<10>

26 4 4
                                    

Wondering if I should pick up the pace a bit and get to the more Jalex-y parts or keep at this slow thing? I'm cool with either way but let me know what you'd prefer!

I awoke the next morning with a feeling of happiness. It wasn't five in the morning. It was around noon. That meant today was Saturday. No social interaction, and I get to just lay in bed alllll daaaaaay looooooong. I suddenly remembered that I had a new way of talking to Jack. I took out my phone and typed a message. 

Me: Welp, its Saturday

The response was slow, but it arrived within minutes.

Jack: Y

Jack: Es

Jack: Damn this 

Jack: god

Jack: forsaken te

Jack: Chnology

Jack: !

I laughed to myself. I guess that he really isn't good with it yet. Then again, texting on a cell phone is pretty hard when the buttons have to be pressed over and over again to get the letters that you want. Maybe IM's would be better? Or e-mail? I dunno. Either way, it's better than hanging out in the bathroom all day. 

Me: It takes a little bit of practice. Youll get it eventually

Jack: I h

Jack: Ope so

I laughed again. I think that he's pressing send too early. That's a rookie mistake. But it doesn't always take a rookie, does it?

Me: Sh

Me: ould I

Me: tex

Me: t like

Me: this to m

Me: ake you feel b

Me: etter?

Jack: Sure. I was just messing with you. I really can text like everyone else. I promise.

I laughed at the fact that he'd tricked me just to make me happy.

Jack: I bet that I made you laugh though

Me: Yep. Thought that you were really not good with it for a second there

Me: I'm gonna actually get up today

Jack: I'm so proud. That'd be the first Saturday in months. :) 

I sat up and stretched, putting my phone down. I looked around for a moment before putting my feet on the floor. I walked to the bathroom to see Jack, and also for other reasons. 

When I walked down the hallway, I was surprised to hear how quiet the house was. Even when Helen and Jillian slept in late, Mum and Dad still were up and talking. I wonder if they went out or something? 


After taking care of the bathroom situation and saying hello to Jack in person, I walked down to the kitchen. The house still felt pretty quiet, and almost empty. I called out for someone, still wondering why I was the only one up. "Mum? " I paused when I heard only silence in response. "Dad? " I called his name louder. "Hello? " 

I walked into the kitchen and found a note on the refrigerator. I pulled it off and ran my hand through my hair in frustration while I read it. 

Dear Alex, 

Went out to see a movie. Knew that you wouldn't get out of bed anyway. We'll be back later, don't miss us too much. 

Mum, Dad, Jillian, and Helen

I threw the note on the floor. When it only floated down because it was on a piece of paper, I picked it back up and ripped it over and over. "Damn you all to Hell! How could you?!" I screamed at the paper. I ripped it and ripped it and ripped it until I couldn't rip it any more. I fell to the ground, feeling the room spin faster and faster. Jack, I have to get to Jack. 

I put my hand on the island in the middle of the kitchen and shakily got to my feet. I just had to get upstairs. It's not that hard. Using furniture and the walls for support until I got to the staircase's banister, I slowly made it through the lower level of the house. 

I latched onto the banister and climbed the stairs as best as I could, finally getting closer to Jack. I put my hand against the cream-coloured wall once I was upstairs and walked to the bathroom. "Jack! Jack! " I called. It came out as more of a whine, but it is what it is. 

"What's wrong? You were fine before. O-oh. Alex, breathe. Breathe. " He told me as I sank to the floor gasping. 

"How.... Left..... No...... Without, " I said, trying to explain to him  what happened. 

"Alex, you have to cut me out of here. Please. " 

I nodded. Standing up, knees wobbling. I dug through one of the drawers and found the scissors that I'd been using on the cork board. I took the mirror off of the wall, and began sloppily cutting the cork off. I was almost a third of the way down before I heard Jack again. "Wait, wait. You can come into the mirror, but you have to leave one part of your body outside of it. It's the best thing we've got right now. "

"What? " I could go into the mirror? I dropped the scissors and put my finger onto the back of the mirror. Instead of touching glass, it slid right through into cold air. I felt something touch my fingertip and desperately hoped that it was Jack. I put my whole and through the mirror, then my head. The room inside was pretty small. There was a window in the front of the room that showed the bathroom. Behind me was a surface that looked like water. I kept one foot outside of the mirror and took it all in. This is very strange. The mirror was very cold inside, but Jack seemed pretty much oblivious to it. 

"Hey, Alex, " He said, smiling gently. "Welcome to my home. " He gestured around the small room. "It's not much, but it's all I've got. Are you okay now? " 

I nodded, too astonished to even remember why I was upset in the first place. "Can I just take you out n-" I couldn't even get the word out before I heard someone call my name from the front of the house. Jack, much faster than I, pushed me out of the mirror. 

It hurt getting out of it, but as soon as I was, I resealed the cork board and hung the mirror back up. "Thanks, " I told him. 

Dad came right next to me in that moment, but Jack had disappeared. "Who are you talking to? " He asked. 

I thought about Jack not wanting me to tell anyone, but ignored it. It was too late now. "My friend. He lives in the mirror." 

"I knew that you were lonely, but I didn't know that it was this bad. Alex, I'm so disappointed in you. You think that your reflection is your friend? " 

I shook my head. "No. There's someone in there. He's my age and he has spiky hair. He loves guitar and my voice when I sing in the shower and-" 

But my father held up a hand. "No more, Alex. We're going to get you help for these delusions. " 

"But-"

"But nothing. Go and drink some medicine. " 

"YOU LEFT ME HERE ALONE! YOU ABANDONED ME! IT'S NOT ME, IT'S YOU! " I shouted at him, storming out of the bathroom and slamming my bedroom door as soon as I got there. He's not sending me anywhere. I'm not getting help from anyone. Not as long as I have free will. 

Drink Your Medicine (Jalex)Where stories live. Discover now