The woman in the robe gazed at Jack, her eyes filled with an unsettling understanding. She knew—knew that Jack didn't belong to this world, that he was far from where he should be. The silence between them was thick, the air heavy with unsaid words. As she stepped closer, Jack couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. He didn't know who she was, or how she knew so much about him, but one thing was clear—she wasn't about to let him escape from this strange reality without uncovering his past.
And so, Jack's story began to unravel.
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Five years ago, when Jack was just 16, the world he had known came crashing down. His parents—his entire family—had been taken away from him in the blink of an eye. The crash of a car, a cold and unforgiving reminder that life could change in an instant. The loss had hit him harder than anything ever could. His parents had been his world. Without them, there was nothing left but silence and an empty house.
He was the eldest of his siblings, and now, there was no one left to care for him, to hold him, to tell him that everything would be okay. He tried to fill the hole inside with loneliness, to hide the pain behind a mask of indifference. His life became a blur of days filled with solitude and nights wrapped in sorrow. His aunt, who had taken him in after the accident, had promised to be there for him—but her care was anything but kind.
At first, it seemed like things might be different. But the more Jack stayed under her roof, the more he realized that her kindness was only an illusion. His aunt would yell at him for the smallest things, belittle him, and at times, even hurt him. Her husband, Jack's uncle, was no better. It didn't take long for Jack to realize that there was no safe place in that house, no escape from the pain they caused. And his cousin, Drake Cunningham—he was the worst of all. At 17, Drake was a bully, the king of the school. And Jack? He was his favorite target.
The bullying was relentless. Drake and his friends made Jack's life a living hell, making sure he never had a moment of peace. Jack, with his quiet demeanor and introverted nature, was an easy target. But it wasn't just the words that hurt; it was the actions that left scars deeper than any bruise could. And when one of the students at school was badly hurt, left in a coma after an incident Jack hadn't even been part of, everything changed.
Drake, always the manipulator, turned the blame on Jack. He pulled the strings, making sure that the world saw Jack as the culprit. Without evidence, the school had no choice but to send Jack to juvenile detention. Three days. Three days of cold, lonely confinement. He couldn't even remember how he had ended up there. But thanks to the testimonies of other students who had seen what really happened, Jack was released. The truth came out, but not without its toll.
After the incident, Jack's life at his aunt's house became unbearable. His aunt, who had never truly cared for him, decided to throw him out. She handed him a small sum of money, enough to keep him on his feet for a while, and pushed him out the door. Jack was alone—truly alone for the first time in his life.
With nowhere else to go, Jack found himself wandering the streets, sleeping wherever he could, always looking over his shoulder. But Jack wasn't one to give up. Despite the odds stacked against him, he fought. He found jobs—three of them. He worked day and night, never allowing himself to rest, determined to make something of himself.
It wasn't easy. But Jack never stopped trying. And through his struggles, something beautiful began to emerge—a hope he hadn't known existed. Jack's hard work paid off. He earned a scholarship, something he hadn't thought was possible. And with that scholarship, Jack left behind his past. He left behind the pain, the loneliness, the scars. He stepped into college, a first-year student, with a heart full of determination and a mind full of dreams.
He didn't know what the future held, but for the first time in years, Jack felt like he was starting to build something. Something real.
Several months passed. Jack was thriving; college classes were going well, and he held a steady job. Then, unexpectedly, his employer declared bankruptcy. The cold night air nipped at Jack's cheeks as he trudged home, the bankruptcy notice a lead weight in his Cellphone. His carefully constructed future, his stable job, his college dreams – all crumbling like sand. He'd rushed back to the company, hoping for a mistake, a misunderstanding. But the grim reality had hit him like a physical blow. He was jobless, drowning in debt. Rent, electricity, water – the bills loomed, monstrous and inescapable.
Then, a small figure darted in front of him, a girl, maybe twelve, her eyes wide and pleading. She held out a small, dirty hand. "Sir… please… some coins?"
Jack stopped, his own despair momentarily eclipsed by the sight of this child, alone in the darkness. He looked at her ragged clothes, her thin frame. He thought of his own troubles, the crushing weight of his debts, the fear of homelessness. And yet… this girl… she had nothing.
He knelt, his gaze meeting hers. "How long have you been…?" he began, his voice barely a whisper.
The girl's lip trembled. "Since I was little, sir. No family… just… the streets." Her voice was small, almost lost in the night.
A wave of empathy washed over Jack. He was devastated, yes, but this child's plight was even worse. He reached into his pocket, his hand finding a few crumpled bills. It wasn't much, but it was all he had left after paying for his bus fare.
"Come," he said, his voice stronger now. "Let's get you something to eat."
He led her to a small bakery, the warm light a stark contrast to the cold night. He bought her a loaf of bread, watching her eat with a hunger that went beyond mere appetite.
"I… I lost my job," Jack confessed, his voice thick with emotion. "Everything… gone."
The girl looked up, her eyes filled with a surprising understanding. "It's okay," she whispered. "My mama always said… even when things are dark… there's always a little light."
He looked at her, truly saw her, and a strange sense of peace settled over him. He wasn't alone in his suffering. He wasn't the only one fighting to survive. He told her his story, the struggles, the debts, the fear. He listened to hers, the years of hardship, the loneliness, the constant struggle for survival. And in that shared vulnerability, a bond formed.
Tears welled in the girl's eyes. "No one… no one ever listened before," she choked out.
Jack smiled, a genuine smile, the first in days. "We're not so different, you and I," he said softly. "We both have to keep going. We both have to find our light."
Weeks bled into each other, each day a fresh wave of anxiety as Jack's job hunt yielded nothing. The looming college tuition fee was a constant, suffocating pressure. He scoured the city, his hope dwindling with each rejection. He was desperate, willing to take any work, but opportunities remained elusive. This desperation, this relentless search, would become the catalyst for his extraordinary journey.
He decided to try a different city, boarding a bus heading towards a distant town. As he settled into his seat, a familiar figure caught his eye. It was the girl, the one he'd helped months ago. He couldn't believe it.
"Hey!" he called out, his voice a mixture of surprise and relief.
The girl looked up, her eyes widening in recognition. "Oh, it's you, sir!" she said, a shy smile gracing her lips. "I'm going to see my mother. She's very sick." She carefully pulled out a small, worn purse, revealing a modest stack of bills. "I saved for a long time."
Jack's heart ached for her. Despite her showing him her hard-earned money, he insisted on paying her fare. "Let me do this," he said gently. "Consider it… a thank you for helping me keep my hope alive that day."
As the bus rumbled along, the engine sputtered, coughed, and died with a shudder. The driver announced they were stranded in a remote area. The roadside was flanked by two imposing cliffs, the dense forest pressing in on either side. Passengers filed out to assess the damage. Jack and the girl followed, their conversation flowing easily despite the stressful situation.
A few minutes later, Jack realized the girl was gone. Panic tightened his chest. He asked the other passengers, and they pointed towards a shadowy part of the woods bordering a steep cliff.
He saw her then, bent over, reaching for something near the precipice. "Hey! It's dangerous! Get back!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the trees.
But she didn't hear him, or perhaps she didn't understand the urgency in his voice. He started towards her, his heart pounding. She picked up a dropped purse, and just as she turned to come back, she slipped. She tumbled towards the edge.
Instinct took over. Jack lunged forward, reaching out. He grabbed her hand, but the ground was uneven, and he slipped too, his weight pulling him down the slope. He scrabbled for purchase, finding a small rock to cling to. He screamed for help, but only the rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of crickets answered.
His hand, raw and bleeding, began to lose its grip. Just as he felt himself falling, a blinding flash of light erupted before him, a shimmering portal opening in the air. The world dissolved in a kaleidoscope of colors, and Jack, clutching the terrified girl, vanished.