One Day I'll be Rich

One day I’ll be rich.

He wrote in his little black book for the third time today. Jordan believed that you could manifest anything that he wrote into his journal. Being rich was right on top of that list. All he could ever think about was how to get money and then how to get more money. Jordan was raised by his single mom who never had much to spare. He promised that one day he would never have to live like that again.

It was beginning to get late on that January evening. It would be too dark to drive up to see Genesis if he kept trying to manifest a better life for himself.

He pushed his light brown hair from his bright blue eyes as he tried desperately to start up his 2001 Honda Civic. She wasn’t going to make it another winter if he didn’t get the money to fix her.

“Come on!” He muttered and turned the key once more and the old care roared to life.

Jordan was always happy to see his childhood best friend for a few days. He had never been to Wayward Women’s College and wanted to see the beautiful sight that was once Wayward Mental Hospital.

The cold evening didn’t do well for his old car, but he made it to the college. As he pulled up onto the campus’s long brick driveway, he saw his oldest and dearest friend standing there waving at him energetically. Even in the freezing cold Genesis was as happy as a calm to see him

“Jordan!” She screamed and threw her arms around his neck. They hugged tightly for a minute and then Jordan noticed a shy meek girl standing behind Genesis bundled up so tight you could barely see her straight black hair poking out of her winter hat. Her bright green eyes were striking against the winter night though.

“Who is this lovely lady, Genesis?” Jordan smirked. He knew it was the girl, Katy, whom Genesis texted so excitedly about to Jordan ever since she started her Sophomore year at Wayward.

“Jordan, this is Katy, my girlfriend!” She said proudly and pulled the quiet girl to her side smiling.

Katy blushed and waved carefully back to Jordan.

“It’s great to meet you, Katy! I’ve heard so much about you!” Jordan beamed. He knew his evitable charm would melt the tiny frozen girl without an issue. However, she stood snuggled into Genesis’ side shaking slightly.

“Well, let’s get inside! I’ll give you the grand tour!” Genesis could feel the awkwardness between her best friend and her new lover. She knew that Katy was quiet, and Jordan was headstrong, but she had hoped they could be as close as she was to both of them.

The trio walked quietly up to the school. They entered through the heavy doors and Genesis began speaking about the rich history of the school with great animation. They toured the school forward and backward until they came to the library. Over the doors read: “Amelia Rustic Memorial Library”

“Who is Amelia Rustic?” Jordan asked as he looked over the silver letters that hung above the door.

“Amelia Rustic was a patient of this hospital years ago! She was in her early 20’s when her family committed her for trying to set their estate up north on fire.” Genesis began to tell the tragic story.

“That must have been awful being locked up by your own family like that,” Jordan muttered as they entered the library. It was clear that this was the place where most of the school money went. There were tall shelves lined with books, large wooden tables with chairs surrounding them. The ceiling was a dome shape and all glass so the nighttime sky could shine in. Finally, on the far wall across from the entrance was a portrait hanging. She was beautiful. Her long black hair flowed well past her shoulder. His green eyes were striking. She wore a beautiful, white cotton sundress that complimented her milky white skin perfectly.

Jordan had to do a double-take. His eyes shifted quickly to Katy. He shook his head of the thought. They weren’t the same person. No way.

“What was really sad was she killed herself here in the hospital. Her parents felt so guilty they bought out and closed the hospital. They opened it back up as a college a few years later and put all their money into the library her favorite place. She was a hopeless romantic that just wanted to find love. Too bad it’s hard to love crazy!” Genesis had unmatched euthanasic for history. Even the sad and twisted kind. “It’s Katy’s favorite place too!”

Katy blushed and nodded.

“Legend says she buried the only money she had to herself under the hospital before she killed herself,” Genesis added quickly.

Jordan’s ears perked up at the word money. “How much money?”

“20,000 dollars.” It was the first time the whole evening Katy said anything clear and concise. When Jordan looked up his eye met with hers. He felt like Katy was looking directly into his soul.

20,000 dollars wasn’t going to make him rich. It could start him in the right direction though. It could be the catalyst that started it all for him.

“D-do you want to find it, Jordan?” Katy said a bit louder. She unhooked herself from Genesis and moved slowly towards Jordan.

“W-what?” Jordan was taken back by the confidence that Katy was suddenly displaying.

“Do you want to find it?” She was more aggressive now. Moving quicker towards Jordan has he backed up from her. “Damien, do you want to find it?!” She started to seem desperate.

“I’m not Damien! I’m Jordan!” He shouted back at the girl who was now charging him grabbing at his shirt.

“Katy! What the heck?” Genesis grabbed her small girlfriend’s arm.

“DON’T TOUCH ME!” Katy screamed and whipped around with all her might swinging her arm and knocking Genesis to the floor.

“Katy…” Jordan raised his hands and moved them slowly in a calming motion.

“I’m not Katy! And you aren’t Jordan!” Her eyes were manic now. The green in her eyes was glowing almost a yellow color. Her meek smile was now cynical and crazed. “You’re Damien! See!” She pulled a picture out of her pocket. There next to Amelia Rustic was a handsome man with a beaming smile. His light brown hair and blue eyes were perfect. He looked just like Jordan. “You don’t remember, do you? You don’t remember working so hard that you forgot about me? You don’t remember writing about how crazy I was in your little black book?” The last three words spit from her lips like acid.

“How does she know about my little black book?” Jordan wondered to himself.

“Come on, Damien! I was supposed to die with you in the fire that day! We were supposed to live forever! I was going to burn all our money with it too! Instead, I had to bury it! Here! I’ve just been waiting for you to return to me! We could be together forever!” Katy began to laugh maniacally. She picked up a heavy book off the shelf raised it above her head and swung it down toward Jordan’s face.

Jordan woke up in a dark room dimly lit by candles. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he realized he was in some sort of utility room. A panic room maybe? He could see Katy moving slowly around the room.

“You’re awake?” Her demonic smile spread across her face as she approached him with a suitcase.

“Get away from me, You Crazy Person!” He began to thrash but quickly realized his hands and feet were tied up.

“Damien! That’s no way to speak to me! I am the love of your life after all!” She smirked. She opened the suitcase and there staring back at Jordan was 20,000 dollars. His heart jumped a bit. It was his ticket out of his old apartment, his ticket to investments, to make more money than he could have ever dreamed. He just needed to get it away from her.

“What are you going to do with that?” Jordan asked as he eyed her carefully. How was he going to escape with that money?

“I’m going to burn it! Then, I am going to burn us and this whole wretched school to the ground! We are going to live happily ever after finally! Free of the burden of this horrid money!” She cackled. In the candlelight, she looked like a haunted ghost.

Jordan shifted slightly and his restraints began to loosen. In her haste, Katy must not have tied them correctly. Jordan thought for a second and realized what he had to do.

“Ka-I mean-Amelia! My love!” He called to her. She stopped laughing for a second and froze.

“Damien? You remember?” She suddenly became quiet. Her green eyes softened and became teary.

“Yes! My dear of course I remember! Come here! Before we die, I want to kiss you in the living world one last time!” Jordan puckered his lips calling for her to meet him.

“Of course, My love!” She flew across the room with the money still tight in her grip. She leaned forward to kiss him, but before their lips could meet Jordan grabbed her and threw her against the wall as he grabbed the briefcase from her hands.

Jordan’s eyes darted quickly around the room as he shook the restraints from his hand’s feet. He saw the door and bolted towards it. He came up the staircase and immediately realized he was back in the library. He saw Genesis’ limp body on the ground. He picked her up and put her over his shoulder holding tightly to his newly founded 20,000 dollars.

He carried his friend and his fresh start to his old car. The snow had begun falling drastically but hadn’t covered his car completely yet. He laid Genesis in the back seat and began to start the car. She wouldn’t turn over though. He tried and tried. It was too cold for his hold car to start.

“You can’t leave me!” He heard the desperate cries of Katy. She was running towards his car in the snow with her nose bloody and her hair as wild as it could be.

“Please, please, please!” Jordan begged the car to start and finally it obligated. He pressed down on the gas immediately. Yet, he could barely see. The snow, so heavy and his car, so old. He swerved. Left. Right. Left. Right. His heart raced as he tried to control his car. If he could only make it off the property and to the main road. He would be safe. He could take Genesis to safety. He could start his new life with his new money.

Then, she appeared. She was just standing there in front of his car on the brick driveway. It almost looked as if he could see right through her. It almost seemed like she was a ghost.

“MOVE!” He screamed and hit the gas pedal even faster. He was going to run this girl over if he had to there was no stopping him.

Except before he knew it Jordan was flipping in the air. What did he hit? Was it ice? Was it Katy? Was it a tree? What caused him to soar through the air like this?

Then there was nothing. Nothing, but the smell of fire burning.

*****

“I don’t remember anything,” Genesis told the detective for the 100th time that evening as she sat in her hospital bed.

Genesis didn’t know how she was alive. She didn’t know how the school burned down and she didn’t know where these 20,000 dollars came from either. All she knew was she had Jordan’s little black book in the briefcase that just said over and over…

One day…I’ll be rich.