How to escape your imagination

Chapter 20

I run down the stairs to into the shadows of the basement, the sound of Clary and the others running further away from me. I thought I wasn't a very good shadow hunter.

The stairs finally come to an end and I step onto the concrete, right into a puddle of water. The liquid soaks into my shoe making me gasp out loud at the temperature.

"Seriously?"

I continue walking, searching for a way out, when I spot a stele on the table.

As I reach out to pick it up, a memory is produced in my head.

I walk into the room and Clary and sitting on the bed continuously making portals and closing them with her stele.

"How are you doing that??" I ask, bewildered.

Clary pats the spot on the bed next to her.

"I'll show you."

I sit down beside her and she begins drawing a complex design with the glowing on the stele.

It spins a couple times, then opens up revealing a forest with bright green trees, somewhere I never thought I would see.

"I hear it's called a jungle." Clary says excitedly.

I smile.

"A jungle..."

I snap out of my thoughts and pick the stele up off the table. I do my best to resemble the rune Clary drew. I don't know where to start, until I begin drawing. Then it begins to pour out of me.

Glowing gold lines flying through the air. I finish the design and I am very out of breath, almost as though the rune was made up of my energy, I had heard Magnus talking about magic and how it saps your energy, but I don't think this is the same. The design begins to spin around in a circle and just as it's about to open I hear a voice behind me.

"Jonathan." It sounds relieved and I turn on my heel to see a boy with brown hair and a side smile on his face.

"Oh my God, you're alive."  He says when I don't say anything.

"Do I know you?" I ask confused.
"I'm sorry, you seem to know who I am."

His face visibly falls and he narrows his eyes.  "What have they done to you?" 

I examine the boy carefully.  "I-don't know what you're talking about." 

Simon grabs my hands and stares into my eyes.  "Look at me." 

I look away. 

"Jonathan, please."  He asks, hurt in his voice.
I look at him and he smiles a little, but a smile filled with sadness.

"You don't know who I am."  He confirms.

I hesitantly shake my head and a tear forms in his eyes.  "I've been looking for you for a year." 

His voice becomes tight and he lets my hands go.  They limply drop beside my body and I feel guilt creeping up on me.

"I'm sorry."  Is all I can think of.

He shakes his head.  As he opens his mouth to speak again, Clary rushes down the stairs, her face relaxing when she sees me.

"Alec, Jace, Izzy I found him!"  She shouts up the stairs. 

Simon stops her where she is and she narrows her eyes at him.  "Who are you?"  She asks reaching for her belt. 

"I'm Simon."  He says, partially informing me of who he is as well.

"You're Simon."  I say.  "You're the person on the note."

He smiles.  "Well you don't know me, but that's a start."

Clary nods awkwardly and the other three come barreling down the stairs.

"Jonathan, don't move." 

I shake my head.  "I'm leaving with Simon. 

Jace moves forward to stop me but Clary sticks out her arm. 
"Jace, don't."

He gives her a questioning look but she returns it with a pleading one. 

She leans over when he doesn't listen and whispers something in his ear. 

He sighs and pulls away, allowing her to keep him on the stairs. 

"I'm sorry we kept you here Jonathan." 
He says.

"We'll tell you everything."  Alec adds.

And they do. 

They tell me about the movies I must go through, and about Matthew, and about how they found me in the fountain, how I was stabbed, how I wasn't ever really a shadow hunter, and how Simon was the piece that was missing from my life. 

It was a lot to take in, I had to be honest. 

All I could do was nod. 

Jace pulled a note out of his pocket and handed it to me.

It looked familiar, and talked about how this was my last chance to find Simon, and I did. 

"This has to be goodbye I guess,". I say to the four of them.  Clary comes over and gives me a hug, Alec and Jace give me awkward bro pats, and Izzy just kind of waves. 

"I guess you'll have to tell Simon that he doesn't have a star wars buddy anymore."
I say, laughing.

Clary nods.  "But I think he'll be okay."

Jace stares at me and gives me an unreadable look. 
"Thanks."  He says playing with his fingers.

"For what?"

He pauses.  "Just thanks."

I nod and take Simons hand.  The area around us begins to blacken and I feel myself slipping away. 

"You're welcome."  I reply, just as the room disappears.

Soon enough we are both in darkness once more, symbolizing the transfer to the next movie. 

I smile, remembering what I heard Clary whisper into Jaces ear. 

"Don't forget how hard love can be.  We figured it out, and he will too, but you need to let him." 

I sigh inaudible to anyone else listening. 

Even Matthew.  He may hear everything I do, everything I think. 

But no matter what he can do, he will never be able to take away my love for one very special person.

Simon.