Oizys Oracle

Dear Seshat

“Though I hate to inform you of this, it was just a picnic I thought to have in the park, never a nice thought escaped my spark! Yet you still punish me like you did before? Why do this? I’ll just love it and come back for more!. Well your hatred for cliffhangers must’ve influenced this decision a bit I’m sure, but let’s get this straight! That dread, that displeasure is what I yearn for, so for you to take it in exchange for joy is a kinda lose lose for me man!, anyways, I’ll get to the point I promise, though I hate how you format it ahem.

My Name is Oizy, the god of despair and sadness, the creator of the maker? No that’s not right, was it Story 2? Oh whatever, same stuff, and I have, unfortunately, been given the task to write a conclusion to one of those stories, maybe both. So sorry if I mess the name up. I’m not much of a writer, it’s just Seshat’s hatred for cliffhangers has made me write in this fashion again, but I’ll make it short this time I promise. So, here is the ending, or one of if seshat doesn’t like it, of Story 2, and in a different way towards the end. The Maker.”

Yours Oizy

P.S (I know your lazy to reread the story again so Where we left off Jack had just escaped a peril with his life and just left an ambulance, well not in full pieces as he had just lost his friend, and more friends in a tragic accident. So this will describe where he is today, as of writing this, in the world, and let me tell you. Not in a great place)

Many years after the school incident we find Jack in a different place entirely. After some of those shooters were caught and spoke, they all learned it was Jack who they were provoked. Jack lost it, again he had nothing, this time more than nothing, he lost the few friends who survived, he lost Apple… he lost it all. So a new spot, a place he had been wanting to go since he was a child. It was perfect. A new start. A new place, a new name, everything new. All he had to do was forget.

Jack woke up one morning, it’d been about one year, 58 days, and since he looked towards the time, 0950 hours since he had moved out here. Jack had to remember these specific times as he planned to make a journal to one day give to his kids, telling of his time during his young adult life so they can do better than he did. This morning however he didn’t think about it as he was hungry. By now he had adjusted to his new smaller home as he went to his kitchen with an electric burner, cooked himself some eggs and bacon with a smoothie which he had come to enjoy. Culinary, like the other hobbies he got into during this time like audio book creation, journaling and voice acting, became something Jack enjoyed to do, as he could mix and match the many flavors, and of course. He could do it alone.

Jack didn’t think to do many of these hobbies for one as Jack watched his chosen anime of the month as he ate his eggs and bacon, with his blackberry, raspberry smoothie. He thought of the day he would have tomorrow at work. What kind of work? Well that couldn’t be answered once, but twice. See Jack was as of today both a carpenter, and a butcher, two jobs for three slobs. Himself, his father who had taken to arson as a profession, and unfortunately his mother. Who didn’t join the father son duo for many months after they had left, those times were peaceful, Jack had actually retired his old ways of knife flipping and despite the lonelyness, learned to love himself. Jack enjoyed all the time he had with his father till one day out of the blue, tragedy had struck when Jack was still in school.

Jack’s father had heart failure, was rushed to the hospital, and Jack was none the wiser, when he learned of this he had just returned to his dorm room, his comic book obsessed dorm mate looked shocked at Jack as in the room, sat the begrundled witch, whos long hair and alcoholic odor bleached the nose hairs from Jack’s nostrils. On his bed, was his mother, and with his mother, was a bat. Now if it was an animal or weapon was hard to say as she threatened Jack into a car with it, then used it to screech at Jack all the way to the Hospital.

“YOUR THE REASON YOUR FATHER IS IN THE HOSPITAL!!”

“YOUR GONNA MAKE HIM KILL HIMSELF ONE DAY!!”

“YOU NEVER LOVED HIM!, IF YOU DID YOU WOULD DIE!!”

“WHY DON’T YOU DO US BOTH A FAVOR AND GO THE HELL AWAY!!”

“I BET YOU WANT ME DEAD DONT YOU…. IM YOUR MOTHER GOD DAMMIT”

“I SWEAR TO GOD YOU BETTER FUCKING WATCH YOURSELF AS YOU SLEEP”

“BY GETTING THAT STUPID FUCKING DEGREE, YOUR KILLING HIM BY NOT BEING THERE FOR HIM” His mother screamed at him, with similar obscenities following him to the side of the bed. The once strong man lay dormant, though Jack still chatted with him like it was a normal day. Their mother acted quiet, as she always did in public, not wanting her parasitic truth to be shown to the world. We were the host, and she returned to leach.

His father returned to normal, with a scar from surgery to tell the tale, but the night he drove back to the dorm, and his mother returned into the forest surrounding the college perimeter and Jack’s mind. Jack couldn’t help himself, in a desperate escape Jack grabbed a hold of a pocket knife he kept in case of snakes and flipped it. It landed in the mattress, and ruined his sheets. Jack had cried that night as the parasite, and the new slash in his leg, bleed him to what he wouldn’t realise he hoped. It was dry.

It was two weeks later when she had returned, and again harassed Jack back into old habits, with no apple to help him. Jack went mad within the first couple weeks, the leach had returned and his father wasn’t in any shape to do the same. Jack dealt with her, in a smaller space. For two months before his father came back, three months before Jack got his first job though unforgiving as a gymnastics assistant, and four months before he had to leave college because hospital bills held Jack’s father back from giving his son an education. All in this, Jack fought through, and still was truly, Alone.

That gymnastic job did him some good however as he had mostly elderly people come in and influence the mind of Jack, that’s not to say Jack needed much, but Jack was already a kind fellow, he just never showed it in his home town for fear of being mistreated or looked at strangely, in his new home. That sort of kindness was all around, it’s what attracted his father and Jack in the first place, and for a bit was fine. Those older folk told Jack about stories, mostly in the war and their time in the military as Jack one day realised that he should do the same. So one day, and a test later, Jack did. With no school Jack enrolled, though jokingly into the highest branch of the military a normal guy like him could get into. The Star Cadets, and with some smarts that Jack naturally had thanks to his father, and fear of staying in that home any longer with his mother, was granted secret clearance and got into the branch, all he had to do is wait for a job. And Jack waited. Jack waited so long he got a job as a carpenter to get out of the house more, Jack waited so long he started a coup because one of his bosses was a racist who deserved to be fired, though the system got Jack fired instead. Jack waited so long, he even reconnected with some minor characters, in his home town.

“Dont worry I heard the last guy who messed up using this thing got so much money he got a robotic leg and even bought his own parking spot” Jack joked with a customer who found the joke very humorous. Jack was cutting some lumber for the man who wanted to put in a cross beam for a hanging chandelier in his home. Well once he was done cutting the wood Jack received a phone call from his instructor.

“Your shipping out tomorrow, just like you signed”

“The service will take you and you’ll be just fine!”

“Congrats soldier! This news must have your joy spiked!”

“Though You have a choice to say yes or no if you like”

“So make your choice for the future wisely or else your boned”

“That is of course unless, you wanna stay alone” The instructor said to him, Jack didn’t know what to say. He wanted it so bad but tomorrow is but a day away!. Jack still said yes after a chat with his father in the same call. But when night came, that’s when the nightmares had him fall. The booms surrounded Jack again, the screaming, the tries for help. The blood, his own. His friend’s tears, his own… Apples…. It was all too much, Jack woke up and tried to cry again, he lost that function after one too many of his mothers antics, but dammit did he try. It was late into the night, but Jack did what he could. He talked to the one friend he had, and spoke his voice, where maybe he shouldn’t.

He got on his microphone, and spoke to the void, see Audio books haven’t netted Jack any real big points in the digital world, it was just something he was able to do alone, and what he liked to do as he took up reading just a bit before the school incident occurred. But today wasn’t a book on any character or game. It was his own, he spoke of the situation he was in, how he influenced and didn’t influence it. He told of the souvenirs he kept of his friends, and how if he could see them again he would. Though some did recover, Jack dropped them once his mother returned. Jack wasn’t happy with himself, and with his negative mind back in full swing, thought it better to just forget and leave the friends who lived. They didn’t talk to him much anymore anyways, so what was the worst that could happen.

Once he was done recording, he made up his mind, went to the instructor, now opened to the world and had to make a bunch of changes, and he made his decision. Jack said no. See the Job he was offered in that end was an officer job, where if he arrested the wrong person, I.E someone higher than him, Jack would be in a lot of pain, and Jack with his newly opened mind, didn’t wanna put himself through that. So Jack denied the offer, though Learned that the promise to say no without reprimand was a lie. Jack was discharged, and without the military, was again Alone.

Jack was for the third, and final time of his life. Alone, and filled his time with hobbies, then realising the hospital’s financial aggression towards his father still a whole year later, made him get a second job as a Butcher, which he enjoyed, but collided with his job as a carpenter harshly. It did not affect his kindness, as Jack had already a year as a carpenter and got a few awards for his outgoingness, and kindness to others. As well as a few awards in a few weeks into his Butcher position an award for teamwork and customer consultation. But it took a toll on Jack physically, and where Jack relearned a phrase from psychology class. All work and no Play, makes Jack a dull boy. A dull boy sure but that work, and making his customers smile made him rethink his future once again, he loved to cook, and help others. And though he knew he would be alone, he could build off it positively, and do other things positive as well.

To start, Jack sold all his knives and got into collecting kinds of strings and rope instead. Next he declared to his mother he would never speak to her again, which made his mother go mad, and though there was a few weeks of worse verbal abuse than Jack had ever experienced before, it turned away to hearing his mother cry for hours on end, it stopped her from leaching, and to Jack, those tears were a symphony.

Though the constant crying and Jack’s new physical body aches were annoying at times Jack powered through, and wanted to start up education again, to pursue a career in culinary. Yeah he was alone, but now he didn’t have to deal with his mother, he made enough money to fund himself, and he definitely had the drive to do it, so to Jack. This was the perfect time to try again. Jack had a third and final plan in life, first he would go back to school for culinary which he supported once his anime and breakfast was done, he would apply to scholarships. Next, he wanted to make everyone around him smile, so he would take good care of himself for it. Finally he didn’t wanna do it , Alone, though Jack had another plan, to reconnect with his old friends in his home town, so he was Alone, but not for long.

That day Jack had applied to several scholarships, so much so it was now a quarter till 1300. Back in his old home would’ve been about 1000, so he decided to send his message to the few informants he had back in his old town, all 5 of them, though today. There were 6. Jack found this strange as he always texted the same five, and learned of the school and the people he once called pals, to check up on of course. But this sixth person was new. The message that read, shook Jack to his core.

“I dont know if you remember me, honestly im trying to remember everything myself. I’ve been in and out of the hospital so much that I haven’t had the time to write this, but a mutual friend of ours, Ali, gave me this number and told me to chat with you, though to be careful? I’m not too sure what they meant by that. But anyways. My name is Apple, I’m about 20 now, and we used to be good friends. You abandoned Forter and Ali a year or two back, and recently caught up with them. I just wanna know why? And see if you remember me.”

When Jack read this, his heart had stopped, his eyes wellowed where tears would normally propose their sides as Jack saw the room around him transform. He was in that bathroom again, he turned to find, he was locked inside, he heard a scream and shifted forward to see a body, a little girl’s body, covered in blood on the floor, the girl he loved. And Mary, the girl who loved him, cackled above the body as she drove a knife into Jack’s chest. Jack bounced back, falling to his side as he clutched his heart. He hadn’t had a heart issue like that since after the school incident. Once Jack composed himself, he reached for his phone gently, as if it were to bite him. And read the message again. Apple… was alive. But how? Jack had seen her, the state she was in, the person who did it… Jack was there.. So how? Jack started to hyperventilate again, then calmed himself as he raised his thumbs above the text button. Apple.. Was somehow alive, he only wished he could be there to hug her, and her cheerful mind he fell in love with. But her texting style felt different. And why didn’t she share the same joy he had just done?

“Hey there, yes I’m fine, I do remember you, I remember…. Everything. How.. You know what, doesnt matter, I’m happy you’re ok. Regarding the abandoning thing, I did it out of… lets say a better life. I don’t know if you know this, but after the School Incident my name got thrown around a lot, and was tarnished by those I once considered friends. So I left, and to stop any drama, I left everything and started anew. I hope this answer helps. I’m just so happy that you’re ok!” Jack typed, his heart pounded as the little circle turned blue and bubbled formed on the side. Jack distracted himself by making Apple’s account, the idea made Jack a little excited. Maybe, he could have some of his past return with him. Maybe, with the time that had passed, people had forgotten the School incident, just like he did, and they can all be friends again.

“Thats good, I just want to reconnect with you again and tell you I miss you, I hope I didn’t do anything wrong when you chose to leave all of us, it just hurt, since you ignored me then straight up left before I could recover, I hope we can still be friends” Apple texted back ,Jack was now confused, what did she mean by ignoring her? Jack didn’t know she was alive till today after all. Jack decided to not bring that up and instead play it cool.

“Like I said, my name was thrown in the mud, but it seems with our ahem, mutual friend exchanging our numbers, it seems my name has grown some new light. I plan to rebuild it you know, and we can be the best of friends again, or well. I can restart that plan and put it to motion. I’m so happy your ok buddy. And I thank you for texting me again, I can’t wait to see the others (Forter, Ali, and even not so little Acorn) again. I’m about to leave for work in a bit, but we can chat during lunch!! Talk to you later bud!, and seriously. I’m so happy you’re alive and in my life again” Jack typed, as Apple read it on her screen, all she could do. I cried.

So Jack and Apple chatted for a few more weeks, weeks that Jack barely had time for as school was coming and Jack had to manage two full time jobs with only two sometimes one day off a week if he was lucky. So their communication wasn’t as frequent as he wanted. Though Jack was able to properly reconnect with Ali, who also survived and now was in a wheel chair from their injuries, and Forter, who had to go to a lot of therapy from what had happened and didn’t sustain to many injuries from the incident. The Nickname of beanstalk returned as Jack tried to be his old self, though less negative now. Their chats became few and far till one day Apple started the texting which was odd.

“Hey… so what if… you have a bunch of people telling you to do something, and it’s apparently for your safety, but you think they’re wrong. Would you listen to them? Or would you ignore it, and keep doing what you think is right?” Apple texted one day, Jack had read it about an hour late as he smelled of rotten meat from culling some from the shelves before lunch. Jack thought hard about it as he bit into his premade macaroni beef and italian stew, which after throwing out cow guts ten minutes ago, wasn’t that appetizing.

“Sounds like you’re a villain in an old film buddy haha, but in all seriousness, it really depends on the situation, has something happened? If you’re ok with it, you can tell me still” Jack texted back, though they had reunited Apple wanted to take their relationship slow, which Jack found annoying but not chatting for almost three years changes people. So he understood, it just gave him the motivation to rename himself better, for Apple, Forster, and Ali’s sake.

“Well you see.. The situation… is well.. Hard to explain” Apple texted.

“Try me, if you’re comfy enough of course” Jack responded.

“I am!! It’s just… ugh, I don’t know how to say it!” Apple typed hesitantly.

“Is it.. About me? If it is, I can take it, so don’t be afraid!” Jack wrote though in reality his heart sunk in his stomach by the idea.

“Well it is… see, remember making a um.. Video?” Jack read, remembering him trying to join the military and the night of the big decision. He couldn’t remember all he said in the video though he did speak about his three best friends, and how much he loved and cared for him. He had an audible sigh of relief as he knew nothing bad would come from it.

“Yeah, of course I do. Why? Dont tell me that’s what got you back to texting me” Jack typed as he connected the two, he never thought to before.

“Well.. that’s the thing, see… how do I put this” Apples words sprung on screen as Jack read. He didn’t know what to expect, but somehow he knew he wouldn’t like it.

“We all saw the video.. Together. And we talked about you.. And how you treated us. And… well…. I learned a lot about you.” Apple wrote, and Jack froze. There was a time when Jack wasn’t part of any group, it was actually Forter who brought him to that group in the first place, how they met wasn’t Jack’s favorite memories. Jack had just gotten done bullying Forter for his music taste, later down the line he made fun of Aly and her life choices. Jack was once a bully, who got sad and didn’t think he deserved anything, got redeemed by Apple, and swore to never speak of any of this Ill to her. To keep his image as a sad boy, in her mind so she would stay, as selfish as that was. But now, the image was broken

“Oh…., anything I wanna hear?” Jack typed in shame. He knew whatever would be said, he wouldn’t like it.

“No… It’s just a lot to process, ya know? Cause you treated me so differently, I just… I cant see you in the same light, and honestly, don’t know if I ever will” Jack read this message as the world stopped around him. The pungent carcass above and below his shirt didn’t smell anymore, the phone seemed to float as time stopped. Apple, the woman that saved Jack, again. Now knew the truth, Jack was almost in a fit of rage, and without responding to Apple decided to write to his now eight contacts the same question. The original six he simply asked their opinion of Jack. They all came back pretty good.

Jack then sent a special message to Forter and Ali. Regarding their shared information with Apple, though Jack didn’t know if it was good or not, it had changed Apple. The memory of Apple’s first message rang though his mind, him ignoring her, him being bad. Apple would never think that of Jack, the vengefulness overwhelmed him as he started to write something truly nasty, but stopped. The words below were his mothers. Jack knew he couldn’t be like her, ever. So he erased it, gained a cool head and confronted the two on their information to Apple, forgave them, and simply asked if they could ever be friends again. The answer… broke Jack’s spirit. ALi was the first, and despite their seemingly decent reconnection wrote to Jack that they would never recover as Jack had created too much damage, mentality to Ali, and physically to the waste. How they secretly blamed Jack for it, and only kept in touch, to make sure he was still ok. A formality at best, but no, never be friends. Forter, on the same hand, told him that they would never have the same banter back and forth like they once did. How calling Jack Beanstalk was more a dent in his mind that therapy couldn’t fix, and that they could be acquaintances at best.

Finally, was apple. After learning of the other two answers Jack asked Apple their side of it, the reason she had texted, the question of everyone telling you to do something for your safety, even if you think it’s wrong. It made sense now. And Apple’s response wasn’t any better.

“No matter what I try to tell them, they remind me of what you basically did, to them, to the school, to…me. How your actions affected those around you, how I and them gave you way too many chances and still let you chat with us, saying I’m chasing something I know is gone… That doesn’t mean I won’t stop talking with you. It’s just what we had, won’t return. And it’s because of your past” Apple wrote, Jack read it before it was deleted, that final section was cut off, because of your past. Apple then texted several; apologies, and how she didn’t mean to write that last part, but Jack knew better.

“Hey, it’s alright bud, I got my answers, and despite what is guessed. I know I’ll make it through, I’m just happy you’re by my side still, I have a long road to go, and happy you’ll be there to take it with me. Im ok, im smiling, I promise, but lunch is about to end, thank you for telling me the truth, I’ll see you later” Jack typed, though no smiles or joy were on the other side, Jack put his phone in his pocket, went to the bathroom and covered his face with water, the spunk in him gone. As he returned to the floor.

Jack wasn’t doing so good after that, he spent the next weeks two days off in bed or on his phone, his journal became more and more of a chore than an actual enjoyment as he barely wrote in it, he became behind on it, he was behind on his show, on his house chores, on his hobbies, and family. He was so out of it, he almost even spoke to his mother one day. Luckily he didn’t, but still he wasn’t there anymore.

The friends he tried to rekindle, one forth of his plan, were gone in a single thirty minute lunch period. What did Jack do to deserve this? Jack didn’t have the same childhood as others, Jack didn’t socialize, Jack didn’t have the capacity to. When he finally did he was rejected, when he did again that rejected past ruined everything. Sure Jack wasn’t the nicest in his youth, but did he surely deserve this? Jack didn’t know, but he did have enough spunk to keep up his fake act of being happy to apple. Which is way easier over text than in person. Jack remembered the times he tried to act happy in front of her, her beautiful eyes always caught him, and he always played it off. But through text, she couldn’t tell the difference, to Jack. It was like writing a story. Which, he got pretty good at while reading so many books, as well as poetry.

One day, a week before the first day of classes, Apple texted Jack again, this time with some news he would never have expected.

“So… if I’m not mistaken.. You’re now in Kinetics City right?” Apple texted one day, Jack had his weekly day off on mondays which is when everyone else worked or started school so the text surprised and confused the boy who spent his one day off in his bed mopping.

“Yes that’s right, why do you ask?” Jack wondered.

“Well, me and some family are going out there to visit another family in a week, and I really wanna see you again, if thats alright with you..” Apple suggested, Jack fell off his bed in shock. Though his heart didn’t slam into his chest again, this time his face turned red and his body jumped from excitement. He was about to see her again, to know her again, and best yet. He got to hear her voice again. Jack was almost so excited he forgot to retext her.

“Why of course bud!! I would love to have you over, my address is 3125 N. Broad Street Kinetic City, so when are you coming down!!” Jack texted, physically jumping for joy till his body reminded him of yesterday’s 16 dreadful hour shift, which was only elevated by making customers smile.

“I said next week, weirdo” Apple texted back, smiling as she did, though Acorn was nearby and just stole a plush doll which had Apple drop the phone to chase after.

“Takes one to know one bud” Jack replied.

“So next week, Monday work for you? I’ll be free in the afternoon after my morning shift at the carpenters” Jack texted then realised it would be a monday.

“Atcually im off that day, so next monday works?” Jack messaged, realising he sent three messages kinda fast, and didn’t wanna seem desperate.

“Sorry for spamming haha” Jack wrote, though really he was desperate for a friend. It was almost twenty agonizing minutes before Jack got a response but he didn’t leave this new energy to waste as he went to his smelly kitchen and cleaned it, making himself a great breakfast, which he hasn’t done since the day he learned of Forter and Ali. It still stung, but he knew it wouldn’t be easy. At least Forter was giving him the slightest chance. But with Apple coming by, maybe she can influence them, and they can still all be happy together.

“Yeah, sorry Acorn took one of my plushies and I had to return them home” Apple responded which made Jack smile.

“Plushes eh? Two years and you still are a kid buddy haha” Jack joked.

“Yeah… but it takes one to know one mr seal plush” Apple retorted, Jack had looked up to his seal plush that looked above him.

“Fair enough, so what time next Monday would you be in the area?” Jack pondered.

“Well we will actually be landing in Kinetic city but will be going up state, so only one day. But luckily, I think it’s on Monday!” Apple responded, making Jack smile, it was too good to be true.

“Sounds perfect, I can’t wait to see you then buddy” Jack responded before going back to his kitchen to clean.

“You too, have a great week till then, I gotta go shopping for vacation clothes” Apple responded, with an actual smile, she made the right choice after all.

That week went by and Jack got more and more excited as the day got closer, they had a whole plan to go the beach, play some arcades, go to an aquarium and all that, Jack powered through both jobs and even earned another award in carpentry. Jack thanked his peers but really his mind was with Apple. Sunday rolled around and Apple was boarding her plane.

“You sure you know how to get to my house? I remember how I had to walk you to your classrooms even though they were close together and even numbered, seriously remember when you mistook 28 and 23 that one time? Haha” Jack texted, kicking his legs in the air like a kid.

“In my defence, that 8 was broken, anyone would’ve mistook it for a 3!!” Apple responded.

“The top was broken, you get a weird 6 at best, but not a 3 haha” Jack wrote. He had been cleaning the house all day as his father was out of the house for arson for a few days, and his mother disappeared for a week again. Probably for drugs but Jack hoped she’d just overdose soon.

“Nuh uh, anyways Im boarding the plane now, ill be there sometime in the morning, ill sleep on the plane and wake up to us at the arcade, where you’ll win be a big duck!!” Apple wrote, she was sitting down as the desk lady called for groups for their flight to board.

“You sure have a thing with plush animals huh? Sure ill win you a duck, and you deserve that sleep girl, driving for 8 hours at 10 in the morning with traffic must’ve been tiring” Jack wrote back/

“To save a hundred dollars on flight was worth it” Apple responded.

“Spedning a hundred fifty on gas to get there wasn’t?” Jack questioned

“Shhhhh Girl math!, anyways im getting on the plane, text you when im there” Apple texted before she forgot to post a picture of her, Forter, and Ali going to the beach the week before, she never told Jack about it, though she wanted to, Ali and Forter were still a bit weirded by him so Apple didn’t at first. That 8 hour drive made her realise there just worried for nothing and posted the photos , hoping they finished posting with airport terrible wifi before she left the ground.

“Yeah yeah, be safe bud” Jack wrote, as he realised the time and went to sleep himself.

When Jack awoke he had only three hours till Apple arrived!! She would land, separate from family, and meet Jack at his house, which was looking cleaner than ever before. Jack made a note to make his house and carpet this clean. He hesitated cleaning his room, because he didn’t need it. But did it out of boredom, his newly cleaned carpet and white walls were a nice sight from the dingy smelly place it was a week or so ago. ALl the same, Jack decided to work on his journal that he was a week behind, rewriting on those depressing days, then worked on combining strings to ropes, which he used to use the time to sharpen his knives. School started tomorrow so he didn’t see the need to work on scholarships. Three turned to two… Two to one.. One became nothing. Then another.. And another. Jack was heartbroken. But he didn’t fret as the sun went down but barely shined over the horizon, Jack wondered if maybe the plane hit some turbulence on the way back. He definitely hopped not, that’s when he decided to clear his mind with some doom scrolling and saw something horrific. Posted 5 minutes ago, on a beach. It was Apple, Forter, and Ali. ALl laughing and smiling, the caption read, the only friends we need is eachother!! And that was it.

Jack had seen the signs, Jack had seen how Forter and Ali talked to Apple about him, all the negative things, all the bad ways they described him, all the things he was blamed for but never did. He was mad, Jack didn’t care if he would be compared to his mother, he was vengeful. Apple abandoned him, apple… apple… Was all he had left. Who was Jack kidding? He couldn’t do it, he can’t do it. Not alone, he did this. He forged his own path. He is to blame for his current sadness. His mother was right, not directly but her words resonated. He was the reason for his father, Jack was the reason for losing his friends. Jack might as well have been the reason for the school incident. Everyone else thought he was. So maybe, he should take some parental advice, some advice, he would take from the grave. But first, he had to finish some writing.

Apple hated airports, their wifi was always slow but their phone service was even slower. She had never been outside of her town before and honestly the idea of being out of it freaked her out but she was with family, and about to see Jack again. Jack may have lost a good chunk of her memory when she was shot, but according to the doctors it was his name that first came out of her mouth. It was Jack who made her come out of recovery and therapy so easily, the idea to see him again. Though the others didn’t know what she saw in him, and even had a whole beach trip a week ago to try and deter this visit. She didn’t care. Apple knew who she came to see, and no two years would change that.

Once she was separated she drove in her rented car to the address, Apple tried to get in contact with Jack but he wasn’t responding, probably cooking some food for her arrival. She reminded herself to ask Jack to take some leftovers to Acorn like she promised she would. Jack even promised to make some cookies for Apple’s whole family too. He was so sweet, so getting to re know him this past month reignited their friendship. Though her joy turned to confusion as Jack must’ve given her the address to Jack’s fathers job as an arson associate. There were so many flashing lights at the address she pulled up to. But they weren’t Arson associates. They were cops, and a morgue van.

To those who I have made smile, helped and held

I have unfortunate news that I have failed

Not to keep those around me smiling with jokes I assure

But from purging my mind of thoughts that are impure

I’ve reforged this pure as I shine brightly above like a chandelier

Creaking the roof above with my souls vessel which hovers near

I wish I could have been stronger or held back from my actions this day

But no one arrived to stop me, no matter how many cries I played

Playing in a sandbox alone can only bring castles of heights

But when you rule your own land its boring with noone to challenge your might

I tried to invite others to play in the sand of time to build myself and more

But my castle walls were too strong for anyone to see my truly kind core