I'm Sitting in a Jar

“Ahhhhhhhhh!” Macy suddenly found herself flying through the air, her body getting smaller, her legs squeezing through the top of a jar. The air around her was glowing and spiraling; she couldn’t see anything but the tunnel she was flying through and the black hole she was rushing towards. It was up to her waist now. Then her chest. Then her shoulders. Now her head was just at the tip of the jar. She strained her neck, desperate to stay out of that hole. Then, the tip of her braid slipped into the top of the jar. A hand, a child’s hand, picked up the lid, and set it on top of the jar. Macy found herself in a bright white room. The walls were curved upwards, and she could see the underside of the lid. “What is happening?!” Her scream echoed around the jar. She ran into one of the walls, throwing her weight against it. She was hyperventilating. She clutched her head, her knees gave way beneath her. She fell to the floor, out cold. “No, he wouldn’t.” “Apparently, he did.” “Why would he do such a thing?” “Oh, her parents!” Mach heard voices around her. She opened her eyes, her vision was blurry. What she saw made her scream, once again. Standing directly above her was a giant red monster. It looked like the green man on the vegetable cans, only red. And, way more scary. She crawled away from it, backwards. She kept her eyes on it in case it attacked her. She knocked into something. She looked behind her to find a boy... hovering a few inches off the ground. She screamed again. She stood up, and ran. She slammed into another wall, then keeled over, out. This time, someone dumped water on her head. She spluttered and gasped, shaking her head. It was an angry looking child. She crossed her chubby arms, a scowl on her face. Suddenly, from above her, Macy heard a voice. “What are you doing here?” the voice boomed. Macy looked up, and spotted the red giant. She inhaled to scream again, before the fairy hovered anxiously over her. “Don’t scream!” he pleaded, holding out his hands. Macy stared at him, terrified. “Please,” he continued. She let out a muffled, strangled scream, barely able to be heard. The angry child kicked her. “Hey!” Macy shouted, crawling away from all of them. “Biggo,” the child said, pointing, “asked you,” now she pointed at Macy, “a question!” She shouted the last word. “I don’t...” “Has she awoken?” Macy heard a voice say. She looked around her. She saw an old lady, looking very regal. Macy could tell she was in charge. She also didn’t look like she cams out of a story book, and she wasn’t kicking her, so she jumped up and took a few steps toward her. “Where am I?” she asked desperately. The old lady smiled slightly. “You, my dear, are in a jar,” she said. Macy gave her an exasperated look. “Why am I in a jar?” Macy again looked up at the ceiling. She looked down again at the three figures behind her. One was anxious, one was angry, and one looked bored. She then turned back to the old lady, when she said, “It would seem as if the owner of this jar didn’t want to... lose you.” Macy gave her another exasperated look. “This jar can contain and hold any object. It will preserve it, forever. Anything you want, it will appear to you. You can never die here,” the old lady continued. “Can it conjure up an exit?” Macy asked. The old lady laughed, just a bit. “No. That is the one thing it cannot ‘conjure up.’ An exit.” “Why would someone stick me in a jar?!” Macy shouted. “The owner of this jar,” the old lady said, still calm and smiling, “happens to be your brother, John.” Macy gaped at her. “He has informed us that he does not want you to go to London over summer. He does not want to lose you. He’s afraid that you won’t come back. So, he has put you in this jar. Now, he can never lose you.” Macy continued gaping at her. The fairy flew up next to her. “I am Pippity,” it said, holding out his hand. Macy shook it, feeling numb. “That’s Biggo,” he said, pointing at the giant, “that’s Baby,” he continued, pointing at the child, “and this,” he said, turning to the old lady, “is Mystique.” The old lady nodded. “We’re John’s imaginary friends,” Mystique said. “John found my name in a magazine,” she finished. “Why...? Wha....? H-how......?” Macy gasped. Mystique chuckled. “We don’t know how. But, we do know why. At the school playground, a child saw John talking to us. So, he put us in this jar. John’s memory of us would be enhanced, but the child’s memory of us would fade. As will your memory,” she said. “My family” Macy started, hyperventilating once more, “will forgot me?!” The fairy backed away from her. “No. But, eventually, the memory of you will turn... foggy. But, John will never forget you,” she said, still smiling. “They’ll start looking for me, eventually,” Macy said. She started to sit on the floor, but a chair appeared for her to sit on. The fairy flew up next to her again. “I don’t think anyone can find you, except John,” he said. Then, another chair and a checkerboard appeared in front of her. The fairy sat down. “Would you like to play checkers?” Macy gave him another exasperated look. “I’m sitting,” she began, “in a jar!!!”