Jayden had been so unaware of his senses as a huge horn boomed from a vehicle he had not seen. His eyes widened, suddenly realising that he had lost concentration on his surroundings for a mere second, a mere bloody second, the grey specks in his riveting blue eyes shining from the headlights speedily approaching him. In a gruesome, detrimental moment, an SUV brutally collided with his body, smashing him before he could react.

“Jayden!” was the final word he had heard, Lara and Kira's voices, before like a burning flame coldly put out, he was embraced by utter, abysmal darkness.

-------------------

"How dare you?" Brie yelled and tried to slap Mrs. Benson after the woman had landed a dirty one on her. The woman was no longer her boss, she was completely an enemy now. Her competition. And boy, did she love opposition. It boosted her fire.

"I'm the one who put the beta-blocker in your food, not Rachel." Brie confessed, "That's right. I wanted you to OD but your bitchass survived it."

Mrs. Benson nearly crushed the girl's neck with her fist, when Josey barged into the hall, screaming,

"Jayden!" she yelped, drawing their attention, "Jayden he-"

"Where's Jayden?" Mrs. Benson immediately let go of Brie as Mr. Benson demanded,

"Where's my son?"

"Jayden he-" Josey gulped, worry etched on her face, eyes fretting fearfully, "He got hit by a car."

Gasps resonated within the hall. Even Brie had widened her eyes in shock.

"What?" Mrs. Benson's screech was loud enough to shatter glass windows.

"Where is he? Where is my son?" Mr. Benson roared.

"Quick, let's go."

"Where's Lara?" Brie asked with Dana.

Josey answered, "She and Kira went to the nearest hospital with the driver who had hit him. He's fighting for his life. These could really be his last moments. He's badly injured- we need to hurry!"

Mr. Benson with his wife, Tess, and Josey rushed out of the house immediately. Brie and Dana had joined them to provide support for their friend, Lara, as she had no one.

The night was deadly.

A couple of hours after having painfully waited in the waiting room, the doctor had come out to reveal that Jayden had been plunged into a coma. Earlier, Jayden's family had been informed that he had broken a few ribs, had sustained a concussion with major injuries to the left side of his body.

Prayer and painful anticipation were all they were left with.

The soft blue sky adorned with irregular shapes of mystic puffiness stretched above the green lands where Jayden had found himself in.

Where was he? It looked like he had awoken in an amusement park, but without the gigantic slides, the Ferris wheels and the water rides.

Not having a moment to decipher his whereabouts, a scene up ahead his path of mushy grass quickly caught his attention. A younger version of Florence had agonizingly been trying to strangle a younger version of his father.

As Jayden instinctively stomped over to the two, his father instantly disappeared into thin air, leaving Florence behind with Jayden.

Then it happened. Giggles. Giggles haphazardly erupted, coursing through the clouds, carried by the wind from a source unseen.

Someone somewhere was giggling.

Florence and Jayden simultaneously turned towards the concentrated direction of the joyful voice. Lo and behold, they feasted their eyes on a little boy with dark wavy hair, deep blue eyes and the biggest smile they'd ever seen. A younger version of himself ran in circles, hand in the air with his toy airplane, giggling to no end.

Jayden turned back to Florence who had done the same, and without warning, she sprinted off for the little boy. Jayden immediately ran after her, yelling, "Get away from him!"

His demands had fallen on her deaf ear as she had quickened her steps, quite shocking for a woman her stature.

Anger, hurt, and determination drove Jayden to the little, innocent boy faster than Florence's feet could ever carry her. He swiped the boy into his arms and locked him in a deep embrace. An embrace that promised the boy that he was protected.

When he turned back to deal with Florence, she too had disappeared.

The little boy then asked delightedly, "Are you here to play with me?"

"What is this place?" Jayden absentmindedly asked out loud as he took a second to scan the pine trees, the hotless sun, the swarm of birds and the big beautiful blue sky that ran across the horizon.

"You're new here!" The deep blue-eyed boy exclaimed, his excitement soaring above the clouds as he wriggled out of Jayden's arms to the ground, brushing his tiny hands over his blue shirt before stretching out his hand, "This is my home. Let's go to my toy collection!"

Jayden regarded the boy's hand. His hand. How small and delicate his fingers were. Happiness projected from the boy's eyes which had hazel sprinkled in blue hues, and from his wide smile, revealing small white teeth.

Jayden didn't take the boy's hand. He decided to carry the boy so he was protected in his arms in a warm embrace, and the boy excitedly directed him to his toy collection.

They walked on smooth concrete which parted the greens of the land in a long straight line, proportioned into divisions of squares as Jayden stepped in a square at a time.

Lil Jay had an arm wrapped around the stranger's neck, a stranger who it seemed he had known for a very long time despite having just met him today.

Jayden asked as he walked over the cool concrete, "Where are your parents?" Benevolent chirps from birds that sat atop several oak trees contributed melodiously to the serenity of the land.

This was peace.

"They aren't home, yet," Little Jay replied, absentmindedly flying his plane over Jayden's head and landing it on Jayden's thick curls.

A smile tugged at the corners of Jayden's lips as the little boy ordered, "You have five minutes to get off my plane, passengers."

Jayden was amused by his charisma. His cheerfulness. His joy was infectious.

But suddenly, a thick, foggy stream of darkness egressed from within the toy plane, sneakily diffusing into the clear sky.

The chirping of the birds had ceased as the terrible fog continued to gather into a mini ball high above.

In a matter of silent seconds, the ball was harshly obliterated by forces unseen, evaporating into thin air like it never existed, almost as if an unwelcome spirit had been cast away.

Before Jayden could process what had just happened, the little boy obliviously reminded, "This way. My collection is fifteen minutes away. Let's go."

As this peculiar journey continued, a disturbing scene came into Jayden's view from his right.

It was his sixteenth birthday, and eighteen-year-old Kira had been sitting on his bed with him, her two hands clasped onto his as she inquired, "Why did you skip therapy yesterday?"

"I..." he began but trailed off.

"And the day before yesterday-"

"What are you looking at?" Little Jay asked Jayden after he had looked in the direction Jayden's eyes had been fixed on but saw nothing but grass and lovely birds flying across.

"I'm..." Jayden looked at the little boy and inquired, "What do you see over there?" Jayden pointed at his sixteen-year-old self with Kira in the bedroom.

"Nothing," Little Jay replied, "Just birds!"

Jayden's eyebrows joined in confusion. How was the boy not seeing what he was seeing? Why had they been seeing two different things?

Jayden turned back to the scene, catching Kira's words,

"Don't say those things!" she told sixteen-year-old Jay, "We're doing this because we care about you. We love you. I love you. We'll get through this together-"

Jayden gently put little Jay down on his feet, saying, "Stay put for two minutes, okay?"

Little Jay nodded and sat down on the grass, returning to his flying plane game and making flying plane sounds with his little mouth.

Jayden got closer to the scene, the green surroundings suddenly transforming into his old bedroom. That was when teenage Jay and Kira could see him.

"What the-" teenage Jay mumbled.

Jayden directed his gaze to a gaping Kira, "Kira, could you please excuse us?"

"How d'you know my name?" she breathed in shock. This man looked like an older version of Jay. Not to mention, a more handsome, matured version.

"I... know a lot of things. Please, leave now," he pleaded, and she slowly rose from the bed and walked out of the room, still in awe.

"Why did you let her go? Who are you?" teenage Jay wanted to know. For some strange reason, teenage Jay couldn't spot the resemblance like Kira had.

Jayden got closer to his teenage self, and stood before him, cross-armed, "Just because someone hurt you, doesn't give you an excuse to hurt someone else."

"What are you talking about? Who are you? Kira and I were just talking. Who are you?" he stared into his eyes, "And why did you tell her to leave?"

"Because you're gonna have mixed feelings for her tonight. You're going to be foolish, you're going to be impulsive, you're going to be selfish, and things will get terrible. You'll hurt her, and you'll hurt yourself."

"I would never hurt Kira!" he spat out, "Who are you to come and say such things to me? Do you know who she is to me?" he demanded, rising to his feet, five inches in height difference.

Teenage Jay went on, "You have no idea what I've been through. Kira is the only one I trust. She saved me from terrible things," he swallowed a lump in his throat, "I would never cause her pain. Get out of my room, mister."

Jayden spoke softly, internally crushed by the reminiscence of the turn of events, "Sometimes we do things that defy simple thought process. We do things that beat logic and reasoning. And we'll have a lifetime to pay for them. I guarantee you, that."

"You're just trying to scare me. Please leave me alone. I don't have to listen to you. I only listen to Kira," he made clear. "I don't even listen to my therapist because she still doesn't get what it's like for me to live like this. She doesn't know what it's like to live, knowing that I am not normal," his voice broke, "and I will never be."

Jayden remained still while maintaining eye contact with his younger self. If only he had been stronger. If only he had been nobler. If only he had made the right choice. If only. Things would have been so different.

He had to speak sense into his teenage self. He had to engrave it into his skull.

Jayden gripped the boy's shoulders, taking the boy by surprise as he warned, "You're stronger than the influence. Don't let the influence control you. Control the influence. Don't ever allow the past to define you."

Jayden started walking away from the shuddering teenage boy, and when he laid hands on the doorknob, an oak tree appeared before him, and the chirping birds had flooded the serenity once more.

He looked back, and the room had disappeared, along with sixteen-year-old Jay.

He turned around at the soft touch of seven-year-old Jay by his side. Little Jay looked up at him and raised his hands for a lift.

Jayden carried him and embraced him dearly. He was the most precious thing ever and he would protect him at all costs.

He would be the person Lil Jay had needed. The person he never had. If only he could, he would prolong the boy's happiness and slay any demon that presented itself on his path of growth.

"Why are you sad?" Little Jay asked, "In this place, there is no sadness," he exclaimed. "Smiiillleeeee," Lil Jay said as he used his little fingers to try to stretch the corners of Jayden's lips. "Only happiness."

Jayden grinned at his effort and overwhelming positivity, "Alright, I'm smiling. For you."

"Yay! You listened. Now let's go to my toy collection," he reminded, "It's just a few minutes away," Lil Jay beamed.

As they journeyed down the refreshing path of nature's abundant offering, the air crisp and rejuvenating, Jayden came across yet another version of himself.

This was his sixteen-year-old self after several months. He had been seated at a wooden table under an oak tree. His eyes were swollen as he scribbled onto a drawing of a rose. The rose letter.

Jayden sprinted to his side in alarm with Lil Jay wondering what the man had seen again. All he could see was an empty white bench beneath a glorious oak tree.

Jayden, upon reaching his younger self, snatched the paper from the table with his unoccupied hand, as the other had been occupied by Lil Jay who was now resting his head in the crook of Jayden's neck.

"Give it back," suicidal Jay cried. He too could only see Jayden but not Lil Jay.

Jayden read the line on the paper, 'I want to be that hero. I want to be your hero'.

"If you really want to be her hero, killing yourself isn't the goddamn way."

The boy stared at Jayden in shock. How did he...

He then burst into tears, dropping the pen onto the grass as he tried to get away. But Jayden stopped him by gripping his arm and turning the boy around to face him.

"If you really want to be her hero, do what is right by her."

The boy cried, "Can't you see that's what I'm doing? I'm ridding her of my existence. I did the worst thing to my saviour. She's in pain because of me," he sobbed, "Because of me..."

"She doesn't want you to die. She doesn't want to see you succumb to the pain of your situation. All she ever wanted from you was for you to prove that you were stronger than any obstacle you would face! That you were stronger than Florence's hold on your life. That's all. She wanted you to know that what is in you is greater than any situation life would throw your way. That is all she wanted," Jayden said.

Jayden then added, "So, don't be a freaking coward. Get your shit together and do what is right. For her. For you. For everyone."

The boy frantically nodded whilst wiping his overflowing tears.

And before Jayden could add up to the advice, the boy, alongside the table, paper, and pen, disappeared into thin air, the white bench coming into view.

Jayden took a step back to process the literal disappearance.

What was this place?

Jayden was distracted by Lil Jay's yawn on his shoulder. He looked at the little boy who had been resting on him. Lil Jay slowly opened his long-lashed eyes, still remaining put on Jayden's comforting chest.

Lil Jay mumbled, "Are you done being weird?"

"For now," Jayden chuckled. "Let's go find those toys."

They walked for another five minutes, conversing about the freedom and the beauty of the place.

"And you can play anywhere!" Lil Jay who was now on his feet but hand in Jayden's, yelped. "I can play anywhere I want to! I play alone, but now you're here!" He looked up at the young man who had kept him company while his parents had been away. His parents had always been away.

Jayden returned Lil Jay's smile. Lil Jay's energy and positivity were admirable. He was innocent, living in a world where happiness was the only entity. There was no sadness, no pain. He was having his best childhood. One that he never had. One that he deserved.

Up ahead, Jayden spotted what seemed like a court arrangement done in a garden. There he was. His sixteen-year-old self standing before the court after turning himself in. Kira was right there.

But he had never seen those reactions before. She had been staring at him the entire time, while he didn't have the courage to look at her after hurting and disappointing her.

Kira was- worried? She was worried about him even during the court session? Why? Why even at this point was she still caring about his wellbeing?

Just as fast as the scene had appeared, it had disappeared, leaving no trace of a gathering.

"You still haven't told me your name," Lil Jay reminded as he swung Jayden's hand back and forth. "What is it?"

"It's Jayden," Jayden smiled at him.

Lil Jay threw his head up, "Hey, that's my name!"

"No way!" Jayden childishly grinned and ruffled the boy's hair.

"I'll call you Big Jay. And I'm Lil Jay," he toothily grinned.

"Cool! Let's fist bump to that," Jayden offered, and they enthusiastically joined their fists together in a series of laughs.

Jayden's soul eased into the tranquility that encased him and his little self. He wouldn't mind spending the rest of his life in this environment with Lil Jay. He truly wouldn't. He might've just found the peace he so earnestly had been searching for.

He had finally found peace.

Just then, a peculiar sound penetrated Jayden's ear.

"Do you hear something?" he turned to Lil Jay, who shook his head in the negative.

Jayden paused in his tracks after hearing it again. He couldn't make it out. It sounded like a muffled female voice.

He heard it once more.

Was that a moan?

It definitely was.

Whose was it?

Jayden whipped his head around the area, searching for where the sound had been coming from.

That was when his eyes made contact with the source of the heightening moans.

To his left, several metres away, Jayden could see every corner of his kitchen. The refrigerator, the counter and the wall which he had pinned Lara against with her legs encircling his waist, her nightdress dragged down to hug her waist only.

"Jayden," she fused her lips with his in the most sensual manner.

The real Jayden immediately turned back to Lil Jay and pulled him to his abdomen so he couldn't see the lewd scene before them, as Lil Jay's face met with Jayden's maroon shirt.

"What are you doing? What are you hiding?" Lil Jay whined as Jayden topped up by covering Lil Jay's ears as Lara's moans intensified.

"Some," Jayden paused dramatically, "People are doing grown-up stuff."

"But I can't see or hear anything," Lil Jay reminded, "You're really weird."

"Let's get out of here," Jayden lifted the boy and marched away from the fading scene.

"We're almost there!" Lil Jay beamed as he pointed at a dew gleam silver lake up ahead. Spread a few yards from the bank of the lake was a sea blue blanket with a picnic basket in the center of it.

Lil Jay wiggled out of Jayden's arms to the ground and sprinted towards the lake.

"Come on!" he urged as he rounded the blanket, getting into a sitting position as he dragged the basket of toys closer to him. "Come play with me!"

Silvering light then shone from above, forming an enchanting spotlight on the little boy who was so eager to have Jayden play with him. He was so eager to introduce him to his toys.

Jayden marvelled at the divine view before him. It was heavenly. His little self, staring at him with the hugest grin he had ever seen, waiting for him to play with him. The boy hadn't ever a playmate. Jayden would be his first.

Jayden wanted this. Peace embodied the boy as ecstasy streamed through every vein in his body, innocence espousing his feeble heart, prosperity glittering in his soulful orbs.

Jayden began to move his feet towards the boy, nearing the highlighted play area as everything else in the background oddly began to fade away. As if nature was dictating what his eyes should be focusing on.

He felt a strange pull towards the boy with every step he took. A strong compelling force urging his soul to unite with him under the spotlight.