Prisons of Life

Rated R for alcohol and violence

The shared fear among men is death. Every other fear we have roots itself in the thought that you may die. Those that can not die see it as their escape though. When one loses their reason to live, one also seeks death, and when it comes they fearfully accept it. A common thought among those that can not die asks why others fear it. Death could take you to paradise, or suffering, or nothing, and yet even though we don't know, we fear it. Speculation is that we fear leaving those we love behind, and that is why mortals are the only ones who fear death, though immortals find love amongst themselves and still long for an end.

The words were told to me in a story I can't quiet remember, though this one I do.

Chapter 1: Reoccurring Dreams.
"Keep running." She yelled at me, "Or would you rather die?" I sprinted behind her out of breath. "You're so pathetic." There was nothing to see in front of me or to the side.

I could feel my breath melting the inside of my mouth, yet I didn't feel like I was going anywhere. "Surely we have run far enough!" I panted heavily like a dog. Though I was inspired to run faster when a roar thundered behind me.

She laughed menacingly and said, "Pathetic." Before I tripped and fell. Instantly I was engulfed in darkness, and felt a burning pain all over. She stood over me with a not amused face, "Absolutely sad." She said before I blacked out.

I awoke in a cold sweat, my blankets were on the floor along with my pillow. I looked at my alarm clock, it was five minutes before I was set to wake up. I rubbed my temples, this was the third month that I had these dreams. I sighed and stood up. The room was still dark due to a rain storm, though since it was small the little light from my alarm clock and what little sunshine made it through the clouds, I could see well enough. That was good too considering my roommate preferred sleeping in and wouldn't want any lights on. Other than the bunk bed, there were two desks that faced opposite walls and an area, separated by half walls that acted as a kitchen. I was told that these rooms were the most luxurious and expensive, though that didn't matter since I was on a scholarship sponsored by an anonymous donor. Of course my family didn't think much of it, I made extraordinary grades, and I was able to take and ace all AP classes, a mysterious donor wasn't that surprising to me.

I went to the kitchen sink and washed the sweat off my face. My brown hair fell in front of my eyes and it made water drip on my shirt. "Another bad dream?" I heard a weary voice say behind me.

"I wouldn't call them bad." I explained, "I mean, it's always me doing something really physical like running or lifting, then I end of failing and an intense pain comes across me." I never told him about the girl, even though she was also in every dream. I had never seen her before, and I had my old yearbooks sent to me just to clarify. He would've thought I was crazy.

"Well David," He yawned, then jumped down, "I bet you anything that it's a message." He pointed at his skull, "Right from here, sayin 'David you should totally work out!' I guarantee it!" His imitation of my voice was painful. He possessed a much deeper voice than I did, probably due to his rather large size. I was around 5"6 only ten inches smaller than he was, but he was all muscle and the voice he had matched the brawn. His imitation sounded more like he was imitating a girl, and his voice cracked because of it.

I genuinely laughed, Jared was a very enjoyable person, and even though he was strong and spent more time working out than studying, he was still a smart guy. "I'm sure it does. Though I never have the motivation to do it." I cracked two eggs on the skillet, one for both of us.
"Make one for me too!" He said, brushing his hair.

"Yea yea, scrambled eggs, I know." I added pepper and salt, pretty much the only thing we could both agree we liked on our eggs. "So you got a big game today?"

He shook his head, "Normally games are on Fridays, but there is a big festival today with a bunch of schools and locals visiting. They want to show off the best this school has." He was laying out a formal black suit, the kind you wear to a wedding, then gently hung it on the rail of the top bunk. "The whole football team has to dress up nicely and act as servants for the event." He then pulled out his school uniform and put it next to mine on my bed. "Real boring I have heard, you just take orders and bring food."

"Only the football team?" Our school was known in Massachusetts for having the best sports programs, along with the highest scores among players. They offered every sport from fencing to soccer to ultimate frisby. I never did sports, not for lack of time though, just a lack of motivation. "What about the track team, or cheerleaders?" I pulled out two small plates and split the scrambled eggs between them. I set one down on the mat on the floor, then sat next to it an began eating.

"Christ David eat with a fork." He tossed me a plastic fork from the kitchen, and I wiped my hands on my pajama shirt. He as down in front of me, "The track team is in charge of set up and clean up. The cheerleaders are going to give a performance with the school band." He ate very nicely for a brute, his manners were much more refined than mine. "Otherwise there's just volunteers from other sports and clubs." We finished eating the small meal that warranted a complaint from Jared. "You aren't going to skip this event are you?" He said while cleaning the dishes, "As a Freshman you can use the chance to meet new people." I placed my dish in the sink and laughed.

"Yea, I wouldn't skip it for the world." I laughed because even if I did skip it, I would have nothing else to do tonight. "Maybe you'll serve me and a girlfriend."

"Yea right kid." He joked, "Maybe a dog friend." We both laughed and got our clothes to go to the washroom. "I hear the local girls, the ones that go to the public highschool are smokin." He said quietly. "For them, this festival is the best place to show off." The way he spoke was like he was telling me a dirty secret.

"Well we'll have to see tonight won't we." I said in a normal voice, "I'm sure the suit will attract all the ladies." The bathroom was just ahead

He jabbed me in the shoulder playfully, "I bet your popstar face and hair will attract all the men!" Again we both laughed.

The people we meet will never understand us fully. Though that's okay, because even when you live a hundred years, you'll probably never understand yourself either. Humans have come to accept this fact, probably because they live short lives, though we seek understanding. Some of us are attracted to it, some of us have made it our only goal. Not being understood may be a cause for loneliness, though since we are all lonely it is doubtful that anybody could say for sure. Humans, like us, are social, and long amounts of time being lonely will drive either insane.

I remember this paragraph from some book, though I never was able to remember the name of the book.

Chapter 2: Reoccurring Characters
I always showered at the far end of the large bathroom. I didn't enjoy being seen exposed, nor did I like being reminded how weak I looked compared to the sports players (and pretty much everyone in this school was a sports player). I took my shower and dressed alone. Jared had met up with his team because they volunteered to help the track team set up. I saw it as an excuse to get out of class, the school saw it as school spirit.

The school was co-Ed but the boys and girls had separate buildings to live in. The school lied in between the two buildings, and the teachers lived in another building behind that. The family that built and finances the school is said to be as old as Massachusetts itself, and the school has been around since the civil war. The town was built around the school as legends go, and the only things that have changed are the students' buildings which have only been renovated or added on to (except one time where one of the students accidentally burned down the top half of the boys dorms, then they decided to just rebuild the entire building, then when all the girls complained, they rebuilt their building too.) Many tourists mistake the campus for a college, and oftentimes we get people who ask us how we got in so young.

Walking from the boys dorm to the school building takes five minutes, and shoveling snow is put upon the students. This is meant to build community and friendship among students, though it really just makes more work for the people who don't do winter sports. Regardless, the shoveling gets done the day it snows, and most people don't dare to refuse the work, sometimes if we finish early, we will shovel the courtyards too, anything for something to do.

"Hey David!" I heard a female voice call, "Hey wait up."

I stopped and waited for her, "Oh, hey, what's up." I said.

"Been super busy with this festival! They put our committee in charge of all the dances and music." She always smiled in a friendly way, and she was very beautiful. Honestly I never understood why we were friends.

"Don't they need only one person to do the music?" I asked.

"No, we have to set up tables in the dance hall so they aren't in the way, and if it gets too crowded we have to be prepared to extend to the gym." She waved at a few other friends then continued, "I know you'll be there! Are you taking a special girl?" Her voice was always high pitched, though it was a sweet sound. Kind of like a piano. I always thought I sounded like a saxophone, though then I heard jazz music and believed that was too self righteous.

I put my hands in my pockets and shook my head no, "Jared says there's a lot of pretty girls from the local town there." It wasn't the answer to the question she asked, but I thought it fit anyways. "I figure maybe I'll meet one of them."

She huffed, "Jared is such an idiot. I don't even know why you guys are friends, he's like the exact opposite of you."

I laughed, "You don't give him enough credit. He's as good as me at math."

"You and I know that is untrue, you are probably smarter than the teacher." She said it like it was a fact. Honestly, it probably was true as far other students were concerned. I had a reputation for knowing everything, though most times I felt like I knew nothing. I was even offered the chance to skip to university, though my parents said I wasn't mature enough and I'd lose the social experiences of school. When it came down to my choice, I chose to go the normal route. I didn't want to be someone who was different than the normal. "Hell, I'm sure you could be a teacher."

I laughed, "I lack the knowledge of how to speak, and anyways I'm just good at retaining information."

"Well people say that when you answer, it always sounds like you are remembering it. But not like remembering a lesson, they say it's like you knew it since you were a baby." It was true that everything I knew was engraved in my mind, but I always thought everything I knew was common knowledge.

The intercom blared and the secretary spoke in a happy voice. Of course everyone remained silent and listened. Even in the courtyard, one could easily hear announcements, but teachers made a big deal about ignoring them, so nobody did. "Attention students, due to festivities, all students not involved will be required to attend directed study in your assigned home room. Any students caught skipping, and not volunteering will receive immediate punishment." She hung up and everyone went about their business.

"Would hate to see what she means by punishment." I said.

"Nobody knows." She laughed, "Upperclassmen have never skipped it before." I was surprised by that. This school was very orderly. "Hey I know! Instead of being a bum, why don't you help set up?"

"Won't I receive a skip?" I asked. We were now just aimlessly wandering the halls until the bell rang. I found it odd how fast time was when you were talking to someone.

"No, I'm class president remember! Consider yourself a student rep." I wondered if she actually had that power, though I figured it was worth the risk. "I'll tell the school president you are assisting me."

I nodded my head, "Then I'll be there to help." We walked to the gym, where some students were already sweeping and mopping the floor. Luckily the school president was there as well, "Hey Derrick, working early?"

"Hey David, hey Jan. What brings you here this early?" He was very busy with a checklist, and I bet he was in charge of the entire program. The school did very little, yet took most of the credit.

"It's Jennifer!" She stomped, "Or Jen, with an E."

"I apologize." He said very formally. His voice had power, though not like Jared's, his was more like a politician. "I'm very preoccupied at the moment. I won't be the first president to let the event fall apart." I could see his determination. Something I believed was rare for his age, even if he was a senior. "Is there something urgent Jennifer?"

"Uh yes sir." The sir seemed odd when it was a student to student conversation, but Derrick demanded that kind of respect with his very presence. I must have been immune. "Can you get David a pass to help set up?"

"Well we are by no means short handed." He said, still not looking up. He looked at Jen though and sighed. She was giving the most pitiful face she could, and it worked wonders. "But I guess he can act as your assistant or something. You're responsible for what he does though."

"Yep, understood!" She said excitedly.

He flipped through the pages on his clipboard, getting to a small booklet of papers. He wrote down on it, then tore it out and handed it to me. "You are to do anything Jennifer says for the rest of the day, understood?" I nodded, "Good, take that to your home room teacher." Suddenly one of the junior girls fell from standing on a chair, there was a crash and she was visibly in pain. "Please excuse me." He said, placing the clipboard on a table. He ran over to the girl and kneeled down to look at the injury. The girl had tears o her face but nodded to any questions he asked. He then lifted her up and walked toward the door, right past us. "Julia you are in charge until I get back." He commanded.

"You hear that? I'm in charge of you all day." She flipped her black hair playfully, "You're my servant."

I laughed kindly, "I suppose it could be worse."

"What is that supposed to mean." She said in a fake, hurt way.

"Nothing, I'm glad that you did this for me." We began walking out of the gym to my home room.

"Don't think you're getting out of work David!" She said, "Since we are two people, we are going to work three times as hard!" I didn't even understand how that math worked, though I laughed anyways, "Don't laugh at that! Just for that you have to carry me to your home room!" I shook my head no, "Its an order, or should I say you are skipping."

"Fine fine, get on." I crouched down and let her get on my back. She was lighter than I thought, and I was genuinely surprised I could easily lift her. "Happy?"

"Nope, we aren't to our destination yet." I carried her to the elevator and pushed the button. Even though the building was only three stories, the handicapped program raised enough funds to install elevators around the school. "No no no! Take the stairs."

"But..." She kicked her heel into my thigh, "I'm not a horse you know!"

"Giddy-up!" I sighed and walked to the stairs. I had to climb all the up to the third floor. I got up to the second floor without losing breath, which prompted Jen to say, "Are you sure you don't work out?" I nodded my head yes, "Naturally strong and smart? You must be a genetically altered android like in that movie we saw." Of course I laughed, something a robot never did. "Though, you have feelings, so you must be an alien!" I never enjoyed hearing such things, playful or not. Even as compliments, they always stung, so when I got to the third floor I feigned exhaustion.

"It's..." I took a deep breath, "Ahead." I expressed the h, like any exhausted person would. Of course on the way, many people had watched, and out of context it may have looked odd, or inappropriate. Then again, even in context it was inappropriate, and I was sure rumors would spread now.

"You can let me down here then servant!" She said in her best princess like expression.

"This is an abuse of power!" I said, still faking tiredness.

"I guess you don't want this then." She waved my pass in front of me, I realized she must have took it out of my pocket. "Yes? Well then let's go!"

"You are enjoying this too much." I said.

"Keep at it and you'll be carrying me at the party too. I'll bring the pass!" She said, walking into the class. The teacher and her were good friends, they talked about sit coms and each others clothes and jewelry.

I shut everything out and leaned against the wall. It was very much like I was in a daydream, and I knew I would be standing here for a good twenty minutes, so I just thought freely. I closed my eyes and just relaxed.

Author's note
I'm pretty sure I've only done one story here before, and it was rather tragic. There are a few things I wish to say about the story, then myself.
About the Story
1. I apologize for not utilizing background, or color text, but I lack the experience to do such things. I hope this does not deter you from reading my story.
2. The title "Prisons of Life" is not meant to lead you to believe this story will be sad, though there will be emotion, I will try to keep the tone very bright. The title has meaning in latter chapters.
3. I will post a new chapter as soon as I can, depending on the day I might post one in two day in succession, or post one a week. I can not and will not promise anything.
4. This story is action oriented, although the first few chapters will seem to contradict this, they are merely setting up the story. (Think first episode of a good anime, the first ten minutes involves introductions.)
5. All names in this story represent nobody in real life. I used very common names on purpose.
6. Though this has a rating of R, I merely put that so I would have more freedom to do more extreme things. If I see no need in the future to have such a restriction, I will lower it to PG-13.
7. I will put the chapters in a dropbox, if you want me to share that folder, just shoot me a PM with your email.
About me
1. My schedule and motivation are not constant, please be patient if I take long to post. I will ask to close the thread if I drop the story entirely.
2. I have actually taken the main character, and based it loosely on me. In a way, that makes him real to me.
3. I take critisim to mind, one of my best qualities (maybe my only good one) is that I've always learned from others. Not a word of critisim will offend, or otherwise be ignored by me.
4. I don't take slander well, and if it appears I will ignore it and probably tell a moderator.

I hope you enjoy it also here's a question for anyone who read this: Do you wish for a summary of sorts after a certain amount of chapters?

The general emotions we feel are the same as theirs. When we are in pain we scream, and when we lose something we cry. Yet I can't help but feel that we are weaker than them, not because we succumb to these emotions quicker. It is just the opposite of that actually, our feelings are not easy to express, at first I thought it was just me. After observation and reflection of all of us, I have now found that we are much more unaware of any emotion except those that are immediately appropriate. I am convinced that humans are superior than us.

I wish I could remember what this was from.

Chapter 3: Reoccurring Emotions
"You are so pathetic." The girl from my dreams appeared before me.

"Am I asleep?" I obviously knew the answer, but I wanted clarification.

"If you have to ask that, then you are not nearly as smart as I thought." She said with sarcasm, "Five months of training and you are still pitiful."

"It's only been three months..." I replied.

"Keeping count?" She said unimpressed, "Well I'm getting tired of only meeting you in your dreams. I'll see you tonight."

"Wait, you're real?" I asked surprised.

"Ever heard of anyone who mysteriously gets stronger over three months, and coincidentally has the exact same type of dreams?" She was very mean about how she said it, like I was some kind of idiot.

"When will I see see you? Will you look like that? Who are you?" I asked all of these questions rapidly as she began to fade.

"I just came to tell you in advance," She ignored my questions, "As for who I am, I'm the girl of your dreams." I heard a maniacal laugh and woke up.

I was sitting on the floor, and I noticed I was sweating a little bit. I was also pretty tired, and I realized that I couldn't remember what happened in the dream. Just the fact that I had the dream. Jen stepped out, saying a few parting words to the teacher. "Sorry that took so long."

I stood up and shook my head, "It isn't a problem, should we get to work?"

"Yea, our first duty is to set up the chairs and stands for the school's orchestra." She was looking at a list she had pulled up on her phone. "Then we have to make sure concessions are set up properly." She scrolled down, "Then we have to make sure every chair is set up exactly according to this chart." She handed my the phone and I could see over two hundred chairs meant to be set up. "That's just in the auditorium, we also have to organize the chairs out on the football field for the fireworks show." There were less chairs out there, but by observation I could see the chairs were placed so the elderly and the crippled wouldn't have to sit on a blanket or in the grass if necessary.

"These organization charts are well thought of." I said, "This is extremely detailed and thought out." Specific areas were made for those in wheelchairs, right near the middle and front, and if more chairs were needed, there was plenty of space for more. "They even considered the giant lizard monster!"

"Give me that!" She said, taking the phone, "Derrick is taking this very seriously. I'm pretty sure he's lost sleep on this."

"What's so special about this party? Isn't just some school held event, only kids and their parents will show up." We began walking down the stairs toward the storehouse for chairs.

"It is what represents him as the school's student president. The party is renown for being one of the largest festival ever." She was a local to the town, and from what I could gather had always wanted to go to this school. "University scouts come here, sometimes the governor, and many important figures in companies. Not only does the school receive ticket funds and prestige, but the students get to show off as well."

"Still, why is it so large? I mean the school makes a lot of money off the students alone, and the students here are already some of the best. What possible reason could the people have to come here?"

"When I was a kid me and my parents would come here every year." She said nostalgically, "My best memories were of watching the bands play, the dances, and fireworks. It was the reason I wanted to go here. I knew that if I made it into this school, I'd be respected, I would be higher than a normal student."

"I still don't get it." I said confused.

"The festival shows us the highest limits students can achieve. It shows our drive to do something grand." I noticed she was very passionate about this, "That's why they have students do the entire thing." I nodded, understanding.

"I suppose I would enjoy watching the greatest things." I said, "Kind of makes this seem more important when you think of it that way." I honestly did have more respect for Derrick. He wasn't worried just about his honor, but the honor of his friends and fellow students. At least I hoped he was that noble. Some students and us carted large racks of chairs to the field and auditorium.

It took us two hours to set up all of the chairs in both the auditorium and field. As it turned out, the other person involved was reassigned because of the injured girl and my volunteering. Jen only really helped out in the field, and supervised the auditorium setup. By the end, my arms were very sore from the repetitive motions. When we were done, and looked at my work, we deemed it very adequate and began work on the orchestra's chairs and stands. "Okay so where's the chart for this one?" I asked.

"Each stand will have two chairs, and they should be organized in a half circle. There isn't a specific chart though, all I have is this list of players and their instruments." I nodded and we both began work setting up the stage.

"By they way, Jarred said the track team was in charge of set up, what happened?" I asked her while working. My voice echoed around the auditorium, it was very large, like the size of a city type one. To me, everything in this school was grand and excessive.

"The track team is in charge of invitations, security, and concessions." She huffed annoyed, "Which was student council's job, until we were forced to switch due to complaints."

"What complaints?" We had picked up an unspoken system that I would get the chairs and she would get the stands. It was fairly efficient and made the work much quicker, I just hated unfolding chairs at that point.

"It was too much work to set up, and it would leave the team fatigued for tomorrow's meet." As much work as this was, it wasn't intensive and probably wouldn't even affect the team tomorrow. "It's a load of crap!" She yelled, "Now we get stuck doing all the hard work!"

"Uh, I did most of the hard work." I corrected, "You supervised." I did air quotes on supervise, "If anything, I should be angry."

"Well at least we won't have to work much during the festival!" She said optimistically, "Which means you can flirt with all the local girls."

I laughed and replied, "You're technically a local right?"

Her face turned bright red, and she nervously answered, "Yea, but."

I saw that she wasn't exactly expecting that response, so I added in, "Will your family be there?"

She was both disappointed and relieved. Though I couldn't understand why. She answered, "Y-yes, they'll be there with my two year old brother." I nodded, "I'm really excited, they said they couldn't wait." We worked silently thinking to ourselves.

Soon enough the festivities began full force. At some point Jen and I had separated with the promise to meet up before the party ended. She had gone to look for her family. As people arrived, I noticed that there was a large gap in the attire everyone wore. Some students were in school uniform, while others were in formal attire, and others just wore whatever they wanted. A lot of high school kids I had never seen before were wearing jeans and a t-shirt at best. The only consistencies in attire were the adults who all dressed nicely, but not with a suit or fancy dress.

I mingled about for two hours, getting in shallow conversations with girls who would rather be fawning over the well dressed football players. "Did you know there are certain organisms that never age?" I said to a particularly attentive girl with brown streak blonde hair.

"What?" She was staring at Jarred, which amused me. "Do you know who that is?" She said.

I felt like having some fun so I answered, "That's my boyfriend."

Suddenly she was very interested "No way." She said in disbelief. I nodded, "Does that means you guys are..."

"Yep, they're real accepting here." I wasn't getting as much enjoyment out of this as I thought it would, and I actually began feeling guilty when she looked disappointed. "No, I'm kidding, he's just my roommate." To up her spirits more I added in, "He doesn't have a girlfriend."

She laughed, though I thought it was fake, and said "So, he's single?" I nodded, "Do you think you could introduce us then?"

I shrugged, it wasn't like it would be hard to do, "Hey Jarred!" I called, "Come over here."

He walked over here very formally, they must have practiced it, because his steps were planned, it was like dancing. "Can I get you guys something?"

"This girl wants me to introduce you." I said, "Also have you seen Jen?"

He thought for a moment and then answered, "I saw her with an adult couple with a child, must be family. By the way does she hate me or something?" We both were talking as if the girl wasn't there, which honestly didn't bother me too much.

"Ahem." She coughed, "Hello I'm Sara." She acted like she was meeting a king, and her voice was much more involved than when she spoke to me.

Jarred look at me, and I just shrugged and stood up, "I'll leave you two alone, cya."

"Dude, Jen said to remember to meet up later." I nodded and then waved, hearing them chat as I faded away.

Of all the people at that party, there were two that really stood out. I had seen them frequently throughout the night, and although they looked normal, it always seemed like they were in the same place as me. One was a girl, who looked my age, but I noticed she had been drinking excessively all night. Every time I saw her, she was drinking from a wine glass. She was very attractive though, and I was most mesmerized by her eye color. Her eyes were a distinct purple, something that surprised me because they were the same as mine. The difference was that I wore contacts that made my eye color brown after I found out that purple wasn't common or even observed, yet she had them, and didn't even care. The other person was a man who could be anywhere between his twenty and forties, and he looked like a bouncer. There wasn't very much else about him that stood out but that though, his entire appearance was average.

I reasoned they were not a couple, as they hardly ever made physical contact, and the girl seemed to lead everywhere they went. Eventually I admitted to myself that the reason I had been seeing them everywhere I went was because I had been following them. I wanted to meet that girl very badly, and yet I was intimidated by her. Eventually I managed to muster the strength to give up, I wanted to see Jen.

I didn't have to look hard at all, as it turned out, Jen had been looking for me as well. "So are you enjoying the party?" She said.

"Yea it's cool." In honesty, I was hardly at this party. My mind wasn't taking in my surroundings. "What about you?"

"My parents took the baby home to sleep, I think they really liked it." I had taken a plastic cup and poured wine in it. There was nobody really there to stop me, and I was bored, so I decided to have some.

"I asked about you though, are you having fun?" Halfway through the cup, I felt its effects, I was a lightweight.

"David is that wine?" She snapped. She took the cup and smelled it, "You know we are underaged." She said.

"It's only a little, it's not like I'm going to get smashed." I defended. Regardless she poured it into the grass. "Tasted bad anyways." I grumbled.

"Let's go to the dance!" She said to change the subject, "I mean, uh, if that sounds fun."

I smiled kindly and nodded, "Yea let's go." She glowed and grabbed my hand, pulling me to the gym. Inside was like a nightclub, lights were blinking. There were colors everywhere, and playing loudly over the people was techno music. Of course it was free dance right then, so we just talked and danced. Then the DJ at some point stopped the music, hushed the crowd, and said real smoothly, "It's time to do a little event! We are gonna do slow music with a twist! Don't dance with the girl or guy you came in here with, cause its the slow mix dance." He dimmed all the lights, and played quiet slow music. Not really into to the spirit of the event, I reached for Jen.

"Hey! I know for a fact that you came in her with her." A voice said behind me, "Didn't you there that DJ?" I turned around and saw the face of a girl with purple eyes. This was not the same girl I had been following all night. I couldn't think of a reason why she was even talking to me. "Well are you going to stand there like a tree?" She said.

Jen was speechless, "well, uh..."

"Relax, I'm just gonna dance with him for a little bit." She said, "If you want, you can have him right after."

Jen looked at me for confirmation, though even I didn't have an answer. Though I really wanted to have one. "I promise I will dance with you for the rest of the night." Jen nodded her head and feigned a smile.

The girl took the lead, she was exceptional at dancing and practically carried me through the dance. "Do you know who I am?" She said. She was short, like her head was just barely above my chest.

"No." I answered, amazed at how well this girl was at dancing.

"Oh." Her voice was disappointed, but she wasn't looking at me so I couldn't tell. Instead she had her head resting on my chest, I was sure she could hear my heart beating of nervousness. "Well my name is Diana, you don't know it yet, but you are the most important person in my life." To hear that, right here, in this place, was absolutely heart stopping. This beautiful girl, probably older than twenty one, was telling me how important I was to her.

"I think you have the wrong guy." I said.

"David, why do you wear colored contact lenses?" I stopped, and she stepped on my feet. "Why did you stop?" She asked without looking, then began the dance again. I was helpless to stop her.

"How do you know about my eyes?" I said quietly. "And how do you know my name?"

She didn't say anything in response, and there was no way I could make her. "Your heart is beating very quickly." She said suddenly. "Are you sure you don't remember me?" She sounded hopeful, like she had been wanting me to remember her the entire time. The only problem was, I had no lost memories, I could vividly remember everything. I knew for a fact that I had never met this girl, and I knew for a fact I never lost any memories before.

I was going to ignore her question like she had ignored mine, yet I couldn't bring myself to ignore her. "I think I'd remember somebody like you." The music was ending now.

"At least you danced with me." She said as we stopped. She finally looked up at me, and I could see streaks of tears on her face. Suddenly I felt very weak. "Goodbye."

After that dance, she left alone and without a word. Jarred would later tell me that nobody had seen that girl before, and she wasn't any local. Jen also came up to me after the dance, she had been sitting silently at a table, "Do you know who that was?" She asked curiously.

I shook my head solemnly, "She thinks I should, but she knows me." I had to say it out loud, it was sitting in my head.

Suddenly I felt myself jerked around, the two people I had been following were standing before me. The girl was angry, and the man stood uncaring next to her. "What did she say to you!?" She said with venom. I didn't answer, "What did she say David!?" She was interrogating me, but I still didn't answer. I had no idea how she was connected to Diana, but I figured it wasn't a good connection. She looked at the large man and grunted, "I don't have time for this," She said speaking to him, "Grab him and let's go."

"Hey!" I said as he grabbed my arm, "Back off, what do you think you are doing."

"David?" Jen said confusedly, "Who are these people?"

"Look girl, if you know what's good for you and for him, you'll leave us alone." The girl said, "He will be back tomorrow." Talking to Jen, she was much more soft in her words, as if she only hatted me. I saw them lock eyes and then Jen submissively nodded and walked away. "Let's go." She said, back to her angry tone.

"Where are we going?"

"For a walk."

"Where."

"Where what?"

"Are we going?"

"For a walk."

"Where are we walking?" I asked annoyed.

"With us."

"But where?" She began walking out, and no amount of resistance on my part could stop me from being forced along. Nobody cared, nobody took notice. She took me all the way off campus, into town, I had begun to have fear. "Look I don't know what you want with me..." I said. He dragged me into a small house and threw me in a chair.

"I want to know what she said to you." She commanded.

I tried to play stupid, "Who?" I said.

"Diana!"

"What did she look like?"

She pulled out a gun I had not noticed was in her dress and shot me in the leg. I screamed in pain, it hurt badly, "I'm not playing games." She yelled. "What did she say?"

"She just told me her name." I said, crying. I had no idea why this was happening to me. The answer didn't look like it satisfied her and she aimed at my other leg.

"What else did she say? Does she know who you are?!"

"Who are you people?" I wailed.

She shot me again, and the pain was very intense. "You are putting a lot of people in danger David." She yelled, "Was this the first time you saw her?"

"Yes I swear." I said.

"You're pathetic." She said. "You better hope we will be able to stop her." She looked at the large man and nodded. He took his massive hand and punched me hard enough to knock me out.


Authors note
Lots going on huh, this story is going to start picking up pace (which is why this one is so long). Already we got a lot of people introduced, and if it seems like too many, I'll happily make character summaries.

When ideas arise among humans, I find it hard to make them die.

Chapter 4: Reoccurring Routines
"David get up." I slowly opened my eyes, Jarred was standing over me. The room was bathed in sunlight, and I had a massive headache. "Dude it's almost noon, how much did you drink?" He said cheerily.

"Only half a cup." I answered tiredly, "Hey when did I get back?"

"I don't know, you where here when I got here." He said, "Are you seriously saying you have no memory of what happened last night?"

As a matter of fact I did. I remember being shot twice, and I remember dancing. I began remembering everything, and I threw my blankets off of me and looked at my legs. They both were perfectly fine, and they didn't hurt, yet I could vividly remember the pain.

"Are you okay man? You seem a little flushed."

"I'm not sure." I said in disbelief. I thought I had dreamed the kidnapping, the dance, and everything else. There was only one person who I could ask. "Hey have you seen Jen? Or did you see her last night?"

"Uh, I haven't seen her today, I've been helping with clean up. Last night I saw her go back to her room pretty early though." She must have gone home after the girl told her I'd be back today. "I actually tried to call her on the request of Derrick, but she never answered. She might still be sleeping."

I got out of bed to put on a t-shirt and jeans. "Hey I have to go." I said, "Thanks for waking me up."

I rushed out the door, "Hey are you at least going to eat something?" He asked.

"I'll get something from the Cafe." I answered hurrying down the stairs.

My thoughts were racing and chaotic. What did all of that mean last night? Why did they both know my name? I walked briskly to the girl's dorm. When I got there I climbed the stairs to her room and pounded on the door, "Jen!" I called, "It's David, are you there?" I heard footsteps and gave a sigh of relief. Though it was short lived when I saw it wasn't Jen at the door. Instead it was the girl from last night. "W-why are you here?" I asked, stuttering.

"We had to move your friend to a safe place." She said, "Diana is here and she saw you with the girl all day. We are waiting here to catch her."

"Why would Diana come here?" I asked. I looked for where she might be keeping her gun, but I couldn't find it.

"Look, it isn't safe for you to be here." She said sternly, "Your friend is fine, you'll see her as soon as this is all over."

I didn't trust this girl at all, she had shot me, kidnapped my friend, and was telling me that one of the most innocent girls I knew was out to harm Jen. "Why should I trust you? I don't even know your name."

"Is a name all it takes to get rid of you?" She asked annoyed.

"It will help." I replied.

"Kat." She answered, "With a K. Now go away."

"That isn't a name!" I said back, but she pulled me inside suddenly and slammed the door.

"This isn't the time!" She said, "Do you remember where we took you last night?"

"You mean where you kidnapped me?"

"Whatever, if you want to really know how serious this is, and you want to assure the safety of your friend, go there."

"I don't remember how to get there."

She sighed heavily and looked out the window and then the door. "Do you remember what the room looks like she said quietly."

"Yea..."

"Think of it in your mind and close your eyes." I did as she instructed reluctantly.

When I opened my eyes, I was looking directly at the chair I had been thrown in. It was the most vivid memory I and of the room, so naturally it was all I could remember. I thought I was still imagining so I reached out to touch the chair. It was soft. "Welcome Master David." A deep voice said behind me. It startled me.

"Uh, sorry, I'm not sure how I got here." I said bewildered.

"Please remove your shoes, Lady Kat does not enjoy dirt on her floor." I felt rather guilty then, her name actually was Kat. I removed my shoes and picked them up. The large man took them from my hands, "I will put these by the front door."

"Excuse me, but how did I get here?"

"I am not allowed to answer questions that Lady Kat has not told me to answer."

"What questions can I answer?"

"That question is not answerable, there are too many answers." He said walking away.

I caught up to the massive man and pressed on, "Are you guys part of a gang? The government? Some secret organization?"

"We are two people." He replied, "Lady Kat belongs to nobody, I belong to Lady Kat."

"Are you a slave?"

"Not to lady Kat."

"Then to who?"

"I can't answer that question."

"Kat said Jen was here, where is she?" I asked.

"Your friend is awaiting upstairs. You may see her, then you must leave."

"Why?"

"We were asked to not let you get involved."

"Who asked you that?"

"I can't answer that question." He placed my shoes on the floor and went into the kitchen. He had been preparing two plates of food. He handed me one, "Bring this up to your friend."

"Who's food is that?" I asked pointing to the other plate.

"Lady Kat." I nodded in understanding, "I will prepare you a plate as well." He said. "Please be downstairs in twenty minutes." I nodded and brought the plate for Jen upstairs. There was a chicken breast, rice with vegetables, and three slices of pineapple. It was large for a lunch in my opinion, but it did look good.

I walked through the hallway toward the only room with a light on. I half expected Jen to be tied down, or locked in a room, but when I got to her room she was sitting at on a bed watching TV. "Jen?" I said confused.

"David!" She said excitedly, she ran up and gave me a hug, "How did you get here? Why are you here? Is that for me?" She seemed very content, and it made me wonder why.

I handed her the plate, which she took graciously, and said, "I came here looking for you, did they do anything to you?"

She shook her head, "They came to me last night while I was sleeping. The nice girl Kat told me I needed to stay at her house for a little bit."

"You didn't find that suspicious?" She acted like nothing was wrong, as if this was normal. It was strange.

"Why would I? By the way, how long have you had purple eyes?" She asked looking directly in my eyes, "Are you wearing contacts?" I panicked a little, I had forgotten to put my contacts in this morning.

"No, I usually wear contacts to cover them up though."

"I wouldn't see why, I think they look a lot better that way." She walked into the room and sat on the bed, "They said I could go back as soon as they said." She said eating the pineapple, which was the only thing she could eat with a fork. "Could you get me a fork?"

"Why don't you come downstairs with me?" I said hopefully, maybe should would have followed me out.

"I'm not allowed to leave this room." She said, "I promised." I couldn't make sense of what was going on. I walked downstairs and asked the man for a fork. He walked to a drawer and pulled one out. "Bring this up then come straight down. Your friend must be left alone."

"Why?"

"If she has any strong memories of this place, she will be in danger." He said in a monotone voice.

"Who is making her be in danger!?" I snapped back

"Bring the fork and I will answer." I out-haled then went upstairs to give Jen the fork. She was sitting on the bed, finishing her pineapple. I placed the fork on the bed next to her, but she didn't notice. I looked at the screen to see it was just a movie that was in theaters.

After I walked downstairs I sat at a table next to the kitchen, "Who is endangering Jen?"

"You are."

"I wouldn't do a thing to hurt her."

"Other people don't want to hurt her either."

"I don't get it, why is she in danger?"

"They want to hurt you." He placed a plate of pancakes in front of me, along with a pitcher of syrup.

"Then why is she in danger!?" I retorted.

"She is close to you. Naturally you would be hurt by her loss." He poured the syrup over my pancakes, went into the kitchen and gave me a fork and knife. He also got me a glass of milk. "Who wants to hurt me?" He said, "Is that your next question?" I think he asked me because my mouth was full.

"Yes..." I said, swallowing my latest bite. I was very hungry and these pancakes were good.

"I can't answer that." I sighed. "Are you discontent with the pancakes?"

"No they are fine." I said, "Who taught you how to make them?"

"Somebody like you who asks too many questions." He answered. I laughed at what was probably a joke, though he simply stood there looking down at me.

"What else can you tell me?"

"I can only tell you if you ask a question."

"What questions should I ask to get answers?"

"Any question I'm allowed to answer."

"What questions are those?"

"I'm not allowed to answer that."

I sighed. I realized that he was very autonomous about his answers. "What is your name?"

"I don't have a name."

"Who doesn't have a name?" I asked shocked.

"Nobody."

"Then what's your name."

"I have no name." I exhaled annoyed by his answers. Everything about him was a loop.

"What if I give you a name?" I asked.

"I won't accept it."

"Why not?" I finished my pancakes and felt very full.

"It isn't my job."

"Who's job is it to not have a name?"

"Nobody's." He bowed and went into the kitchen, "Lady Kat is going to arrive soon and I must prepare. Your arrival and rudeness has left a dirt trail near her chair." He went into the kitchen to get a broom and began sweeping the entire house.

"I'm not leaving until she gets here." I said stubbornly, "She owes me answers."

"She owes you nothing." He said monotonically, "Though you may hear it from her if you wish." Somehow that last part curbed my bravery. Actually it cut it in half, and it was obvious why; I feared her.

I stayed at the dining room table, watching the nameless man sweep. I was more curious than confused, though I was more afraid than curious. After an hour I heard the door slam open, and I heard an exchange. "Hello Lady Kat. Did all go as planned."

Kat sounded angry, "She never showed up." She growled, I could here shoes being kicked to the wall, "Did David make it here okay?"

"Yes ma'am, he is awaiting patiently in the dining room."

"You didn't make him leave!?"

I began to slightly regret staying there, "He insisted on remaining here, and you did not give me any command to make him leave."

She sighed angrily, audible through the wall. "What does he want?"

"To ask you questions."

"Wheres my gun? That'll make him leave." I fell out of my chair in surprise, she didn't even give me a chance.

"That wouldn't be very wise Miss Kat, it would make it difficult for him to trust you if you keep inflicting pain on him."

I praised that man endlessly, if he could stop her from shooting me, there was no way he was a bad guy. "Fine I guess," I silently cheered as she said that, suddenly she yelled, "Get in here David."

Like a scared puppy, I slowly walked into the room, I didn't want to give her a reason to shoot me. "I want to ask you some questions."

"You didn't answer any of mine last night." She growled. "So why should I tell you a single thing?"

The question was extremely fair, and I thought for a moment, then responded, "Then let's ask each other. One for one questions."

She looked at the roof while tapping her crossed arm. She then looked at the nameless man, who gave no response, visual or verbal. "Fine."

"Ok you start."

"Was the party the only time you have seen Diana?" The question was disappointing because I expected other questions. Though I wasn't really sure what I expected.

"Yes." I said, "She came to me during the dance." She was about to quickly ask another, but I stopped her, "My turn." I said, "Is she really that dangerous."

"That is a stupid question."

"I answered your question fully."

She sighed, frowning, "Yes, she is incredibly dangerous." I nodded, accepting the answer then I waited for her question. "What did she say?"

I remembered back, "She seemed to think I knew her. She kept telling me I was important to her." She have no response, this conversation wasn't in her lead, and it visibly bothered her. "Why is she dangerous? She seemed nice at the party."

"She is a very jealous person." Kat said grimly, "She is lost." There was a silence, then her next question came quietly, "Is there anything else? Has something been different in the past few months?"

I wondered if she meant the dreams, then said out loud, "I've been having dreams constantly. Come to think of it, I didn't have one last night." I then remembered the day dream, where I was told I'd meet someone. "They feel so real, the pain, the fear. I wake up exhausted."

"Is there a girl in you dreams?" I was about to complain about her skipping my question, but this one might have given me answers.

"Yes."

She shook her head, though not in anger. It was something else. "Don't ask me who she is."

"You mean she exists!?" I said astonished. Kat nodded, and I noticed she wasn't making eye contact. "So she is in this world? Will I meet her?"

"It's not that simple David." She said softly, "I can't answer that."

I noticed that the subject was particularly hard for her, so I went back to Diana "What did you mean she was lost?"

"It's my turn to ask a question."

"But you didn't even answer my last one!"

"I answered as much as I could." She said, going back to her moody self, "Who do you think you are?"

The question wasn't rhetoric, it was actually a question to be answered. It made little sense to me though, "What does that even mean?

"The question means what it sounds like."

I thought for a moment, Was this some kind of philosophical question? Maybe she was asking what I thought my existence meant. "I- I really don't know. I guess I think I'm too smart." The question was out of place.

She nodded, "So you are lost."

"No, because I know where I am!" I defended.

"No you don't," She replied, "You are entirely clueless."

I sighed, I didn't feel like arguing, "So because I'm lost, does that make me dangerous?"

"Exactly."

"To who exactly?"

"Whoever follows you."

"Who would follow me?"

"Diana would."

"So I am the reason she is dangerous?" Kat nodded, "I don't get it, why would she follow me?"

"I think you have asked enough questions!" She snapped, "Your friend will be back to her dorm, with no memories as soon as we catch Diana, is that good enough for you!?"

"Will you wipe my memories?" I asked weakly.

"It won't work, you have already made memories that would be unforgettable." This came from the nameless man, who up until this point said nothing.

"Why not?"

"Memories become a part of you if they are strong enough." Kat explained annoyed, "Normally things like movies and food can be wiped over, hiding the memory. Though our little exchange here is probably too much."

"How do you wipe the memories?" I asked.

"He is giving me a headache." She said to the man, "Don't answer anymore of his questions and he will go away."

"Yes ma'am" He said, bowing. They both began walking upstairs, and I was left alone.

"I'm not leaving!" I called, wanting more answers, "Not until I get all the clear answers!" I sat against a wall, feeling oddly tired. I allowed myself to nod off, a nap couldn't hurt.

Authors Note
Last one was pretty long, sorry bout that. This one is pretty short, so enjoy! Also, the quotes on the top are always something I write that is somehow related to the chapter. Also next chapter will introduce more characters, probably. :D