What's the Plan

"MOTHER'S NAME?"

I went to the desk. "Eleni Winters."

"Your date of birth?"

"December twenty-first, 1999."

"Any birthmarks, defects? Natural delivery?"

Yeah, one giant defect, I wanted to say. Instead I said,

"None. And I don't know about the others."

He tapped the keyboard a few more times and then stood aside. "There it is Winter baby. Female. Father unlisted."

I scanned the monitor, already in denial. It couldn't be. He Had to be listed. But as I searched, there was nothing of use in the report, nothing I didn't already know. "Nothing."

Jack leaned down and selected the billing tab. "Lets see who paid the bill. It'll have insurance info and who else was on the card, if any."

Okay, I should've thought of that, and having been giving a second, I probably would have. The billing info loaded onto the screen. Insurance info. No one on the card except for Eleni. But the co-pay: "Josephine Frost. Who the hell is that/"

Jack straightened. His jaw tightened and his expression went grim. He dragged his fingers through his hair and fixed me with a seriously pissed off look. "Josephine Frost is my grandmother."

The women started to move in their chairs, coming out of whatever trance Jack put them in. He clicked back to the main screen, grabbed my arm, and propelled me out the door.

"C'mon, we'll talk on the way."

I was still trying to recover from the shock of what he'd said, and here he was shoving towards the door before I could get my bearings. "Wait, hold on, on the way where?" We were through the door and out into the hallway. I jerked my arm from him, "What and the actual Fuck, Jack! What the hell is going on?"

I knew I was being too loud, but at that point I didn't give a shit who heard me. Jack ushered me into the nearest room.

The morgue.

I stepped back from the door. "Well?"

"The Novem is made up of nine families-"

"Yeah, look, I don't need a history all right? I know about the nine families. Everyone does."

Jack shook his head, annoyance flashing in his blue eyes. "Outsiders think they know everything. Josephine, my grandmother, is the head of the Frost family. The Frost family is one of the nine families who bought Burgess thirteen years ago."

A short laugh burst through my mouth. But he wasn't laughing. He was deadly serious. Your family owns part of New 2. I paced in a small circle, giving another disbelieving laugh. "And your granny knew my mother and paid her doctor bills. This is unbelievable." I turned my back on him and placed my hands on my hips. Anger coursed through my veins as my eyes slowly took in the sterile room- the exam table, the two carts with two bodies under blue cotton tarps set against a wall of small square doors that probably held more bodies....

Seriously unbelievable. I spun back round, forcing myself to remain there. Putting your back to two dead bodies was definitely not something that felt anywhere near comforting,

I shook my head and cursed softly, not understanding any of it. My mother's warning, the attack, the disappearing dead guy. The curse that now apparently extended to me, and now this- a head of the Novem actually paying my mother's medical bills.

Did they know about me, then? Is that why they wanted to see me? Had they been looking for me this whole time?

"So, what now? Go have a talk with dear old Grams?" Ask her why she tried to have me killed?" I ran my hands down my face, shaking my head and denying this was all even happening.

"Yeah, that was the plan. I think we should go talk to her."

"Sure you do. That's what you do, right? Do what they say."

I backed away, the rush of paranoia fueling my fear like lighter fluid on hot coals. "Thanks, but no thanks. I think this is where we part ways."

I moved to the other side of the exam table, putting some distance between me and Jack. My hands curled around the cold edges, ready to shove it at him if he was so much as twitched the wrong way.

One corner of his mouth lifted up slightly into what might've been a sad smile. "That would hardly stop me if I wanted to hurt you."

I cast a quick glance over my shoulder, looking for another way out of the room. But there was none. Jack stood in front of the only exit. He regarded me patiently, like a parent waiting for a child to get over a fit, and it made me want to slap the look off his face.

:"Els," he said finally, Josephine Frost is a bitch and manipulator, but she's not a killer. The Novem doesn't employ sword wielding foreigners, and I'll stake my life on that. If she knew your mother, then she probably has every answer you've ever wanted. I won't let her or anyone else hurt you."

"You don't even know me? You don't even want to know me, so why the hell are you going to protect me?"

He was quiet for a long moment, completely unreadable. His eyes darkened. The muscle in his jaw ticked a few times before he said," We're the same. I know what it's like-"

"Oh please. You don't know, okay? You don't know anything. You have no idea what-"

"--it's like to be different? A freak among freaks? Try me. You're in New 2, Els. Half the kids here don't even go to school. They have jobs. Jobs. The other half are Novem and more fucked up than you could ever imagine."

So much of me wanted to meet his challenge, to tell him how exactly bizarre I really was, but I bit my tongue. It wasn't worth it. And it wasn't like he was going around telling me all about his weird ass hypnotic abilities anyway. Why should I share mine?

"Whatever," he finally said, and opened the door. "Do what you want."

Screw him. He could leave if he wanted to. I was better off on my own. I'd always been better off on my own. This was New 2, the place for all things to be supernatural. If there was anyway to learn about my curse, it's here. I didn't need Jack. Yeah, and your own mother lived here, yet failed to lift the curse. I chewed softly on the inside of my cheek. It was still raw from where I'd bitten it before.

I let out a frustrated sigh as that realization sank in. "How much do you know about the curses?"

Jack stilled. I knew what he was thinking, that he should just leave and be rid of me and my bad attitude, and maybe it was for the best.

He moved backward and closed the door, turning to face me. It didn't take a genius to see he was pissed as hell. Just about as pissed as I was.

"Some," he said. "Why?"

The letters went through my mind. My ancestors, all cursed to die at twenty-one. And though I wanted to, I couldn't deny the truth. I knew it was real, I felt it. The dead guy, my hair, the letters. It was all real. "Because my family is cursed. I'm cursed. Not 'cursed' as in my life sucks or I'm different, but seriously cursed." Yes it was real, but it sure sounded like a bunch of baloney when said aloud. "Look, all I need is to be pointed in the right direction. I want this 'thing' gone, off me, whatever it is I need to do."

The anger of before gave way to defeat and a whole lot of pessimism. My shoulders slumped, and I grew as cold as the corpses in the morgue.

'How about this?" Jack said. "I know a person who can lift curses. I'll show you the way to the most powerful voodoo witch in New 2. And after that, let me show you around the Sweet café. Then we'll go together to quiz Josephine about your mother."

I was pretty sure I knew what I looked like is a cartoon hamster in the headlights. Totally not what I expected him to say, especially after I'd just implied he was one of the bad guys. "Uh. . . "

What the hell was I supposed to say to that? "Okay?"

A grin split Jack face, slicing two dimples into his cheeks. Holy Ham sandwich. I actually stopped breathing for a second.
"Good," he said, still smiling. "Let's get out of here. It's freezing."

Not to me but I said," Yeah it is, lets go Jack."

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or whatever.

Oh my bible I haven't posted since June and its going on to April, that's just saddening. And I always complain about people not updating fast enough.

I haven't forgot about the challenge I said I was going to do, I'm definitely going to do it but, I just needed to get back into the feeling of writing. I kinda forgot how to write this story and how to continue it so.... If there's any thing that you're confused about or needs to be corrected just let me know. I know there's a few plot holes.

Oh and if you dirty readers want some nasty stuff in this story let me know and I'll add it to my story, to be honest I won't know how to write it even though I have a dirty mind but I'll ask one of my friends to write it for me since she's already written plenty.

I also said I will do shout outs so here it is, to amazing writers/adaptors. I hope I don't disturb anyone by doing this.

@Sil-bD9

If you've haven't checked out her profile( which I doubt you didn't) go check her out. Note her stories are AMAZING and makes me cry when the chapter's are over. PLEASE UPDATE.

@KittyKat060412

The OGs when it comes to Jelsa stories, and you can tell by how many followers she has and reads. My favorite story by her right now is "Sleepy Hollow" so check her out if you haven't. ALSO PRAY FOR HER HUSBAND!!!🙏

@Jelsa_doc

"Please, Just One Wish" is my shit. Her writing style is so simple and yet so fun at the same time if that makes sense. She's very much an underrated writer right now, and that needs to change so follow her.

@rosecoloredboiii

She's also doesn't have enough followers as she deserves especially with all the reads she get on her profile. Like seriously people follow her if you're reading her stuff.

@LilacJackFrost

There's no need to explain here. WE ALL READ HER STORIES. She has new book coming out soon I'm so excited.

@QueenBriscoe13

MY GIRL!!!!

I also read Spanish Jelsa stories using google translator that can change the stories language to English. Its in the app store for free if you want to download it and read some more Jelsa stories.

@Zannietomm5

@Jelsa_Love

@_Little_Heart_

@Kgoatred_Shine

@theotherprxmise

@_Cony_Frost_

There's so much people I admire but there's no way I could fit them all into this so I will probably do another shout out in the future.

SEE YOU IN THE NEXT CHAPPIE!!!!!