Casanova

Jaden’s Log #332

I just woke up from a dream. I dreamt about Javin, my twin sister. In my dream, she was standing in this very dark, unfamiliar forest with wild shrubs and trees. There’s reddish smoke all over her and she’s bathing herself with the light from the round, full moon. I couldn’t see her face because her back’s towards me. I tried to call her but she won’t look back. I told her about how dad died in a crash, looking for her, and how mom got depressed and grew mentally ill because of her disappearance and dad’s death. I was crying non-stop, but still, she didn’t look back. Instead, she slowly walks away through the forest. I followed her, but no matter how fast I ran, I can’t catch up with her slow, steady pace. She disappeared into the thick, reddish smoke and I got awake.

Jaden closed her laptop right after that. She pushed herself down to her bed and stared at the ceiling. It’s almost 3 AM, and yet she couldn’t stop thinking about her disturbing dream about her twin. It’s been almost ten years, but here she is still wondering about her whereabouts and wishing that she’s still alive. No matter how much tragedy her disappearance brought to their family, she’s still her sister, and she loved her. She will do anything to have her back.

***

“I personally believe in parallel universe,” proclaimed Professor Proton one minute before the class is over. “It’s exhilarating to think that somewhere out there, another version of us is existing, living a totally different life.”

The room got filled with dull air. You can almost hear the exasperated sigh and bored yawn of the uninterested sophomore students, except Jaden of course. The boyish 20-year-old girl whose mind is filled with nothing but Science. She raised her huge spectacles, waiting for the next words from Professor Proton’s mouth until the bell rang and the room filled with dull air comes back to life. The students jump to theirs seats without even saying goodbye to Professor Proton, who decided to shrug off his disappointment.

“My,” said Mike who blew a deep breath. “I never realized I could sleep with my eyes open until that class with Professor Proton.”

Jaden is not listening. The last statement of Proton keeps on echoing inside her head. She suddenly got obsess about it.

“Hello?” snapped Mike who already noticed that she’s not paying any attention at all. “Are you here with me or are you somehow inside one of Professor Proton’s parallel universes?”

Jaden’s spell was broke. She blinked repeatedly then she look back at Mike, whose piercing eyes are watching her closely.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I just can’t help it.”

“I knew it,” said Mike who shook his head in disapproval. “Can you please stop taking Professor Proton seriously? The man’s delusional. Everyone in the school knows about that.”

“The idea of a parallel universe is not so delusional, Mike,” insist the excited Jaden. “All the people are interconnected somehow, and knowing that, we are not sure whether the connections that we feel come from our planet or signals from other dimensions.”

“And I’m sleeping with my eyes open again,” blurted Mike who rolled his eyes. “Come on, forget about all these madness, and be a normal friend once again, please?”

Jaden sighed.

***

Jaden peek inside the dimly lit room of her mom and saw her lying, wide awake. She tossed her backpack and immediately walk to her bed to give her a kiss. She kissed her on her forehead but she didn’t stir. She remained motionless instead while staring at the ceiling as if she’s watching her favorite program from up there. Jaden stared at her mom with a heavy heart.

“I’d like to think you’re getting better, mom,” she said. “I’ve got loads of things to tell you.”

She didn’t receive any response, but still, she continue.

“For instance, our interesting class with Professor Proton today. He mentioned something about Parallel Universe and how exciting it is to have the exact same counterpart, somewhere in other dimension. Isn’t it exciting, mom?” She remembered Javin as she stared at her expressionless face and sigh. “Mom, would it help if I’ve got a counterpart somewhere? You know, she would exactly look like me and we’ll call her Javin. Just like my twin.”

For the first time, her mom’s eyes move to her direction. She stared at her as if she had the antidote that will cure her misery. To her surprise, she even held her arms.

“J-Javin?” she said with wild eyes. “J-Javin?”

“Y-yes, mom,” she answered, a little uneasy. “I was talking about Javin.”

“J-Javin… n-not… d-dead,” she continue to mumble. “J-Javin…up…there!”

She pointed at the ceiling where her eyes we’re fixed earlier. Jaden grew even more uneasy. There’s something unsettling about the look in her mom’s eyes.

“O-okay, mom, calm down,” she told her. “I didn’t say Javin was dead. I just…”

“JAVIN NOT DEAD!!!” she screamed, her nails sink in to her skin. “JAVIN UP THERE!!!”

Jaden was shocked. She tried to calm her mom down but she started to shake her wildly. For one moment, she thought she’s going to kill her. Good thing, her Aunt Delia came. She pulled her away from the tight grip of her mom before she pierced the tranquilizer to her arm. Jaden was devastated to have witnessed both her mom’s terrifying outburst and misery. Crying, she ran out of the room and went to the porch. Aunt Delia followed her a few moments later.

“She’s sleeping,” she declared upon reaching her spot. “Are you okay?”

“I-I’m okay, Aunt Delia,” she managed to answer. “I just feel bad that I did this to her.”

“It’s not your fault, darling,” she said. “You know how she is when it comes to your sister.”

Jaden was out of words for a few moments. She remembered Javin and all the things her mom said that she couldn’t make sense. She felt disturbed by them.

“Aunt Delia,” she said. “Mom said something about Javin that I couldn’t understand. She said that Javin is not dead and that she’s up there. What does she mean by that?”

This time, it was Aunt Delia who’s out of words. She suddenly look tense, as if she’s keeping something out from her reach. Jaden waited with growing suspicions.

“Y-your mom’s sick, Jaden,” she answered to her dismay. “Please don’t take her words seriously. Often than not, they’re just meaningless blunders.”

“But Aunt Delia…”

“I’m tired, Jaden,” she declared, cutting her off. “I’m going to take a rest. Please do the same. Good night, darling.”

Helpless, Jaden nod.

***

Jaden’s Log #336

It’s been four days since mom’s unexpected outburst. She’s acting pretty much the same again, but the wild, delusional look in her eyes didn’t disappear. I always peek to her room and a lot of times, I’m tempted to ask her regarding the stuff she said about Javin not being dead and being somewhere up there, but I’m afraid she’s going to have another outburst. I tried opening the same topic with Aunt Delia but she, too, seems to be avoiding me. I’m getting more and more obsess about it but I can’t do anything. I don’t know, maybe I’m just overthinking again but I really have a weird feeling about it. I wish I can just let it go…

Jaden’s phone buzzed. She closed her laptop and grabbed her phone over the bedside table. Mike’s name popped up and she immediate answered his call.

“Please tell me you’re working on your lamp project,” he greeted her instead of hello. “You know I can’t make mine while you’re still not done with yours.”

“And hello to you, too,” she answered sarcastically. “You know, just for this one time, why don’t you work on finishing your project first so I can copy yours.”

“First of all, that’s like the most ridiculous idea I’ve ever heard from my nerd best friend, and secondly, you can’t do that because we’ll both fail,” he answered in the same sarcastic tone. “Come on, you work on it, girl. Give me a call after when you’re done. Love ya.”

Jaden sighed then put his phone back to the bedside table. If only losing my one and only friend won’t cost me so much, she thought. She immediately grabbed her lamp project from under her bed and start evaluating it. Realizing she’s going to need additional wirings, she decided to go over the attic to look for some more old lamps. Attic is so dark and dusty that she keeps on bumping into something and sneezing at the same time.

“Why don’t they fix the light in here?” she complained when she fell after she bumped into something again for the third time. She felt something against her back. “What the heck is this?”

She searched for the said thing. It is round and it felt warm when she finally touched it, like a light bulb after you use it for a short period of time. Curious, she pulled the said thing out of her back and was surprised to see a familiar object; a glass ball. It was a gift from their dad when he went to a business trip in Siargao Island. And despite the absence of a proper light, she could tell how beautiful the scenery of the beach it depicts from the inside.  She gently touch the glass ball and felt the chink from the opposite side of it. She’s sure right ahead that it’s her glass ball. Javin’s got one, too. She’s playing with it when she suddenly disappears out of nowhere.

“Jaden?” called her Aunt Delia who must have heard the commotion that she made inside the attic. “Jaden, are you there?”

She got her senses back.

“Y-yes, Aunt Delia, I’m here,” she answered, quickly. “Just looking for old lamps that I can use in my project.”

“You better go down then!” she yelled. “Dinner’s almost ready!”

“I’m right there, Aunt Dali!” she yelled back. “Just one moment, please!”

She secured the glass ball down her trousers before rushing down the attic.

***

It’s past midnight. Jaden stirred up from sleep when she heard some buzzing. Absent-minded, she groped for her phone from the side and checked it with her sleepy eyes. Nothing, no one texted her. A little annoyed, she decided to go back to sleep only to be disturbed again by the said buzzing. She opened her eyes again, and reaching for the lamp, she almost fell from her bed when she realized that the said buzzing was coming from the glass ball that she sneaked from the attic. And it wasn’t just buzzing, it’s also radiating with bright, somewhat reddish light.

“Damn,” she whispered before she walk slowly to its place. In her shaking hands, she grabbed the glass ball. The bright, somewhat reddish light lit her mesmerized face. In her amazement, she cannot see the supposed to be beautiful scenery of the beach from the inside. Nothing seems to appear inside except this thick, reddish smoke. “What the heck are you?”

The buzzing grew louder that Jaden accidentally dropped the glass ball. She covered her ears with both of her hands. It’s as if someone left the radio open in its full volume during a scan for a station. She was so terrified that she thought of leaving her room, except that she also thought that the floor was shaking. Suddenly, the buzzing grew softer and Jaden’s almost sure that she could hear a sensible voice in between.  Slowly, she remove her hands to her ears and listen intently to the voice in between the buzzing and the shaking.

“Help,” said the voice. “Help, Jaden, help…”

Suddenly, the reddish light fade out. The smoke slowly cleared out, too. The buzzing stopped and Jaden could now see the beautiful beach scenery from inside the glass ball once again. She fell helpless on the floor, both a little nauseated from all the buzzing and terrified about the distorted voice she heard from the glass ball.

***

“Okay, I don’t want this to come from me but,” Mike stared intently at her. “Are you on drugs, Jade?”

She stared back at him, obviously not amused with his joke. She opened her bag and get the glass ball from inside it. She put it over the table.

“I am serious, Mike,” she told him. “I got awake last night. I heard this thing buzzing. It’s radiating reddish light and there’s smoke from inside it.”

“And then you heard a voice?” he said, bewildered. “From inside of it too, I supposed?”

“Yes!” she was helpless. “My god! Why would I invent such a thing?! You know I’m always serious and I rarely joke, especially if the joke is supposed to make me look like a delusional drug addict!”

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry,” said Mike who obviously starts to take her misery seriously. “I’m just saying, you might be just a little, I don’t know, overstressed? You know, you’ve mentioned to me that your mom had an outburst just a few days ago. Don’t you think it’s what triggers that episode?”

Jaden fell silent. She never considered what happened to be a product of stress over her mom’s outburst. It felt so real and she knows she’s not dreaming because she never fell asleep again after she heard the said voice.

“This glass ball’s a gift from dad, Mike. Javin had the same glass ball which she’s been playing before she disappears. I was thinking…”

Mike held her hand.

“I know you’re super smart, Jade, but that’s just impossible, okay?” Mike said with great sympathy. “Your twin can’t possibly be communicating with you through that glass ball. She’s been missing for ten years. And I don’t want to say this, but she can be dead by now. I know you’re missing her, but please don’t give yourself any false hope. Especially with this.”

Jaden felt the tears brimming in her eyes. Mike can be a bit of a bully but he’s the most reasonable person she have ever known. He’s right, maybe she’s just stressed about her mom’s condition. She drew a deep breath, pushing her tears back.

“You’re right,” she told Mike, nodding. “I should probably take some rest.”

“You should,” Mike agreed. “I’ll cover up for you in our afternoon classes.”

She tried to smile at him but deep down inside, something still feels unsettling.

***

As Mike advised, Jaden went home early. Aunt Delia and her mom weren’t at home when she arrived. She found the keys under one of the pots. Once inside, she found a note from her aunt on the fridge. Doctor’s appointment today, it simply says, and she wondered for a bit whether her mom’s going to be okay. Her mental health seems to be getting worse with each passing day. She sighed and went straight to her room where she immediately lie in her bed. She tried to sleep but a lot of things are orbiting inside her head. She keeps on tossing and turning, until her eyes caught the glass ball from under the computer stand. She felt terrified for one moment, and tried to ignore it, but no matter how hard she tries, her eyes keep on coming back to the same spot where it is placed. Finally, when she finally gathered enough courage, she slowly stood up from her bed and move towards the computer stand. She grabbed the ball, and felt its hot surface once again. She could see the beach from inside it but something’s wrong, there seems to be a hole inside it. A black hole that fumes the reddish smoke. The terror started to catch up on her once again.

“Not this again,” she whispered, terrified. She tried to drop the glass ball, but a great surge of energy seems to be keeping the glass ball and her hand attached. The glass ball starts to radiate reddish light again which only made the obscure energy become visible through her naked eye. Her hand starts to shake as the glass ball emits reddish flame and began to float. Staring stunned at the said flame, her eyes turned red. “W-what i-is h-happening?”

Jaden felt the chink in the glass ball, and accidentally put her hand in between it. The unnerving energy immediately transport to her body that the next moment when she blink her eyes, everything turned black. She wasn’t sure whether she passed out but she’s aware of the familiar presence of someone else. She knows she’s not alone.

“Jaden,” the distorted voice echoed somewhere. “Jaden, help me…”

Everything seems to be spinning. Jaden couldn’t feel her own body but felt much stronger now. She’s determined more than ever to know the mysterious being that tries to communicate with her.

“Who are you?!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. “Tell me who you are!”

“Javin,” answered the being in a voice that seems to be brought by the wind. “Javin…”

Jaden was stunned. She’s shivering from head to foot. She couldn’t make her mind believe what she’s actually hearing.

“H-how did this happen?” she asked, her knees are shaking. “I thought you’re…”

“I was taken, Jaden,” explained the voice. “Abducted by a group of Casanovian…”

The spinning grew faster. Jaden suddenly felt nauseated though she can’t tell whether it’s because of the spinning or the revelation from the voice who claims that she’s Javin, her twin sister.

“I’m someplace else, Jaden, and there is no time,” continued the voice who grow weak and desperate. “Help me get out of here, Jaden, please…”

The buzzing resumed and it made Jaden panicked. She couldn’t allow the connection to be gone. It’s her only chance of finding her sister.

“Where are you exactly, Javin?” she pleaded. “Tell me where you are!”

“I’m in a little planet called Casanova,” answered the wearing voice. “They will soon baptize me as their permanent member. I can never leave the planet after that. I’m so scared, Jaden. Help me…. Help me…”

There was a loud, continuous buzzing after that. Jaden tried to call out her sister but the buzzing continues to deter her. The darkness slowly fades, and she fell to her knees. The glass ball rolls right beside the door. Jaden stared at it as tears start to brim in her eyes – she lost her.

***

“Okay, class, I’ll see you next meeting,” declared Professor Proton to the scampering students. As always, he shrugged off his disappointment. “What a great class filled with ill-mannered morons.”

He gathered his things, ready to leave. Jaden watched her as he walks out of the door. She’s about to follow him when she felt Mike’s hand on her arms.

“What is it, Jade?” asked Mike. “Aren’t you going to take your lunch with me?”

Jaden stared at Mike. She loves her best friend but she knew she couldn’t just go through another confession with him. There is no time, and on top of it all, she knows he won’t believe her.

“Can you wait up for me in the Cafeteria?” she told him. “I’ll just consult my Science Project to Professor Proton.”

“God, what a nerd!” Mike said, rolling his eyes. “Do it fast, alright?”

She nod. When Mike left, she immediately followed Professor Proton to his office. She found him sitting in his chair, reading over some papers. She knocked to the open door to catch his attention.

“Jaden?” Professor Proton raised his spectacles. “What are you doing here?”

Jaden heaved a deep breath. She entered his office, looking rather distracted. She doesn’t know how to tell Professor Proton about her sister.

“Professor Proton,” she said. “Is it okay to ask something?”

“Shoot,” said the calm professor. “What is it?”

“Well, um, I know this may sound a little weird but I can’t stop thinking about what you said about parallel universes,” she said, heaving another breath. “I just have to ask if you happen to heard about this little planet called Casanova?”

Professor Proton was stunned. He stared intently at her face, looking really fascinated. He signaled her to sit down.

“Casanova is a mythical planet or so they say. According to some articles I read, it looks exactly just like Earth, only a little bigger. Casanovian population ranges from 15-000-25,000 only and throughout the years, Casanovian leaders try to fill it up by abducting other beings they can use to work on the progression of their little, independent planet. And since people from Earth resembles the Casanovian inhabitants much more than any other beings, they often gather resources from here. The people of course.” Explained Professor Proton. “I personally believe that Casanova somehow does exist, despite the unproven theories of scholars and scientists. Not so many people are aware about Planet Casanova. How do you know about it, Jaden?”

Jaden felt his throat constrict. For one moment, she almost hesitate to tell Professor Proton about her sister but out of desperation to find help, she did. She told him everything, including how she communicated with her through the glass ball.

“People are interconnected with each other. This connection is even stronger to those who shared the same womb. I have a theory that your twin saved her own glass ball when she was abducted and she’s been using it for the last ten years to communicate with you.”

“What shall I do, Professor Proton?” she asked, desperate. “How will I get my sister back?”

“The glass ball,” answered Professor Proton. “You said you get to enter a Casanovian dimension when you accidentally touched the chink in the glass. Create a bigger hole in the glass ball to create a bigger Casanovian dimension. You must enter the dimension again. Look for a way to find your sister inside the darkness. When you found her, pull her outside the Casanovian dimension back to our own dimension. Do you understand me?”

With a growing terror inside her heart, Jaden nodded.

“You must do this as soon as possible, Jaden,” reminded Professor Proton. “Once your sister was baptized in the  Casanovian Feast of Rebirth, all her connections to her origin planet will be gone, much more her connections with all the people who get to be part of her life, including her own family. This connection, this is the reason why you get to communicate with her and not through the glass ball. You must get her back before this happens…”

***

The fear, it has always been the greatest barrier. Jaden did as what Professor Proton instructed her to do, but the fear inside her heart is a growing monster that eats her up. And as she wait to secure her connection with Javin, she thought about her father who died searching for his sister, and her mother who is now ill, without any promise of restoration. But she knows, deep down her heart, she knows that when she succeed in getting her sister back, she’s somehow going to get better, and it is what keeps her going.

The hole that she created in the glass ball starts to radiate reddish light. It also starts to fume reddish smoke that when she blink her eyes, the whole room was already filled with it. She heaved a deep breath and watch the glass ball float over the reddish flame. It illuminated the whole room before slowly fading, making her blind with terrifying darkness. She knows she succeed entering the Casanovian dimension. And despite the spinning that seems to surround her, she tried to stood up and walk. It feels like she’s walking in the air! Nothing touches the soles of her feet except the warm, reddish smoke.

“Javin?” she called out as her feet floated. “Javin, are you there?”

Jaden turned on the little flashlight that she brought with her. She was stunned when she found herself in an unfamiliar forest with wild shrubs and wild trees. She remember this place so clearly from her dream.

“Javin!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. “Where are you, Javin?!”

And just before she hit a dead end, she found her sister standing in front of a tall mass of rock, bathing herself into the moon light.  She was stunned once again. Even from a distance, she could see their resemblance. She looks exactly just like her and it makes her heart pound with joy.

“J-Javin?” her voice is shaking. “I-is that you, Javin?”

Slowly, Javin turned to her, revealing a dreamy look upon her face.

“I almost thought you’re not going to find me, Jaden,” she said in her somewhat breathy, distorted voice. “I’ve missed you.”

Jaden’s eyes brimmed with tears.

“I missed you, too,” she told her. “Come on, let’s leave this place!”

“Yes,” she said, smiling. “Will you take my hand?”

Jaden, still filled with tears, nodded. She extend her hand towards her sister, who in return, reach her hand back. When their hands touched, Jaden felt a connection so strong she almost fell.

“It’s okay,” said Javin. “Everything’s going to be okay now.”

Jaden believed her.

***

Jaden’s Log #337

It’s been a long time. I don’t know how to write a decent entry. I don’t even know if after everything that happened, I can still continue my life as it is. I’m trying, though. After all, the worst part is over. I've escaped Casanova, in exchanged of Jaden.

P.S. This is probably going to be her last entry.