JILTED

JILTED























By: Deja Duhart 

Chapter 1.


It’s 5:37 a.m. and I’m randomly awake. I roll over in my bed, facing the wall. My hand searching for my phone ‘found it’ underneath my pillows. Tapping the screen, almost throwing the phone away from my face, ‘too bright, too bright’ I quickly turned down the brightness. My eyes finally adjusting, I see a text message notification:
TEXT from My Love<3
Your probably asleep, and I’m sorry to do it this way but I cant wait any longer… I love you so much, but I find myself falling out of love with you… and I don’t want to be with you any longer. I’m sorry.

I rubbed my eyes, sat up and read the message again and again and again. Leaning over to turn on my light, I stared at my wall letting the words sink in… did he? Did he just…? Over text? Early in the morning? Break up? My thoughts were broken up, a puzzled mess. My heart felt still, my body had become stone, my lungs ran out of air. A timekeeper must’ve pressed stop on my life…maybe he was contacting the grim reaper to get me, because this felt like death, I just lost the love of my life. Tears started to sting at my eyes, then they began to overflow, I’m now holding myself, rocking back and forth, psyching myself out, maybe he had a crazy night and wasn’t thinking straight, or lost his phone, maybe it was stolen or a completely sick prank.

It's 6:45 a.m. now, the tears have become dry streaks that stained my face. My sadness had turned into anger, I grabbed my phone and began aggressively typing :
You really did this over text? And early in the morning too? Are you that much of a coward? I don’t understand this, the point of us breaking up, we were supposed to have a life together. And now your falling out of love with me? It doesn’t make sense, please just let me fix it, what went wrong.
SENT.
Throwing the phone away from me luckily it landed backside up so I couldn’t see if I got another notification and try to immediately reply. 6:57 a.m. swinging myself out of my bed, I sighed heavily and rubbed my face. ‘ I can do this, this won’t determine your day’. I thought to myself. Groggily walking into my kitchen and methodically I began my process of making coffee. Pulling out the tea kettle, placing it on the gas stove, then grabbing the French press and coffee grounds I needed two huge scoops… maybe three. I sat on my couch, starring at the floor until the whistle snapped me out of my thoughts. Mindlessly, pouring the water in and stirring the coffee grounds to make that delectable coffee. While the coffee was brewing, I turned on the T.V. . to whatever was playing, nothing could help me escape. I had my cup of coffee in my hand, and decided to grab my phone, I didn’t look at it until I sat down. Eyes closed, taking a quick breath in and out like I was getting ready to take an exam. My phone lit up, and I saw the message notification. ‘ This is it’. I thought. It was from him I opened it quickly.
I know it was a bad way to do this… I just couldn’t wait…or pretend I was happy anymore… I know we planned to do many things together, it just didn’t feel right… there’s nothing you can do to fix it. Again, sorry.

Now I’m enraged I messaged back :
Screw you and your apology, I loved you and you wasted my time… your just like the rest of them! SENT at 7:40 a.m.
Hands shaking, my coffee trembled against my lips, I felt the warmth run through my body, running to each frigid ligament on my body, but it seemed like my heart wasn’t on its path because it still felt cold.

12:06 p.m. I finally built up the nerve to take a shower and listen to music to get me through the day. Although my heart of deeply shattered, I didn’t want to let this day be ruined by the person who was once the happiness for each of my days.
I threw on a multi-colored brown striped crop top, and a pair of high waisted mom jeans and a pair of cream platform sandals. It was almost 2:15 p.m. now grabbing a purse and my keys, I headed out. Once in my car, keys sitting in the ignition, music playing, fingers gripping the steering wheel, I let out a huge scream. Falling back into my seat, I looked out the window ‘get it together’ . The scream did help though. Turning the keys over and hearing the rumble of the engine, I peeled out of the driveway and headed to my favorite place Rugged Trove Consignment.

About an hour later, pulling into the parking, I saw the building – made of brick a huge glass window showcasing some new in items and the bright lights surrounding it and its blazing cherry red sign. The bell rang as I walked in “hi welcome to Rug- oh hey Harlow” the manager greeted me.
“Hey Francis, what’s up?” I looked over at Francis, he was wearing a baggy bright orange collared t-shirt, which was underneath some corduroy overalls and paired with black doc Martens and a black bucket hat.

“ I’m chillin, just got a ton of new stuff, what you in for?” he replied.
“ I’m looking to spend money” my eyes started to graze the racks there were so many clothes at my disposal, and maybe I’d get some furniture too, because why not. My eyes fell back onto Frances, he had a worried but stern look on his face “what happened?”.
He knew when something happened, I began my spending binge here especially after a breakup. “We broke up.” I said quietly.
“What!?” he yelled on purpose.
“Levi and I broke up. This morning. Wait. Let me rephrase that, Levi broke up with me, this morning, over text” gritting through my teeth.
His face showed disbelief, “yeah my thoughts exactly” as I was grabbing a basket.
“Don’t spend too much”. “Don’t have too many cute things”.

Francis shook his head and walked back behind the counter, assessing some of the new items. There were a few people in the store. I started on the left side of the store were the walls were lined with dresses, I had a way, a certain way I shopped, and it wasn’t often for me to break that pattern. Feeling the fabrics underneath my fingertips, I felt it, my favorite material, velvet. I pulled it out. It was a high neck velvet dress, it was an emerald green, and had matching beading on the bottom of the dress. I looked at the price $75, ‘worth it’. I threw it into my cart and kept shopping.
I finally wondered into the furniture section, just one more thing, just one mindless purchase. Then I saw it, a lamp, it looked like a genie lamp with a little chuckle, it went in my cart.
At the register Francis was ringing up my items “ you don’t want this” he grabbed the lamp.
“Yes, I do.”
“ You don’t understand a woman was basically terrified and PAID me to take it something is wrong with it, I don’t know how it got on the sales floor”.
“ Ring it up, its not scary” I rolled my eyes. “Your total is $937.67”. I swiped my card, grabbed my bags and headed home.

After a few hours of being home, I ordered some Chinese and dessert, turned on a movie and waited. I looked at the bookshelf that had displayed the gold lamp, you could see roses in its design, a few thorns wrapped around the handle and a giant sun in the middle but was being hugged by two hands and leaves falling out. While eating food and watching the movie my eyes kept wandering to the lamp, like it had some spell on me and it kept pulling me in. I got up and grabbed it “so something is inside you, supposedly” rolling my eyes I rubbed the lamp, waiting for something to happen - nothing. I placed it on the table, after a couple hours I fell into a deep sleep.

I can feel a bond with you… you feel the attraction don’t you?... it was a deep voice free me of these shackles…
Tossing and turning a face flashed, deep tan skin, eyes the color of caramel, and black hair with a devilish smirk …its our destiny… I shot straight up, breathing heavily I looked at the lamp it had coloring to it now hues of reds, blues and purples. A light smoke was coming out and falling out onto the floor. And I just froze as the smoke started to form. There in front of me stood a man – a man I just saw in my dream just now, and I screamed. He glided over and placed his hand over my mouth, which made me scream louder, but it was muffled. He slowly pulled his hand away, and no sound couldn’t come out of my body. Cocking his head at me, he backed away and took in his environment, looking at me and my living room. He cleared his throat and stared at me “my name is Atlas, you are?” his voice smooth and soft.
I blankly stared at him, then blinking slowly. He had on black boots, black slacks, a burgundy blazer with a satin brown button down, his shirt a little open and a gold chain around his neck, tattoos covered his arms but I couldn’t see exactly what they were.
“What are you?” I asked.
Laughing “well, I’m not a genie if that’s what your thinking, I’m a person like you” Atlas smirked.

In disbelief, I stood up I could tell he was taller than me and I asked again “what are you?”
“Oh you’re a persistent one aren’t you, I like that” he flashed a full set of white teeth. “Well, I am person, kind of”.
Crossing my arms “I need an explanation. Now”.
Atlas rolled his head and sighed “I’m a spirit in physical form, this is my body, well the body that I chose when it became available I took it. And to make a long story short I’ve been trapped inside that lamp for 1,317 years, its been my prison”.
Stumbling backwards, Atlas was at my side hand on my elbow and holding my arm and guiding me to sit down “… a spirit… 1,317… what? What’s happening today?”.
“You seem like you have a lot going on and it’s a lot to process. I swear…”.
“Are you a good spirit or bad?”. Facing him now.
He remained silent for several moments “I’m going to let you decide” his eyes flashed. I went on overdrive and everything went black.

Its 8:30 a.m., I grabbed my phone, saw the message notifications, I was hoping it was Levi, hoping yesterday was just some messed up dream. I saw it was messages from my friends – seeing if I was okay since they haven’t heard from me. Nothing from Levi except for the last message I sent. So the breakup was real, of course it was why wouldn’t it be. Then last night flashed in my head, the man named Atlas that spruced out from a lamp and was an old spirit, now hopefully that was a dream. I realized I was in my room, when I swore I was on the couch last night after such an experience. I creeped out of my room and tiptoed into the living room, peaking behind the wall, I saw a body laying on the couch, the same outfit from last night, it was him. I gasped. I felt my body starting to quiver, what was my life turning into? I peaked over again and saw him sitting straight up now. My eyes widened, what the heck was going on, he was just sleeping.
“Surprise” I felt his warm breath on the back of my neck and I ran away from the wall. Looking at the couch to the wall where he was standing now.
“How’d you…what.. it is real… your real… what’s going on?” I was stammering, just in utter shock.
“I already told you last night. My name – Atlas, I’m an 1,317 year old spirit. I felt like I was going to faint “don’t go out on me again” he spoke softly.
We stared at each other for minutes, until I finally decided to break the silence, more than anything I needed to know more. “Coffee? Do you want coffee? Do you know what coffee is?”
“I’ve been alive 1,317 years, yes I’d like coffee” his laughing made me feel like I was flying.
As I made us our coffee I began the questioning “was that you in my dream, talking to me?”.
“Yes”.
“You spoke of a bond – what bond?” I asked.
“Well I meant everything I said” he was eyeing me up and down, and that smirk began to grow.
“You didn’t answer my question – what bond?”.
“Your mine. My soulmate. I’ve been looking for you. I thought it was others, but when I saw you in that shop, I needed you to see me. You didn’t feel anything?”. He couldn’t be serious, does he think this is a movie, maybe I should play along “your soulmate?”.
“Yes. I feel her power within you. My other half, my eternal love. You’ve been lost and its okay I will show you”. Atlas was standing in front of me, hands on my temples, his eyes had a glimmer of brick red, before I could protest my mind went black then – I saw myself – but it wasn’t … me at least I don’t think. Her hair was curly and went down to her thighs, her skin a dark brown similar to mine. She turned around, her face was like mine – identical. She was adorned with gold jewelry, with hints of pearls and jasper. She was also wearing a breastplate made of crystals, a skirt with beads, a pink crystal and yellow silk was flowing from it.
I saw her smile and turn away, that’s when I noticed the fire behind her, she was walking towards it, from her hands, I saw sparks coming out of them – magic. She walked through the fire and I felt myself scream but I couldn’t hear it. She came back around and the yellow silk had changed color it was now bronze her eyes had the same glimmer as Atlas’. Then another body emerged from the flames it was Atlas, I could tell, but he was a little different, adorned in silver and shells, no shirt, pants that looked like metal and a sword was strapped across his back.

He looked at her “Edan, my love” his voice boomed Edan gleamed at him “my love, Deimos”. I felt the passion between them, the flame grew as they kissed.

The vision faded away, my eyes briefly opened then closed, and I felt a jolt in my soul. I felt the kiss. Then I realized what was happening Atlas and I were kissing, he pulled away “my love the barrier has been broken, you saw it didn’t you? You feel it?”.
“My love, I’ve missed you… Deimos” the words escaped my mouth, Atlas stared at me “Oh Edan, I’ve been searching for you, but you must know we are in a new time, with new names”
I snapped out of it and glared at Atlas “what is going on?”.
“I told you, your my soulmate and its just the beginning….”
My love life couldn’t get stranger, my soulmate was an 1,317 year old spirit apparently and I saw myself from another life with the man that was in front of me now.
Then I heard her voice
“Deimos, I must, I love you but I must…”