It was from a girl's perspective. She was running from a man but Jack couldn't make out his face. Jack would look down and see the girl wearing a black bra, white underwear and nothing else. He turned a corner to see a bedroom with white sheets. The girl grabbed a pillow and swung playfully, hitting the man in the face. The man laughed deeply and the girl giggled. Jack could tell she was smiling as the man jumped on the bed and lied next to her. Jack tried his best to remember the man's face, but his memory couldn't bring it up. Before waking up, however, Jack can perfectly remember the girl's last words.
"Oh Bobby?Hehehehe?I love you?Bobby?Let's lay here all night?"
Jack had a name, but no face. He didn't know who they were or why he was her and not the man He jokingly hoped the dream didn't mean he was gay. Jack sent a text message to his friend Marie. They had been friends since Jack moved to the city to go to school, meeting her in one of his classes. Jack asked Marie if she was free to meet him at a coffee shop down the street. He tossed the phone aside and went to shower.
As he bathed, Jack thought of the girl's words again. He got out and stared at himself in the mirror. Jack stood 5'7", skinny, with little muscle tone. He felt the scars on his chest, each an inch or so below his nipples. The area around the scars was numb to the touch. He checked his phone, and Marie had responded, agreeing to the meet up. Jack put on some clothes and walked down to his car, trying to leave the dream behind for a few moments.
While driving Jack recalled a memory that he wished was a dream. His doctors told him to try and remember as much as he could. Jack was 18, and recalls the car flipping, his friends on fire, and a girl's hand lying next to him. When he woke up, He couldn't remember anything past that; not even his childhood. His parents and doctors had to fill in most of his memories. Jack asked for pictures of himself when he was younger but his parents told him they were too poor to afford a camera. After the accident Jack's parents sued the car company for faulty brakes. If they cared to, they now had enough money to buy every camera in the world. They used the money to repair Jacob's body, and after a year in therapy he was back to normal health, a happy ending to a tragic story where he was the only survivor. It haunted him every waking minute, and recently the dream was stalking him as he slept. There was no relief in sight, but he hoped Marie would provide some insight.
Jack got to the coffee shop a few minutes before Marie. He went inside to order a cup of mocha and rushed back outside to light up a cigarette. He stood there, and between sips he tried to recollect as many details from the dream as possible. He looked into the distance at nothing particular, just in a daze as he waited for Marie. He turned to cough.
"It's a nasty habit, you should stop."
Startled, Jack turned back to see Marie, holding a book in her hand.
"Yeah I know, it going to be my New Year's resolution. Wanna sit out here or inside?"
"Inside would be nice, if you're all finished there?"
Jack took one last puff, held it for a few seconds, and slowly breathed out.
"Now I am."
They walked inside and sat down. Marie wasn't sure what Jack had to talk to her about, but she gave him a chance to settle in before asking. Once she did ask, Jack didn't seem to stop until he was through, not even to breathe.
"It hasn't been my only dream, but it keeps coming back. I don't get it, it's like she's calling for someone, but it's not me."
"How do you know?"
"Because she says the name ?Bobby', I can remember that very clearly."
"Did you have any friends named Bobby back home?"
Jack stared at Marie. She knew he couldn't remember anything before the accident. It took her a second to realize her error, and a smile of embarrassment crept across her face.
"Sorry?Anyway, it might be some sort of symbolic dream, not necessarily something that actually happened. How old do the girl and the guy look?"
"About 16 or 17 years old, I guess. I mean, some girls look older than they actually are, but the guy looked younger, from what I could tell. I wish I could remember his face, but I can't make it out for some reason."
"Hm, maybe they just represent repressed memories, it could be the key to your past. Maybe you should go home for the Christmas break and see what you can find. It doesn't seem to me anyone is trying to help you remember. You may have to help yourself."
"I'm tired of trying, but something tells me you're right. Yeah, I might as well, I have nothing else to do for Christmas break, after all."
"You could come spend it with me? I would make it worth your while."
"Haha, yeah, that might prove I'm not gay, right? This dream makes me second guess that sometimes. Thanks for the offer, but you know that I can't break the promise I made to my parents after the accident. After what they told me, the type of person I was turning out to be, I had no choice but to make a change?"
"Sounds like you're trying to convince yourself. Alright, well, I must be getting to the library to return this book. Good luck, and I guess see you in two weeks?"
"Yeah, I'll text you later. Thanks for the talk."
As Jack left, he called his parents. His dad answered and Jack asked if he could spend the holidays there. He hadn't been home for almost four years. His dad paused for a minute to think, and then settled on a yes. That evening Jack packed his things and drove to his parent's house. It was a four hour drive but he wanted to sleep there, to see if the dream would follow him. When he arrived his mom was awake, giving him a hug and showing him back to his room. It didn't have any posters, nothing to help Jack tell him what type of child he was; just basic white sheets on his bed. He unpacked and settled in, falling asleep after a few minutes.
Before he knew it, he was awake. No dream came to mind when he thought of the time he was asleep. Maybe it was symbolic like Marie had said. He looked at his phone; it was 12:00 pm. Jack walked to the kitchen where a plate with slightly warm eggs and bacon sat. His mom was washing dishes, and turned when she heard Jack say good morning.
"Good morning sweetie did you sleep okay?"
"Yeah, mom, thanks?Hey, um, I wanted to ask you something. Did I ever have a friend named Bobby?" asked Jack as he wolfed down his breakfast.
Jack's mom held a blank stare on her face. He couldn't tell if she was thinking or surprised at the name. Finally, she shook her head side to side.
"No, I don't recall anyone by that name. The only friends you had were in the car accident with you. I'm so sorry honey, but at least you were okay, you got a second chance," she began to cry, so Jack went to hug her.
"Um, yeah, I know mom?Thanks for breakfast, any idea where dad is?"
"He's out back, in the woods for a walk with Rusty. Oh you haven't seen Rusty since he was a puppy, you should go back there with them, it'll be good for you," Jack's mom wiped tears from her face, attempting to regain her composure.
Jack grabbed his jacket, put on some shoes and went out the backdoor. He wasn't sure about his mom's reply, so hoped his dad would be more helpful. The house was built on a large piece of land, outside of the city. From what Jack was told this is where he grew up, but damned if he would know otherwise. There were a few houses around but not enough to warrant a fence, therefore the backyard led directly to the woods. The sun peered through the trees, making it hard for Jack to see in the distance. He heard someone walking and called out for his father.
"Nope, I'm not your dad; Name's Robert, most people just call me Robby though," the young man extended his hand. Jack introduced himself and asked Robert if he had seen an older man walking with a dog. Robert nodded and pointed towards a beaten down path. Jack leaned to the side and squinted to see if he could make out his father. Robert leaned to meet Jack's eyes.
"If you're unsure I can walk you back there?"
Jack didn't want to emasculate himself and ask for help, but he didn't want to seem unappreciative of the offer. He shrugged, mumbled "sure", and followed behind Robert. As they walked he noticed Robert wasn't wearing a jacket or a sweater, only a short-sleeved black shirt. The two of them talked for a bit, getting to know one another.
"So, how long have you lived around here Robby?"
"Hm, all my life actually, used to date a girl that lived in the house you came from, and sometimes I walk back here for old times' sake."
"Uh, what? My parents have lived there all their lives?"
Jack stopped walking; Robert turned and began telling his story.
"Oh, no, beg your pardon, but the girl that lived there didn't have a brother, from what I remember. Nah, it was just her and her parents. Yeah, I guess they moved out after she was in an accident, some drunk driver wrecked into her and her friends' car. I was supposed to be with her that night but I had to work."
"Accident? What kind of car was she in?"
"Um, she was in a van- No, wait, an SUV, with her friends, they were heading to-"
"To the city, to go dancing at some clubs?"
"Um, yeah, I think so?There was only one survivor, one of the boyfriends of the girls, I think. I know it was a guy though, that's all they would tell me?How did you know about the accident?"
"I was in an accident, awhile back?What was your girlfriend's name?"
"Her name was Jackie. Hm, my favorite memory was of her and I running around her house, laughing. I remember looking into her eyes, hearing her tell me she loved me? But that was four years ago. Do you think it was the same accident? It's weird if so, that your parents moved into that house?"
"I?I don't get it; we lived there all our lives, that's what they told me, that's what they said. I woke up and didn't remember who I was, so they had to fill in the details?But?What you just said, I remember that, I've been having a dream like that, except, the girl, she calls out ?Bobby' and that's where-"
"Wait, ?Bobby'? That's?That's what she used to call me, only her?"
Jack and Robert stared into each other eyes. Jack felt something come over him; he wanted to embrace Robert for some reason. He wanted to hug him, to hold him. He didn't understand why. They both wanted to, their eyes gave it away.
"You? Jackie?"
"Bobby?"
Sudde nly Jack's memories came flashing back. He remembered being a child, opening gifts with dolls and dresses. He remembered the name of his high school, he remembered being on the volleyball team, and he remembered his dad telling him goodnight. His dad would say, "Goodnight Jackie".
"But, no, you can't be, you're, you're a guy, you're not my Jackie?Who are you?!"
"I think?I get it now."
Jack ran back to the house, and Robert followed. Jack pushed the door open and saw his mom, sitting at the kitchen table with a laptop in front of her. She looked up and saw her son's face, and then saw Robert standing behind him.
"Robert?! What are you doing around here?! We told you to stay away!!!"
"No, you said you were moving! You said Jackie was dead, who is this?!" yelled Robert, as he held Jack by the shoulders.
"Um?Look, honey, I can explain?"
"Don't bother, I remember now. I know now. I'm Jackie?I was, but you tried to kill me! Why mom, why did you do this to me?! Why am I Jack now?! Why did you lie to me?!"
"The doctors told us you were beyond recognition, that your mind was wiped clean, that they wanted to try an experiment, a test, and in exchange you would be taken care of?We were in such debt, we couldn't afford this house, but they paid it off, it was all paid for?We?We had no choice, we needed the money?"
"How could dad allow this?! HOW?!"
"Um, well, he didn't, he hated the idea. He divorced me and I remarried. That's the man you think is your father, my new husband?He doesn't know, he only knows you as Jack?"
Jack stepped forward and sat down. Robert came from behind, putting his hand on Jack's shoulder. The two looked at each other, and then Jack looked back down at the floor. It all made sense now. His dream was real, exactly what he wanted. He wanted to hate his mother for what happened, but he was too stunned to react. He sat in the chair, dejected.
"I think you should go, Bobby," Jack quietly whispered.
Robert's face was flush as he walked outside. Jack stood and went to the open door as Robert walked away into the woods, with his head hanging down. Jack began to cry. Robert cried too, but not because he was sad. He was happy that his true love Jackie was still alive. He knew nothing could ever keep them apart. Robert disappeared into the woods, and Jack closed the door.
---
Word Count: 2,419
rating: 4
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