Finding Jesse (Side note set after "Run Jesse")

Finding Jesse (Side note set after "Run, Jesse")

By Jen K

               "We're in your head, Jesse," he'd told her as he'd smiled that creepy, leering sort of smile, his dark, soulless eyes clashing with her wide, frightened ones.

               I've always been here.

***********

               I've been watching you, Jesse.

               All these months, I've watched you.

               I told you once that you drew me up from the depths, from the darkness, out of your boredom.. your loneliness.. your fear.

               I remember the way you trembled against me as I admitted such things to you.

               How I craved your fear, Jesse.. from the very beginning. Your fear, your.. uncertainty. I told you once that I could almost taste your fear on you. I fairly tremble now at the very thought of it.

               I remember the flash of fire in your eyes, the way you taunted me with your strength, despite everything I did to crush you, to break your spirit. I remember how you fought me.

               And ohh, how you fought me.

               I have had others before you-- so many others-- nameless, faceless, endless others. Every one of them lonely as you were, aching and alone and lost in the night, every one of them waking me as, one by one, they turned to the darkness, to save them from their boredom, to distract them from their loneliness.

               They never had your strength, Jesse. I dared not imagine any one person could possess such strength. You were a woman apart, Jesse. A fire that would rage against anything and everything that tried to put your fire out.

               And as the months passed, as I watched you from the darkness, from the shadows-- I knew I had to have you.

               In the beginning, when I woke, I watched you from the periphery, hovering just beyond the very limits of existence, keeping my distance because I knew you were not yet ready to see me, however brave you thought you were when it came to facing your fears.

               And you did believe yourself brave, didn't you Jesse?

               As the months passed, I drew steadily closer, watching you and your growing fascination with the darker side of existence, your growing appetite for dark things-- things that would make your heart race and your hair stand on end. Things that would raise goose-bumps on your flesh. Things that would make you tremble and gasp and whirl in your chair from where you sat at your desk, wide eyed, frightened as you looked to make sure that you were still alone, safe and sound in your room.

               I was there with you, and though you didn't know it, not then, some part of you sensed it. I could see it all over you each time you'd turn back to watching whatever horror movie you'd lost yourself in that night, knowing you were listening to the darkness more than you were listening to whatever movie you happened to be watching.

               I find myself wondering whether you'd have pursued the darkness so greedily, with such hunger and drive if you'd known that I was there. That I was watching you... that I was waiting for you.

               Would you have turned back? Would you have re-doubled your efforts?

               You should have been careful, Jesse. For when you so greedily seek out the darkness, if you're not careful, there comes a point that the darkness awakens, and decides to come for you.

               I found you, Jesse.

               "You wanted this Jesse," I'd told her, and she'd looked shocked at the thought.

               "All those nights curled up in the dark in your bedroom with your laptop, safe and sound and cozy in that safe and sound and cozy little life of yours. Sheltered, protected... safe... Your soul called out to me from the darkness, brought me up from the depths. You wanted this, Jesse. Admit it."

               I could see the realization dawn in her wide eyes as I spoke the words to her, I could see the fear sinking in as I spoke.

               "You tried to tell yourself that you were sweet... innocent... simple... That your simple, uncomplicated life was enough for you... that that boyfriend of yours was enough for you... But no," I'd told her, and ohh her fear was so thick on her I could almost reach out my fingers and touch it.

               "Night after night, when he left you alone, you sought me out in the darkness... out of your boredom... your loneliness... your emptiness... You wanted the nightmare... the demon... the monster... And here... I... Am!"

               You should have been careful, Jesse.

               But now, it's far too late to turn back.