going to say it, I know it's coming. I hang on to the name as hard and as long as I can, not wanting to ever let it go.  He looks over to Clary and she nods.  Simon turns back to stare into my pleading eyes, not to take away the only thing keeping me attached to my emotions.  But I have no choice.

"There is no Simon."  He says scanning his eyes through mine.  "There is no Simon."

"There is no Simon."  I repeat back.

But there is indeed a Simon.  I just had to remember, and I would.  But it will take some time.