Jack’s Nightmare

The sound of a loud vintage grandfather clock is hanging on the wall. From a studio apartment in downtown Los Angeles, CA. It awakens a young attractive man in his twenties named Jack Turner. Jack is suffering from ongoing insomnia due to an ex-girlfriend named Tina, who died in a fatal car accident, a month ago.

It seems as if, it just happened yesterday, Jack murmured.

On a late hot summer evening, he received an anonymous text message from a blocked number on his iPhone 12 Pro that read, "I know, you cheated on her!"

Jack felt terrified of getting caught, so he immediately removed the SIM card from the back of his phone with a small paperclip and gently bent it into a tiny pinhole opening in the SIM tray, then pulled it straight out.

Next, he laid flat the SIM card on the kitchen countertop as he whacks it many times with a hammer until finally it was broken into several fragments.

Oh, but hold on.

Jack didn't want to toss the pieces into the trash can because he was scared to death the caller would go through his trash bins. No, no the best thing to do was go near the kitchen sink, light a match, let each piece burn one by one. After hours passed, he finished, and with a huge sigh of relief as he hovered over to see if all the fragments were all burned.

Jack's priceless facial expression was like a scene in a horror movie when a killer gets away with murder.

"It's all good now," Jack said.

So he assumed.

Fate somehow finds a way to change our lives instantly with no warning of any kind. And Jack was about to have a rude awakening which not only was going to change his life forever but a frightening experience on how you treat others is almost the same way you will be treated in return.

However, in this particular situation or case, Jack was going to suffer the ultimate price. He just didn't see it coming. And that soon led to a major problem. Even so, he wanted to date other people, he was selfish and wanted Tina for himself. Nobody else could have her.

Because his Macho man pride always got in the way. You know the old saying; he wants his cake and eats it too. Whereas Tina wished more than anything to work more hours before, she went away for the summer to visit her parents in San Antonio, Texas.

What Tina did not know, is Jack was already dating other girls behind her back. And not just anyone, it was her best friend Sarah. It's no surprise.

From the beginning, Sarah was flirting with Jack on and off again.

In fact, right under Tina's nose, they both fooled around, when she worked day and night to save up enough money to hopefully go see her parents in the summertime.

Jack would argue with her about leaving him, so he told her, "let's take a break from each other because the truth is you never have time for me anyways."

Tina was nearly devastated. She became heartbroken. She even got to the point of begging and pleading with him not to end with her. But Jack won't budge. No sir. He enjoyed watching Tina agonize at his feet. Poor Tina had no choice to accept the truth it was indeed over between them. The constant verbal abuse was not worth it any longer. Deep down Tina knew it, all along.

At that moment, she realized Jack was without a doubt, undeniable mean towards her. And somehow above all, she found the courage to get up, wipe her tears from her face and leave him standing there on his own like he desired it to be.

Like Tina mentions, Jack was now free to carry on without her. Although all was about to change overnight because on that same day, Tina decided it was best to leave right away.

It was now or never.

So, she packed all of her belongings, took a quick shower, blocked Jack's number then was on the road. Sadly enough, though, she never made it.

A drunk driver hit her head-on.

Later on, it was revealed she tried desperately to hold on as the paramedics rushed her to the nearby hospital. Upon arrival, they performed emergency brain surgery. Unfortunately due to the severe head trauma sustained during impact. Tina regrettably never regains consciousness.

Days later.

At her funeral, she was placed in an elegant clear open view glass coffin; a beautiful angel has gone to rest is how the local priest described Tina at the service.

Meanwhile, Jack could not refrain from sobbing out loud.

Everyone sitting in the church pews whispered among themselves in the service saying, "He's the one who made her life miserable!"

No longer could Jack take the gossip or suffering anymore.

He got up, walked over to Tina's coffin lean over, kissed her on the cheek, and said, "I love you."

At a later time/date, Jack struggles to keep his job. He would call in sick repeatedly. As luck would have it, he owns his father's company. Therefore he does as he pleases. On the other hand, it's not like Jack to miss a day's work. He promised his late father that he would be responsible for running the family's business. So far, he was doing pretty well in managing everything up to now.

But once Tina died, his world fell apart overnight.

He tried to go the next day to the office. And yet, didn't have the strength to get out of bed to do so. All the same, he just couldn't keep it together. It became overwhelming to handle the family's business, and so, his youngest brother Mark stepped in to help run the company for the time being.

With a huge sigh, of relief, Jack was glad his brother took over. Nights grew longer days were forever. Bad insomnia had robbed Jack completely. He wanted so badly to dream of Tina, but instead, he would have panic attacks.

Jack speaks out loud in anxiety, "My conscious is really starting to get the best of me. I can't seem to forget Tina. I don't know how to explain it but she haunts me, I think. I try to watch the morning sunset from my window. Assuming it could give me peace of mind, but it's no use. I am trapped in this sh**hole!" Jack said.

He wrestles with memories of Tina.

The once attractive pale face of a young man with gorgeous ocean blue eyes now looks exhausted as he finally goes to bed. Straight off, he is robbed of his precious dreams again and tries to catch his breath.

Suddenly out of nowhere, a lovely silhouette of a young woman dressed from head to toe in a long white evening satin gown and a transparent veil is standing near the bathroom door.

"Omg! It's Tina," Jack mumbled.

She appears to be very upset. By the way, she stares right into Jack's eyes with a troubling expression on her face in such a matter, letting him know she means business. He knows this for a fact because when she would be upset with him, she always stared him down. It's the same matter some no doubt for sure.

She wants answers and wants them now!

Tina appears to be in deep thought.

"I remember now I was in a car accident wasn't I Jack?" Tina asked.

Jack is cautious as he thinks of what to say, especially in not getting her angry.

He replies, "Yes, Tina I am very sorry for what happened to you on that dreadful night. Can you ever forgive me?"

Tina seems a bit confused.

She hesitates to ask, but then finds the courage to do it "So I made it alright didn't I Jack?" Tina replied.

Jack for some odd reason starts to notice his heartbeat stop for just a split second, as he feels the blood rush through to his brain like a bad migraine headache coming on.

For the time being, Tina stands there still waiting patiently for him to say something then breaks the silence when she notices something disturbing. As she gets closer, she begins to walk towards a mirror that is next to a nightstand. It starts to get complicated because she can't see her own reflection.

Tina screams, "Jack! Why did you hurt me? So it's true I am dead!"

Tina is crying like a non-stop thunderstorm.

Finally, Jack gets up slowly as he moves in her direction. He tries to find the strength and maybe even tell Tina the whole truth about everything, but he just can't seem to find the right words to say anything to her.

By now Tina is out of control as she slaps Jack clear across the face.

Jack yells, "I told you already Tina I was very sorry. And I meant every word of it Goddam it!"

Jack is overcome with guilt. He tries his best to comfort her as he reaches over to touch her hand. She immediately refuses to let him touch or get near. Tina continues to weep uncontrollably with so much agony in her voice.

Jack talks, "Please Tina let me help you. Are you alright babe?"

Jack stands there.

He thinks quietly to himself.

She's still really pissed off!

Tina says, "All I ever did was love you, Jack. How could you do this to me, to us?"

Tina stops crying. She wipes her face clean. She approaches Jack. Jack remains still. He's afraid to move.

"Calm down Tina let me try to explain for God's sake!" Jack said.

Be that as it may, Jack is no fool.

He pulls back fast enough in case she attempts to slap him again.

"All right Jack I'm listening," Tina said.

In the meantime, she kept wiping her face from the torment that she feels from her wounded heart. Yet somehow in an odd way, she felt free at last, especially now for the first time in a long time. Even though all the crying in a world of celestial blue waves, which clash upon each other like layers into the muddy rocks in the bodies of seawater.

She still loved Jack. It's as if a big cloudy fog haunted her inner soul. Most of all, it cursed her to walk among the living. Nothing could have prepared her for something like this. Only to become a troubled shadow figure that is lost forever in the darkness with emotions of not being able to be forgiven.

However, she is no stupid girl!

Jack betrayed her regardless. As such, it gave her pure satisfaction to see him for once beg. But most of all plead for mercy. Tina knew Jack was no saint right from the gecko. He wooed her from day one. It was very hard to resist his advances. Jack never took no for an answer. He was pushy. And of course very sure of himself.

And Tina allowed it. The worst part is she paid the ultimate price, that price was with her own life. Do, now all the dreams and plans she had for her future were never be. Simultaneously, out of nowhere, Jack finds the guts to be brave as he gets one step closer to Tina then begins to stutter.

He does this only when he is extremely nervous.

Jack says, "Babe, remember how we decided to take a break from each other?"

Tina smiles.

She calmly knows better. She already knew Jack was cheating. She had known even before the car accident.

Tina replies, "Yes, of course, I remember, go on."

Jack is taken aback by how patient she is all of a sudden.

He continues, "Anyways I was really depressed and drunk on the night of the car accident."

Tina is not buying it, not even for one second.

She answers, "Oh, Jack, don't lie to me. You know how I get when you lie to me!"

Out of the blue. Jack's throat was tightening. He feels helpless. Tina on the other hand continues to smile effortlessly.

She watches Jack suffer without lending him a hand.

Jack begs, "I'm sorry, please stop it!"

Tina grins, "It's alright Jack I knew about you and my so-called best friend Sarah. You see, I forgive you because no matter what I still love you. I always will. The only real problem is I just can't forget!"

Jack is so horrified out of his wits!

He shouts and cries out loud.

"Look I never meant to hurt you. It was pretty f*****up of me!"

Jack falls down to Tina's feet.

He knows what he did to her was wrong.

She leans over to caress his soft wavy blonde hair and says, "Don't worry about it, Jack. Besides the fallen angel below always has room for one more person, especially, guys like you my love."

Jack responds in a state of terror, "No, Tina no!"

Tina wastes no time as she pulls Jack close to her chest and whispers in his ear "Trust me Jack we will always be together now and forever!"