Reality Lies by D.F. Downey (e manga reader .TXT) 📕

“Well, I hope so but there was a good sign.”

“Yeah?” Joey asked.

“Jay woke up when I turned it on and told me that he always slept with one.”

“You really think it’s that simple?”

“All I know is Johanna must have done something all these years to keep Jay’s dreams under control.”

“Makes sense.” Joey agreed.

“Still, I think for the time being we should go with your idea, Jay will be sleeping alone.”

Joey laughed. “What’s so funny?” Jackie asked.

“I just thought maybe we were lucky.”

“Lucky? How could you think this was lucky?” Jackie said visibly annoyed.

“What’s the number one thing young kids in a dark room are afraid of?” Joey asked patiently.

Jackie was too tired to guess. “What?”

“Monsters! Monsters under the bed, monsters in the closet, monsters outside the window. Can you begin to imagine what those monsters would be if they were suddenly real?” Joey was scaring himself, awakening his own five year old.

“That does it! No TV, no video games, no … well anything.” Jackie announced.

Joey laid there, eyes wide-open, “I don’t think I’ll ever sleep again.”

She dropped the boys at school and drove as fast as she could downtown. It hadn’t taken her long to turn this into routine. She had visited Johanna every day since Jay had come to live with her. After experiencing Jay’s power first hand she had to talk to her about it. She had decided that today was the day. It was clear that Johanna didn’t belong here. Her co-habitants were decidedly rough trade. After a short while the guard bought her out. She clearly hadn’t slept much. They exchanged pleasantries then Jackie blurted out. “Listen, I know for certain you didn’t kidnap Robbie.”

“What. . . how do you know that?”

“Jay had one of his uh. . . episodes.”

“Oh God! What happened now? Is everyone all right?”

“Everyone’s fine. I was able to fix it. I figured out how you “fixed” Robbie and used the same technique.”

Johanna’s face brightened. “You don’t know how good it feels to finally share that secret.”

“Does Jay know?”

“No, I’ve been careful to keep it from him. As near as I can figure he doesn’t really control it nor will it. It’s simply that the world becomes what he believes it to be, at least in appearance. The basic nature of things remains unchanged.”

“The possibilities are mind-boggling.”

“The reality is mind-boggling.” Johanna replied.

“How can you control it?”

“I’ve been developing routines for how he interacts with the world that I thought would keep it under control. But every day I was worried sick about what might happen. When I realized he had changed Robbie to a dog all my worst fears came to fruition. I didn’t figure it out until about two hours before you found him. It took that long to set up the change back.”

“You poor thing, there must have been such scary moments over the years.”

“The worst is the nightmares. Imagine having a child who thinks there are monsters under the bed and because that’s what he thinks that’s what there are.”

“He has…nightmares?” Jackie feigned ignorance.

“Not as often as before. I cut his intake of television so his dreams don’t have as much nourishment but there’s enough there already. The key is to make him secure, peaceful, you know, serene.”

“Would a night-light help?” Jackie was seeking affirmation.

“It might, I haven’t thought of that, although he does have one.”

Jackie sank in her chair. ‘It all seemed too much. It all seemed unreal. But here she was having her crazy “theory” confirmed. What had she got herself into?’ “Joey is concerned about Jay and Robbie sharing a bedroom.”

“They are?” Johanna resumed her sunken, haunted look. She didn’t say anything further.

“What do you think? Do you think it’s safe?”

“I . . . don’t know. Has he been sleeping well?”

“So far, for the most part, but it’s only been a few nights.” She didn’t think telling the truth would help Johanna.

“Probably better if they stay together. He may feel safe. I would have expected his nightmares to increase when we were separated. He knows I’m in jail?”

Jackie bit her tongue.

“Yes, but I don’t think he fully realizes what jail is.”

“It’s probably better that he doesn’t.”

“Okay so I’ll keep them together.” Johanna changed subjects “When are you going to bring him to visit me?”

“School’s closed for teacher education this Thursday so I thought I’d bring him then.”

Johanna smiled, “That will be wonderful. Are you going to tell him?”

“No, I figured I’d wait just in case something comes up.”

“You think that’ll happen?”

“No, but I would rather not get Jay’s hopes up needlessly.” She paused a moment, “I really have to go.” She started to get up. “I’ll see you Thursday.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be here.” Johanna said ironically.

Jackie’s head swam with the possibilities. She had to worry about what he dreamed as well as what he saw! Twenty-four, seven, no time off and the consequences were life-threatening.

“I’m going to see mommy! I’m going to see mommy!” Was all Jay could say as he ate his Cheerios.

“That’s right Jay. We’re going to visit your mommy.” She shouldn’t have been surprised at his excitement but he had been remarkably silent on the subject of his mother. He hadn’t once asked where she was. She was grateful for that. Now she had to explain where mommy was and that she wasn’t coming home any time soon. She was tempted to leave that to Johanna but she knew she couldn’t do that.

“Jay.”

“Yes, Mrs. D’Angelo?”

“Do you know where your mommy is?”

“She told me she was going away so I thought she was going to a hotel like we did when we went to the shore.”

“It’s kind of like a hotel. Only you can’t leave and you have to wear a uniform.”

“Like a policeman?”

“Not quite. You have to wear the same thing the other guest’s are wearing.”

“Oh!” He paused for a moment. “Why did mommy have to go there?”

She knew this was coming. She would try to be evasive yet truthful. “Mommy had to go there so the police could talk to her. She has to stay until they know what happened to Robbie.”

“But Robbie’s here?”

“Yes, but they want to know what happened when he was gone.”

“Can’t mommy just tell them and come home?”

“I wish it was that simple but adults make things a bit more complicated than that.”

He grew silent. He tried to understand. But he didn’t, instead he started to brighten, “I’m going to see mommy!”

“Yes dear, you’re going to see mommy.”

***

Jackie arrived at the jail with Jay in tow. Joey had volunteered to stay home with Robbie. She hadn’t gotten five feet in the door when she noticed the sign. “No children under eleven years old permitted beyond this point.” She walked over to the desk and stated “Hi, I’m here to visit Johanna Noll.”

The woman behind the desk barely glanced up. “You have someone to watch him?” she glanced at Jay.

“He’s here to see his mother.”

“He’s under eleven years old; he’s not allowed to visit.”

“But she’s expecting him.”

“There’s no exceptions.” She saw the upset in Jackie’s face. “Look, I’ll watch him while you go back but that’s the best I can do.”

“Okay.” Jackie weakly acquiesced. “Jay you’re going to have to stay with this nice lady, be a good boy.”

“I’m not going to see mommy?”

She hugged him, “Soon honey, soon.”

She handed him off to the lady. As the woman engaged Jay she pointed Jackie down the hall.

Jackie caught sight of Johanna across the room. She could feel her searching for Jay and growing increasingly anxious as Jackie’s approach showed he wasn’t there. Jackie couldn’t help thinking to herself that it might be awhile before Johanna got out. She realized it would be up to her to get Jay and Johanna back together. After all, Johanna had been so isolated the last few years that she didn’t really have any friends. As for relatives, who knew what happened to Jay’s father and there was never a mention of her parents or any siblings. Wait ... she had spoken of an older sister? Brother? but only briefly. It didn’t appear they had much contact. No, it looked like it was up to her to sort this out. Maybe she could concoct a story to explain away the kidnapping. Say she was distraught at the time but now she remembers a man running away as she came around back. She needed to get Johanna and possibly even the boys, on board. She had to think of how to do it. They probably monitored all conversations here, taped them, recorded them. Maybe, she didn’t need Johanna at all. Johanna didn’t have to see the man running away. She could’ve just found Robbie, coincidentally, at the moment Jackie arrived. That sounded good. Now how to proceed, a therapist? Maybe the truth comes out. She runs to the police. It might work. She thought of the two of them back together. It had to work.

“Guests have to stay behind the line.” the guard had waited several minutes before dutifully delivering the required instructions.

“Where’s Jay?”

“They wouldn’t let him in.” Jackie answered.

“Why not?”

“They have a strict rule about no children under eleven.”

“Even if they’re visiting their mother?”

“I asked, no exceptions.”

“I’m sure you tried your best.” Johanna was surprisingly calm. “Is he being a good boy?”

“A perfect little angel.” Jackie appreciated her reaction.

“How about school?” Johanna asked.

“He’s fitting right in. He and Robbie get along so well it’s like they’re long-lost brothers.”

“I’m happy to hear that. Jay isn’t used to being around other children. I’m glad it’s working out.”

“How are you holding up?”

“The nights are tough. I really miss Jay. I worry about him. Well, you know with his gift and all. I become concerned about the possibilities. My imagination runs wild, alone in the dark.”

Jackie decided it was a good time to get some information. “I realized that I don’t know a heck of a lot about you. You know, with how alone you’ve been. I was wondering if you have any close relatives, or make