ELECTUS (Chosen) - Chapter 4 (Part 1, 2 & 3)

CHAPTER FOUR
Sketchy dreams are hard to picture. Vivid dreams are
the ones that can be etched into memory.



Sketched Dreams and the Blue Jae



STARLED, JADEN WOKE UP IN a panic, nearly falling out of her bed.

The faint memory fading away like a child waking up from a bad dream and comforted by the sound of their mother’s gentle voice, reassuring them that it wasn’t real, felt so real in Jaden’s mind. Still fresh, yet drifting away quickly with dawn’s calling voice, tears welled up in her eyes. Wiping them away, she knew. This was definitely not one of her better nights.

The last thing she remembered was waking up in the ghost city and recalling the memory from four years ago and reliving it. She shivered. The repeated dream memory spooked her. Jaden didn’t know why it had. It just gave her a bad feeling about it all. The memory still fresh in her mind, she got up from her bed and went to sit at the huge desk. Once comfortable, she noticed it was about 2:50am. She had gone to bed about 9:30pm.

Blinking in the dimness, Jaden grimaced rather discontentedly and forlornly. Gritting her teeth, she blamed the dream for waking her up so darn early. Yawning regretfully, she exhaled sympathetically. This was why she went to bed so untimely, due to the fact that the wakeless dreams she’ll have, causing her to wake up so prema-turely in the coming mornings. Not that the sun was up at all. Grumbling wordlessly to herself, she rubbed the sleep from her sea green eyes. It took a few minutes for her vision to focus on the task at hand.

She exhale noisily yet quietly in the dim room and turned on the lamp. Light spilt onto the desk’s surface, Matt’s laptop wasn’t there. Glancing back in Matt’s direc-tion, she saw the laptop in his arms. Hugging it tightly to his chest, he let out sleepy groan. Shaking her head consciously, she smiled sleepily before turning back to the open desk before her. Its exterior cool and smooth as she ran her fingers across its wooden surface.

Quietly and careful not to wake up Matt, she pulled out a familiar notebook. It was Professor Merrick Howe’s notebook, the very one that returned with her from the dream realm. It had returned with her that time.

Dark blue background contrasted perfectly and beautifully with its purple col-oured counterpart. Purple swirls disconnecting and reconnecting. Strange symbols aligned along its spine, mysteriously. Writing in a different language in various parts as well as lines, sometimes she even found blank pages, but overtime they reap-peared. More than half the notebook was blank. Jaden always would go back to the notebook from time to time. Every time she had a dream she would. There was nothing new that she found in its pages.

Afterwards she got out her new sketchbook that she received before school started for her. Opening it up and turning to a clear page, Jaden soon stopped when she came across a pervious drawing of hers. It greeted her eyes, stirring old memories from the dream realm.

The Mara’s lifeless eyes bore into her eyes. Jaden knew grimly that the Mara was jumping for joy that she remembered it. Trembling, her body shook from the re-newed fear of the drawn sketch of the ghastly sight of the Mara, staring right in her face. Swallowing her fear, she thought back to why she drew it along with countless other drawings and scribbles of writing underneath each drawing, either titling it or explaining its meaning.

One problem in her life was that she would draw and write memos regarding each dream and experiences from the dream realm. Otherwise, it would never leave her alone. It doesn’t disappear from her mind, unless it’s recorded. She swallowed again. A curse of hers only to bear, weighted heavily on her mind and heart.

Pulling out her pencil case, she drew out a sketch pencil and began to draw. The drawing followed with a piece of writing to accompany it, related back to her ex-periences that she suffered and experience through. Jaden drew the place beforehand then parts of the repeated dream memory.

She wrote:

______________________________________

‘I was in another part of an abandoned city. Like always,
it was quiet. A strange but dark feeling overcame my
heart, devouring it. It was a feeling of despair, of uneasiness.
It was as if the dreadful feeling was telling me to run, to run
as far away you could and never look back.

And yet, the dreadful feeling came true, much to my
chagrin…’

______________________________________

‘I collapsed without any given warning. Returning to that
memory about four years ago, the one where I found the
notebook with him. Alaire. I returned to the place, to the
time when I first met him. He was as real as ever.

The Mara found us again too. Somehow, I still couldn’t
change anything of what happened. Then I realized it was a
bit different. Professor Merrick Howe had seen me. Now I
can’t remember if he had noticed me before. It seems as if
the memory of the original one had just simply vanished
completely. Replaced by the one that just occurred, causing
the original to disappear from my diminishing memory.

Perhaps, I’m just imagining things…’


______________________________________

‘But, I know the memory is truly important now. Why else
would it repeat itself? This is all really confusing to me.
Causing unnecessary incessant turmoil to stir deep in my
half-torn heart. Everyday, I feel like it going to tear into
pieces, with only thin threads barely holding it together. Not
knowing everything is really ticking me off. Yet, I can’t
simply ignore it.

I shall find out more of the events that occurred that day.
I need to know the truth. About everything, I need to
know it so badly…’

______________________________________

She finished her thoughts and closed the sketchbook. Putting down the pencil she sighed softly. Pushing herself a little a ways from the desk, she yawned sleepily. Stretching, Jaden slowly closed her eyes. Shaken herself awake, she managed to drag herself back into her bed, collapsing back into a deep sleep without another thought. It was already about 4:25am. Matt would be waking her up soon, possibly.

- PART TWO -

_____________________________________________________



IT WAS ABOUT 7:00am IN THE morning when Matt shook Jaden awake. Half asleep, Jaden sat up in bad, rubbing her eyes. Just watching Matt run around the room in a total mess was tiring for Jaden.

He was half-dressed. Had pants on but seemed to be lacking a shirt of some kind, he dashed around the room, throwing and digging into the drawers for a shirt he liked. Finally, he found one that he fancied, sniffed it, shrugged undauntedly and pulled it over his head. It was clear white shirt and he grabbed another that was a buttoned up one. Leaving the navy blue shirt unbuttoned, he shook his head a bit, trying to dispel some of the water left clinging to his hair. Russet and long in the back and dripping wet, he looked like a model or something. He was quite well-built for his age. That was why the girls flocked to him whenever he had to take his shirt off for swimming. It looked as if he just bursted out the bathroom or something…

The two siblings didn’t have the school’s uniforms yet. Luckily, the chairman allowed them to wear what was appropriate enough for classes until the uniforms had arrived. So it was alright until then.

Matt was wearing an unbuttoned navy blue t-shirt over a white shirt and dark navy blue jeans. He stuffed his laptop into his duffle bag and slung it over his shoulder. Walking past the desk, he stopped dead. Matt had seen the opened sketchbook on the desk.

Trying to get out of bed, Jaden was hit by another wave of drowsiness and fell back. Practically falling out of bed into a heap on the floor, Jaden groaned sleepily. It was no use. Everything hurt like crazy now.

“Jae!” Matt’s attention was on her. “Are you okay?”

Feeling two eyes on her, made Jaden nervous and mortified. The fall was something that would make Matt apprehensive and rather concerned. She hated having people worry about her. It made them watch her more closely than they needed to. Yet, she could get up. Feeling sleepy wasn’t good. It only drew more attention to her from Matt.

He came over with a weary expression. Sighing, he shook his head in disbelief. “Jae,” he said calmly, but a hint of worry was clear in his voice. It trembled as he spoke again. “Are you okay? Answer me, please!”

“Yeah.” she moaned. Everything hurt, especially her head, she had landed on her head, hard. “I’ll live…” Nodding her head, she felt a wave of dizziness over-whelm her. Shaking it made her head throb with pain. She didn’t hit her head that hard, did she? Throbbing with pain, Jaden struggled to get up with some help from Matt. Observably noticing the state she was in, Matt was concerned.

“Maybe you should stay in the room today.” he said. The stubborn side of Matt surfaced as he continued, “Apparently, you are not well enough to go classes today. I’ll go and apologise to the teacher for you, surely they’ll understand, Jae.” he smiled warmly at her.

All in attempt to make her feel guilty enough that she’ll stay in the dorm room for the day. And she recognized that much. Feeling bitter from the lack of sleep, Jaden grimaced. Shaking her head in reply, only made her head throb more. But she refused to let that show.

“You’re sure?” he asked, pressing his luck.

Jaden nodded as her head swam with more throbbing. Matt folded his arms in disappointment. Frowning at Jaden, it cut her deep. He was quite good with the guilty trips. Although, he only did it, whenever it was necessary, as in for the other person’s own good. Whether that was their health, their life or anything he didn’t want or liked to happen to them. He’ll do it without another thought. Even if you protested against, he’ll deny it and proceed without hesitating.

That was one thing you could count on him to be like. That was how dangerous he was and could be. The games he could play with you as his game piece. Yet, it showed his compassion for others (much to his chagrin) and just how sly and clever he was. Matt could play quite tricky and hard in his own terms.

“Stop.” muttered Jaden, weakly. “It isn’t going to work. It won’t work on me this time, I’m sure of it…”

His eyebrow raised in confusion at her answer. “Stop what, Jae?” he said innocently. This only made her more frustrated.

“You know what I mean.” she muttered firmly. Frowning at him in contempt seemed to only make him enjoy her misery more. He knew that she was about to break down on him.

Confusion was still painted on his face, angering her further. Daring to glare at him, just encouraged him more, and Jaden knew that. Her head wouldn’t stop spinning, clearly, he was trying too hard not to, but she could tell he was using a little of his power. His psyche, which was completely forbidden to use at school and on her by their mother, he was using it.

She could always sense whenever someone was using a Psyche. Never knew why, but she always had been able to, which helped her in strange ways. People, which she had never met before, yet a dangerous presence in her mind, with it, she carefully avoid them. Each and every time without a problem, she would avoid them in every way possible and it worked.

Unfortunately, this time she could not. Gritting her teeth in irritation, Jaden re-fused to let him win, even though they both knew, he had already won. Then she sighed in defeat. “Fine, then.” she grumbled, “I’ll stay.”



AGREEING TO MATT WAS ONE of the worse things she could ever have done. But, Jaden had to. If she didn’t, he’ll probably tell Mom, spooking her real bad. She never took bad news well. Probably got it from Grandma, Great Grandma and, well, you got the idea.

And she knew lying was bad. But in this case, Jaden was willing to make an exception. Even you might have even thought of trying it too. Except, Matt was an expert and a natural lie detector, which is hard to even fool him, very hard for Jaden to do, it could also be the part that she had little to no experience in lying. This time, however, Matt didn't seem to take any notice. Must have figured he got to her again with his ‘ability’. Showed how much he knew her.

The plan was simple. He would go to his classes, and she would go to hers (without him knowing). The goal was to find him. That boy from the dreams. The boy, whom she had seen sitting near the receptions desk.

Then guilt hit her. Maybe I should stay. She thought, grimly. Who knew what could happen if I went and did that. So, in a way I wasn’t lying at all. That makes me feel better, a bit…

Upon realising that, she gave up.

- PART THREE -

_____________________________________________________



THE DAY WORE ON.

It wasn’t too bad. Well, okay…it really isn’t that bad. She told herself. More like just plain bo-ring!

She pulled out her laptop (it was still in her suitcase) and turned it on. Whirling to life, the machine beeped, welcoming Jaden. It was like as if it hadn’t seen her for twenty years or so. Clicking on the email icon, it was where everyone was given one IDmail. It would conclude everything about them. Making it hard for anyone to lie about their personalities, only if you preferred a different avatar, you could customize it to your fancy, but your ID would never change, no matter what you did. You couldn’t get another IDmail unless you were an expert in the making. A hacker, or even a Psyche Hacker, they were real, but rare to come by.

Deciding to check up on any IDmails from her mom, who must have been worried sick, knowing her mom, she always did worry. Mostly to reassure her, it wasn’t that bad before Matt told her something else. That would send her mom racing in her car to Sanctuary High and grabbing her.

Already, her mom had sent her one.



Dear Blue Jae,

How are you?

And how's the school? Quite big, I imagine.

Sigh, do you know you're a very lucky girl, Jae? Your Grandmother always wanted to try out the lifestyle, so you're living her dream or at least, one of them. But, any time you want to come home, just say the word and you can go back to your school. Yes, they're letting you have a reserved space for you, just in case.

How's that no-good-grumpy-overprotective brother of yours? Up to no good, I imagine. Sigh, that's Matt so you, I guess. I should hope you're keeping an eye on him. You never know these days what's going on, Jae. It's like, the world has gone crazy or something. But don't let that get you down, Jae.

I'm currently working on a new novel at the moment and I can't wait till you read it. This one sounds pretty darn good. I guess what I'm trying to say is...I miss you terribly, Blue Jay. That's what your father would have said. I guess, I'll have to suffice with a good luck, my dear Jae.


Tell me everything.

With lots of love from,

Mom


PS.
The singer named Raine Campana came to Ottawa for a visit. She was absolutely beautiful! Her voice was like an angel’s like everyone says and she’s only turned fourteen years old. How amazing!

Also, she sings in every language possible. She’s certainly a talented one, that’s for sure. When you come and visit me, we’ll go one of her concerts. After all, Ottawa is her home city and I heard she’ll be staying for awhile. Isn’t that good news?



Smiling, Jaden breathed slowly. Wiping away any tears that had formed, she proceed to reply to her mother. It wasn’t too difficult to do.


Hey Mom,

I'm fine. Although, I had another dream, it turned into a nightmare, they all are. Just one big never-ending nightmare every night, I’m trapped within endlessly with no chance of escaping. I don’t even re-member that last good night sleep I had. I often wonder is this more of a curse than a blessing. It's no biggy. I'm fine, okay? If Matt says anything, he'll just make the whole story bigger than it needs to be on me. Worrying you greatly, so just listen to me, please Mom. I'm completely FINE.

Besides that, the whole school is huge! I think Matt nearly got us lost just trying to find our room. There's seven buildings in all, I believe, although, I could be quite wrong.

However, Matt made me stay in our room and not attend classes. Trust me, there ain't a lot of things you can do. I mean, there's no homework or anything. But, I'll find something to do, so, don't worry.

Tell Grandma, I'm loving it. I can defiantly see why she wanted to try this. It's such a different experience than just going to a regular public school. It's just a pity she never got the chance or tried it though. It's a unpredictable adventure, almost.

Matt.

He's being good, for now. I believe he got something up his sleeve or planned in his mind. But for now, he's not too bad. Working on his papers as usual, though. Always trying to attempt writing. He’s always telling me, I’ll do well in that particular area of profession and he’ll just waste away, but I don’t believe in that happening to him. He’s just too smart for that to happen to him. Yet, he doesn’t listen to a word I say as usual.

But I’ll keep on trying.


All the best and love from,

Jaden

PS.
About the concert thingy, I’ll be honoured to go with you. I’ve heard good things about Raine Campana. She’s sounds beautiful when she sings. Her songs have been playing on the TV and all sorts of places.


She sent it off.

Blue Jae… she thought fondly. And Blue Jay… Dad had called me that. He used to, before he… she couldn’t finish the thought.

Her father hadn’t been around for nearly six years. He was a lawyer or an investigator of some sort. He was investigating something and one day…he didn’t come home. He had simply vanished one day. No traces were left of him. Jaden believed that was the first mention of her father in the last six years he had been gone.

Shaking it off, she picked up one of the Mangas that Matt and she had bought with them. Reading Manga was a favourite pastime they had learned from their mom. Their mom would read any kind of books as long as they were acceptable and interesting to them. Manga was Japanese for Japanese graphic novels or comic books to some extent. Jaden found them interesting and compelling to look at and read. Matt did too, but not as much as she did. They both could possibly beat their mother’s love for them. She loved them to pieces.

Then Jaden smiled happily to herself.

This wasn’t too bad for the almost first day of school here. She felt better. Yet, something about it all made her uneasy. She soon fell asleep before Matt came back to check on her at lunch time.


__________________________________________________________________________

Well, that's Chapter 4.
Just background stuff, I guess.

It might get a wee bit boring, but it'll get more exciting soon. Hopefully...
*twindles thumbs*

Next is Chapter 5, it's coming up soon...

Thanks for your time!

Any Questions please ask!