Locked up in my boyfriend’s best friend basement. How insane right? Rats and cockroaches crawling everywhere I turn around to look at. It feels as if they’re all over my body, eating my insides of how anxious I am to get out of here. The water leak Jason’s always complained about clinging every time it hits the laundry pipes. *cling* *cling *cling* I can’t seem to wrap my head around what the hell is going on. Why is Jason doing this?
All I wish for is to be with my mom right now. Eating her dinner and my favorite green enchiladas. My mother must be worried sick, she’s all I can think about if i'm being honest. I’ve been gone for over 3 days and it feels as if its been weeks.
Has anyone even come looking for me? “How will they ever suspect Jason?”, I whisper to myself in tears and agony. All I can think of is trying to find a way out. I know it’s Jason, yet every time he comes down to the basement he wears a mask. It’s as if he’s living this fantasy of his. It tingles creep up to my spine just thinking about it right now.
As I try to untie myself from the cheap dollar store Jason has wrapped my wrists with together, I hear music coming from upstairs. A$AP Rocky is playing full blast. That’s my boyfriend’s favorite song… that could only mean one thing. Jake is here.
After I came to the realization that Jake was in the house. I tried banging my foot near the broken pipe next to me to make noise. Knowing Jake, he’s the most observant guy I know. Maybe i’m just saying that because he’s my boyfriend though. I’m so hungry… As I was about to close my eyes to get some rest from all of this mess, I hear a thump from upstairs. Running down. Glass shattering. Light coming in through the seams of the door becoming brighter as the door fully opens.
“Jake?” I say to myself in a low whisper.
As I try to keep my eyes open, a hand reaches for my chin and lifts it up. All I see are these deep hazel green eyes look at me with tears.
“Jessica? Jessica? Can you hear me?”, he says.
I can’t seem to find the words or the ability for me to speak. The sound of his voice makes me want to break down in tears and screams, desperate to yell and say to get me out of this nightmare. He doesn’t seem to insist for an answer and proceeds to kiss my forehead. Such an intimate yet simple kiss. He’s shaking. I know he’s trying to make himself remain calm, but how can he when i’m all bruised up from my wrists and the smell of dirty roaches and humidity in this basement. His eyes scanning everything from my hands, to the walls, the pipes, the rats, the stains, taking it all in. He finally unties me.
“You’re safe now,” he whispers in his delicate voice, yet I hear fear in his voice knowing he’s just saying that to comfort me.
“How did you find me? Where’s Jason? Have you called for help? I’m so scared Jason…” I say to him with a soft trembling tone.
Before he can even answer me, a loud stomp running towards the basement… The music has stopped. I feel a gust of energy coming towards us. Those malignius winds I feel whenever something bad is about to come my way.
Jake grips my hand and says, “We don’t have much time, Jessica. I need you to be able to get all of your remaining strength and try to get up so we can get you out of here as quickly as possible. We’ll be able to finally go to that place you’ve been waiting for. No matter what happens, I’ll be next to you. My brown eyed girl.”
I take his words into account and slightly smile. As he slips his hands into mine to help me get up, I feel my legs like uncooked noodles about to snap at any moment. As if I’m Bella from twilight in that scene in which her back cracks from her pregnancy. I let out a small giggle from my head as that thought comes to mind. Deep down in my head, I know these might be my final moments. I think death is funny in a way. We’re always dreading it, sometimes something bad happens in our day and we cope by saying “Ugh I want to dieeee!”. But we truly never mean it. I feel moments I’ve had with Jake rush all over my head. Our first date. Our first late night drive. Our first burger together. Or the first time my dad taught me how to use a bike. The first time my mommy braided my hair. My first kiss. The first time I met Jason. I’m still in disbelief to think someone I once called my brother would do something so cruel. All I want are answers.
The door finally creaked open. Jason’s shadow and his cheap cologne arose from the staircase.
“Well well well. If it isn’t Jake and his perfectly perfect girlfriend Jessica. Sorry for the rope cuts by the way. Actually? Not sorry!”, says Jason.
Jake guards my fragile twig body behind his.
“Let her go, Jason. Why are you doing this? You’re supposed to be my best friend. You know you’re like a brother to me. Why? Why?”, says Jake in desperation yet calmness. He’s trying to not alter the situation. He’s in disbelief, yet cares for whatever Jason is going through. Just as I do in a way. We’ve all known each other since we were 13. What changed?
Jason laughs yet starts crying. “I don’t know why. I don’t even feel like myself. It’s as if something has taken control of me. What I do know is that Jessica ruined EVERYTHING!”
I grasp Jake’s arm with all my might left, as I hear Jason unleash his hatred for me. What have I done to have him feel this way towards me? Is it because what happened last summer before me and Jake started dating?
I break silence and whisper to Jake, “Do you know what he’s referring to?”.
Jason shakes his head in a no.
“You know what I’m referring to Jessica, don’t you?” Jason says.
Of course I do. How could I ever forget that summer night in our yearly summer trip. Me and Jake hadn’t started anything, but I already knew his and my feelings for each other. The only one unaware of both of our feelings for one another was Jason. I knew Jason had a crush on me since we were 13, but eventually I thought he would get over it. Clearly I would be proved wrong. That summer night, Jason had declared his long one-side love for me. I rejected him and told him I loved him as a best friend and kissed him on the cheek. I know. Kind of unreasonable and insensible especially when I had just rejected the guy. He took it so lightly back then. I guess he spiraled once he found out me and Jake started dating.
“Jason, p-please. You know I love you so much and cherish you. Simple let us go right now and I promise, you won’t ever see me again,” I say with a trembling voice.
“It’s too late Jessica. You broke the promise we all made when we were 14. To never fall for each other or date. I hope you understand in the afterlife and reflect on us,” Jason says.
As I even try to speak up. The gun I hadn’t seen rises from Jason’s hand. Before I scream in fear, the shot tears through the space between us. Jake falls. His heavy body falling into mine. I grab onto his body and start sobbing uncontrollably. Before I can even look up behind me, I feel sparks all over my body. Pain exploding excruciatingly into and through my body. I feel the cold cemented floor. The dust particles on the floor. The smell of blood and roaches filling up my nose. As my vision starts to blur and the realization that i’m dead rushes. All i see are Jake’s hazel-green eyes, dimming. In a puddle of blood, I blink and fall to a deep sleep. I don’t know and will never know if Jason was ever caught. My once so called best friend. With the last image of him being him holding up a gun to me and the love of my life. I rest in peace knowing it was next to him. Till death do us part.
I’m writing this story in particular because I simply wanted to create a tragic love story. I really like stories/novels in which not everyone has a happy ending, not because I don’t like someone being happy but because I find it more symbolic and meaningful. This particular movie, 20th Century Girl, inspired me to write about my character. In this movie, someone does die but not everyone as in my story. I remember watching this movie and being so infatuated with it by the cinematography, the soundtrack, it was very cute. The story reflects how hard it is for women or people in general to be able to trust people. How we should always be precarious and think of other people’s feelings with our actions. For example, when Jessica kissed Jason on the cheek even though she had just rejected him was absurd. It simply shows how sometimes having to set boundaries between others is necessary to not get the wrong idea. My story also preaches for mental health, and advocate more for those who are afraid or don’t realize themselves when they need help.