Jenny Somewhere:
A Girl Named Jenny Somyeer... Our story begins in New York City of Universe 7197 in the year 1996…
[Internal Monologue]
Raging lightning scorches my skin like blazing hellfire as the churning vortex of shattered realities and cosmic screams bombard me. Between the endless void of nothing and the conflagrated shards of everywhere, I erupt forth into the dark of the unknown.
The world that was vanishes, and the world that now is… where is… storms into form around me… My body numbs, the searing pain fades as I open my eyes. The avalanche of wailing sirens and surging traffic overwhelms me. Bustling hordes of hurried denizens rush and flow around me like a savage tidal wave of insults, predatory stares and unknown faces. A cacophony of commotion and chaotic sound crashes in on me as my senses fight to adjust to their new brutalizing normal.
Someone on a bike almost hits me.
New Yorker on a Bike:
GET OFF THE SIDEWALK, YOU IDIOT! FUCKING JUNKIES!
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
I stand up, my legs shaking. I weakly make my way from the sidewalk and gather my bearings.
Why does it always have to be like this? Why can't I control where I wake up after I die and resurrect? Why was this curse placed on me in the first place? Well, no matter. Oh, shit!
I pass by a bakery. The familiar smell of pastries stirs an old memory.
Jenny Somewhere:
(Cockney accent)
Right! That'll be two quid, love, and that's no pork pie!
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
Passersbys stare at me as I clamp my hands over my mouth in mortification. They shake their heads and mutter about the "crazy" woman. Ah, if only they knew…
There's no time to worry about that. I've got to find some shelter somewhere, and that bakery is certainly bound to be more delightful than most places I could probably find around here.
I rush towards it like a sanctuary from the storm. As I approach the building, the sign reads.
Happy Bunny Beans and Buns Coffee Shop and Bakery. What a charming mouthful. As I step inside, the sweet aroma washes over me, exorcizing the stench of the outside world.
I take a seat at a nearby booth and begin scanning the small menu. Various coffees, teas, baked goods. My heart sinks at the prices.
SHIT! Why can't money be the same no matter what universe I'm in? DAMMIT! A coffee and muffin would be so good right now. I'm so famished and exhausted.
I slam my hand down hard on the table in frustration.
Miss Arosa Nassar:
Something wrong, ezezti or was the table just being mebtizle and in need of a lesson? [amused and kind. Warm.]
Jenny Somewhere:
I turn to see who is talking to me, and I am greeted by the welcoming smile of an older woman.
Jenny Somewhere:
Oh no…. God… I am sorry. It was rude of me to treat your table so roughly. Today has been a bit of a nightmare. I'm hungry and exhausted, and I came in here hoping to purchase something, only to remember that I'm currently penniless and homeless… I'm sorry; I will get out of here and make way for other customers who can pay".
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
I begin to get up from the booth, but the woman places a hand softly on my shoulder.
Miss Arosa Nassar:
I don't see any other customers waiting for a table, do you?... I know that fish out of water look in your eyes, ezezti. You're not from around here, are you?
Jenny Somewhere:
Oh, you have no idea just how true that is. I don't even know where here is.
Miss Arosa Nassar:
Well, you're in New York City. The big rotten apple of the East Coast. Look, I'm about to close up, so why don't you relax? Let me lock up, and then we'll have some nice tea… Oh, and don't worry about a place to stay. I have two guest rooms upstairs that I usually rent out to help cover expenses around here. They're both open at the moment, so you can stay here for as long as you need my ezezti. You can wash the dishes and mop the floors and whatnot. That'll cover room and board and three square meals a day… So tell me, what's your name, ezezti?
Jenny Somewhere:
Oh, yeah, sorry. My name's Jenny Somyeer.
Miss Arosa Nassar:
Pleasure to meet you, Jenny. I'm Arosa Nassar. Welcome to your new home.
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
Miss Arosa locks up before disappearing into the kitchen. After a few moments, she returns with the promised tea. She places a warm, soothing cup in front of me as she sits down in the booth opposite me. Jenny Somewhere:
Oh, excuse me, Miss Arosa, but what's that big flag hanging over there behind your counter?Miss Arosa Nassar:
Wow, you really aren't from around here, are you? [warm chuckle] That there is the flag of my motherland as it were, the New Palestinian Republic... Still feels strange to say that even after all these decades. My people fought long and hard over many generations and endured so much bloodshed and death to forge out of the ashes the nation that flag represents.
Jenny Somewhere:
I see. Thank you for sharing that with me.
Miss Arosa Nassar:
What of you? Where are you from?
Jenny Somewhere:
After all these lives, who knows? [mutter]
Jenny Somewhere:
I notice Miss Arosa's look of confusion.
Jenny Somewhere:
I mean, I'm not sure.
Miss Arosa Nassar:
Well, that's okay. You have a home here, now.
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
I finish my chat with Miss Arosa, and we both head up the stairs. I close my new bedroom door and take note of my clean but spartan surroundings. The room is more than a little cold, so I make my way over to the window. As I am about to close it, I spot a strange shadowed figure with blond hair smoking a cig in the alley below, staring up at me. She looks like a svelte-framed blonde, her hair partially concealed by a pink hoodie protruding from under a cropped and studded black leather coat. Her head is tilted to the side as if assessing my every move. I feel her concealed eyes lock with mine. All at once, I am filled with the overwhelming need to do something.
Should I yell out the window at her to 'get lost', or should I perhaps find some sort of weapon and brandish it in the window so she knows not to try anything? Running away makes no sense; I am already in my room and thus have nowhere else to go.
But before I can decide on anything, she just nods and walks away, disappearing into the night.
It's probably just some random vagabond or someone like that. This isn't exactly the safest neighborhood… Though, I've certainly been in worse. But all the same… I will have to be careful on any late-night supply runs.
My brain goes fuzzy with exhaustion as I climb into the bed and stare up at the ceiling above me, my body still aching down to my bones from the resurrection.
Another unfamiliar ceiling… another unfamiliar world… another meaningless life.
I close my eyes and let the vast, empty void of sleep take me. And so, over the next month, I settle into another empty cycle of existence comprised of custodial work and dishwashing. The work is, frankly, a waste like everything, like me, but it passes the time and keeps a roof over my head.
Part of me remembers being the president of my high school's Mathematics Society before achieving a PhD in mathematics at twenty-three in another life. The vestigial memory from countless deaths ago still lingering in my memory. From back when life mattered… back when anything mattered.
Weeks bleed away as I wake up morning after morning in my bleak bedroom, shower, get dressed. Each day is the same as the one before and the one after… repetitive… infinite… trapped.
But then, BAM!!! Like an explosion of radiant light in the vast, deep darkness of my perpetual, unending existence, I see her. As I'm exiting my bedroom, I see a new tenant moving in across the hall. She moves the boxes efficiently, though they look far too heavy for someone as petite as she is.
She is small and slight, with chic pixie-cut raven hair blessed with neon-violet highlights. Her features are feminine and slightly exaggerated.
Is it her blue eyes that glisten like well-polished sapphires? The slight elven points on her ears? Her eclectic yet somehow oh-so-appropriate outfit: a lemon-yellow cropped blazer, black slacks that cling to her slender yet muscular legs and gently graze her ankles, shiny lemon-yellow ballet flats, and a zebra-print blouse? Her bold makeup of black cat eyeliner, heavy mascara and cherry-red lipstick?
Whatever it is, I feel a strange sense of, I am not quite sure what to call the emotion. She spots me, and my heart explodes into a frenzied flutter. She sets down the box she is holding and slides it through her bedroom door with her leg before shutting the door behind it. The whole time, she never takes her eyes off me, looking me up and down as she smiles the brightest, warmest smile I've ever seen in this or any other reality.
Jenny Nowhere:
Hi! I'm Jenny! Jenny Naveer. What's your name, cutie?
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
She asks warmly as she strides casually over to me.
Jenny Somewhere:
Wh… wha… What a coi… coincidence! My… My name's Jenny, too! Jenny Somyeer.
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
I feel a warm, nervous blush flush my cheeks, drawing a slight smirk from her lips as she reaches out with one hand and gently starts to stroke the side of my hair as if it were the most ordinary, common, yet satisfying thing ever. The intoxicating scent wafting from her fills me up, washing through my heart and setting fire to my blood. Whatever she is doing to me, she does it perfectly. I could not be more defenceless to her power.
Jenny Nowhere:
Well, then! Your name should be easy enough to remember, right? [musing sweet tone].
Jenny Somewhere:
Yes. Are you planning on staying long-term?
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
I ask, trying to regain my composure before I become completely lost to the enthralling goddess standing before me, stroking my hair with tenderness unlike any I have ever felt.
Jenny Nowhere:
Oh, yes! I'll be working as an all-around cleaner.
Jenny Somewhere:
Oh, okay, I have the same arrangement. So I guess that means we will be seeing alot of each other.
Jenny Nowhere:
Hopefully, more of each other than you think. That's not a problem, is it, my girl… [whisper seductively in the other girl's ear.]
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
She whispers in my ear as the hand that had been stroking my hair finds its way gracefully down my neck before gently caressing my collarbone. The hand moves down my arm before withdrawing, taking whatever resistance I could have had to her from me completely. As her hand leaves me, I notice that her fingernails are painted cherry-red with black polish on top, creating a crackle pattern.
Jenny Somewhere:
A Scorpio's lucky colour.
Jenny Nowhere:
Sorry?
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
I gesture to her fingernails.
Jenny Nowhere:
Oh, yes! You can't be too careful when you're starting over in a new city. Funny, not too many people around here seem all that familiar or even interested in Astrology.
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
She giggles at my words, looking at her own fingernails before casting her radiant, piercing eyes back at me.
Jenny Somewhere:
Yeah… Yeah, I noticed that, too. Do you… I mean, are you into any other aspects of Occultism?
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
Her eyes seem to briefly glitter with a new unearthly glow at my mention of the occult, unease courses through my veins.
Jenny Nowhere:
(Softly, somewhat sinister yet sexy tone)
Yes, my knowledge of the Occult is extremely comprehensive. Perhaps you could practice the Sacred Rites with me sometime? You know the ones I mean… don't you? Of course, you do.
Jenny Somewhere:
Yes. Tha… That would be lovely.
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
I squeak in a flustered, toxic mixture of intense arousal and nervousness. I try my best to smile, but all I can muster is an awkward grimace, and yet she smiles bigger and offers another alluring chuckle.
Jenny Nowhere:
You're just a tightly wound little ball of cuteness and tension, aren't you, little Jenny? That's okay. Relieving tension is one of my specialities.
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
She places a soft, sultry kiss on the corner of my lips, enough to set my passions ablaze but not enough to provide any sense of relief. Then, she suddenly turns and strides into her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Leaving me alone in the hall as nothing but a frustrated and aroused mess of creamed-panties and blushing cheeks. Frustration and even some mild embarrassment fill my heart as I try to process what just happened.
Desperate to refocus, I scurry down the hall to begin my daily chores.
My still-frazzled mind cannot help but linger on the other Jenny. I wonder if she, too, feels the way I do. Why would she? In this form, I'm just an average-height, urchin-thin, dull-looking, lacklustre girl with curly chestnut hair and hazel eyes. I suppose my face is still pleasant enough, but still nothing remarkable. Either way, she's way out of my league. I mean, hell, even my style is lame: second-hand jeans, a blue blouse and sneakers. FUCK! FUCK! NOT NOW! A plate slips from my hand and falls with a loud splash back into the sink as racing thoughts rampage through my mind, triggering another unwanted flashback to a life long passed.
Jenny Somewhere:
(Aloud; southern accent)
Damn it, Cheryl-Lynn! Why are you doing this? Why are you so distant from me? No, Cheryl-Lynn, come back! What did I do? Please just tell me what I did!
Jacob Razell [Line Cook]:
Who the hell is Cheryl-Lynn?
Cindy Munna [Head-Cook]:
Don't mind that, Jenny, man. Everybody knows she's fucking crazy. [Stage Whisper]
Jenny Somewhere:
(original accent)
[Internal Monologue]
I pretend I didn't hear two cooks. At this point, I am used to people thinking I'm crazy. Hell, maybe I am. Who wouldn't be after all I've been through? Unless I can find a way to lift this curse from me, it won't be the last time crazy gets hurled my way. As they leave, I resume trying to calm myself.
Much to my surprise, despite living across the hall from each other and being assigned to the same duties, it is several days before I see Jenny again. At first, I assume that this was simply because we were working different shifts.
After several days of not seeing her, I even found myself listening at her door. It feels foolish to do so, let alone a little creepy. But I convince myself that I'm simply trying to make sure she is all right.
And then, one fine morning, just as I am considering asking Mrs. Arosa if she knows what has happened to the other Jenny. Then, just as I am leaving my room to start my morning duties, I see her. She is stepping out of her room. She is dressed in what I'm sure for her passes as a casual outfit: a turquoise cropped short-sleeved blouse, high-waisted white culottes, and ballet flats made of black mesh. Her nails and makeup are as bold as ever, though she wears a dainty white silk headscarf with hand-painted daisies on them.
She sees me and waves cheerfully with her ever-bright smile.
Jenny Nowhere:
Hey there, girl! How have you been? Missing me, I hope.
Jenny Somewhere:
You have no idea, yeah, I mean, jus… just a little. Where have you been?
Jenny Nowhere:
Oh, you know how it is, starting over in a new city! I had to pawn some of my family's antiques for money! And that was an ordeal. You never know who is and who isn't a skilamalink in a new city!
Jenny Somewhere:
A what?
Jenny Nowhere:
Oh, it's something my grandmother used to say! It means "sneaky" or "unscrupulous", you know? Now, let's get down to work.
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
And so I show her the ropes of where to find the mops and toilet brushes and cleaning chemicals and whatnot. I show her how to wash the dishes. For some reason, this amuses her greatly.
Jenny Nowhere:
I've never washed my own dishes before! Never mind those of complete strangers! The same goes for their lavatories and the floors!
Jenny Somewhere:
Really? Then who did this for you? Like when you were growing up.
Jenny Nowhere:
(As if this was the most obvious thing in the world)
Why, the servants, of course! I was—bedridden for much of my childhood, anyway, and so I didn't have much opportunity to learn even if it weren't such a taboo in my day!
Jenny Somewhere:
"In your day! Yes, I see."
[Internal Monologue]
I say, not really understanding exactly what she means, as both of us seem to be about the same age.
Jenny Nowhere:
"Don't overthink it, sweetie. Most people find trying to understand me to be completely useless. Needless to say, making sense is not something I'm good at." [End with a sweet, brief laugh]
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
But just as suddenly as she began, she stops. She stares at me in wide-eyed fascination.
She smiles at me warmly, causing me to start laughing for some reason I cannot quite explain, when, without warning, her face goes stern as she tosses the pan she was drying hard against the wall. Luckily we were alone because she looked about ready to blow.
Jenny Nowhere:
[Angry German]
DU WAGST ES, MICH AUSZULACHEN, DU WIDERLICHE SCHLAMPE!
[Show translation on screen = 'YOU DARE TO LAUGH AT ME, YOU DISGUSTING B**CH!']
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
She shouts, slamming her fist down on the counter and glaring deathly daggers at me with a fury unlike any I have ever seen.
Jenny Somewhere:
(Pleading with a German Accent)
WAS ZUM TEUFEL? NEIN, BITTE HÖR AUF! WIR WERDEN WEGEN DIR RAUSGESCHMISSEN!
[Show translation on screen = 'WHAT THE HELL? NO, PLEASE STOP! WE WILL BE KICKED OUT BECAUSE OF YOU!']
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
I plead, but as soon as the words leave my mouth, her smile and sweet demeanour return as if nothing had happened. Without explanation or even acknowledgement of what has just happened, she pulls me in close lovingly.
Jenny Nowhere:
(Whispering)
It's true, then.
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
She coos in my ear as she holds me tenderly. My heart flutters, and my pulse quickens.
Jenny Somewhere:
What's true?
[Internal Monologue]
She answers my question with a deep, passionate kiss. She runs her fingers briefly through my hair and down my back sensually, leaving a tingling trail of goosebumps.
Jenny Nowhere:
Please forgive me, darling! It's just been one hell of a last few days. It's no excuse, but still. You have no idea how glad you've made me. So glad that you are the way you are. You being who you are makes me happier than I could ever express.
Jenny Somewhere:
What are you talking about? [Confused yet relieved tone]
[Internal Monologue]
I ask as I sink deeper into the soothing warmth of her embrace.
Jenny Nowhere:
(A cryptic whisper)
Come to my room a few minutes before midnight tonight. I'll explain everything.
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
She gives me a peck on the cheek before retrieving the pan she tossed and redrying it. She places it with the other dried dishes before excusing herself with a playful curtsy. She turns and heads out of the kitchen. This strange interaction storms and swirls in my brain as I go about the rest of my daily duties until, at last, my shift comes to an end.
With some time still left to kill before midnight, I make my way back to my room to shower off the stress and filth of the day. However, I admit I'm uneasy and unsure of what to expect, if anything, when I see Jenny again tonight. Afterall, her behaviour this morning was strange, to say the least. Despite all my nagging uncertainty and anxiety, I find myself at her door exactly when she said. A mixture of fear and exhilaration vortexes in my mind. And so, with a stomach full of butterflies, I knock once, twice, three times and wait for the door to open. Somehow, I know deep down that whatever happens, my life is about to change forever.
She opens the door, as my palms sweat at the view. She greets me sporting a strangely alluring gothy ensemble comprised of a long-sleeved jet-black blouse with puffy shoulders and lace trim; a full, black ankle-length skirt with lace trim; high-heeled black button-up satin boots; and a cherry-red velvet travelling cloak.
Jenny Nowhere:
Good evening, dear Jenny! The moon is high tonight!
Jenny Somewhere:
Is it? I mean, it is. We.. well act… actually I me… I mean, I haven't noticed. [stammering nervously]
[Internal Monologue]
My nervous stammering draws a sweet 'oh how adorable' smile from her lips as she reaches out eagerly, pulling me in close to her. She leans in towards my neck, inhaling deep as if savouring her favourite scent longingly before leading me by the hand into her room, shutting the door behind us.
I take a moment to look around as she continues to guide me. Although the room is roughly the same proportions as mine, somehow, it feels bigger. The bed is significantly more luxurious, though the bedding looks somewhat old-fashioned. The room is lit only by the dancing orange glow of candles scattered across the room. There is a wide array of ancient weapons. Crossbows, swords, ancient pistols and shotguns adorning the walls, shelves and display cases.
And in the place of honour is a remarkable ancient-looking blade of, perhaps, Japanese origin. It is in a simple black scabbard.
The hilt, however, is the most striking feature. It is made of rare ivory, which shocks me at first. Although I still have much to learn about this universe. The Ivory handle is carved in the form of a dragon. But the depiction is so realistic that I could swear that it is not a piece of art but a real young dragon about to wake from its slumber and hiss at me to announce its presence.
Jenny Nowhere:
Do you like it?
Jenny Somewhere:
Yes. Is this one of your family's antiques? I ask, examining the blade intensely, drawn in by its oddly powerful presence.
Jenny Nowhere:
Oh, it has a long history; it has passed through many hands in its long path through time. It was first forged by Masamune way back in the 500s B.C.E.. It has served many masters and claimed many heads.
Jenny Nowhere:
What can I say? I've always had a weakness for ancient weaponry, and as for my family [Amused for this first part and then suddenly somewhat sad tone for the next part], I have not spoken to my family in quite some time. However, my twin sister and I are still close. In fact, one might say she will always be a part of me. And then there's our little sister, if she is even still out there… somewhere. We're not sure, but we miss her dearly... more than you could ever know.
Jenny Somewhere:
I'm sorry. That sounds really difficult for you. So umm, te… tell me about your parents, what of them?
[Internal Monologue]
I sense the deep sorrow radiating off her as she discusses her little sister. Suddenly, her expression turns to a glare of burning anger just as it had earlier in the kitchen.
Jenny Nowhere:
[Angry German]
Meine Eltern waren für mich schon lange vor ihrem Tod tot. Ich behielt ein paar Gegenstände, die mich an meine liebe Schwester erinnern. Aber was die Erinnerungsstücke an meine Eltern und ihre Reliquien der anderen Wege anbelangt, so würde ich mit einem Lächeln alles einschmelzen, was sie jemals besessen haben, einschließlich ihrer Särge. Es gibt nichts Besseres, selbst ihr Tod war zu gut für sie. [Cold bitter tone of disdain]. Reicht das oder willst du noch mehr herumschnüffeln/herumstochern?
[Show translation on screen starting with 'My parents were dead to me long before they died. I kept a few items that remind me of my dear sister. But as for the mementos of my parents and their relics of the other ways, I would melt down with a smile everything they ever owned, including their coffins. There is nothing better, even their death was too good for them. Is that enough or do you want to snoop around even more?']
Jenny Somewhere:
I see… I mean, I'm sorry. Really…
[Internal Monologue]
No sooner do the words leave my lips than, once again, her mood flips to her pleasant self.
Jenny Nowhere:
(Pleasantly)
Yes, well! One cannot choose one's family! I'm sorry. I should not have reacted the way I did… Some wounds can just never be healed… some pains never dulled… Forgive us.
Jenny Somewhere:
Us?
Jenny Nowhere:
Me… I mean me, slip of the tongue as it were, please think nothing of it. [catching yourself and trying to play it off with an amused 'my mistake' kind of tone]
Jenny Somewhere:
Look, I get the feeling you know some things about me, though I'm not sure how.
Jenny Nowhere:
You mean the fact you have powers and are not of this world. Yeah, Awake sensed it the moment we first saw you, but I needed to be sure, and after what happened in the kitchen, I am.
Jenny Somewhere:
Wait, what about awake and you said 'us' again? Plus, I didn't use my powers then…
Jenny Nowhere:
I didn't think you would, and I didn't need you to. I just needed your language to suddenly change and to see the look in your eye when it did. That told me all I needed to know. For one thing, German is not a language or even a country on this Earth. You really should research such things, you know? Rookie mistake, really.
Jenny Somewhere:
Oh god, you're right. Damnit, why did I never check for that? So, with all this in mind, why did you invite me here tonight? And why did you kiss me?...
[Internal Monologue]
She smirks at me, gesturing toward the bed where a book lays open. She turns and lights up some incense placed in an ornate holder on a nearby table.
Jenny Nowhere:
I did say I would have you over the practice those special rites, right? The ones you only practice with other witches, other sisters of the craft, and there is no better night than an Ishrahkian [Ish-Raw-Kie-in] Moon. [Sexy seductive tone].
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
She says as she gestures to the radiant, shimmering silver moon illuminating the celestial sea of stars outside her window. She then dances her way over to me like a graceful ballerina, taking my hand once more and leading me to the bed. The succubian energy of her sensual touch poisons me with simmering passion.
Jenny Nowhere:
You do know the prayers of these rites, right? I mean, you should by this point.
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
She asks, gesturing for us to sit down on the bed on opposite sides of the strange open book.
Jenny Somewhere:
Yes, yes, I know them….
[Internal Monologue]
I sit down on the bed as instructed while she does the same.
Jenny Nowhere:
Wonderful, just wonderful. You really are special, Jenny, more than you know… Shall we begin?
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
I nod nervously as we both place one hand on the book and hold hands with the other.
Jenny Nowhere:
Oh, Pale-Mother of the Universe, Silver Goddess of the Sacred Paths. Upon this blessed night under watchful moon unto Thee, we give ourselves, body and blood, mind and matter, soul and substance! [with the deepest reference and respect that comes from true faith and deepest devotion]
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
Proclaims the girl before me through a blissful smile with tone of deep devotion. I can feel her sincerity cascading out from her. She locks her gaze with mine… Oh, Witch of the Gates and Mistress of the white towers, from Thee we draw our strength and our subsistence, our wisdom and our wildness, our courage and our compassion!... I recite the prayers with her, feeling an immense, indescribable power worming its way from her hand into mine. Powerful waves of euphoria wash over me.
Jenny Nowhere and Jenny Somewhere:
Oh, All-Mother Ishrahkie [Ish-Raw-Kie], Goddess of all and birther of worlds, for Thee we live and love. For whom we tell our truths and keep our consciences. For whom we fight and die that your rites and word, that your path and your power never fade. That your children and teachings are never forsaken or forgotten even unto the end of all things. It is from you that we are born, for you that we live, and back unto your bosom that we return when our path is walked, and death claims us.
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
With the prayers offered and done, the other Jenny pulls out her divination tools from a nearby ornate chest: a runic scrying mirror and a lunar candle in a silver holder. She lights the candle, and holds it up to the mirror, gazing deep into it as if looking for something precious…
Jenny Nowhere:
"She's not there…" [Tone of heavy sorrow.]
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
She sighs, radiating a deep-seated sadness, and my heart sinks for her…
"What did you see?"
Jenny Nowhere:
The same as I always see… Your turn. I'm sure what you see will offer you more answers than what I saw did for me. [deeply sound but trying to mask it tone]
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
She is clearly sad despite her efforts to mask it as she moves behind me so that I can get into the proper scrying position. I take the mirror from her hands, close my eyes and breathe deeply, preparing my mind.
Jenny Nowhere:
[internal Dialogue]
Jenny Awake's Voice = How could it not work? I... I really thought this time
Jenny Nowhere's Voice = We had to know. We should have known. But we can't afford to waste time chasing shadows. You feel her pain as much as I do. Every second she remains lost is agony, for her and for us. [Tone of sorrow but firm with conviction]
Jenny Awake's Voice = But I know what you're thinking, is this really the way... She didn't ask for this. She doesn't deserve this. (almost pleading tone)
Jenny Nowhere's Voice = None of us deserved what they thrust upon us, sister. We're not the villains here. I mean, it's not even really… Look, we need this… only together, as one, can we save little sis. She's a Jenny damn it. This is her path, just as much as ours.
Jenny Awake's Voice = Fine, I admit you're right… This is how it has to be.
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
I exhale and open my eyes, gazing deep into the silvery surface of the mirror. A sudden onslaught of visions rushes from the mirror, invading my mind. All-too-familiar flashes of my other lives long past assault me.
Time and Reality shatter as my mind bleeds over the present. I am who I once was. My parents, talented followers of the Other Ways, guide me in my first prayers and my first divination. They smile at me. But then I sickened and died at only five.
I am reborn as a basilisk. I don't think I am so much vicious as afraid. I don't understand what I am or how I got here. But I leave so many bodies behind by my briefest glances and my very breath. Perhaps it was a good thing that I glimpsed my own reflection and died.
I'm a boy of fifteen, full of life and vigour. Or so the world thinks. In reality, I am empty and without any purpose. Why am I a boy? I hate it; nothing makes sense to me this way. Whenever I try to make love to a girl, for I still desire girls, I always ruin everything somehow. It's as if my manner of love is always wrong or deficient. The girls laugh, and rumours spread then comes the isolation. I draw a bath and open my wrists.
I'm a sobbing young peasant boy in the tower of a supposed magician. He will give me a cure. Or so he says. Instead, he tortures me as strangely dressed aristocrats watch, their faces concealed by masks and the dimly glow of candlelight. They chant strange mantras as from out of the shadows manifests a figure, a naked woman of unearthly pale beauty garbed only in blood, steps forth and leads the ceremony onward with words I cannot understand.
The woman gestures toward the magician, who takes his ceremonial knife and plunges it into my stomach. I scream and writhe as he twists the blade. The pale woman smiles at me wickedly. The chants grow louder as my screams reverberate. I watch as from out of the naked woman's womb slides a great serpent. The great snake slithers toward me, transforming into the naked form of a young boy, a twisted reflection of myself.
The boy kisses me as he reaches his hand up inside my stomach wound, he tastes of bile and death. My heart stops, and the world bleeds away into darkness.
I'm a middle-aged heiress on a balcony, cowering in retreat as the woman I loved, Elisa, comes at me with fire in her eyes and a knife in her hand. She assaults me with an avalanche of rageful words and cruel insults. I try to calm her. I try to console her. She refuses to listen. I beg her to just put down the knife. She attacks me, her tears wet my shoulders as the blade buries itself in me, but the railing is too close and too low. We both scream and fall over the railing to our deaths.
Lightning burns my skin as reality warps and fragments. I feel myself burst back into the world. As I awake, upon a bustling sidewalk, I am almost run over by a man on a bicycle.
I now find myself standing next to the other Jenny, but wait a moment, this isn't right, this never happened to me, when is this? Where is this? We are standing in some strange séance room in some sort of Victorian manor. We are both staring at the other woman, who looks remarkably like her, except the other woman's hair is blonde and longer. I feel what Jenny feels as she looks at her: a deep inner peace unlike anything I've ever felt.
Other women, all different builds and races, join us from out of the ether before quickly fading into static. There is some tension, but it all quickly melts away as peace takes its place.
I look at Jenny in desperate confusion…
"What does this mean? Please, please, tell me what all this means."
Jenny Nowhere:
There is a term for what you are. In all your lives, you never discovered this despite your vast experience with the Occult and the various arts of the Other Ways?
Jenny Somewhere:
I've tried so hard to find out what I am. Every time I try, I come up blank. Please tell me. I'll do anything… Jenny, please… What does all this mean? What am I? [desperate pleading tone]
Jenny Nowhere:
You are what the Sages of the Esoteria would call an Adamre [Ah-Damn-Ree] or, in full-born technical terms, an Automatic De-Anchored Multiversal Resurrection Entity. Your resurrections are as automatic as breathing… or your own beating heart… In fact, I would say your gift is more automatic than either of those in truth… After all, no matter how much you want to have your gift taken from you… it stays. Unchangeable, immutable. In the end, you're a Jenny like all of us, but in your own way. And that is why I'm sorry for what comes next… what we now have to do… don't worry; it will all make sense soon.
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
Tears burn the back of my eyes as a flood of emotions bubbles up in me… Emotions that I can't control…
Jenny Somewhere:
GIFT! YOU THINK THIS IS A GIFT!
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
As hard as it is, I hold back my tears, take a deep breath and calm myself.
Jenny Somewhere:
This isn't a gift. It's a curse. Separated from those you love only to be reborn over and over again. To be spat out over and over into strange, unknown worlds filled with stranger, unknown faces. Worlds you don't understand and never wanted to know existed! Can you even comprehend what that feels like?...
[Internal Monologue]
She grabs my shoulder as her face goes grim once more, and her eyes turn cold.
Jenny Nowhere:
Yes. I can… more than you could ever know… but this thing you call a curse… I need it… and now I will take it.
Jenny Somewhere:
You don't want, Wait, what do you mean take it?
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
In a sudden, violent motion, Jenny summons instantly to her hand a brilliant glowing silver ceremonial dagger and delves the blade deep into my chest, deep into my heart. Where there should be pain, there is warmth. She summons a runic silver luminescent chalice into her other hand. She unsummons the blade, freeing one of her hands, which she then uses to tenderly guide my head to her shoulder as she moves the chalice under my weeping wound to catch my spilling blood.
Jenny Nowhere:
We're sorry… We're so sorry, but we need your gift more than you do… You see, our little sister is scared and alone out there somewhere, exiled across realities, and she needs us… she needs us… and we cannot let her down. But in us, you will live on. The one reunited with the many. A sister among sisters. Loved and no longer alone. Your gift will no longer be a curse unto you but another key to our sister's salvation. Your path is now joined with ours. Welcome back to us, sister… Welcome home.
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
She continues to hold me lovingly as she snaps her fingers, and we are in the bed. She gently lays me down beneath her as she sits straddling me. She smiles her signature sweet smile as she drinks deep of the blood-filled chalice until the last drop is consumed. She leans in with blood-soaked lips and kisses me with the most hungry, sensual kiss I've ever experienced as my mind goes dark, my body goes numb, and my heart stops. Reality melts away…. I feel a rush like falling through water and then fire before being violently yanked backwards, shattering through worlds like a bullet through a thousand mirrors until the sudden motion gives way to entropy, and I find myself standing still once more in the strange séance room, the one in the unknown Victorian manor, the one from the visions.
The blonde girl who had filled me and the other Jenny with such peace is standing in front of me, smiling lovingly, and now that I get a good, clear look at her up close, she is also clearly the smoking girl in the hoodie I spotted from my bedroom window that first night. She pulls me into a warm, soothing embrace as if holding a dear, long lost sibling.
Jenny Awake:
It's so good to have you home with us… You've been apart for so long… so much suffering, I sense you. What a painful path you have walked, but no more… here you are, loved, safe, home… with your true family at last.
Jenny Somewhere:
[Internal Monologue]
She says with a mixture of deep loving sincerity as she holds me close, her heart beating in sync with mine.
Jenny Nowhere:
Welcome home, Jenny Somyeer, or shall I use your true name? Jenny Somewhere. I see you have met our sister, my twin. Her name is Jenny Awake, and my real name is Jenny Dreaming, but together, we are Jenny Nowhere. She sensed you before I did… She has been feeling all the pain of your countless lives for some time, like a poison in her veins. It was her idea to reclaim you as soon as possible, freeing you from your burden and bringing you home. Now that you are with us, there is much to do with very little time left to do it, and failure is out of the question.
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Jenny Somewhere:
Thank you, dear listeners, for joining us for this first episode of 'I, Jenny'.
The character of Jenny Somewhere is available for use by anyone, with only one condition. This paragraph must be included in any publication involving Jenny Somewhere, in order that others may use this property as they wish. All rights reversed. We here at Ashcroft Production House look forward to having you all join us again for future episodes of I, Jenny and our many other fine works.
The character of Jenny Nowhere is available for use by anyone, with only one condition. This paragraph must be included in any publication involving Jenny Nowhere, in order that others may use this property as they wish. All rights reversed….
Thank you again, and good night.