Jake's Strange Turn

This is my first story, so I'm very nervous. Please leave a review and tell me what ya think.

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Has something ever happened to you that you really couldn't explain? Something that seems like a dream, but is all too real? People that you meet who are not all they seem to be? Well… That same thing has happened to me. It’s hard to explain so I will start from the beginning.

 

The wheels of my skateboard slide against the concrete. The wind whipping parts of my hair backwards. My bright red hat that was rotated to the side stayed planted on my head. My arms sticks out for balance. I woke up this morning and thought I would start it out with skateboarding. I always loved the feeling of the rushing wind hitting my face and feeling the warm sun shining above. I always did this when I had nothing better to do. Don’t worry, I’m very careful.

 

“Ah!” I shouted, as two people holding a big glass mirror walked in front of me, onto the road that I was skating on. My eyes widened in fear. With my quick thinking, I ducked just in time to avoid making contact with the clear glass and slid under it as they carefully lifted it up. Once I had passed under it, I gracefully stood up straight, putting my arms out to balance myself. I cocked my head over my shoulder, grinning, before turning back around. Using my feet, I started to quicken my pace. Okay, so maybe I’m not that careful, but no one got hurt now, did they?

There was a long wooden plank in my path and one end was resting on a pile of bricks while the other end was on the ground. It made some sort of a slope shape and I thought of an idea. I quickened my pace and the end of the plank got closer to me. When I finally felt the rough wood against the wheels of my skateboard, I made myself go faster and faster until I reached the end of the plank.

 

It was slow-motion for a while. I felt the wind brush through my brown hair as I glided through the air. My eyes automatically closed on me, feeling the cool breeze hit my face. It felt nice against my skin. Then without warning, gravity kicked in and I began plummeting towards the earth like a fiery meteor. The wind whipped my clothes and hair backwards, feeling it hanging loosely off my body. My eyes fluttered open, seeing the ground just 20 meters away. I got closer and closer to the concrete, feeling unafraid. I calmly put my skate board beneath me, landing swiftly on the ground with perfect balance, right in front of my friends.

I could see the surprised looks on their faces, guess they were not expecting me to fall out of the sky like superman except for the fact that I do not have a cape. I am just always full of surprises now, ain't I? It looked like I gave my friends a heart attack, I can tell by their shocked expressions. Realizing it was only me and not some thug, their smiles returned.

I gave them my famous smirk before hopping off my skateboard and using my feet to flip it up, grabbing it in my hands. “What did you think? Pretty cool, huh?” I asked, my voice full of smug.

 

Butch, a friend of mine who has spiky orange hair, smiled and slightly nodded at me. “That was pretty cool, man. As usual,” he commented, grinning with pride. 

I met Butch when I was 13. We were in the same class; we didn’t even speak at first. The teacher put us together for a project one day, so we were forced to speak to each other. At first, we kept fighting and disagreeing on everything. But let’s just say that we became friends after that project. We never did finish it though so we ended up with detention. It was fine though; we got to know each other better because of it. It was actually the first time I ever got detention. Hard to believe, isn't it?

Emily, a girl with purple hair tied up into a messy bun, who was also my friend, smiled at me. “That was really amazing, Jake. It’s no surprise since you’re just always that amazing,” Emily stated, giving me a thumbs up. 

I met Emily only a year ago when I was 15. She was the new girl. Me, Skull and Butch used to always pick on her. We would throw paper airplanes at her head, put fake bugs on her, and tease her. It was fun watching her get mad; she would literally have steam coming out of her ears. The three of us would just break down laughing as she yelled at us. One day, she got so mad that she flipped Butch over. Skull and I burst into hysterical laughter. After that, we respected Emily and became friends with her.

I kind of formed a crush on her not too long ago. I saw her getting harassed by some guys at school. When I was about to step in and save her, she beat them up with a single punch. I was really impressed. Ever since then, I’ve always kind of liked her. 

My last friend, Skull, who had a green Mohawk, nodded at my skateboard. “Not bad, mate. Maybe you should teach me a few tricks,” Skull suggested. I know that his name sounded scary, but he is a really cool guy.

I met Skull when I was  fourteen. Butch introduced me to him. He has known Butch since they were ten years old. However, Skull had to move to a different school because of reasons. I'm not sure what they were, the guys never told me. But anyway, Skull moved back to this school when I was fourteen. That was when Butch introduced me to him. At first, Skull and I didn't get along. We fought for months over who was Butch's bestfriend. But after a water fight, we just magically became friends. I laugh everytime I think about that moment.

The corners of my mouth tugged upwards into a smile, satisfied with the comments. My eyes twinkled in amusement. A frown suddenly formed on my lips as the realization hits me. A sigh escaped my lips. I almost forgot today was Monday and we had school. We were an hour late as always. I could never be bothered waking up early. I mean come on! School started at 9:00pm! Who would want to wake up so early just to go to school? Talk about boring.

 

“Come on, let’s go to school and learn about stuff we’re not going to need in the future,” I said sarcastically, receiving a few laughs from my friends. We all started to head off in the direction of our prision while walking very, very slowly. We were not in a rush to learn.

 

When we eventually got to class, the teacher scolded us for being late and ‘disturbing his lesson.’ Now my friends and I have detention for a month, which is fine by me. It lets me catch up on my sleep.

 

After getting yelled at for a full ten minutes and with me making a few smart comments �" which the teacher did not approve of �" we were herded into a bus to go on some school trip I never heard about. Who even bothers to know these things anyway?

 

Unfortunately, instead of something that I might have bothered to stay awake during, the excursion was to this old abandoned house. It just screamed ‘boring.’ This man was just going on and on about the abandoned house; when was it made? How many years it had been around for? What was so great about it? Blah, blah, blah. I stopped paying attention after the first twenty seconds and began to play games on my phone. It was easy since I was at the back behind all the other students, though I eventually got caught anyway.

 

“Jake!” I heard someone call out my name in an angry tone. I reluctantly looked up from my phone, staring into the cold glare that was my teacher. He shot daggers through me with his eyes from his place at the front. I quickly stuffed my phone back into the safety of my pocket and turned my attention to the teacher, pretending to listen as the man continued to speak. I was so distracted in my own little world that I didn’t notice when my phone dropped out of my pocket when I didn’t put it in right.

 

“Okay class, make your way out of here in two lines,” the teacher ordered as if we were five years old. I followed the rest of the students out of the boring place as my phone lay on the ground, nobody noticing it.

 

School ended by the time we got back to school. Thank goodness! I had suffered enough through that boring talk at the old house. My friends and I were walking down the street to where my house was, smoking cigarettes while laughing and joking. "How about we all go back to my place and have a few drinks. My parents are both at work," Butch suggested, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and blowing a puff of smoke into the air. 

"I can't. I have work," I explained sadly, dropping my gaze to the ground and letting a deep sigh escape my lips. I didn't really want to see the looks they were giving me, it always makes me feel like a joy killer.

It's not that I hate my job. It's just that... Well... Okay, I do hate my job. But if you had to deal with whiny customers and jerk face bosses, then you would hate it too. I know what you're thinking. Why don't I just quit if I hate it so much? I would if I could. Believe me, I've thought about it. But I can't. My mum cannot work because she is so incredibly sick, she can't even stand up for 5 seconds without collapsing. I got my first job at Morley in the video game store when I was ten and I have been working there ever since.

"Come on, Jake. Can't you just call in sick this once," Skull begged.

I shifted my eyes up to meet their gazes. I could see the hurt in their eyes, it broke my heart to see them like this. As much as I would like to call in sick, I know in my heart that I cannot. My mum needed me more then ever, I got to do the right thing for her. 

I averted my eyes away from them, taking an interest in my shoes. "Sorry, guys. But I can't," I proclaimed.

They exchanged secret glances, leaving me confused about what was going through their heads. They had unreadable expressions. I just couldn't figure out what they were thinking and it was driving me crazy!

They finally gazed up at me, shrugging their shoulders in a nonchalant way. "Whatever," Skull finally said, rolling his eyes. I can't believe I was so stressed out just for that one worded answer. He sounded mad though, can't they understand that I have responsibilities because my mother is sick.

"Come see us when you're not too busy being a stick in the mud," Butch shot back, turning his back on me and walking away, not giving me a second glance. I couldn't help but stare at his retreating figure. I was at a loss for words, my tongue felt like it was tied up. My eyes automatically glanced up at my other two friends. When they met my eyes, they instantly turned their backs on me, following after Butch. It was as if being with me was a curse and they just had to get away.

I was going to run after them to just try and talk to them about this. But I knew there was nothing I could say. They always got mad when I couldn't hang out and get drunk when they were in the mood. It's not my fault. I have work too, I got to pay the rent. They will get over it tomorrow, they always do after ditching me.

A deep sigh escaped my lips, I still stood in the same place, just staring off into the distance. I turned my back and walked away, heading in the direction of my home. I had no time to think or react to my friends, I had to get ready for work. I can't be late because I'll probably get fired. Then what would I do?

 

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I dropped my bag carelessly on the floor by the front door, letting out a puff of air. I was exhausted from work. I seriously felt like quitting today after my boss was giving me a hard time. But my Mother is the reason that I sat back and took the abuse. Speaking of my Mum, I better on check on her to see how she's going. I trudged up the stairs and walked down the hallway until I came to a stop outside of my Mum's room. I stared at the wooden door as if I had X-ray vision. I reluctantly opened the door, but just enough so I could peak my head in.

 

“Mum, I’m home,” I said softly as to not wake her up if she was still asleep.

 

I could hear her groaning from where she lied on the bed, her body shifting a bit. I could see those big blue eyes staring back at me, so full of life and hope. Upon seeing me, she gave me a small smile. “Hey Jake,” she said, her voice weak and dry.

 

My mum has this illness where she’s always weak and fainting, even if we put her on an extra-cautious diet. She’s been this way since I was only ten years old. I had to do everything by myself while trying to take care of my sick mother. My father… He left when my mother was pregnant with me. I never even got to meet him or know what he looked like. Why he left us, I will never know. My mum never told me about him. Every time I ask her about my dad, she just says ‘it’s hard to explain’ then pretends to go back to sleep again. Well, I still think he’s a big jerk for leaving.

 

I forced a smile onto my lips though it did not meet my eyes. Taking in a steady breath, I got up the courage to walk over to her. As soon as I reached her bed, I got onto my knees so we were at eye level. “Are you feeling any better?” I asked, concern obvious in my voice. I always asked her that, even when I know that she isn’t feeling any better. People don’t just stay sick for five years and then suddenly one day their kid comes to check up on them and they’re feeling perfectly fine and can do everything themselves again. Still, every day, I pray for her to say, 'I’m fine now Jake, everything’s fine, I’m not sick anymore.'

 

I saw the sadness in her blue eyes, she forced a smile as soon as she saw the worry in my own eyes. It broke my heart to see her trying to act strong just for me. “I feel better now that you’re here.” Her voice broke slightly. I wish.

 

I gave her one last smile before heaving myself from the floor. “I’ll get you something to eat,” I lied, using that as an excuse to leave the room. I just hated seeing my mother like this. I was already walking towards the door before she even had time to reply. I shut it behind me, leaning against it again I gathered my thoughts. My eyes automatically closed on me, letting me relax for several seconds. I took in deep breaths as I steadied my heart. My eyes shot open, feeling wet. I raised a shaky hand, touching my damp cheeks only to realize that I had been crying. I quickly wiped them away, feeling shamed of how weak I was being.

 

Roughly pushing myself off the wooden door, I trudged down the stairs, making a turn into the kitchen. I tossed two toast into the toaster and waited for it to cook. This was the easiest thing I knew how to make, I sometimes have trouble cooking food. The loud bang of the toaster surprised me, I literally jumped 5 feet in the air. I slapped on some butter and placed them on a plate, heading back upstairs. I gave her the plate with a cup of orange juice before leaving her alone again.

I went straight to my room and collapsed onto the bed with a deep sigh. It’s hard to just sit there and watch her look so helpless that I sometimes act a little mean in front of my Mum. I hugged my pillow close to my chest as if I expected it to give me a bit of comfort. It didn't do anything except remind me that I was alone. I had no one to turn to when I needed it the most. 

Setting up from my laid back position, I shook my head to get rid of those negative thoughts. I had to be strong for my Mum, I know that everything will work out one day. I'm just one step closer to a perfect life. I forced a smile onto my lips, it only lasted several seconds before vanishing again. "Maybe I'll call my friends... They can't still be mad at me, can they?" I felt around my pocket for my mobile, but it was empty. I checked my other pockets, but still nothing. I started to freak out and frantically began to check everywhere for my phone but I still didn’t find it anywhere.

 

Then it hit me; the abandoned house. It had to be there since that is the last place I had my phone. I leapt off the bed and ran downstairs to get to the door.

 

“I’ll be back in a minute, Mum!” I called upstairs, not waiting for an answer before dashing outside. I ran down the street, my breathing getting caught in my throat. I swear my feet didn't even touch the ground as I ran along the concrete, it felt like I was flying. It’s a good thing this old house is not that far from home so I didn’t need a car or bus to get there.

 

I finally arrived at the old, wooden house, I stayed outside for a minute, trying to return my breathing back to normal. Wiping the sweat from my brow, I heaved open the door, peeking inside the dark room. When I was inside, I was relieved to find that no-one else was there, though it looked a lot creepier then I remembered. But it’s not like I’m scared or anything, I’m not a wimp.

 

I looked around the dark room for my mobile and instantly spotted it on the floor, under a desk. I smiled to myself before running over and bending down to pick it up. Stuffing it in my pocket, I have never felt more relieved to have found it.  My mum would have killed me if I lost it, even if she is sick.

 

I was about to turn around and leave but out of the corner of my eye, I saw a slight glow. Shifting my gaze to the side, I noticed a big mirror standing against the wall. Wait, was that there before? I blinked in confusion at the strange looking mirror that had a white glow surrounding it.

 

Even though my mind was screaming for me to run out of here since this mirror could be dangerous, curiosity got the best of me. I began slowly making my way towards the mirror, it was as if I was in a trance. I wanted to get out of here before something bad happened but my feet wouldn’t stop. They just kept walking forward like I wasn’t in control of my body anymore.

 

I stopped walking once I was right in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection in the clear glass. For an old mirror, it looked like it was brand new. I rolled my eyes at my reflection for being so stupid to believe this mirror was dangerous. I had just imagined that it was glowing.

 

“I have got to stop believing horror movies,” I muttered to myself with a slight chuckle. I placed my hand onto the mirror’s edge, smirking. “Stupid mirror. Nothing but a piece of junk.”

 

I was trying to tell myself to leave before I got into trouble but my young teenage mind wouldn’t listen to the small voices at the back of my head. I stayed right where I was with my hand on the smooth glass. I rolled my eyes again before finally turning around and began walking off.

 

But I stopped dead in my track when I saw a light reflecting onto the wall opposite of me. I reluctantly turned around, my eyes widening in fear. The mirror was really glowing now, and I was sure it wasn’t my imagination.

I began to walk towards the mirror again, one hand in front of me, ready to touch the clear glass again. I knew that it was a very, very bad thing to do, if something weird like this happened then you should run away, not walk towards it. But I was just too curious to just turn back now.

 

My hand made contact with the smooth glass but instead of just touching it, my hand went right through the glass like it was liquid. I just stared at it in shock, too scared to move my hand away from the mirror.

 

But then a strong gust of wind from behind me pushed my body forwards. I tried pulling my hand back, using my feet to drag my body away, but it was no use. A strange force knocked me off my feet and pulled me into the glass.

I screamed as I fell deeper and deeper into an empty abyss, not sure where it was taking me.

Author's Note

I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's been on my computer for a while and I finally have the courage to post it

Reviews

[Seth Exile]

Wow Kid. Definitely draws you in. Can't wait for the next segment. :)

[Booklover200014]

Thanks so much for the review! :)

[.]

I'm glad u posted it, 'cause I loved it! And it's not everyday I see a new talent! 100/100 Consider me a fan! ^.^

[Booklover200014]

Thank you so much! :)

[.]

No prob! ^.^