Chapt 1 Untitled Short Story

Work in Progress. This has been reworked after some great reviews. Please review and be as honest as you want. It has been so helpful and this is my first time writing a short story and sharing it. Thank you!!!

 

Jack stared at the picture on his refrigerator. Juliet had an exquisiteness exceeding any women in his life before or after she has come into his life. He thought back to the last day they were together. His memory was foggy of the events that took place. They were at the Hudson River taking retreat. He remembers them being with friends watching rain drops gently begin to hit the powerful current before them. They were warned how dangerous the river could be and that no one should attempt to swim in it. Juliet was the first one in. She was always gambling with life, taking chances on things she felt were worth the elation. She went in up to her waist. The others watched taking a minute to decide whether or not to follow but sure enough they ran in to join her. Jack did not. He decided to stay back on the shore. 

 

Jack felt a sudden urgency to make things right that he had left undone. He ran to grab his cordless phone and began pacing the floor from the kitchen to the living room and back again following in his footsteps each time. He held the phone up to his ear impatiently. The anticipation of hearing her tone the way it resonates through him. He recognized that familiar chill he was getting just at the consideration of speaking to her. The thought of her lips parting to say his name.

The ringing ceased and a breath before he finally heard…

“Hello”

“Hello, can I speak to Juliet. I mean, Juliet, Juliet, Is that you?”

He froze listening for her response which felt like a moment taken out of forever.

However, she was confused, how he did not know. His voice was everything she remembered or for as much as she could. She was stunned by his question and not sure what feeling she felt most intensely; angry, sad, or ecstatic. She had been awaiting the call for years. He had been waiting to make it just as many.

She didn’t want to be the one to give him the explanation. She by no means thought this is what it was going to come down to. Actually she did not believe it was going to come down.

“Jack is that you?”

“Juliet, of course it is. I am sorry it has taken me so long to reach you. I have so much to say and we need to…”

“Jack, stop talking. Stop! You can’t just call like this. Don’t you know? How can you not know?”

“Know what? Are you married? Are you with…”

“Jack, are you kidding me?” He heard her holding back her breath to not break into tears. The intensity between them was so strong; the room felt like it could ignite if someone was to begin a smoke.

“Juliet, took her life 6 years ago. How do you not know? How do you not understand? She is gone. She left long ago. I am much older now. I am here. I am here. You never understood. Do you hear me? Will you ever see me?”

 

Suddenly again Jack flashed back to the scene at the river, Juliet with their friends splashing around and he was standing on the shore. He could not recall past that point. What happened next he strained to bring back to his mind? He can’t recall seeing her get out of the water. He does not recall walking away. His memory is blocked. 

 

“Where do I find you? How can I reach you?”

“Swim, just swim. This time go back to river and swim.”

 

Jack was bewildered on his end of the phone. His throat felt as if it had closed and he could no longer speak. He choked and tried to clear his throat with a chesty growl but no sound would come out. His eyes began to fill with tears and complete disorder filled his mind like nothing he had experienced before. He wondered if he was having a heart attack. Finally he muttered out the words, “What is happening to me?” On the other end of the phone she tried to get him back to focus, “Jack, Jack, I am here. It’s me. It’s me. Open your eyes.”  Jack tried to focus again on the picture of Juliet that he had on his refrigerator. He stared into her dark brown eyes in the photograph, he took a deep breath and then again.

 

Slowly he felt his dizzy head slow. “Are you looking at the photo on your fridge?” she asked as if knowing exactly the steps he took though he still had not spoken a word. “Yes, Yes I did. How did you know?”  “Jack, listen carefully to my voice, it is me. Juliet is gone. Juliet… this concept, this dream, I am the one still here.”

Jack was unsure of what was going on. He remembered being with Juliet down by the river. He had memories of leaving her there and not being able to go back for her. But what did the person on the phone mean by a concept? Why did she sound like Juliet?

“Where are you? I mean you answered Juliet’s phone. Are you at Juliet’s place? I want to come there, may I?” Jack asked eagerly and feeling unbalanced.

“Are you sure you are ready to see this?” the woman on the phone asked.

“See this? See what? I have no idea what you are talking about. I am on my way.  I will be fine. Shock is a natural reaction to all this I would expect but I am fine now! I’m fine, I’m fine.”

 

They hung up the phone. Jack got in his car and began driving fast through the local streets to get to Juliet’s apartment. He needed to see for himself what was going on there. He did not understand what he was being told or why.