Brian slept soundly next to her. After she had broken down she didn't want to be left alone, much less sleep alone. The house felt empty and cold, almost foreign to her, even though she knew it like the back of her hand. She pushed back the covers and stood up. Her pale blue sating nightgown hung down over her ankles. The breeze played in through the window, blowing her ebony hair behind her. She descended across the cold wood floor, her toes gracefully stepping out on the open balcony doors. The wind picked up speed and drew her nightgown behind her. The bright sky was cloudy and a misty spray washed over the sand, creating enchanting patterns along the sandy shore. Jessica's eyes traveled over the vast ocean. She closed her eyes briefly.
Jessica cried out in pain and clutched her chest, she felt herself start to fall and images swirled within her mind. Images of faces, faces from her past. Parties and drinking, smoke filled rooms, laughter, jeers, and explicit gestures. Scream cried out from the people around her, voices filled her head, accusing her of crimes she had taken part in. Their eyes bore into and robbed her body of any private and innocent place she had. She felt as though she stood naked before them and they jested and taunted at her, pulling at her hair and clawing at her soft pale skin. The rich dark blood drew and streamed over. She swirled around and around, covering her ears with her hands, trying to block the sound. They just grew louder and louder still. Screaming loudly within her subconscious. She heard voices she recognized and those that were foreign to her. A long piercing scream retched through her body and suddenly the faces disappeared and she was falling down into a vast black whole. Jessica jerked awake. Her body was damp with perspiration. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest. She squeezed her eyes shut trying to delete the horrid images of her dream. "Just a dream." She whispered aloud. "Only a dream." But in reality it was not dream. Perhaps a little bit delusional with the subconscious mind, but the realism of the events had actually transpired. The faces were of those who had become victim to the crimes of her involvement with the gangs. They accused her, blamed her and she was being torn apart by them until she'd fall into the black whole of turmoil and depression and she would come out nothing.
Jessica sat up in bed and placed her feet over the edge of the bed and slid down to the floor. Chills ran down her spine as her bare toes touched the shiny wooden floor's cold surface. She flinched and hurried to the bathroom. She ran the cold water and splashed it onto her face. Trying unsuccessfully to erase the horrid nightmare. She reached out and grabbed a towel off the rack and dried her face. Glancing up in the mirror she paused. Her hair, accountably from sleep, was a tangled mess. But her eyes had dark circles around them from endless nightmarish dreams. She couldn't escape the guilt by day and by god her evil subconscious wouldn't allow her to escape it at night either. She sighed wearily and ran a trembling hand through her hair. She needed a cigarette. "Damn." She cursed aloud when she realized she had thrown them out in the hospital. "The hospital!" she cried. She had promised herself that she would visit Rachael this morning. She hurried back out in the room and raged through the closet looking for something half-decent to wear. She settled on a rather revealing low-cut black tank top and a pair of snug leather pants. She grumbled, realizing most of her clothes were that way. She would go shopping, but since she didn't have any money she didn't see how that was possible.
Jessica grabbed the brush off the counter and ran it through her hair a few times before applying the black lipstick that was tradition for her to wear. It wasn't that she chose to wear it was because she had too. Those who did not know her would because of the color. It was sad that her neighborhood worked that way but it did, and it probably always would. Jessica grabbed the house keys and headed out the door, locking it behind her. She would be back later. She started the long walk towards the hospital. Since she didn't have transportation and the only transportation she had had, had been…Chad.
Jessica bowed her head, it was best not to think about him right now. Concentrate on the better things, like that fact that Rachael was alive. She thought quietly to herself.
Jessica walked alongside of the highway, even though it was possible to get hit by a speeding car, it was better than dealing with territories as well as the sorrowful stares strangers gave her as she walked by. She kept her head down and tried to shy away from other people.
She was shocked when a car pulled to a stop in front of her. She didn't mean for the cars to think she was hitchhiking. She shrugged her shoulders and slowly walked to the car. A friendly face greeted her from behind the wheel. "Hello, Jessica." Jason greeted her with a sly smile. She never did trust him and she wasn't about to now.
"What the hell do you want, Jason?" she asked. She noticed that his cheek twitched. He was irritated with her. Damned if she cared!
"I only wanted to see if you wanted a ride. Lonely stranger such as yourself shouldn't be walking these parts alone."
"I'd rather walk alone then get in a car with your grubby ass!" She hissed and started walking again.
"Oh come on Jessica. Don' t be like that. Look I'm going to go and see Rachael. Want to join me?"
Jessica groaned inwardly. She wouldn't be able to avoid him at all now. Still she'd walk. The man was a bastard, uncaring and very abusive. Rachael had just so happened to fall in love with him. Perhaps he was different to her. Perhaps he treated her better then he did most people, not likely. Jessica cursed her bad luck but decided to get in the car anyway. If he decided to kill her, who cared? She had nothing else to live for. Jason smiled arrogantly at her and put the car in drive. Speeding back onto the highway. He tried to talk to her along the way to the hospital but he barely got a word out of her. Finally he gave up hope.
He parked the car at the hospital and got out. She opened her door and got out. Ignoring his lustrous gaze her way, she bowed her head and walked past him. "Thanks for the ride, asshole." She mumbled.
An old woman looked her way and put her hand to her chest. Surely she thought she'd just seen the devil incarnate, perhaps his daughter. She smiled coldly and the old woman shrieked away.
They were all the same, these older people. She shook her head in dismay. Judgmental to those around them, not aware of the lives people lived today. If they didn't dress appropriately or say appropriate things then they were judged harshly and not to be associated with. Jessica laughed aloud and several nurses and patients glanced her way. She ignored them and walked into the double doors.
Despite her Goth appearance several of the younger doctors looked her way. Her eyes traveled to their faces and she smirked, arrogantly. She flipped her hair behind her shoulders and pushed her way past a plump nurse, who only grunted under her breath. "Children these days! Their parents don't teach 'em any respect a'tall."
If you had lived half the life we children have lived, lady, you wouldn't be saying such things, Jessica thought to herself. Her stomach growled in hungry irritation. She put it at the back of her mind. She'd starve before she graveled before these impudent high-class bastards.
Jessica strolled down the hallway towards her friend's room. She pushed past the protesting doctors and pushed open the door that lead into the ICU. "Hey lady! You're not supposed to be in here without parental guardianship."
Jessica nearly scoffed aloud. She merely ignored the tall brooding man. His receding hairline made the top of his head shiny in the fluorescent hospital lights. She smiled, unkindly and muttered. "Nice hair." She turned and pushed the door open and entered the chilly stale room.
Rachael lay on the bed, she didn't look like she fared much better the night before. Not much had changed in the past couple of days. In fact more tubes were added from Jessica's memory.
Jessica slowly made her way over to her best friend's bed. Her gaze traveled over her friend's pale face. She bit her lip to keep from crying. Rachael had been Jessica's one and true confidant. Nobody else had compared or meant as much to her. Rachael and Chad had been the two halves that had defined who Jessica was. One was dead and she could very well lose the other.
A noise came behind her and she turned. Jason stood in the doorway and smiled keenly. "Are we having a nice little friendly chat?" He asked. Jessica pressed back the urge to hurtle something at him. He was a weasel. He always had been. She swallowed hard to keep back the bile rising in her throat. She turned back to Rachael, ignoring Jason's entrance.
How could Rachael have ever loved someone as despicable as him? Jessica hated leaving her friend, she had only just arrived. But she had to otherwise she would be left to fend against Jason's weasel stares and advances. Jessica kissed her friend on the for-head and swept past Jason. "Get out of my way!" He caught her arm and she turned, glaring at him. "Let go!" she demanded, hitting his arm in emphasis. Jason's grip hardened like iron and she felt a sharp pain in her arm.
"You had better watch your tone of voice with me young lady. It will get you nowhere!" He commanded through gritted teeth.
She glared at him. If looks could kill, he'd be lying on the floor. She jerked her hand out of his grasp. "I'm not one of your little whores you can boss around like they're nobody." She spit at him and tossed her head, disappearing around the corner.
She had balls, for a woman. She was very bold and very blunt; one of the many reasons most did not like her. That and the fact that she was some thought a devil worshipper. Ha! Devil worshiper in deed! She shook her head and headed out of the hospital building.
Pushing her way through the double doors she was blinded by the sun. She grabbed her shades out of her purse and slipped them on, giving the old woman a smile she walked down the sidewalk and into the street. Cars honked and drivers screamed but she paid it no heed. Nothing mattered to her anymore, why should she care if she got hit?
Jessica crossed the intersection, keeping her head down; she tried to dodge the roaring vehicles. One nearly nipped her arm off and another her leg. She cursed allowed. How did she get into this mess? She thought. She turned and gasped Her eyes grew wide. A truck rushed at her with incredible speed. He blared the horn. She froze. There was no way she'd be able to get out of the way in time. Oh god!
She let out a scream as the truck swarmed towards her. A hard figure jarred her from behind and she was suddenly flung forward out of the truck's way. Her head slammed into the sidewalk and she grunted as a heavy weight body landed on top of her. She moaned loudly as the pain in her head increased sharply. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head and everything went black.