Jacob Jackson is a dreamer, a hopeless dreamer. Since childhood, he has known that he is unlike the main characters with amazing cheats to achieve their dreams. In short, he is not special. Nevertheless, he can't help but dream of something possible but difficult to achieve.
He yearns to become a distinguished detective, a pursuit that may seem straightforward but is far from it. Despite its apparent innocence, this aspiration presents formidable challenges. Every dream carries obstacles, and overcoming these hurdles is a testament to the dreamer's worthiness in achieving their aspirations.
Jacob is one of them, and he dreams of becoming a great detective in the police force. This dream is difficult but possible if he works hard enough for it. That's why he watches crime documentaries, crime shows, and dramas, reads crime fiction novels and biographies, and looks up mental disorders and some medical forensic science knowledge. He even went as far as to learn psychology to understand criminal psychology.
Many might ask, "Why are you learning so many things related to the police and crimes? Isn't it better to learn one thing to get to your preferred position?"
The answer is: that being versatile and learning things that are not in your job scope can be useful in the future. This is especially true when delving into the minds of criminals, particularly murderers and serial killers. Their thinking aligns differently from common sense, so thinking outside the box is important. Doing so may save time, resources, and manpower, and prevent more victims. From those alone, it's easy to tell that Jacob is an ambitious dreamer. His dream is simple and innocent yet difficult and ambitious.
However, his efforts, ambitions, and dreams can only go so far...
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"I am sorry, Mr. Jackson but we cannot accept you into the academy," Benjamin Thorn said grimly.
Benjamin Thorn is a teacher at the New York City Police Academy and also serves as a police officer with the New York Police Department. He holds the position of Head Teacher in the Criminal Investigations Department. Benjamin is recognized as one of the key figures in the NYPD.
"I appreciate your ambition and efforts to learn and we could use someone like you in our force but I have to disappoint you this time. Your records and medical assessment showed that you have a mental condition called Dissociative Identity Disorder or DID for short. As much as I want you in, I can't allow your condition to get in the way in the line of duty or drag down any of our fellow officers" Benjamin explained with sympathy in his eyes. "I would've referred you to the other courses to apply but the other head teachers also don't accept you into the academy"
This is the thing that Jacob feared the most: that dreams do not correspond with reality; expectations against reality. The reality was a ruthless thing to think about, especially when your dream was utterly crushed by the bitter truth in reality. Everything went downhill the moment those words escaped from his lips.
He could only sigh softly in response and gave a small smile. "I understand, Mr. Thorn. I am sorry for wasting your time"
Benjamin stared at him with a look of sympathy. He could tell this young man wanted to get into the academy. That strong ambition in his eyes is something that he rarely sees in the other applicants in his life as a teacher. If it weren't for his mental condition, he would consider letting Jacob into the academy.
However, there are no what-ifs. He had expectations for Jacob as he heard that both his parents were well-known police officers so it is a shame that their son didn't make it.
Jacob held back his tears as he walked out of the room and out of the academy. The dream that he worked so hard for only to lead to a dead end. That's the worst he feared the most.
That's right, his mental condition is what's been holding him back. Dissociative Identity Disorder. He had this condition since his second year of high school and has 5 personalities in his mind. The psychiatrist told him that the cause of it could vary since he didn't have any trauma from childhood. He had been going on monthly visits to keep watch over his condition.
And the worst part? These personalities kept giving him deathly headaches! They've been arguing with each other for god knows how long and it hurts like he's been tortured greatly in Tartarus. It's been affecting him in daily life a lot and it was nothing but a curse to him.
Now he couldn't achieve his dream because of this accursed illness! The future was bleak and there was nothing he could do about it.
"Accursed? Now that's just rude to call us that" a young male voice yet sounded stuttering, said in his head, indignified and slightly offended.
"Actually, Holter. You can't exactly blame him for thinking that way. We are the reason why he can't get into the academy now" another male voice but this time older yet sounded serious and cold interjected calmly.
"Gareth, maybe if you didn't yap your mouth so loudly, Jacob wouldn't have to be so affected by headaches. We're all nothing but personalities. Have you forgotten?" another older male voice yet sounded mature and calm, said mockingly.
"Why, you!"
"Can you all just keep your mouths shut? Fighting now would only affect Jacob more, especially when he just got rejected by the academy" Another older male voice yet sounded sharp and cold intervened before things got heated.
"Really. You all except for Holter are adults so you should act your age" This time a young male voice, yet sounded childish and cheeky, added and chastised the other voices.
"Hey, what is that supposed to mean?" the first voice called Holter said, indignified.
Everything finally calmed down and quiet as Jacob sighed in relief. Even if they argue a lot and don't get along well with each other, at least they're considerate of him, the master personality.
Jacob slowly walked down the street, mind spiraling over the events that had just occurred. Now that the Police Academy had rejected him, what will he do now? He had not even considered this possible dead end.
This long-standing dream from childhood had all been crushed in one day. He had no plans now… What should he do? Should he just attend normal college?
"Hey, Jacob. You know, it is not the complete end of the world yet. So what if you failed the application at the police academy? You can maybe prove to them that despite the condition, you can still be the great detective that you dreamed of" Holter tried reassuring him.
He appreciated the attempted reassurance. It means a lot to him even if it is by a small margin.
Holter is Jacob's first personality when his condition first appeared. He is the youngest of the group so he is someone Jacob can get along with the most compared to the rest. He has a solid memory and great detective skills which can be beneficial in police cases, especially murders. However, he stutters a lot whenever he is nervous, so some personalities don't have the patience to deal with him.
"Thanks, Holter… I think… I should take my mind off of this" Jacob sighed.
Holter nodded and sighed as well. "I agree with that idea. Besides, after what happened, it is best to get your mind off of this for a while before thinking about your next step rationally"
Jacob could only hum in response as he reached his apartment. Walking inside, he called out, "Mom, I'm home!!"
A slightly tanned woman with long wavy auburn hair and emerald eyes walked out of the kitchen and said, "Jacob, you're back. How is your application to the police academy?"
He had to swallow down a hard lump in his throat, not knowing what to say. How should he tell her? Would she be disappointed?
"No, Mom. I failed the psychological assessment because of my mental condition" he replied solemnly as he lowered his head, downcasted.
She gave him an understanding look and a sad smile. "I see. Well, I wasn't expecting anything but I want you to know that this isn't the end of the world when you have been rejected"
Alessia Jackson is a widely respected forensic doctor within the United States police force, renowned for her exceptional skill in solving complex cases. Due to the demanding nature of her work, Jacob seldom has the opportunity to see her at home, a situation he fully comprehends. This circumstance also serves as one of the driving forces behind his aspiration to excel as a distinguished detective.
Although he understood why his parents were not always at home, he couldn't help but feel lonely and neglected. As a child, it was something he couldn't fully grasp until he was older. As a child, he grappled with their absence. Even though he comprehended the reasons behind it, the overwhelming feelings of loneliness and neglect persisted. It wasn't until he grew older that he could fully fathom the impact of these emotions from his childhood.
"I just… I've been studying and watching anything related to police and crime and yet all of it only ended in vain" Jacob said anxiously as he slumped his shoulders in a sign of defeat.
Alessia smiled in understanding and cupped her hand on his cheek. "Oh, dear. It may be a shame but it is not completely the end of the world yet. Why don't you take a break from studying and rest at home?"
He sighed and nodded as he walked towards his room. He doesn't seem to be in the mood to talk about it as he limply lay on the bed with his face buried in the pillow.
Jacob took out his phone from his pocket and messaged his father the results of his application.
Soon after there was a reply on his phone, "Son, it's okay. No matter your path, we will always be proud of you. I also overlooked mentioning your alters. I understand it's not their fault for being a part of you"
He couldn't help but smile, touched by the message from his father. He replied, "Thanks, Dad, for the encouragement, and I'm sure the alters appreciated that too"
Another message came. "By the way, Jacob. Do you want me to help you get into the academy? Your mother and I know some of the teaching staff there"
Jacob blinked. He reread the message a couple of times and rubbed his eyes to make sure he was not hallucinating.
He is not, and the recent message is still there. His father wants to help him get through the application via his connections. Multiple thoughts started swirling inside his mind, leaving him feeling very conflicted. On one hand, he wants to achieve his dream of being a great detective. Therefore, he was considering accepting his father's offer. But on the other hand, he felt that it was incredibly unfair to use his family connections to get in. What if he didn't meet the academy's standards in the future, no matter how hard he tried? Wouldn't that mean their efforts would all be fruitless in the end?
"I suggest you think about this carefully"
Jacob snapped out of his deep thoughts when he heard a cold voice and he realized that it belonged to Gareth.
Gareth is his second personality and the oldest of the group. He is skilled in criminal investigations and has strong reasoning abilities. However, he is the most serious and aloof personality compared to the others, especially when provoked by the other personalities. This can make it quite difficult to control his temper and rein it in.
"A job such as this is not something to scoff at or fool around. It is just as dangerous and important no matter where you are. Plus there would be dominos of consequences if you accept it. It is not worth it for a couple of foulmouths for the next few years in the academy if you end up in the grassroots" Gareth said bluntly.
Although he is very blunt with no filter, he still gets the point across and this only puts Jacob in another thought to reconsider.
In the end, he rejected his father's offer and replied that he appreciated the offer but he wished to get into the academy through his own efforts.
He put his phone away and sighed as he looked up at the ceiling with his arms and legs sprawled all over the bed. His mind has slowly drifted into his own world, leaving the other personalities to their own devices.
Jacob is a dreamer, a hopeless dreamer. What dreams that are deemed impossible can only be imagined that are far more different from reality. When he dreams, he fears. Of the fate he will walk on for the better or the worse.
May Morpheus bestow upon you his mercy in the realm of dreams and nightmares…
Sweet dreams, Jacob Jackson