The door slammed shut behind them, Vincent made sure to block it off so no one could interrupt them.

“Everyone here?” Jack asked, scanning the room. 

There was Mary, Jake, and Vincent, all accounted for. 

“Why couldn’t we bring Nuki with us?” Jake asked.

“Your girlfriend?” Vince responded.
“She’s not–we’re not–it’s not like that.”
“Hey, you two shush it.” Mary interjected.
“Thanks Mary, anyway Jake we couldn’t bring too many people. I know this place is alarmingly big and she would’ve been of use but this is a stealth mission.” Jack informed his younger brother.
“Dad already knows we’re here, dipshit.” 

“And who’s fault is that?”

Jake became silent. He was the one who had got him and Jack locked in the white room. 

“Jack, is this the right room?” Vincent piped up.
“I think so? I doubt Bennet would’ve lied to us after everything.”

He scanned the room once more, his eyes stopping on a large pod. It was advanced and out of place. He walked over to it motioning his comrades to stay put in case it was a trap. Through the opaque glass he saw a woman, fast asleep, her hair split down the middle into two colors. This had to be his sister. 

“Jake, help me get this thing open.”
“Me? Why me?”
“She’s our sister. Now help me.”

Jake walked over and examined the pod,
“Wait, how do we even go about opening this? It looks hi tech. Like from a sci-fi movie?”
“Dad’s a showman, I guarantee this is mostly for show. We can probably just slide the lid off. If push comes to shove we break the glass.”

“Isn’t that a risky plan b?”
“You got any better ideas? Now grab that side and lift.”
Jake nodded and did as he was told. The lid was shockingly heavy, both men struggled to lift and slide it off. Eventually though, it was on the floor next to the pod. Something felt wrong though. Jake reached down to shake his sister awake,
“Hey Jane, wake u–” 

As soon as his hand touched her arm he staggered back. 

“Hey Jake? Everything okay?”

“I just…I feel really dizzy, man.”
Jack looked back at Mary and Vincent,
“Are you two…?”
“I feel fine.” Mary responded.
“Same here.” Vince added. 

Jack looked down at his sister in confusion. Was this all a trap? Was this actually his sister? He had to find out what was going on. He watched his brother sit down, back against a wall, trying to fight his exhaustion. He wasn’t good at fighting though and eventually passed out. Jack planned his next move.
“Mary, Vincent,” Jack started, “I might be out of commission for a bit. Watch over me.”

“Jack?! Jack, wait what do you–” Before Mary could finish her sentence Jack touched his sister's arm. Next thing he knew, he was fast asleep. 

Suddenly there was a smell, was that bacon? Eggs? Toast? He opened his eyes with a groan, he was in a cozy room decorated with pink items. The bed had a quilt on it and the sheets were soft and cool, but still cozy. He heard someone outside his room, humming, it was a woman’s voice. Not just any woman, but it couldn’t really be her could it? He got out of bed and walked out of the room. Family photos lined the walls. As he approached, he also heard children playing outside. He looked out a window to see two kids playing on his lawn. Were they his? He followed the humming into a sunkissed kitchen. A woman with familiar pink hair stood at the stove, the song she was humming was Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky. It was her favorite. 

“Clarice?” Jack said in a low voice.

“Oh,” the woman turned around to face him, all this time and her beauty hadn’t waned nor faded, “Good morning, Jack! Sorry I know you prefer to get up early but…you just looked so peaceful, I couldn’t bring myself to wake you.”

“Oh um…thanks.” 

“The kids have already eaten, they’re outside playing right now.”

“I heard.”

So they were his. He didn’t remember having them. 

“I know you probably don’t want to join us, but I’m going to be taking them to church later today. You’ll have the whole house to yourself for a few hours.”

Jack sat down at the table. Was all that a dream? Or was this the dream? Was Clarice really here? Was she really okay? He stared out the window. Outside was an idyllic suburban neighborhood, something you’d see next to the words “American Dream”. The sun shone just right over the rooftops and through the clouds. The trees were a nice healthy green. The grass perfectly cut. Clarice snuck up next to him and placed a kiss on his cheek before placing his breakfast in front of him. The eggs and bacon were fashioned into a smile. 

“Enjoying the view, dear?” Clarice said with a sweet smile.

“It is lovely outside. I…never would’ve thought I’d be living this life. That I’d move out of the city. Speaking of is…is…” 

His words trailed off. 

“Is what, dear?” Clarice asked.

He was forgetting someone. A friend, he thought. 

“Did I ever have a best friend, Clarice? In the city, I mean.”

“Hm…I suppose I was your best friend. We knew each other from when we were 5 I think.”

“Ah…I guess we did.”

“Is everything alright?”

“Everything is perfect. Don’t worry about me.” 

Jack started to eat, everything was cooked just the way he liked it. The bacon was slightly burnt and crispy and left a satisfying crunch. The eggs were done over easy so he could dip his toast in them. Speaking of his toast, it was also slightly burnt, just how he liked it. And finally a nice hot cup of coffee, black. No one had ever gotten a meal of his so perfectly tailored to his tastes. It didn’t feel genuine but he pushed that thought to the back of his mind.

“How is it?”

“Oh it's wonderful like always!”

Yeah, like always. His life has always been like this. 

“Oh dear, I had almost forgotten. Your brother and sister might be stopping by today.”

Jack looked over at her, a piece of bacon stuck to his chin, she laughed and started wiping it off for him.

“Oh what for?”

“I think it's just for a visit. It’s been forever since you’ve all caught up. I need to visit my family soon too, you remember my parents?”

Jack froze. Clarice couldn’t have had parents, they’d met in an orphanage after all.  He didn’t remember her getting adopted either.

“Your parents…?”

“Huh? Jack, what are you talking about? You know I don’t have parents.”

His head started to hurt, things started to feel fuzzy. Almost as if this reality was slipping from him. He was suddenly shaken back to reality, not by Clarice, but by his brother. He’d somehow made it into their sun room.

“Woah, hey Jack, you with us?” Jake said with a laugh.

“Ah, maybe he didn’t get enough sleep last night.” Another voice? It was a woman’s but it didn’t sound like Clarice, nor was it familiar to him. He looked up at the woman, it was Jane. He felt ill suddenly and sank back in his chair.

“Uh, sorry, I just need a moment.” He groaned. 

Wasn’t he just in the kitchen with Clarice? 

“Jack! You should be more careful. You know sleep is good for you.” Jane said with a huff, “I mean, you probably would worry Mary sick.”

Mary? 

“Mary?” Jack murmured. 

“Oh sorry, I meant Clarice!” Jane smiled, but something was off about it, she seemed nervous. 

“Do we even know a Mary?” Jake asked, “The name seems fami–”

“You don’t.” Jane interrupted. 

Her voice trembled slightly, as if she was afraid of upsetting someone. 

“Jane…we…we aren’t mad at you.” Jake stammered.

“Did we upset you?” Jack added.

“No. It’s not you.” 

“Then who?”

Both men suddenly felt dizzy. Jack swore he could see Jane mouth something.  He felt the name “Mary” start slipping from his mind. No, he had to hang onto it. He reached out. 

Suddenly he was in bed again, it was night time and Clarice slept next to him. His arm was held up towards the ceiling. Something was held in his hand. He gently lowered it, a green flower. It was clearly fake and ripped off something. The back of it had residue of possible fabric glue. The petals were soft, staring at the flower made him feel warm. He looked at Clarice, his loving wife, then back at the flower, sighed. He carefully got up out of bed and made his way to the restroom. But the person he saw in the mirror didn’t look familiar. He had hazel eyes and pure black hair. He didn’t remember looking like anything else but that wasn’t him. He examined his arms, clean, didn’t he have scars? No he couldn’t have. But didn’t he? His heart started racing, something was in his brain. He heard a voice say his name, only to turn around and see no one standing there. Was he going insane?

He turned on the sink. Splashed his face with water. And when he lifted his head, Jane stood behind him.

“Gah! Ja—“

She covered his mouth and pushed him up against the sink.

“Shhh, Jack. Don’t wake her.” She whispered.

“Who?” He whispered back, “Clarice?”

“Clarice isn’t real. None of this is. Please you have to get out of here.”

“Who’s she though?”

“Queen.”

“Queen?”

“I’ve dug around your psyche a bit, I think she’s what you call an enig…egg…enemy? No…enigmaw?”

“Enigma?”

Suddenly as soon as the word left his mouth something in his brain sparked. He looked back in the mirror. His eyes turned from hazel to red and he saw white appearing in his hair. 

“Yes, I think that’s the word. Enigma.”

Jack stared at his reflection for a while. Then it returned back to hazel and pure black.

“My enigma has the power to control one's dreams. She hates me. But she still gave me a perfect life here, a dream world. She wants to keep you and Jake in here. But I don’t think that's right. It's not good.”

The way she spoke held intelligence but was hampered by a childlike mind, one who hadn’t experienced life like Jack or Jake. 

“Jane,” Jack started, “How long have you been here?”

“My whole life.”

One would think living in an idealized world would be wonderful, however the hint of sadness in her voice is all Jack needed to hear.

“We’re getting out of here. All of us.”

“We are?”

“Yes. You don’t deserve this. Life outside may be hell at times but there’s things worth living for.”

“Like your Mary?”

His Mary. His heart fluttered at that statement. He felt a twinge of embarrassment though,

“Y-yes, like my Mary.”

Jane smiled, “I can’t wait to meet her. I saw your memories together, she seems sweet.”

“I wish I could remember myself.”

“You will. Don’t worry.”

“So, how do we get out of here?”

“You need to start remembering what makes you wake up in the morning. Something that gets you out of bed.”

“Like Mary?”

The ground suddenly trembled.

“Like Mary.”

Another voice entered the fray,

“Um, Jack, what’s going on?”

Jane stumbled back and hid behind Jack. Jack followed her lead and stepped back.

“Clarice, what are you doing up?”

“I should ask you the same. Why is Jane here?”

Jack paused, sadness filled his eyes as he spoke,

“Hey Clarice, remember senior prom?”

“Of course I do!”

“Describe it to me.”

“Well we…um…danced. Oh Jack it was so long ago I don’t really remember.”

“Of course, dear, how could you remember something you never went to. I went with Mary that year. You were across the country performing.”

Clarice froze, “W-what?”

A silence fell as both lovers seemed to realize what has happened,

“Jack?”

“Yes, love?”

“I’m not…real…am I?”

“I’m afraid not.”

The ground shook once more, Jane squeaked,

“Sh-she’s coming!”

Clarice nodded and looked at Jack,

“Go find your brother. I’ll try my best to hold her off. I’m sorry, if I had known this wasn’t real I would’ve…”

Jack kissed her forehead, causing her to tear up,

“I’ve missed you all these years, Clarice. Real or not, I will treasure our time together here. Thank you, for everything.”

And with that Jack and Jane left to find Jake.