Locked Inside-out: Ch.5 Forced in
#5 of Locked inside-out
Don't grade me wrongfully on this story. It is my first one here and it's been a while since I last attempted to even start one. First person view has never been my forte but I thought it might help to expand, and this story was thought up on a point to point plot. I don't plan for it to go too in depth.
Consecutive rules apply: If you dissagree, please refrain from leaving your anger in a comment. Please don't plagiarize, it hurts knowing that credit was given to somebody else for my work. Otherwise, if you feel something could be improved or have any requests, just feel free to say so. I have some standards but I'm otherwise really open to anything.
The evening's mood seemed rather cheerful, despite the storm outside that had grown worse since the morning. The clouds grew from grey to black, but sunlight still managed escaped through the cracks and thinner areas, leaving the interior of the home darker than it should've been at 4 p.m.
The fur on the back of my neck stood up at every crack of lightning that rang in my ears, as if each one was close enough to ingulf the home in its pure white element. The room lit up with every bolt, brighter with the window blinds open since the power went out at twelve.
--
" No, no, no. You're doing it all wrong." I heard Jessica's muffled voice come from her room.
" Well, nobody's told me in detail how to do that." Jason's voice quickly followed after hers.
Jessica quickly snapped back as if she needed to show Jason what he didn't understand." Exponentials add and subtract when their base gets multiplied or divided. believe me, it's confusing enough when the math says one thing and does another."
I avoided their conversations since they ate lunch, laying lazily on the couch until the tv and the rest of the lights went out. They continued talking all the way back to the bedroom in subjects I found unnecessary to remember.
Yet the room felt as if it was finally closing in and I couldn't stand being by myself anymore. I found the door wasn't closed completely and I slowly pushed it open. Jessica and Jason were laying on opposite sides with their heads towards the center, both staring at me. Jason looked partly suprised, as if me barging in wasn't one of the outcomes he predicted.
--
" I didn't expect you to come back." Jason said as his face returned its usual half smile.
Jessica patted on the bed for me to come closer and I gladly obeyed, laying down with my head practically in her hand." How can you expect Alex to do something? He's just an animal."
" His behavior should've been predictable." Jason replied quietly, since he didn't have to converse like he was from across the room." We were talking about him in front of him. Anybody would get uncomfortable if they were discussed."
" Or maybe he had to do something else? If he knew we'd talk about him as soon as he returned, he wouldn't have done so." Jessica answered back, striking Jason's thesis.
Unfortunately, thanks to Jessica's logic, helped keep my cover, but also meant that I couldn't leave or else prove Jason's theory once again. The room remained silent as several thoughts crossed over to connect all the ideas Jason had, but struggled to find them.
I felt a sudden, odd itch that seemed to spread over my whole body, and as I rolled over to relieve the urge, I noticed Jessica's and Jason's hair appear to try to levitate without-
--
The window's flashed, leaving a clear imprint of the large, electrical arc in my eyes and a piercing echo of the sonic boom that instantaniously followed, the pain of the sudden disturbance overlapped by the sheer amazement of such a phenomenon.
The common occurance distracted them for a few minutes before Jason finally sat up and sighed contently." It doesn't look like this will let up any time soon. I think I should get back to the appartments before I have to drive through this in the dark."
" I think you should." Jessica reoffered the suggestion as she stood up and headed for the door.
Jason slowly followed her out of the room and up to the front door." It's nice to talk once and a while, both of you. Enjoyed it." He spoke brokenly as he put another cigarrete between his lips and lit it up. He quickly opened his umbrella and closed the door, dissappearing in a flash with the sound of a car engine starting up and fading away.
--
Jessica slowly paced into the kitchen, since she didn't have the artificial light she was used to, and searched the pantry for something to snack on. I followed her into the living room and layed down over both armrests of the couch, watching as she dug around the small pile of wires that filled the drawer beneath the blank television.
Jessica closed the drawer and turned around, setting a small handheld radio down next to her snack on the coffee table in front of me." I always hafta have some form of entertainment around for tough times."
She lifted my head up and sat down in the corner of the couch letting me lay back down across her lap. Reaching over, she turned the radio on and rotated the dial until she reached her favorite classic rock channel." At least they still have power." She grumbled calmly and began to eat her gummy fruit snacks.
But she quickly stiffled a laugh as the radio station mentioned that they were running off of a secondary backup power source. She shortly grabbed the box in her hand and turned the dial again until she heard people talking about the news.
There was word that it was one of the worst storms they had in a while and that it was only going to get worse. They talked about their predictions from the radar and showed their proof that the storm was being fed by a nearby coldfront, but had no chance of getting stronger nor dissapating quickly.
The static made it unclear of how much longer we would have to worry about staying inside, not that I cared, but I was well aware that Jessica often had to make trips to gather more food. That and Amy was still out there with her friends, without her to keep company with, I quickly found that Jessica and me made a still lonely number of two.
--
" It looks like we're stuck here alone." Jessica said, looking down at me. She continued looking at me, beginning to gaze curiously for something. The discussion that she had with Jason slowly began tugging at her." There's no chance. I would've seen it forever ago."
She turned away, trying to convince herself more than help Jason." I know he's crazy, but he has a manipulating way with words." She looked back down at me." You'd say something if you could, wouldn't you?" She asked me more as if to just get it out of her lungs than to really mean it.
I felt terrible for doing so, but I stared up at her with just a hint of a questionable sadness that would've said that I was just copying her mood.
" Either you're really smart or really dumb." She finally settled the dispute fighting her mind, and happily smiled.
I would've chosen the latter. Heaven knows that they both go nowhere, yet only one leaves you travelling without guilt.