Miraculously, the sloshing I felt in the carpet wasn't so bad. In fact, the room wasn't wet at all. Aunt Merissa said it must have been her imagination that she had seen such a downpour. After all, the room was already dry and there was no lasting damage, except my vanity mirror.
I had to start facing a new fact. This wasn't my imagination. There really was a person with odd powers, at the foot of my bed. "I need to go to bed."
Mister Umbrella in the Sky finally moved. He stood up and folded his umbrella. "Jewelsy." He turned around and looked at me. "You are not forgettable."
That phrase again. He said something like that before I had shouted for Aunt Merissa earlier. He approached me in a cautious manner.
"Do you remember when Mister Kitty died? It was part of the reason I came to you, you were so lonely. You had cried all day long in your mother's arms."
I remembered as he grew closer.
"She is no longer here to hold you. Neither is your father or your sister. I cannot get them back to make you happy."
I could have told him that, but he was still coming toward me.
"That doesn't mean I can't try to make you happy with what you have, Jewelsy. I can help you find it again."
When he wrapped his hands around me, I didn't know what to do. The longer he stayed around me, the more I remembered. Had he hugged me earlier today, I would have pushed him off. Instead, I just let him hug me. It felt warm and familiar. I couldn't remember the last time someone hugged me.
I can't remember the last time I allowed someone to hug me. It was nice, but scary. More memories flooded back, and it was too much. I pushed him back, and thankfully he let go. "I need to go to bed."
Mister Umbrella tipped his hat. "Good night, Jewelsy. Tomorrow, you'll see! It will be anything but forgettable."
After he disappeared, I should have felt better. Those last words though, they lingered in my mind.
***
Dresses. Skirts. The latest fashion, I assume from the expensive places. A colorful ensemble of hues and sequins mixed with respectable pants. Jeans that weren't worn out, unless they were meant to be. I should have been looking into some fancy shopping malls dress window.
I was looking at my closet. While these were nice things, none of them were my usual wear. I suppose that fairy godmother of mine did this. Okay, imaginary friend, whatever. Next time I see him he might be renamed my fairy godmother if he didn't correct this!
My usual slacks, my t-shirts, and all my sweatpants were gone.
"Mister Umbrella." I looked around briefly, before stomping my foot. "Mister Umbrella in the Sky!"
"That doesn't sound happy."
I tried to hold my growl back, slightly, as I saw him appear next to me. I had jumped slightly, not expected him to be so close. I gestured toward my closet. "What is this?"
"That is step one," he said, "to living a non-forgettable life. Quite a challenge, really." He touched one of the dresses. "When I am a little girl's imaginary friend, I can't use magic like this as much. Their parents would have a fit and wonder how they got so many nice things. When I did, I usually went with pink dresses and frilly lace. Since you are older, I figured doing that may make you unhappy."
I wouldn't have been unhappy. I would have killed him. "As much as I appreciate the gesture?" I tried to be kind. "I want my old clothes back."
"These are not bad clothes," he tried again. "I have little idea about older girls…uh, women, so I mimicked a shopping store's presentation. They only put out great work."
"Maybe, but these are not for going to eat breakfast in. I can't wear any of this outside!" He didn't understand. "Just give me my old clothes back."
"I'm not a genie," Mister Umbrella said, almost in disgust, "I am a selective seer. I do as I see fit to help you, you do not command me. Now, grab something and go out there. Like it or not, your society dictates how it will treat you based partly on how you present yourself physically."
"I am not wearing this!" I protested again.
"There is nothing else to where." Mister Umbrella crossed his arms. "If you bring anything unfit into this room, then I will just change it to something suitable again."
"What am I going to tell my aunt?" I asked, throwing a new twist in his direction. "You can't make things appear for little girls because of their parents? Well, what about my guardians, huh?"
"You're not trapped, you are free. If you choose to wear these outfits, do you think they'll be suspicious?" He winked at me. "Enjoy, Jewelsy."
I groaned as he left me. Digging through the closet, everything had been changed. He had some ensembles that must have been two hundred dollars, mixed with some light dresses in a thirty dollar range. Knowing I would have better acceptance of an inexpensive dress, I put on a simple blue one with a white shirt beneath.
When I went to breakfast, I tried to pretend it was something I wore every day. It was harder to pretend when my Aunt Merissa almost lost the cold pancake on the plate. We met eye to eye, but she looked like she didn't even know me.
"Julie?" She seemed to restore her senses and placed the pancake on my plate. "I haven't seen you in that outfit before. It's very nice. Something like that could improve your chances of landing a job."
My Uncle Charles had yet to look at me, but once my Aunt Merissa said that, he looked away from his tablet. "Wow, Merissa's right. That's decent, Julie."
Damn. Maybe I should have thrown on one of those expensive outfits after all. Both of them smiled at me and sighed at each other, like I was a new puppy or something. "So, pancakes again?" I tried to change the subject. "You're going to make us fat after awhile."
"Oh, it's leftovers. You can't leave an unfinished pancake on the table before you leave." My Aunt Merissa turned back to her usual self. "Use that dress today by getting out and finding a job." She went back to cooking, while my Uncle Charles went back to concentrating on his tablet.
Like I had a choice in choosing the dress. Although, there were some more business like dresses in that closet too. I needed to get a job, and they would probably help more. I sliced my pancake with my fork and shoved it in my mouth.
Then I spit it out. Why did my pancake taste like lettuce and tomato? I looked down at the plate and realized it had turned into a salad. Beside it, was a medium sized sandwich and a glass a water.
When my Aunt Merissa turned around, the word heart attack came to mind. "Oh. I didn't know you actually wanted that." Her lips tugged upward. She hadn't smiled like that toward me in a long time. "You made your own breakfast."
I couldn't help feeling something stir inside of me with that smille. "I guess." Feeling uncomfortable, I went to eating my salad and sandwich.
After I ate, my Aunt Merissa didn't force me out right away. I went back into my room and picked a more professional looking outfit. I might miss my old clothes, but at least I had something I needed.
A pressed shirt, blue jacket and a minimal design. It was accompanied with a matching skirt that covered my knees. I ran a comb through my hair. I would look like a freak in this with my tangled up hair.
I stood in my dressing mirror, and gazed. My hair fixed up, a nice outfit on, and I could be passed off as a normal human today. I averted my own self and headed toward the door. I had not been dressed up in a nice manner since the accident. The funeral was the last time I wore anything besides sweats and t-shirts.
I didn't like where my mind was going, so I headed out.
"Good luck, Julie."
I froze, and backed up slightly. My Uncle Charles was still working on his tablet, but had he wished me good luck? I shook my head, not knowing if I was hearing things or not.
I walked with my head down, starting where I left off yesterday. Today I refused to look at the sky. No daydreaming today. I walked past the usual outfit of guys that made fun of me, not wanting to waste my time.
Like everything else though, things were different. They didn't bother me at all. A couple of them noticed me walking by but didn't say a word. None of them even recognized me.
That day, I filled out a few applications. No big 'we'll hire you' fireworks, but I didn't sense anything against me either. As I headed back, I ran into Mister Umbrella.
He walked beside me, but I didn't talk back. Considering what he was, I doubt it offended him. Besides, it wasn't worth people thinking I was insane, talking to no one they could see.
"You made lemonade out of lemons," Mister Umbrella spoke. "You see? I knew you simply needed a little push.
However, any of those jobs are still too small. Have you considered going back to college?"
I wanted to pretend he wasn't there, and I did a great job until he said that. "No," I whispered. "It's too late."
"You have many ways to reach college." Mister Umbrella pulled out a sheet from his pocket. "Your first source is your Uncle Charles. He does have a decent job, and he could help you with finances. Number two are scholarships, if we can find something you're good at. There are even grants and loans."
"I. Don't. Want to," I said firmly to him. "I am fine here."
"This conversation has come up before, hasn't it?" Mister Umbrella asked me.
"Yes, and my Uncle Charles would help," I said, "but I don't want to, and unlike the clothes, you can't force me to go."
"Your parents didn't die because you went to college. It was an accident."
Oh. Oh! "Don't you drag them into this! I don't want to go, so I am not going!" I know people probably looked at me in the middle of the street yelling at myself, but I didn't care at the moment. I took off into a run. No one was forcing me to go to college. Not even some dumb imaginary friend!
I could never go back to college. Never.
I ran through the apartment door and back to my room. Why did I have to have some forced imaginary friend? Changing my outfits, my food, and now trying to force me to go back to college. No! I would never do it. I pulled out a letter from the top drawer.
I never told anyone about it. It was my acceptance letter into college. On the back. . .I pushed it back into the drawer. College was not for me. If he asked again, and he pushed me out of my Aunt Merissa's house, then I guess I'd have to find some other place. No one else in the family bothered to help out, so it might mean a shelter or the streets. The thought chilled me. I didn't want to go out there.
I crawled back in my bed. Maybe the dress and fixing breakfast added me some brownie points. Oh, whom am I kidding? If he pushed me, I'd have to find a way to push back.
Finally, Jewelsy was asleep. I don't think she understood the strong connection I still had all these years with her. I discovered from our conversation two important things. I apparently pushed too hard. With kids, it was more relaxing than with her. Being a friend was easy for me, but Jewelsy made it tough. All day long, her nerves were higher after I asked her about college.
I looked around the room, making sure she didn't wake up. She ran straight to her room, it made her feel the safest. Yet, her edge only heightened in here. She didn't relax for some time.
I did become an ididntdoit so that she'd confess the truth to me. She probably assumed I would continue being that aggressive. I needed to slow down, and gain her trust. I never know how far to take a situation, until I can get an accurate measurement. Still, I should have gone slower.
I looked around her vanity, but didn't see anything I could use. Something she wanted, a goal she was hiding. Pictures of things she wanted, maybe people she wanted. She was older, perhaps she liked a guy? A boyfriend would be an easy goal. That could actually be helpful. If someone could break down a wall of hers, it would make it easier to get through to her.
I looked in her top drawer, but quickly closed it. I felt my cheeks get warm, that isn't a drawer I should look in again! I moved to a different dresser on the side. It was more out of the way, maybe she held something in there? When I opened it, I found some papers. Mostly letters, it looked like she collected birthday cards and old letters from acquaintances. But then, I felt something sinister. It was not a feeling that should have existed on Earth, laying dormant in a simple drawer. It was the drawer beneath. I grabbed the latch, and felt the heat.
When I opened it, a red radiating presence filled the room. I looked toward Jewelsy, but she didn't see it. The red light touched everything, became light and then dark. I moved around some more letters, until I found the one causing the light. I picked it up, feeling the heat on my hands.
It didn't matter how much connection to selective seers Jewelsy had. The dark print ripped through this sheet. A solid ominous black. It could probably be seen, but if not, she must have at least had an uncomfortable feeling around it. It was simple, a congratulations letter that she had been accepted to college. The message was on the back. It must have been inscribed after the fact. Before or after the accident, I didn't know, but I was beginning to understand her actions more.
Naughty Jewelsy.
This was more than one communication. I dug around and found several messages.
You can't run.
Don't leave.
You will not leave!
You will pay.