The long road to recovery

Chapter 5: Becoming a better person

Jack’s arrival was heralded rather unceremoniously by the thud of him planting himself firmly next to his distraught acquaintance, a soft grunt coming from him as he found his seat on the bench next to her. Wide-eyed the food thief was quick to respond by doing the best to hide her face as she wiped away the tears that stung the corners of her rather red eyes. “W-what are you doin’ here, I thought we weren’t going to meet up for at least a couple more hours.” Jack shook his head before offering up a sad smile and presenting the crying woman with a mug of coffee “I don’t know how you take it so I just got you a double-double, hope that’s not too weak for you.” Hesitantly the food thief reached out, sniffling her tears back as she swallowed hard before talking “That’s… perfect, thank you.” The two of them returned to silence as the unnamed woman took her fist sip of the coffee, the both of them staring off into the space before them, both of them doing all they could to avoid eye contact.

This rather awkward display continued on much longer than either of them really cared for but what was Jack to do, he didn’t really know this woman. He couldn’t just stand by as someone was having a rough time, he had decided to step in as he always had but this time he was absolutely uncertain as to what he should do next. Just as he was about to open his mouth and surly say something stupid his guest spoke “My name’s Charlotte by the way… I know I never told you so I thought that now was as good a time as ever, what timing am I right?” Charlotte offered up a weak chuckle as she looked over at Jack, a huge if not forced smile plastered across her face. Jack shot back the same smile he had arrived with, one tinted with a sadness that spoke of similar experiences in life. Though far from consoled Charlotte was at the very least calmed from her previous hysterical self and could carry on a conversation with Jack for the time being. This had absolutely nothing to do with Jack and he knew that but that didn’t stop him from wanting to help, he would always come to the aid of those in need, that was just the kind of man that he was.

There was yet another awkward pause before Jack could figure out exactly what he wanted to say “So what’s up, why are you over here cryin’ by yourself in a corner? I know I aint the best person to talk to but they have people here that are paid to listen if that’s more your thing.” Charlotte shook her head fervently as she looked back out onto the ever thinning crowd present within the cafeteria, he façade slipping ever so slightly as she couldn’t help but give a slight scowl at Jack’s words. “I’m sick and tired of dealing with “doctors” or “professionals” I just want to be treated like a human being, not another one of their case studies… sorry about that, I know this isn’t your problem but I’ve just been holding that in for so long I guess I just kind of exploded.” Jack took a moment to look at her face, or what little he could see of it as she looked off somewhere his eyes could not reach, he had only been here for a little while so he may not have noticed as much but were the doctors here really so bad. Sure they were a tad bit dry an the odd one may have been a little overenthusiastic about what they were doing but they all treated Jack like, well Jack.

A smile crept across Jack’s lips as the last of those occupying the space before them quietly left the room, an idea had sprung to mind as the stars began to wake from their slumber. Jack placed a hand gingerly upon Charlotte’s shoulder as he rose to his feet beside her, offering the other one to aid her in doing the same. “Hey, did you still want to see my little escape from reality? It’s only a short walk from here, if you don’t mind taking the road less travelled that is.” Charlotte was silent for a moment, her eyes falling to the floor as lose strands of hair covered her face. Jack was beginning to worry that he had said something wrong, perhaps he had offended her in some way but all that worry went out the window as the sounds of laughter began to ring out through the cafeteria. Nothing more than a low chuckle at first but it grew in time and before he knew it was full-blown laughter. Jack breathed a sigh of relief as his newfound friend wiped tears away from her eyes, her free hand holding her sides as she laughed her high-pitched laugh. With a smile and a bit of laughter Charlotte took hold of Jack’s hand and took to her feet “This better be good or I’ll make sure you get kicked out.” Jack shook his head but continued forth nonetheless, she was still very much the same person she had been when the two had met.

Despite what had transpired between the two of them as soon as they passed the threshold of the cafeteria and out into the brisk air of the night things just kind of slipped back into how they were before. Jack took this to mean that, even if not entirely, Charlotte was feeling better, at least well enough to be a massive pain in the ass. Her voice was still shaky, and understandably so considering the state that she was just in but she continued to speak with a confident tone and a sharp tongue. “So what exactly are you hiding out there in the woods? Did you murder someone? Is that why you’re here… no wait, you’re too much of a goodie-goodie to do something that interesting. Don’t tell me it’s something weird, like you can’t use toilets so you go out here.” Jack just wanted to shout at her but with what he had seen he did his best to keep his tone of voice in line, succeeding to a limited degree. “You really don’t have a high opinion of me do yah? What the f**k did I ever do to you?” Charlotte giggled as she skipped along merrily just a few steps behind Jack, by the looks of it quite enjoying this little stroll along the path to the woods.

“Awww, did I hurt your feelings? Well if it makes you feel any better it’s not like you’re special or anything, I just don’t really like anyone.” Jack could tell that this one was definitely a piece of work if he’d ever seen one, he was glad that this may very well be the last time he ever saw the girl. “Fuckin’ hell, thanks for that. It’s not every day that a man gets told that he’s not special in the slightest, really warms the heart.” Jack’s feet began to slow as he spotted the specific spot along the trail where he had begun to make a habit of starting his trek through the woods. “It’s not my job to pander to you, and perhaps if you were told that a little more in life than maybe, just maybe, you wouldn’t have ended up here.” Charlotte’s personality was… abrasive to put it gently and Jack was starting to think that perhaps she was better off avoided all together but there was no way he was going to leave her after coming all this way so he paused just before the small trail that lead off the main path and pointed into the darkness of the forest “This is where it all begins.”

Jack lifted the branch of the same tree he had emerged from earlier that very same day and waved a hand as if to guide his newfound friend into the darkness. The sun had just fallen beneath the horizon so there was still a small of light left in the air but despite this the depths of the forest had already been painted an inky black. With that in mind Jack handed Charlotte his cellphone, the flash light blazing brightly as he handed the small brick off, illuminating the rather thin trail before the two of them. Hesitantly Charlotte accepted the phone and began down the path, ducking under the branch as she made her first steps onto the dirt path, Jack following suit soon after. He could tell that Charlotte was having a rough time of things ahead of him, the footing was uneven and the ground covered by twigs and rocks and the like so there was no shame in slowing down for the hazardous terrain. Jack had always been the nefarious type, a mischievous boy at heart who had always loved to play pranks so he couldn’t help himself in such a situation.

A sly grin crept across Jack’s face as a plan sprung to life I n the depths of his mind, nothing overly spectacular but then again could you really beat the classics. As Charlotte was busy navigating the treacherous path ahead Jack would creep up behind her, silent as could be, and scare the living daylights out of her. This would see that the debt between the two of them was settled, after all Jack owed her for what she had put him through, waterworks or no he wasn’t one to up and forget all too easily. It was all too perfect, as the two of them walked deeper into the heart of the woods the world around them faded, replaced in it’s stead by a world of all-encompassing darkness. Slowly Jack crept closer to Charlotte, making certain to make each footfall as quiet as possible as he did, avoiding branches, pebbles, and the like to reduce his sound to the minimum. He was like a ghost as he finally was just an arm’s length away from his prey, his lungs ready to burst forth into a loud shout as he jumped out from behind her. Sadly this was all for naught however as Charlotte seemed to be just one step ahead, in this case both literally as well as figuratively. “You can take a step back, I know you’re there and if you’re planning on scaring me it’s going to take more than a little bit of darkness and a loud noise to do so.”

How very like her, even when she was to be the victim of it Charlotte had somehow spoiled all of Jack’s fun. He sighed deeply before rolling his eyes and returning to his stride about double the length away from her that he had been just a moment ago. It wasn’t to be much further from here, even in near complete darkness Jack had walked this path enough times to commit each milestone to memory, and coming up just around the bend was the tree just beside the hole in the fence. Sadly there had been no sign of Mable that night, she would on rare occasions meet Jack along the trail to the old farmhouse. He loved to watch her dart in and out of the shadows, her large eyes fixated on something that he couldn’t see and her beautiful grey coat shimmering in the pale moonlight. With his guest tagging along for the ride it was no wonder that she wouldn’t want to show herself tonight though, she had only just gotten use to Jack himself and was only now allowing him to pet her as he stared longingly into the night’s sky. For tonight the companionship of his newest friend would have to do, as long as she didn’t talk too much Jack thought that perhaps he could still enjoy the sceptical.

“So how much farther until we reach this secret of yours? My feet are getting a bit tired and so am I.” Charlotte’s voice rang out through the silence of the forest as she came upon the end of the trail. Just beside the grand tree which served as a makeshift marker for Jack along his journey was the end of the visible trail, to the uninitiated there wasn’t much else to be done but turn around and return to where you came from but to jack this marked the final leg of the journey. They had been across the pathed paths of the Institute, past the twigs and rocks of the forest, now all that was the hole in the fence and the trek up the hill. “Not long now, we’re only about a minute or two out. Just this way.” Jack retrieved his phone from Charlotte’s clutches, immediately shining a spotlight on the small hole that laid hidden just behind a bush. “Oh, so we’re actually heading off institute grounds huh? I didn’t think you actually had it in you, maybe you’re not as much of a goodie-goodie as I thought you were.” Jack didn’t voice a reply rather he simply shook his head and smiled and he did his best to open the hole as wide as he could. “I’ve been cut by the edge of this fuckin’ thing more times than I can count so be careful going through okay?”

With a nod of acknowledgement and a helping hand from Jack himself Charlotte managed to squeeze through no problems at all. Jack followed soon after to much the same tune, this time only receiving a scratch on his left arm as he passed through the chain-link fence. “Right, all that’s left is to get to the top of that hill and then we’re there, my little secret oasis.” Jack could tell that the suspense of being so close to his secret yet not knowing exactly what it was that would greet her was absolutely killing Charlotte. Her usual wit and biting tone were gone, replaced by a silent determination to finish the journey and be rewarded with what Jack felt would be an utter disappointment to her. Despite how she was as a person Jack was starting to look more favorably towards her, the brief moment that they had shared in the cafeteria served to humanize her in his eyes, no longer was she this unfeeling monster that he made her out to be. She felt just like everyone else in the institute, she cried real tears and suddenly he felt that perhaps this disappointment wasn’t the best course of action for him. “You know, this spit isn’t all too interesting, I know we’re right here but if you want we can head back.”

Charlotte laughed as she took another steep step up the side of the hill, the beauty of the heavens still masked by the grassy mound before them. “You’re not trying to wuss out on me now are you, I came all this way I’m not heading back just before the finish line.” Jack simply shrugged and started on his way up the hill, his feet struggling to find any sense of grip along the muddy face of the incline. The two of them walked in a line, Charlotte having a considerably easier time scaling the mound than Jack ever did, and that was pissing him off just a tad bit. As such she began to pull away from Jack, her pace only ever increasing as the summit became clearer and clearer. Before long she was gone, lost from Jack’s sight as he hit what was to be the middle of his hike up the hill. He took a moment to check his surroundings, making certain that she was truly out of sight before continuing the trek, he assumed that she had made it to the top already. The scene was as quiet as it was dark, for Jack this was a good thing, a sign that Charlotte had not been disappointed to the point of a furious rage by Jack’s closely guarded secret. He enjoyed the sounds of silence and crickets chirping in the distant fields as he finally crested over the top of the hill, a sight of pure cosmic beauty awaiting his still weary eyes

Jack stood in total amazement at the scene that played out before him, the beauty of the cosmos seemed so close that if he reached out he swore that he could almost grab hold of it. This sight never ceased to stun Jack, with each and every trip to this very spot the feeling he got as he laid eyes upon the stars was always the same, and he reveled in it. So much so in fact that for a very brief moment Jack completely forgot the reason that he had come up here tonight in the first place, the person standing right next to him as the very same feeling of awe washed over her. It was quite evident that Charlotte was not disappointed in the slightest by Jack’s little secret, quite the opposite in fact as she stood in much the awe that he had only seconds earlier. Jack couldn’t help but feel a little better about himself as he watched Charlotte become completely enthralled by the majesty of the universe. Despite the darkness which swirled and ebbed all around the two of them Jack could just faintly make out the smile which graced a truly happy looking Charlotte, though quite paradoxically Jack could swear that he had seen the shimmer of a tear roll down her face.

“So what do you think, of my little escape from the outside world? When I’m here it’s as if I’ve left the rest of my miserable life far behind, doesn’t that just lift the weight of the world off your shoulders?” Charlotte remained silent as her gaze shifted from sight to sight, doing all that she could do to take the entirety of what she was witnessing in. Her voice came in a harsh whisper, her words wavering as she struggled to keep her composure “You really are full of surprises huh? Who would’ve thought that someone like you could show me something this…amazing.” Normally Jack would have given his own little retort because of the whole “someone like you” line but he knew that, that was going to be the closest he’d get to a compliment tonight as so he took it with a smile on his face. “C’mon I know the perfect little place where we can sit and watch from, and if you’re lucky you might get to witness biggest wonder around here.” Jack motioned to the bench in the distance as he began heading towards it himself, the light of his phone illuminated just enough of the field before them for him to make out where it was within the field. Charlotte looked at Jack then back to the sky, relenting as she reluctantly followed in Jacks footsteps towards the singular landmark amidst a sea of grass.

The simple wooden construction of the lone bench stood out as a beacon to the two of them, offering a perfect vantage point from which to view the beauty of the cosmos unfold before them. As luck would have a fuzzy little body adorned the seat section of the bench, the familiar cool gray tones of fur allowed Jack to recognize it as Mable in a heartbeat. “I guess you’re pretty f*****g lucky, this was the other wonder of the world that I was talking about. Say hello to the beauty known as Mable, she’s the second half of my secret.” As if on que the small gray coated cat let out a small mew as Charlotte first laid eyes upon her, and as if instantly her heart melted from the sheer adorableness presented before her. “How dare you keep something like this from me?” Charlotte shook her head as she moved toward the bench and more importantly Mable, who was in the middle of stretching herself awake as Charlotte found herself a seat beside the cat. Without so much as word Mable was scooped up from her comfortable perch on the wooden bench and placed upon Charlottes lap.

Jack silently took his seat beside Charlotte, looking over to see her petting Mable as she looked up at the stars. He didn’t know if tonight had been especially beautiful or perhaps it was everything that had transpired before he had reached this point in the night that made it so but the sky seemed to shimmer with a renewed vigor on this particular night. It was oddly comforting to have someone besides himself out there though, he felt even more relaxed than usual as he watched the odd shooting star streak across the endless black if the night sky. This was one of the amazingly rare moments in which Jack’s mind had stopped racing, he was free to be directly in the moment as he pleased and for him to be sharing this not only with a cat but also another human being was rather rare. Somehow though he didn’t much mind Charlotte’s company, despite her abrasive exterior and harsh words that little moment that they shared in the cafeteria changed Jack’s initial impression of her. Sure she was still rather hard to get along with but he could at least stand to stomach her presence for prolonged periods of time and if that wasn’t an improvement than he didn’t know what was.

The very heavens shifted just above the pair’s heads and as they watched the kaleidoscope of the galaxy shift and swirl before them they both lost track of time. Before either of them could realize it day had brought light into the fringes of the sky, the beauty of the stars fading as blue hues returned to the world above. The both of them had sat throughout the night, looking up at the stars in amazement at each other’s side, yet neither of them really noticed the other’s presence. They had done it together but it was more a solitary moment where another person just happened to be nearby. “Geez, how long were we out here for exactly, I really need some sleep.” Charlotte rubbed her sleep deprived eyes as she laid eyes on the warm orange glow of the sun just beneath the horizon for the first time in quite a long time. Though this wasn’t exactly the reason that Jack came out to the hillside night after night he’d never be one to turn down the beauty of sunset, after all even back at his apartment he was quite fond of his morning smoke. Sadly the closest thing that he’d get to a cigarette around here was his favorite morning beverage so he was s**t out of luck on that end but he still found the morning glow something to behold, even if he was beholding it with weary eyes.

Jack stood to the sound of his joints cracking as he stretched his body for the first time in quite a while, Charlotte offered up a small chuckle in response as she too got to her feet. Neither of the two recalled watching Mable leave but at some point during the night she must have done just that, after all she was nowhere to be found. Jack absentmindedly looked over towards the farmhouse in the distance as he thought about his little feline companion, sad that she had to leave but most definitely looking forward to their next encounter. With that thought in mind he turned to Charlotte, he couldn’t honestly say that he’d be sad to part ways with her but he couldn’t help but wonder just when and where their next meeting would be held. That answer came rather a bit more quickly than Jack ever thought that it would though “So I’ll see you here tonight, we’ll meet in front of that big tree by the trail, okay?” Jack was gobsmacked, he couldn’t find the words to respond, he couldn’t find any words at all for that matter, he was speechless. Sure he had willingly allowed her into his little Garden of Eden this time but that didn’t mean that she could come as she pleased, this was his escape and his alone.

“…You really want to come back here huh?” Jack began on his way down the hillside towards the hole in the fence, tossing his words at Charlotte without so much as a glance in her direction. “Obviously, that s**t was beautiful, it really makes you realize just how small your problems are in the grand scheme of things.” Upon hearing those words Jack paused as he slid down the final part of the dirt laden mound, catching himself after only a split second and returning to his relaxed pace. “How about we meet for coffee first, if I don’t get my coffee I’m not a nice person to be around.” Jack pulled back the chain-link fence as hard as he could, looking back towards Charlotte as he awaited an answer. She was but a step behind him and hurried herself through the hole that Jack had provided for her, though he only caught a glimpse of her face Jack could swear that she was smiling. “So how is that any different from the regular you exactly?” Jack sighed as he wondered why it was exactly he was inviting this woman to what had been up until this point the most personal time of the day for him, and he really couldn’t come up with a single thing.

The incessant ticking of the clock on the wall was the only thing that Jack could bring himself to focus on as his group therapy season started once more. All the familiar faces were here and once more the only person that Jack was truly interested in sat across from him within their makeshift circle of folding chairs. Percy was the first to speak today, it was odd listening to him speak about his problems for Jack because he always seemed like such a happy, well composed person when the two of them interacted one on one afterwards. Then again Jack wasn’t the type of person that felt as though he should burden his friends with his own problems and so he figured that it must be quite a similar experience for Percy. Jack idle counted the people left before it would be his time to speak as he half paid attention to what Percy had to talk about this particular morning. Though he considered Percy his friend half was about as much of his focus that Jack could spare as the other half was expressly dedicated to making sure he stayed awake. Usually after his nightly routine Jack would head down to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee and a quick bite to eat and that would hold him over until his afternoon nap but fir whatever reason today was different. He was struggling just to keep his eyes open and listen to the words coming out of his friend’s mouth at the same time, even his morning coffee didn’t really do all to much too wake him up.

Yet despite being half asleep Jack caught a line from his friend which held his interest in such a way that his eyelids no longer seemed to be made out of lead. Percy had a family, and not siblings and the like, he had a wife and kids and a home where they all lived together. Jack thought back to each and every interaction that he had, had with his supposed friend but he couldn’t recall Percy even so much as mentioning them in passing. This really showed Jack that he knew next to nothing about this man and that came as a bit of a shock. Time ticked ever forward as Jack continued to count down until his turn to speak arose, his eyes getting harder and harder to keep open as the counter went down. Before he knew it his turn to speak had arrived, Jack did his best to wake himself up as he prepared to speak. He cleared his throat and rubbed the sleep out from the corners of his eyes as he took to his feet to present his thoughts to those around them. He had always thought that a daily therapy session was just a tad bi excessive if not for the simple fact that not much changed in his day to day life between each session.

Jack proceeded to say as much while he addressed his group, many of them agreed but continued to go without so much as complaint between them. Jack on the other hand was very vocal about his outlook on this whole program, especially to those who helped run it. This was not the first time Jack had truly spoken his mind in front of the leader of his daily sessions and he was certain that it wouldn’t be the last time. So commonplace had these little outbursts become that the leader, a one Julia Gates, simply offered up a smile in response to Jack’s statement. Jack knew that his words fell upon deaf ears but he still enjoyed the little bit of power and control that shouting them gave him. After Jack there were only about three people left, no one of particular interest to Jack himself so he decided to use this opportunity to catch a bit of shuteye, he was silent enough at these meetings that nobody should notice or care if he did.

It started simply enough, with Jack closing his eyes for but a split second and before he could realize it half of those involved with the meeting had already risen from their seats and were conversing around the refreshment table. If it weren’t for the smell of recently brewed coffee Jack may have went ahead and gotten another round of sleep in but since he was already awake and there was free coffee to be had then he might as well drink his fair share. Through sheer force of will and perhaps some luck Jack managed to pull himself from the relative comfort of his chair, Percy already waving him down with a cup of coffee that had his name all over it. “You alright? You’ve seemed out of it the entire session, are you getting enough sleep?” Jack was quick to graciously accept the still warm mug of his favorite drink and was already sipping on it as Percy spoke to him. “I don’t know what the f**k’s up with me today, I got just about as much sleep as I always do and still I’m tired as f**k… Must be a lack of coffee.”

Percy smiled as he took a bite of his pastry, Jack laughed back knowing that he had caught on to his little joke. “The last thing you need is more caffeine running through your system, as it is I’m pretty certain that you’re probably 90% coffee.” Percy was most definitely not wrong on that front Jack knew that his love for coffee sometimes bordered on obsession and perhaps even a dependency but the only reason it had gotten that bad was due to his limited access to cigarettes. The only time that he’d get to smoke the little bastards were during the few times that Connor would come around. As it was now he’d only ever showed up twice but Jack wasn’t about to take those few time for granted, not only were they his only chance to smoke but they were also his only glimpses into the outside world. Even for someone as far removed from society as Jack had been during the peak of his depression he couldn’t help but miss the little things the longer that he actually got settled into his new life here.

At first it was only the occasional pang of loneliness as he thought of the friends that he had beyond the wall of the institute, that subsided a little the more he interacted with his new friends within the institute: Mable and Percy. Still the days dragged on and soon weeks faded away into the monotony of his daily routine, all the while he yearned for the life he had left behind. Hie missed his friend, his house, but most of all he missed his life, the life he had lead before all this happened. Though he knew that there would never be a way to get back to that state Jack yearned for it even if it was just a tiny part of him. Still he couldn’t turn his back on reality, he full accepted the situation he was in for what it was, the only reason he was here was to get the help that his friends thought he needed so if it meant only missing them for a bit Jack was willing to comply to their wishes.

Jack took another sip of his now cooled coffee as he caught himself drifting off onto another tangent, Percy had been speaking the entire time but Jack had only come back in time to catch his closing points. “… And that’s when the fish got away. My dad spent the entirety of the trip trying to console me about the one that got away but I still had fun in the end.” Jack felt bad about pretty much ignoring what he had assumed to be a heartfelt story of bonding between Percy and his father but he was in too deep now to ask him to repeat himself. Instead he offered up a smile and raised his glass slightly as he responded “Sounds like you and your dad had a great time out there… How did we even get to this topic by the way?” Percy wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin as he straightened up and thought to himself for a moment, rubbing his chin as he contemplated the question. “Wasn’t the theme of today’s meeting “meaningful memories”? I guess I’m still thinking about that kind of stuff and it just carried itself over into conversation.” Jack had never really paid attention to the themes that each meeting was given, he much preferred to give forth as little effort as possible when it came to talking about himself.

“You didn’t really share anything like that for the group did you? Come to think of it I don’t think I can recall you ever really sharing anything other than the incident that lead you to coming here.” Jack looked down into his cup as Percy began down this line of questioning, and for jack it was always a line of questions and never just one. “Well out with it then, I just laid bare my heart for you to see, I’d expect that my friend would pay me back in kind at the very least.” Jack sighed into his drink, wisps of steam streaming past his face as his breath sent ripples across the surface of the brown beverage. “There ain’t mush to really talk about when it comes to memories with me, most of the ones I got I wish I didn’t and the others are only just okay…” Percy only now realized what kind of a position that he was putting Jack into “Hey you want me to grab you something to eat from the cart?” Jack, who was now pretty much slumped over his drink, waved his friend off as he shifted in his seat, stretching his limbs in preparation for his imminent departure. Jack stood, his back to Percy and his drink left on the table half finished “We’ll have to take a rain check on that, I think I’m done for today. I’ll see you at our next session, okay?”

With a wave goodbye and a rather unenthusiastic smile shot at his friend’s general direction Jack took his leave and made his way into the crisp autumn air. It was just before noon now and his stomach began to rumble as he started down the path towards his temporary homestead. Jack had thought about stopping in by the cafeteria but as things were now his mood was brought down so low that all that he really felt like doing was laying down and perhaps staring at his ceiling. The day had started out so vibrantly, the trees seemed almost alight beneath the morning sun but now that the clouds had settled in everything in sight had been tinted with shades of gray. This was not the “best” thing about the day either, no that would have to be the ever present threat of the skies themselves opening up to bring down onto Jack’s head a torrential downpour.

Even the subpar coffee of the institute had somehow lost what little luster that it had held for Jack, to him today would be better off if he simply settled down for the night and tried again tomorrow. Sadly no matter how much he wanted to do that he had activities planned all throughout the day, much to his despair. All he could hope for was but an hours respite between his preplanned exercises of doing absolutely nothing. As that thought occurred to him he stopped in his tracks, he almost didn’t want to even walk back to his room for all the effort it would take him to get back here. Jack spent more than a few moments earnestly debating which course of action would save him the most hassle in the end, eventually settling for simply finding someplace to sit where he could watch what little animals called the institute home. With that goal in mind he once more set off down the path towards his room, this time only interested in the first semi-comfortable looking spot that he could find along the way. He would’ve settled for a flat rock for him to lie down on, anything to get him off his feet and to get his mind wandering away from the gray which permeated pretty much everything in sight.

He was in luck this day, not more than a couple of minutes after his search began a suitable seat had appeared beside the road. It was nothing spectacular, nothing more than a well-shaped patch of grass by all accounts but to the weary Jack such a thing was a blessing. Not only did this particular patch of grass look comfortable as well as inviting but most importantly it looked (mostly) dry. Jack slowly sauntered over to his little patch of respite, taking a look at the surrounding area as he methodically put one foot in front of the other. What would serve as his home away from temporary home was beset on all side by well-groomed shrubbery and a large pine tree sheltered it from the element. Jack couldn’t think of a better spot to rest his head that didn’t involve an actual bed but seeing as he was only here to rest his eyes this would do just perfectly. Jack removed his robe and laid it out upon the ground before taking his seat in the middle of the grass, feeling the wind on his bare arms as his t-shirt did very little to actually shield him from the elements. Luckily for him despite the recent trend of rain and cold winds today was actually somewhat tolerable when the wind stopped blowing, perhaps not ideal but Jack felt that he could stay out here for a while without fear of catching a cold.

With that much settled Jack laid his head to rest upon his robe, his gaze cast skywards towards the gray clouds and shifting branches of the grand pine atop him. As his thoughts wandered and his consciousness faded he watched a pair of squirrels happily hoping along from branch to branch frantically looking for food to store for the oncoming winter. Jack couldn’t help but smile as he imagined what these tiny creatures had gone through to get to this point in their lives. He had always had a tendency to find stories where others would simply see nothing, it was one of Jacks many useless talents. Well ii may have been useless to others it had provided Jack with hours of entertainment, even at this moment his mind conjured up tales of tragedy, heroism, and great peril, all for a pair of rodents. The last thought that crossed his mind before darkness fell and he returned to the welcoming embrace of sleep once more was that of what had transpired between him and Percy. It was still fresh in his mind and prodded at him like a sharp stick thrust into his side, Jack felt bad for not listening to his friend and even more so for feeling relived that he didn’t have listen to him any longer. Until their next session that was at least.

Jack very rarely dreamed, and even rarer still were the dreams that he could recall vividly so it came as quite a surprise when he found himself inhabiting the body of a squirrel. He was high atop the forest canopy swiftly scavenging whatever he could find from the near barren branches of the many trees of the forest. In the moment none of this seemed even the slightest bit odd to him either, his only thoughts were that of finding enough food to last him the winter. Jack could feel his stomach growl and the pangs of hunger induced pain made his eyes dart from tree to tree yet there was nothing for him to behold. The leaves had long since drifted from their sky top perches onto the forest floor below and the winter winds whistled and chilled Jack to his very core despite his thick coat of fur. It was obvious that Jack had waited too long, all hope of finding enough food to last him the winter had disappeared when the last of the leaves had fallen. Jack could do nothing but despair for his future as a storm brewed just beyond the horizon that was until something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye.

Not too far from where he had ended his last minute search for food sat another squirrel doomed to be left out in the cold just like himself. Jack couldn’t help but feel a connection to this poor soul stuck within the same sinking ship as him but what was he to do, if he couldn’t provide enough for himself could he even really think of helping another? As if by instinct Jack’s body moved of it’s own volition, sprinting to the side of the last squirrel left to the cold. In an instant he had grabbed their hand and began to lead them off to safety, or at the very least out of the path of the storm but no matter how fast that they ran it was always just a few steps behind them. It seemed as though the winter frost would consume them at any moment but something within Jack wouldn’t allow him to run any faster or climb any higher, it was as if his feet were encased in cement. All-encompassing darkness swallowed Jack whole as he could feel winter’s bite clinging onto him, he could no longer see any sign of those he had tried to save from the very same fate that he too was doomed for. All semblance of strength left his body as he laid surrounded on all sides by an impregnable darkness that chilled him to the very depths of his soul. There was truly nothing to be done for him now, his eyes fluttered shut as they too waned in their strength. As all seemed lost and just before his eyes shut for good he recalled a pinprick of light, as tiny as a star in the night sky but ever more brilliant and with that nothing.

Jack awoke to find himself shivering, though he had convinced himself that he would be fine for the duration of his nap it seemed the weather had a differing opinion on the matter altogether. Without warning the temperature had dropped and Jack had been left out in the cold without so much as a blanket to keep himself warm. Still shivering Jack checked his watch for the time of day, instantly picking up his belongings and beginning down the path with renewed vigor as he saw the time. He wasn’t late, not yet at least but if he didn’t get into action soon his doctor would most definitely not be pleased with him missing so many sessions in a row. The last thing that Jack needed at a time like this was yet another person attempting to talk his ear off about his actions being irresponsible and what not. As if it had been planned by the fates themselves just as this thought crossed Jack’s still all too sleepy mind who should he see ahead of him on the path but his “good” friend Charlotte.

Luckily for Jack she didn’t seem to have noticed him at this point so if he was lucky all that he’d have to do would be to keep his head down and he wouldn’t have to deal with her trademark sass for today. Sadly that was a bit too much wishful thinking for a day such as this, her eyes snapping to attention as Jack did his best to pass by silently. “Oh, hey it’s you, what are you doing out here?” Even though Jack had technically spent the night with Charlotte he still felt an undeniable sense of awkwardness that made even simple conversations like this one something he’d rather just avoid all together. Granted he was that way with most people but most people didn’t interact with him on what seemed to be a daily basis at this point. “Yeah it’s me, I’m heading down to the main building to see my shrink, ain’t that fun?” Jack chuckled to himself as he began down the path once more, content that their little conversation was more than over, but Charlotte had other plans. “Is that so? I have some business to attend to there myself, mind if I tag along?”

Jack paused for a moment, looking back at Charlotte as she stood there with a simple smile on her face. Even if he were to say no there was no doubt in his mind that she’d just end up tagging along anyways, only then she’d be angry and things would be that much more awkward for him. To save himself from having to go through that Jack thought he might as well go with the flow and motioned for him to join him as he continued on his way “I don’t see why not.” Considering what Jack had seen Charlotte go through just the other night it was odd to see her with a spring in her step and a smile upon her face, it must not have been as bad as he had first assumed. If she had gotten over it this quickly it couldn’t have been anything all too serious but even still the look on her face made Jack feel all the better for helping someone, even if that particular someone was rather annoying at times. “You never did actually tell me why you’re going down to the main building, is it one of your designated shrink days as well?”

Charlotte thought to herself a moment, letting out a nearly silent “hmm” as she pondered over her answer far longer than Jack thought necessary for such a simple question. “How about we distract ourselves from the log walk we have ahead with a little game, I’ll go first. The rules are simple, you just have to guess why I’m headed over to the main building, simple enough right? Well if you guess right it’s your turn to make me answer a question about you, if you guess wrong though… well I haven’t really thought that far ahead. Let’s just burn that bridge down when we cross it okay?” Jack was skeptical about her proposal, after all there were a million and one things that she could be doing at the main building but then again she was right about the length of the journey ahead of them. Well at the moment he didn’t really have anything to lose, that would only come when it was his turn to get interrogated but with his luck that would take a while. “Alright, you’re on! How many guesses can I make?” A sly grin grew across Charlotte’s lips as she chuckled at Jack’s response “Since I’m as nice as I am I’ll give you as many guesses as you want, won’t make a difference anyways, you’ll never get it right.”

Jack could feel his competitive side coming out to play, as he heard the confidence in Charlotte’s voice it was no longer became a question of if he was going to get this right it was now when he was going to get this right. “Like fuckin’ hell I won’t, watch me get it right on the first try.” At this point Jack had forgotten that he was walking all together, he was much too focused on playing, and more importantly wining, Charlotte’s little game to consciously think about putting one foot in front of the other. “So you’re not going to see your shrink, so that one’s off the list… you going to meet someone from the outside?” Once again Charlotte made a whole scene out of nothing but her pondering a simple question, Jack knew that she was doing it simply to get on his nerves but knowing that didn’t make it any less annoying. “Sorry but I don’t get visitors so I guess that answers wrong, just like you.” For somebody who had just met the man Charlotte definitely had a solid grasp of how to get under Jack’s skin and yet this only mad him want to continue forth with her game even more. After all he’d have to play along to prove her wrong so he was completely fine with not getting it right on his first guess.

“Try this one on for size, if nobody visit’s you that means you’re most likely paying for this fuckin’ place on your own.” This time Charlotte spared Jack the torture of watching her “think” his statement over for far too long for his liking and simply touched the tip of her nose with her finger, he was right and on a roll. “Which means that you have to make regularly scheduled financial meetings to the main building because that’s the only place that they deal with funds and s**t like that. Go ahead and tell me I’m right ‘cause I know I am.” Charlotte shrugged as she looked up at a flock of birds passing overhead “While you are right about me paying for all this on my own you’re also wrong about that being the reason that I’m heading down there with you, guess you’ll just have to try again.” Jack sighed, this was just a tad bit harder than he thought it would be, while there are plenty of reasons that she’d be heading down to the main building listing all of them would take Jack forever. He thought about it but Jack had never really been one to quit something that he had started, especially when it meant losing to somebody else and this would be no different.