Chapter 19

Slowly, I got up to approach this woman...that decided to barge into my room without my permission! Yes she warned me but really, people don't just pop into my room.  Maybe I'm still in the coma, since people don't just pop in without light-heck, I don't even know if teleportation is possible here.  I don't know what my mind made up and what is actually true.

"Okay, tell me what you're doing here."

"Look, Brandy isn't who you think she is.  We need to get out-we can talk when we're outside."

I laughed nervously.  "And how do I know I can trust you?  Brandy saved me while I was in my coma-or something like that-and has kept me alive ever since!  And I know no one, really, so why should I trust you?"

Then she started to laugh hard.  I gave her big eyes.

"Does that give you any hints?"

"No-it can't be...you're?  No, I was in a coma."

"Come on, let's go.  We don't want, um-Brandy-to over hear us.  Change your clothes."

"Um...okay I guess.  Do you have some lip gloss and a hair tie?"

"Yes."

She went in another room and I changed clothes.  Putting my hair up and the lip gloss just felt so good...

She came back, and suddenly, she touched my hand before I could protest and we started to drift off before my eyes.  I instantly felt us traveling outside as if we were ghosts.  We were going so fast that everything became blurry.

As we were traveling, she had time to say one sentence, "it's okay, we're just teleporting."

I just nodded, and by the time I started to nod, we already made it to our destination.

She took us to some random road, and we started to walk, and questions loomed in my head.

"Um, what just happened back there?"

"I already told you, we teleported."

"But-it wasn't the same teleportation I remember from my coma.  But I don't know, I guess I was just insane from my coma.  So really, what do I know?"

"Look, that's what we need to talk about.  You were never in a coma."

"What do you mean, that's what Brandy told me."

"Well, of course that's what she wants you to think!  She wants herself to seem like your savior so you'll go along with everything and your test results won't be scqued."

"Okay-would you tell me what's going on?"

"Alright, well it's all really complicated.  I'll ease you into all of the answers-"

"How do you even know all of the answers?  Are you giggler-how could you be giggler?  I was in a coma."

Then she stopped and looked at me.

"Okay, do you want to know about me right now or you?  Yes, I am giggler.  The matter is complicated."

My eyes got wide.  "Um...tell me about me, I guess."

"Okay, good.  You were never in a coma.  You were in virtual reality."

"Virtual reality...I didn't know that was possible."

"It isn't-not yet..not here.  Brandy is from the future-she's evil.  You were her test subject...it's all so complicated."

"Wait-so doesn't that make you evil if you worked for someone evil?"

"Look, it's complicated.  Very complicated."

"Well, uncomplicate it."

"I'm trying.  It's just a long, long story.  And there's only so much that's going to sink in-"

"Well, at this point I'll believe anything.  You wouldn't believe the thing's I've seen."

She looked uncomfortable.  "Yeah-actually, I know what you've seen.  I kind of have helped Brandy with that..."

"But why?  Why didn't you stop her and wake me?!"

"That wasn't possible.  She already had you before I could do anything.  She already had everything set up.  You would only be released when everything went her way..."

"What do you mean?  What's 'her way'?"

She sighed.  "Look, you grew up in a virtual reality world.  Got that?"  I nodded slowly, still confused.  "That's enough for now."

Slowly, we walked and walked, and she offered me no more information.  I think that's enough for one day, anyway.  One day I wake up from a supposed 'coma' that I later learned was all some pre-programmed virtual reality not yet possible in this time.  Yeah, that's enough for two days.

Soon, we made it into her house which was sparkling and grand.  It was a very gorgeous entrance.

"Wow, you have such a nice house..."

"Thanks!  Brandy pays me well."

"But what happens with you now that I'm out of the coma?"

"Oh...I think we should discuss that later.  There's just so much to discuss!"

"And it's all so much that I wish it weren't true!"

"Oh, I know Jezabelle.  I'm so sorry about this!  I wish I could've told you while you were in virtual reality, but Brandy would've noticed.  Trust me."

"Yeah....I think I kind of have to trust you right now."

"True.  How about I take you up to the guest room?"

I yawned.  I had totally forgotten about being tired.  "That would probably be a good idea."

She took me upstairs to a beautiful green room.

"Here you are-you can sleep here for tonight."

"Thanks-um, wait...what was your name?"

"Oh yes, my...real name is Chamille."

"Oh.  Well, hello Chamille.  I've always wanted to know what your name was..." and I never thought I would meet you...

"Thanks for taking me in for now, Chamille.  I didn't know what I was going to do before..."

"Well, don't you worry about that.  I'll help you figure it out.  And unlike Brandy I actually mean it."

"Yeah, glad to hear that....Good night."

"Night brightbabe62."

I smiled faintly, and made my way to the bed.  I realized that my sweatpants and tank top were on the bed.  Something is strange about this Chamille.  But no doubt she isn't lying, she just hasn't had time to tell me the full truth.   And unlike everyone else in my lie of a life- she will tell me who she really is, without telling me 'I can't tell you', or something.  And I guess now I know why they couldn't tell me.  They were all part of some intricate computer program that was programmed not to tell me what they were!

Then I made it into my bed, and thought through everything that Chamille had told me over and over again through my head.  I tried to imagine answers for all the questions to my life, and most of the time I came up dry.  I guess that would be because I don't know Brandy's intentions at all.  That's just so creepy that an evil lady has kept me alive all this time...And how do I know that she hasn't left me deficient in some area?  Really.

Then, I had an extremely random thought as I was drifting to sleep, wow, so I was taught everything by a computer.  Pretty much.  I guess I can make that leap.  And am I really as smart as I felt in my own little world, or is that what Brandy wanted to think?

It really took me a long time to fall asleep.  I kept debating getting up to find Chamille's bedroom to hound her with questions, but I decided against it.  I will learn it all tomorrow-hopefully there's not too much information to need more than a full day?  Oh, this is insane.  Insanity!  Does this make me insane?  Oh my gosh-but my whole thought of insanity could be wrong...what do I even know is right?

When I woke up, I went downstairs greeted by the smell of warm waffles.  It surprised me, actually, that she was already up and breakfast was already made-I'm just so used to watching people cook that that was the last thing I expected.  But again-my whole life- my whole life was a lie.  So this must mean that this is where I was taken from as a kid- but what about my parents?

Though I had many questions, I decided that that question was king to all others-that question may have a future, and everything else is behind me.  "Do you know anything about my parents?"

She grimaced.  "I'm sorry, I have no idea.  The problem is-Brandy knows your full name...but I don't know your last name.  She told me that she would never give out that information to anyone-including yourself.  So it's pretty much impossible to know who they are unless you want to mess with Brandy.  And trust me-you don't."

I frowned-my last one possible contact with someone in this life that I 'know', and it's shot.

"But could they live here?"

She shrugged.  "They could live anywhere."

"But-why would Brandy choose me over everyone to be in her 'experiment'?  What was her experiment, exactly?"

"Well, I know that there is a reason.  I know that she has some strange reason why she chose you, but would she tell me?  No, she only tells me what I need to know.  But lucky for you, that's most things.  And her experiment-she wanted to see how much living in a virtual reality environment would change your mind."

I shivered.  That didn't sound good.

"So what did she do to me?"  I was scared of the answer, but I just had to ask.

"Um-well, in some ways she wanted to see if she could instill in you some of her thinking.  Well...Harah was her tool, she added a lot of herself to her-except for the evil parts..."

"What did she instill in her?"  Oh my gosh, now my life-or rather the people that messed with my life-sound interesting and creepy enough to be in an epic story.

"She instilled in her her hatred of men.  She must've had issues with some of them in her past as 'Harah' had.  But of course she wouldn't tell me.  But she did change her to make her extra nice...she had to make you like her."

"Why?  She's evil-why would she want  me to do like her..."

"Because, then you would trust Brandy later.  And you kind of did, until I came along..."

"What else did she tamper with in my head?!"

"Well, she made you trust women in general.."

And that was true, I was much more likely to trust a woman than a man.

Soon, we were done with our breakfast, and she suggested to go to the park so we could talk more, and she went into the bathroom to primp.

When we got there, I noticed two guys sitting on a bench.  It was funny-they weren't fat or had any weird facial protrusions.  They actually weren't half bad looking-but since they're guys, they're obviously scummy.

"Why did you take me to a playground?  Aren't kids in school or something?"

"Yes...they are.  But this is part of the point.  Do you like kids, Jezabelle?"

I slowly thought about it, and that one time that I took over the daycare center.  I still look on that day and frown.  "No, actually I don't."

"There you go.  That's another thing that Brandy instilled in your thoughts.  She didn't want you to like children."

"But I don't."

She looked down sadly.  "Yes, she has succeeded."  Suddenly, I felt bad and I wanted to like kids, but I just couldn't do it.  Shouldn't I like them, running around and joking?  No, I just can't.  The problem is they're so obnoxious and loud!

Then, Chamille took notice of the guys.  I don't know why, but the whole thing just seemed rather cheesy.

"Oh-why, hello Clyde and Reese.  Why don't you come over here and say hello to Jezabelle!"

Slowly, they both got up, looked at me, and smiled.  I cringed.  Ew, why are they looking at me?

It all just seemed so weird.  Why would two young guys come here, to a kiddy playground, especially when there are no kids around?  Surely they have more interesting things to do!

Then one of the guys came up to me.  I cringed at his good looks, but knew that it was all just an act!  He wants me to like him so that I can love him and he can dump me-how dare he!  No, no more love!

But I had to be polite with Chamille here.  I just can't disappoint her after everything that she has done for me!

"Um, hello.  I'm Jezabelle."

"Yes, I know.  I'm Reese.  I've heard so much about you, Jezabelle."

"Oh really...."

This is getting weird.  So what, other people know about this besides Chamille and Brandy?

I looked at Chamille, and she nodded her head back to Reese.

"I'm so sorry about what happened.  You'll be okay, I promise."

He smiled.  Then, Clyde looked at me.  "Yeah, we're both really sorry that you really never had a life...that 'Brandy' put you in virtual reality for that test.  We would've helped you if we could, honestly."

They both looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

I frowned at them, though I shouldn't have.  They were being so nice-but I just hated them so much!

Then Chamille shushed them away for a minute.

"See?  I can tell that Brandy really has succeeded.  Well, she was only going to let you out when you thought what she wanted, and you do.  Oh-it's such a shame."

Chamille looked down at the sidewalk, and I think I saw a tear escape.  But she instantly wiped it away and looked up smiling.

"What, she doesn't want me to like guys?  But why?  And how do you know that I myself just don't hate them because of what's happened to me?"

"That's the problem, Jezabelle.  You were in virtual reality.  So Brandy set up your whole life!  She made them meet you, she made them not stop until you went for them.  But then, they would just break your heart.  And then she made all the guys ugly and stupid so you'd have another reason to hate them.  See?  Now you don't like my friends all because of Brandy."

I frowned.  Either way I was going to hate guys, but I really wanted to like them to have Chamille approve of me.

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Did I surprise anyone with at least some of that?