Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
Jim yanked the cell away from Remy “Tsk, tsk, tsk…that was a very bad thing you did.” He smiled crookedly and stood up. Bringing his hands up in the air as his face fell back, he spun around in circles and took a deep breath. “Isn’t the air more fresh up here?” he looked down at Remy, who was tied up to a pole that was built into the rooftop to secure the building. Jim walked closer to Remy “You will regret ever trying to hint to your friends. If they do figure out the clues and find you, I will kill them too. And now you will be the cause of their deaths.”
“Jim! Please, don’t do this.” Deana begged, she was tied to another pole across the way.
Jim’s face softened as he walked over to her “Don’t touch her!!” Remy cried out.
“I’ll touch my girlfriend whenever I want.” He said slowly, his eyes burning into his face. But they quickly softened when he turned back to Deana “Sweet angel…you are so beautiful.” He smoothed her cheek with the back of his hand. “Don’t worry, this won’t hurt…we’ll be together again.”
“Jim…no, please…why are you doing this?” she was desperate to keep him talking.
“Why? Because of HIM!!!” he pointed to the sky “You want me to die? Giving me a terminal disease? Well, I’ll tell you this, if you want me to die, I’m taking all that I can with me!!” his voice roared over the top of the building.
“Terminal disease?” Deana asked softly.
“AIDS.” He said shortly as he turned back to her. “Some jerk decided to rob me one day and when he realized that I didn’t have any money, he shot some kind of substance into my body. When I went to go test it, it was proven to be HIV cells….soon it turned to full blown AIDS. I was going to tell you about it but your idiot guy friend over there had to walk in. It’s always nice to carry a gun, don’t you think?” he patted to the metal weapon inside his belt. “You never know when you have to use it.
“Please…don’t kill him.” She begged, tears forming at the corner of her eyes.
“Sweetie, don’t cry..” Jim said as he wiped the tears away from her face. “He won’t die, I’ll make him live…I’ll just take YOU with me.” His crazy smile forming again. He looked down at the gun in his belt as he pulled it out slowly. “It won’t hurt.” He whispered as he leaned in closer to her face. The gun pointing to her left temple, he heard her whimper from fear.
“NO!!!” Remy cried as he used his strength to break away from the ropes tied around him.
“SHUT UP!!!” Jim turned around and pointed the gun at him “Or you’ll be paralyzed for the rest of your life.” He threatened.
“Please don’t kill her…kill me if you have to…” he begged.
“You would like that wouldn’t you? Be the hero so poor Deana will never forget you? I’m on to your little scheme.” Jim said smartly. He pulled back the notch behind the gun, his finger on the trigger.
“I love you, Remy…” Deana whispered as she closed her eyes ready for the shot.
“You what?” Jim asked as he pulled the gun away from her head. He was so deep in thought that he didn’t hear the elevator door make a ‘ding’ sound.
“Jim, no!!” Virginia cried out with Jeff by her side. He pulled her back when she tried to run to Jim.
“He’s got a gun.” Jeff whispered.
As if her voice brought him out of the trance, he pulled the gun back up at Deana’s head. “You found us…I guess I underestimated your intelligence, Ginny.”
“Jim, please don’t do this. You will regret it.” Virginia said.
“Regret? What is there to regret?” he moved the gun from her head as he waved it around. Jim moved closer to the center of the rooftop. He walked to the ledge and looked down. “Ever thought about jumping?” he asked for no one in particular.
“Every day of my life.” Ginny said, her voice serious.
It seemed to catch his attention “You do?” he sat down on the ground and leaned the gun against his face. “Tell me about it.”
“You think its easy to sit down and hear people tell tragic stories about their life? To hear them tell me that life is useless and they want to end it more than anything in the world?” she tried to step closer to Jim, but Jeff held her back. She turned around to face him “I’ll be okay.” She whispered and pushed his grasp away from her arms. She walked closer to Jim until she was about a yard away “Do you know what’s more depressing than seeing those sad faces that comes through my office?”
Jim shook his head “It can’t be that bad…”
“What’s more depressing is the fact that I can’t help them.” His head tilted thoughtfully as he listened to her words “Despite the fact that I’m a shrink, no matter what I say, how well I say it. Their final decision will always be theirs. I’m more than honored to say that 99% of my patients do not look for death after they finished talking to me.”
“How about that 1%?” he asked.
She smiled “There is always an oddball out of a bunch. I hope that you are not one of them.”
“I thought you said I wasn’t your patient.” He looked at her suspiciously.
“You’re not…no one is. I call them patients, but they are in truth people that just want someone to talk to. To understand what they are going through, the pain and suffering. I just know that whatever you decide of this situation, it will not be a good one. Maybe because I’m a pessimist…I tend to think of the worse scenario. I just hope that whatever you decide, it will be the best for you. Think for yourself before you think for others.” She said slowly trying to get him to understand.
He looked away for a while before his eyes wandered meeting with Deana’s. Her face was smeared with tears. He turned to Remy, who’s eyes were glued on Deana’s. “Why is it that when I’ve found love, its taken away from me?” he asked.
“It was never yours to be taken away.” Virginia said calmly. There was a moment of silence but it was quickly broken when her cell phone rang. Without losing eye contact with Jim, she pulled it from her purse and answered it “Hello?”
“Ginny! Where have you been? You said you were coming home at 10 and now its almost 2pm!” Freddie’s voice scolded over the phone.
“This is not a good time, Freddie.” She said calmly.
“What’s going on? Where are you?” he sensed the uneasiness in her voice.
“You tell him where we are and I’ll blast everyone’s head open.” He shook the gun at each of them threateningly.
Virginia’s eyes were fixated on Jim’s as she answered Freddie “I’m out with Jeff. I’ll be back in a bit.”
“Jeff? Again? Why are you always out with him. Are you sure you guys aren’t dating? If you are, just tell me so I won’t bug you. You know Ginny, I feel like we’re drifting apart…” he babbled on as she tried to get a word in edgewise.
Her eyes lowered to the ground “Freddie, life is too short to miss out on love. I feel like I’m on top of the world when I’m with him. I’ll see you later.” She hung up the phone without letting him say goodbye. She prayed internally that he got her secret code. They once promised each other in a time of danger, if they got a chance to talk to each other. The code would be ‘Life is too short to miss out on love.’ Her second clue was the second line, which she hoped that he got.
“Looks like you got your hands full, Ginny.” Jim said sarcastically, not picking up her cue to Freddie. Jim took a deep breathe as he stood up, the gun still tight in his hand. “Have you had enough lecturing? Because I had enough listening.” He walked closer to her while she took a few steps back “Did you know that whatever you had to say to me was useless? I don’t listen very well, strange…my mom always told me that but I didn’t believe her until now.”
“I don’t believe you.” Virginia said daringly.
“Really? Then why are you stepping away from me?” Jim said, his eyes looking at her menacingly.
She immediately stopped “It’s a natural reaction.” She said casually.
“Fear, you mean?”
Virginia nodded “Everyone has it. Even you, despite your gun and threats, I know you’re afraid of death. Everyone is.”
“Don’t try that on me again. I told you, I’m not listening.” He said slowly as he shook his head at her.
“Don’t lie to me Jim. I know damn well you are listening, if not it wouldn’t bother you so much. Because you know my words make sense, you are just in denial.” She smiled when he dodged her eyes “Even if you don’t want to listen to me, listen to Deana.” She turned her head to look at Deana.
Jim smiled “My sweet angel.” He walked closer to her.
Jeff’s heart was beating so fast when Jim was in front of Virginia, he prayed that he would not have to witness her death. He let out a sigh of relief as he snuck up behind Virginia “Ginny, you okay?” he asked with concern.
She nodded, her hands were shaking from the close encounter. “Yeah..” she muttered.
Jeff took a hold of her hands to calm her down “Who called?”
“Freddie.” She said shortly “I hope he got my hint.” Her eyes wandered back to Jim and Deana.
“Do you have anything to say to me?” Jim asked sweetly.
Deana’s eyes dug into his “Why do you have to do this? You never answered my question.”
“You said that you would be said if I was no longer around. Life would be sadder without me. Well, you know now that I have to die soon, I don’t want to leave you here by yourself.” He explained.
“I’m sorry that this happened to you, if I could trade places with you I would. I mean that truly. But Jim, it didn’t happened to me…it happened to you. Someone once told me that they believed everyone’s spirit will go to heaven after they die. It’s just a matter of when and how. Some people die from car crashes, a gunshot or murder, illnesses. We’ll all see each other in heaven. I don’t think its my time to die or anyone else here. If you kill us, you will be punished by God. Please don’t do it. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you, dead or alive.” She whispered.
His eyes weakened “Why are you so good to me? What have I ever done to deserve you?”
“No one deserves anyone. Nor do they should be deserved. We have met because of fate. Believe it or not, you are a positive influence in my life. When I first met you I thought there’s a chance for everyone because you realized that death wasn’t the answer. But now, I’m disappointed. You’ve chosen a path that you’ve already gone by.”
“I’m sorry…” he said, his own tears falling from the ground.
Suddenly, the stairwell door burst opened and Freddie came through, completely out of breath. He saw Virginia and smiled as he ran to her, embracing her in the tightest hug “Ginny, God you’re okay. I got your hint and I was so scared….”
“I’m okay, Freddie.” She returned his hug “You came by yourself?”
“No, the cops are coming too…they’re here actually.” He nodded to the elevator “They should be here any second.
“Would you look at this? A party!” Jim announced happily as he waved the gun in the air. Right when he said that the elevator doors opened and out came about 15 policemen as they gathered around the group with guns pointing at Jim. He smiled at the group. “I’m not giving up."
“Don’t do anything!” Jeff commanded. He pulled out the badge that he normally carried around in his pocket.
“Lai Sir, he has a gun!” one of the officers recognized Jeff.
“Do as I say!” he yelled. With a wave of the hand he motioned for them to back away. They reluctantly did as he said.
“A man with power, I like that.” Jim admired. He turned to Virginia “You’re a very lucky girl.” He said slowly.
She stared at his hand with the gun “There’s no bullets in there, are they?” she noticed that he never once pulled the trigger to show that it was real. She was just guessing but seeing that a smile crept on his face, she knew here guess was correct.
He shifted his head to the left as he smiled at her “Is there anything that you don’t know?” he said as he pulled up the gun and opened the barrel showing no bullets inside. He dropped the gun to the ground.
“If you never planned to kill anyone, why did you bring them up here?” Virginia pressed. He was one of the most peculiar people that she’s ever met.
He shrugged his shoulder “Just for fun.” He looked over at Deana as he backed away towards the ledge “Bye, my angel. I’ll see you in heaven.” He blew her a kiss and turned back to Virginia “Ever seen a person fly?”
Her eyes widened as she realized that he was about to jump “No!!” she ran towards him but she was too far to catch him. She reached the ledge in time to see him sailing towards his death. Jeff and Freddie were close behind her.
“Jim…” Deana whispered as tears fell from her face one last time. Her eyes wandered to Remy. Seeing him safe, she had to smile with relief.
“I love you..” he lipped out the words to her as the cops untied his rope. The other policeman had helped her with her own ropes. When they were both free, he ran to embrace her “Oh God, I’m glad you’re alright.” He whispered.
“Me too..” her eyes wandered to where Jim jumped off. She closed her eyes and hugged Remy tighter afraid that if she let go, he would leave her forever.