Jessibelle
James’ number has come up. It’s me who’s going to claim the prize, not my tramp lookalike, not ever again. But that tramp lookalike wouldn’t have been a problem if I had treated him right in the first place. Why was I so stupid? Noone likes to be whipped, noone likes to be stalked and tortured. Why did I do it? I guess because I was trying to get him to realize if he stayed with me, the torturing would end. It didn’t work as I had planned. I remember when we were just little, after my parents kicked me out of the house. They hadn’t wanted a kid, it was an accident. That’s all I was to them, an accident. My father just didn’t make enough money for himself, my mother, and me. A three year old accident, that’s all I was to them. Why should he pay for his mistakes? I remember how James’ parents found me wandering around the street, all roughed up. They took me in. I’ll never know why, they haven’t shown an ounce of compassion since. How could they have seen marriage material in a little street girl that had a torn dress and tangled hair? I acted terrible for them, I remember it distinctly. It’s hard not to act the only way you were taught, after all. They HAD to send me away, to that retched boarding school. I acted terrible there, too. They soon fixed that. I spent 5 years in boarding school, when the target years were two. I bet they were glad to see me go finally. I was deemed worthy by someone though, for the first time in my life. That made me feel good. When I came back, I was an eight year old lady. I wonder where my childhood went? No dollies and play tea parties for me. Real tea parties and a bunch of stuffed shirt hags telling me how to act at them. Those were my dollies. I got back, and James’ parents loved me. I was finally marriage material. They let me around their son. There again, I acted the way I was taught at the school. Whips were part of daily life. I would make people cringe if they ever saw how many scars were all over my body from the hours of torture they put me through there. James’ parents approved. After all, they’re the ones that gave the whip to me. They wanted James to see his destiny was inevitable. James was a dreamer, that’s one of the things I loved about him. Of course, his parents never did, how could a dreamer get hands on their money? He might *gasp* give it to charity or someone who needs it! James’ spirits needed broken. I was just the lady for the job. Or that’s what they thought. In all actuality, I should love them. If not for them, I’d be living on the street, something I’m thoroughly convinced would’ve killed me. They took me in, they gave me clothes, they sent me off to an uncaring boarding school who sucked all the childhood out of me. They let me come back to their house, let me be around their son, promised me they’d give me their fortune when they died and I was married to their son. They gave me a whip and told me to break his spirits. To destroy his dreams. Things I never had. Accidents, I’ve come to believe, don’t have feelings. That belief came largely from their counseling and from my ‘dollies’ at the boarding school. Yes, I really should love them like parents. I put on a convincing show, however. Sometimes I just want to take the whip… I can’t loose my happy thoughts. If I do that, I’ll end up where my type should’ve ended up in the first place. The only other time I thought I saw caring and love for us, other than when they took me in, was one year when they decided it might be fun to celebrate Christmas. I got my beloved Oddish. James got Growlie. I think that was the one day where he wasn’t afraid of me. We took them out, and we played in the snow, we had a good time. I think that was the only day of childhood I had. Maybe him too. After that, I used a combination of Stun Spore and the whip to keep him in line. That Growlithe learned to hate me, he chased me around whenever I got anywhere near James after awhile. So his parents built him a doghouse and told James he wasn’t to be allowed out. Of course James broke that rule frequently, but Growlie never chased me after that. He knew I was not to be tangled with. I remember the day I drove him off. I was chasing him, trying to teach him how to be a gentleman like his parents wanted. He finally just snapped. I can’t blame him. I wanted to run away right after him. I really did love him, even at that age. I wanted to get away just as desperately as he did. He was the closest thing I had to a human friend. Sure, I had Oddish, but I wanted someone to talk to. I had something almost close to that, her name was Constance. She went to the same boarding school I did. But she was a frail little thing, a hemophiliac, and she bled to death from the whippings. I never got close to anyone after that. I got angry at James after he left. How could he leave me alone with HIS parents, the living demons? They weren’t MY parents… But I guess I wanted to leave the boarding school after they whipped me so much, too. That place probably gave me a taste for it in the first place. After all, it looked like they were enjoying it, so I decided I would too. I grew up and aged, I was treated as a porcelain doll, too fine to touch or let out. I grew to be a fine young lady, in his parents standards. I almost went insane living with them alone. The only distraction I had was when I was training my Oddish. I got it to grow into a Vileplume. Of course, the Leaf stone was provided by the evil couple I live with. I remember how happy I was when James finally came back. I thought the scheme was a little underhanded, but if it brings James back, it’ll break the monotony of living with his parents. I remember that woman he was with. Who knew that James would join up with someone who looked exactly like me? Even acted like me, abuse and all. Some things in the world aren’t fair. That was one of them. I looked into her eyes, all I saw there was a cold type of determinness. She probably grew up on the life I would have. I guess my theory that I would’ve died on the streets wasn’t entirely accurate. Of course I played her little game, "Why ever do you keep talking to yourself, James dearest?" , my mind hasn’t gone with all these years of his parents. Of course I led her back down to the old torture room, that target board still has the James-shaped hole it did before he left. That was a fun game. I hope he knew I was just having fun. His parents HAD to break in and scare that little tramp of a replacement off, I wanted to have some fun with her first. But then the butler carried everyone not in the family off, beats me how those nosy brats got in, so it could just be me and James again. And his parents, of course. Who could forget about them. Then that Growlithe burst in. Of course he carried James away, back to the doghouse, with the tramp and the brats. I broke in on their little party, though, being extra careful to blast the tramp and that mangy alleycat into oblivion. Of course that Growlithe and that filthy electric rat scared Vileplume off. I should’ve expected as much, I only raised it on Pidgeys and Magikarp I found around the grounds. The grounds I wasn’t to step foot off. I’d finally decided I’d had enough of the high life after I saw how much James loved that tramp. I saw the whole Air Balloon scene from my place in the bushes. I can be quiet when I want to. I wasn’t after they flew off, however. Then I cried rather loudly. That tramp, not even a lady, beats him as much as I do. But he loves her. I tried to find out where they were going, but the brats ran away before I could ask them. I ran away that night and haven’t been back since. The combination of seeing James again, seeing the tramp, and the devil parents over the years just made me snap. Growlie was the last straw. I followed in James’ footsteps. I joined Team Rocket. Did I expect anything else? Not really. I want to be around James, even if it means that I have to see him around that tramp. I’m a special agent there, The Boss took a liking to me right away. I do different things for him, the kind of things they told us never to do until we’re married in boarding school. Stuff proper ladies never do, the kind of stuff that would make my ‘dollies’ retch. Forget them. Forget being a lady. I’d imagine these are the kind of things I would’ve had to do out on the street. Stuff that little tramp did before she joined the team. I would understand now, though. One must do what one must do to make money. The Boss enjoys it, and I don’t mind so much. I get to wear a black uniform and carry a whip. The whip makes the uniform worth while. I don’t go out on assignments. The Boss wouldn’t allow anything to happen to me. I only go out to eliminate insubordinate, lousy, or distrustful members. Easy stuff. I’m an assassin. Sweet, kind, proper, bloodthirsty Jessibelle the assassin. The only bad thing is James doesn’t recognize me anymore. Something inside of me has died, and I now realize it was that spirit that I chased James around with, that same spirit that kept me alive in that awful house. I would definitely not be able to live there now. It died after I saw him fly away in the Air Balloon with that tramp. I never told The Boss about my past. If I had, he’d make me and James marry to get at the money. I don’t think I want that anymore, I’m not sure why. I still love him, and I learned that love isn’t always necessarily reciprocated. I’m one of it’s victims, out of how ever many more. Love will always claim victims, no matter what. I’ve got the order to terminate The Tramp and James’ life in my hands. Boss’ orders. Ones I intend to follow through with. The Tramp deserves it, I’ll relish it. James, however, I’ll do more slowly, so he can enjoy my company one last time. The way I was raised, by his parents, is to not let anyone take what you want away from you. Noone’s taking him but me. My only true love, see what happens when you play with tramps?
"I’ll follow you to the ends of the Earth and the bottom of the sea, James dearest!" But only I will return. Enjoy the chase James, it’ll be your last.
The End
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