ATONEMENT: A story in the Divine Chronicles.

chapter 2

The following week was agonizing for Jessica. Her restless nights and lingering vexation from the previous week left her exhausted. She dragged herself to school and occupied a bench outside, closing her eyes. She had a committee meeting to attend. Jessica had quit most activities as they had ceased to bring her joy. However, Rosemary had insisted on her involvement in the committee, despite Jessica stepping down as the head. Joseph joined her on the bench, making an effort to keep her awake.

"Did you have a rough night?" he asked sympathetically.

"Yeah, just some bad dreams," Jessica replied, keeping her explanation brief.

"You do realize we're only a few days into the school year, right? You could take a day off," Joseph suggested.

"No. Rosemary is really enthusiastic about this. I don't want to dampen her spirits," Jessica opposed his suggestion.

Joseph looked down and then around, seemingly searching for more topics to discuss. Jessica lifted her head and opened her eyes. Had it already been nearly a week?

"These dreams you've been having must be pretty terrible if they're keeping you from sleeping," Joseph observed.

"They're recurring. I'm strapped to a metal folding chair in a dark room, with only a single spotlight shining on me. I'm drenched in blood and wearing a lavender dress," Jessica revealed.

She braced herself for Joseph's imminent departure, for him to label her as crazy and walk away. But surprisingly, he stayed put, sitting up straighter and looking at her with a puzzled expression.

"It sounds like you're extremely stressed out, which isn't surprising, given everything you've been dealing with," he reasoned.

"I initially thought stress was the cause, but these dreams seem unrelated. They're so vivid, and they seem to intensify with each recurrence," Jessica explained further.

"Have you considered talking to someone about all of this, like a professional?" Joseph questioned.

"Do you seriously think a professional could help? When my dad passed away, they just said my grief was normal. Imagine what they'd say about these dreams," she scoffed.

"True, they might just book you a room in a mental institute," granted Joseph, attempting light-heartedness.

They both broke into genuine laughter. It had been such a long time since Jessica had genuinely laughed that it felt almost foreign.

"That's not even the weirdest part. The strangest thing is that in my dream, I'm desperately calling out for Jason Apollos," Jessica added.

"You have been interacting with Jason quite a lot lately. Maybe that's why he's in your dreams. But what about your boyfriend, Matt?" Joseph probed.

Her heart sank as she realized she had hardly given any thought to Matt amid all this.

"Matt's my boyfriend, and Jason is just a decent guy who's misunderstood. He needs friends. It's not like I want to date Jason," she justified.

"I sense he might have the answers you're seeking, but tread carefully. I've got an uneasy feeling about him, and especially his sister," Joseph cautioned.

After a little over a week's absence, Jason was returning to school. With a refreshed and invigorated spirit, he felt eager to re-immerse himself in the school routine, intrigued especially to see Jessica again. He decided to attend the gym class that day, choosing to observe from the bleachers rather than participate. The glances and whispers that usually didn't bother him felt more palpable today. As he walked past Jessica and Matt, he felt her gaze on him, hinting at unspoken thoughts she was wrestling with. He had an inkling about what she wanted to discuss, but it would have to wait. He later made his way to the biology room and slumped onto his chair, propping his head on the table.