The horrible truth

"Jackpot!" Jack exclaimed to his friends, "I won!" He said as he opened another bottle of wine. Gases spat out like a volcano across the room, spitting on everyone's shirt and sleeve.

"Ugh, playing cards are so boring!" His friend Alex rolled his eyes, throwing his cards on the table, and grabbed the can of beer next to him, "we had already played so much stupid kiddie stuff, why don't we play something exciting and thrilling?"

"Like what?" Anna, a girl in the room asked, gurgling the bottle of beer she has grabbed from the fridge, "is there anything fun? The rain is still pouring outside, we couldn't ride our motorcycles or hop on our skateboard or rollers."

"I know what we could play," said Monica as she held an empty wine bottle aloft, "spin the bottle. Who the bottle landed on gets to choose truth or dare." She slammed the bottle on the chalk-white table.

"Great idea!" The others agreed as they sat around the corners of the table, excitedly looked at the bottle.

"Let me spin first," Anna said excitedly and stood and spin the bottle hardly. The bottle spun vigorously as it made out crinkling noises, perhaps of the friction between them. It kept on spinning in circles until it slowed down and landed in front of Jack's direction.

"You Jack," Anna said looking up, "truth or dare?"

"Truth, of course!" Jack said undoubtfully as he gurgled beer into his mouth, "who will choose dare to be honest..."

"Okay," Anna tapped her chin and thought for any questions in her mind popping up, "when did you first kissed a girl?"

"Nah, this question is so childish," Alex shook his head and laughed, hitting the table. His face looks red seems a little too drunk, after drinking 5 cans of beer in a row after losing the card game, "I give you a dare... and I bet 500 to see if you are willing to jump off the roof right up!" Alex gave Jack a sly smile.

"Seriously that's a huge bet!" Monica grinned and enthusiastic at the same time, "but you did so many parkour races videos before. I bet you're gonna win that though."

"You're right Mon.," Anna included, "you had successfully challenged the steep skateboard challenge. I add my bet into this dare," she said as she pulled keys from her pocket and tossed onto the table," if you win this dare, I will let you stay here in my private getaway house for one whole week! There will be plenty of beer and a whole king-size bed inside with ocean view and garden view."

"Wow that looks fantastic Jack, you will give this dare a try, don't you?" Alex looked at him, while the other 2 girls looked at him with loads of expectations.

"I don't think so..." Jack felt a little scared as he looked at the window. Thousands of raindrops patted the window, thunders zipping and zapping, bolts of lightning zipping and zapping from time to time. "I am sure outside is slippery, I won't take that risk." He said, trying to explain.

"Hhhhahaha," Alex laughed insanely, "Jack doesn't have the courage to jump off the roof! Seriously there are only 2 meters between them and you are already not going? You're a dump!"

Anna and Monica laughed too as they pour beer into their mouths laughing so hard that they spat the beer from their nose.

"Come on Jack, don't be a baby who is afraid of everything," Anna said, "It's just meters up, don't ruin the fun and thrill."

"We guys are waiting for you to complete that," Monica nudged him, "hurry up! We still have rounds of dare."

Jack didn't want the others to feel like he was a weak and brittle guy who was afraid of everything.

"Okay fine. I am doing the dare!" He said finally, trying to calm the mood down. His news made the whole room burst into cheer and applause. Monica and Anna cheered for him while Alex patted his shoulder, whispering, "that's the bro I knew... good job choosing the dare."

Jack and the group walked up the stairs towards the rooftop. It was dark, narrow, and twisted. All of the other members of the group were extremely looking forward to the dare, but not Jack. He was actually freaking out inside, he didn't want to accept the dare, after all, he was actually really frightened when his bro came up with the idea of jumping off the rooftop cause of his extreme parkour videos and skateboarding skills he has always posted. However, on such a dark night with terrible weather, jumping down 2 meters off, he doubts he could do that. All he knew was the drowsiness of the alcohol has started to trigger his mind into thinking silly things, accepting the dare. keeping his strong reputation. If he was in a good condition, he will definitely reject despite their friends' boos.

As they finally got up to the roof, the exhilaration of the group rose as they are getting closer. Alex leaned closer and tried to unlock the huge and heavy bolts using the key he'd kept under the back pocket of his old worn jeans. The jeans seem wasn't wash ages ago with the old stains and a stinky odor smell.

'Ca-ching---' The lock finally flung open with the help of Alex's hands, as he carefully unties the heavy metal chains surrounding the door and kicked them in the corner of the door. Anna and Monica were still holding a beer in their hands, arms surrounding each other, the alcoholic has made them drowsy as they start humming songs playing on the radio and screeched their voice when the chorus started, spinning like a Ballina with beer spilling out everywhere.

"Come on, Jack," Alex pushed him to the roof, the rain was still pouring like cats and dogs, "you are a man. You should fulfill your promise. Here." Alex pointed down to the grassland below. Jack pulled his hoodie cap on and glanced down, which seems like thousands of miles away from the ground. He felt his heart pounding quickly like a heart attack, pressure rose, he felt sweat running down his forehead. Jack tried to wipe them all over them, pretending to be strong, but his fidgeting couldn't stop to show how horrified he is.

"Go!...... Jack! Go!..." Anna chanted out, waving and jumping, "I will support you! Give you the bravery to step out!"

"I have... have got my phone ready... to film this..." Monica almost fell without Anna's help. She felt the alcohol has pushed her thrill into posting such an exciting moment down and post them over social media. "Go... ahead... Jack! Jack... Look at... at the camera here... before you jump!" Monica almost fell to the slippery ground again. Luckily she used the bars to make sure she didn't fall, as she turned to lean onto the bars and pan the camera down, showing everyone the stunning height between the ground and the roof.

On the other hand, Jack was still solid as ice. He still hadn't got the courage to look below, let alone jumping off the roof.

"What are you waiting for, Jack?" Alex pushed Jack, who was leaning on the low rail with his teeth clattering, forward. However, the slippery floor made Jack lose his balance, the rainwater has reduced the friction between the ground and the soles of the shoes of Jack, as he fell off the roof.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" Jack exclaimed as he fell. A 'Bam!' sound following behind. The rest of the people cheered for him as they clanged beers and splitting them everywhere, onto the rainy wet tiles, out of the roof, and onto others' sleeves.

"Woo-hoo!" Alex screamed out and ran out to the railing to see Jack, "you did an awesome job, bro!"

"I got that film! Too...!" Monica shook her phone and waved, "you could post that on Youtube or Instagram, that should catch thousands or million subscribers!"

Although the whole group has called out to him, he still didn't respond. There was a silence between. The group looked below. Jack was in a position like a victim was in the crime scene of the killing, blood-engorged out from his head.

"Oh, my," Anna clasped her hands to her mouth, "do you guys think that he is dead? Or we are just too drunk?"

"Come on, let's get down to check," Monica grabbed Anna's arm and ran down the stairs, "hurry up, Alex! It might be a huge crime scene here!"

By that time, Alex was already super drunk. He grabbed the rail like a walking stick and wobbled down the stairs, still carrying beer in his hands.

"Jack!" Anna patted his face softly, "wake up! Jack! Please!" She brushed his pale face softly with her warm hands, it was cold as ice.

"Do you think we need to call the police?" Monica asked, wiping the blood which kept on oozing, "or at least an ambulance?"

"Don't Don't!" Alex told them, "don't you guys have any idea if we called them. Now Jack is currently unconscious or dead..."

"I think he really might be dead!" Anna bolted in his conversation, crying in wet tears, "look! His face is so pale! And look! His skin is so cold! And seeing this autumn weather, I don't think he will be like that except for a snowy temperature."

"Perhaps that's because you're too drunk," Monica reassured her, patting, "let me help to check his pulse and heartbeat to see if he's alive."

All of them kneel on leaned close to the body. Monica gently takes away Jack's hoodie and place her hand onto his chest, there wasn't any signal of bumping. She placed her hands over his pulse, still nothing.

"Oh no," Monica sighed, "I think Anna was right..."

"Let me do the job, you fools," Alex shoved them away and felt it. Still, there was nothing except for blood and a cold pale body.

"He is really dead... I guess..." Alex sighed.

"We should definitely call the ambulance! At least there's a slight chance..." Anna still kept sobbing and covered her eyes, "please! Let Jack be awake and alive."

Suddenly, Monica's phone beeped loudly. It was loads of messages from her insta, asking whether she is a murderer. Monica was so shocked and instantly knew why. She has accidentally clicked the recorded video into a live stream!

"What's going with all those beeping?" Alex asked, "they are terribly annoying! And now we currently still haven't figure out a way to fix these problems."

Monica showed them her phone. Thousands of comments showing saying how worst they are treating their friends and some even accosted of calling the police of planning to kill Jack.

"What... should we do?" Anna asked with wet eyes.

"I know..." Monica said.

"Run!" Monica and Alex said in unison and started running into the woods.

"Wait!..." Anna yelled back at them, her voice echos in the mid-air, "Jack! Please! Wake up!" Anna felt desperate, as she dials the ambulance number, with her tears wetting Jack's shirt.

************************************************

At that time, Jack slightly opened his eyes a little, both of their eyes glanced at each other for a single second, but then he closed back. Anna felt his pulse. Still no signs of living.

"Please, help..." it was Anna, who was still weeping, "it's... it's all my fault... I've killed him...I'm sorry..."

"Miss," a man voice said, "please come to the station with our crewmates." Jack heard metal voices and clanging sounds. Then, he felt someone pulling him up a raggy and shabby rack.

"I'm so sorry... I am so sorry Jack..." Anna screamed as the ambulance closed its doors and drove away.

*******************

Jack still hasn't woke up.

"He's dead already," a doctor said, "look at his face, pale. The hospital is already busier than a market, why did you still bring people who don't deserve to be placed on the surgeon here. The hospital beds are currently limited!"

"I actually felt a slow and weak one, but later it stops," a first aid official said, "a girl said that she and a couple of her friends were actually daring the patient to jump off the roof, which caused that accident. One, she said was a man at around 17 of age pushed the patient off, oozing all of those blood."

"Seriously, there will be two options," the doctor said," broke his brain in the fall of the blood inside was not enough for functioning! There are a lot of patients here, we can't do stupid things like this. You can ask the forensic for ideas! But not here! Here we treat people who still weren't dead!"

"The girl said she saw the patient's eyes opened and glanced at her..."

"Ughhhh..." The doctor sighed as he did a close check-up," my shifts already lasted for 48 hours..."

Anna, who was just released from the police station, rushed to the hospital to visit Jack.

"It's all my fault," Anna lowers her head, telling the doctor, "I and my friends were playing truth or dare and dare him to jump off the roof..."

"He's dead already," the doctor explained," and for the glancing thing you saw," he hesitated and rubbed the mist of his glasses," it is just a hallucination, so don't put so much effort into believing that."

"I am sure there will be a miracle..." Anna said, "I dare to believe that."

*******************************************************

"Truth or Dare?" A slow blurry shadow moved closer. Jack looked back, it was holding a knife.

"What do you want?" He asked. The guy pulled out his gun and unfolded his mask.

"Choose then."

"Truth."

"I knew you were in love with the girl in real life Anna, right?"

"I can't tell you."

"I invented you to help solve problems, not dating and having a relationship. AI shouldn't have both of them. Tell me, do you have a crush on her?"

"I won't tell you anything related."

"No worries, then you'll choose dare then."

"What's a dare?"

"Kill the girl you had a crush on!"

"I can't do that!"

"If you lose the forfeit, you have the punishment then..."

"What do you want then?"

"Nothing, except for you smart brain," the guy moved closer silently like a ghost. He moved closer and closer. And smashed his head with a pan out of nowhere.

Jack freaked as he jumped out of bed. Anna was shocked as she called out for the doctors to help.

"Finally!" Anna said, hugging him ecstatically, "I knew you are going to wake up!" Anna said with tears filled in her eyes. "I knew you are never gonna give up your life."

"Actually," Jack explained, "I was alive all the time..."

"Wait what?" Anna said doubtfully.

The doctors heard about the news and ran into the room. They put loads of electrical wires and connect them into the room. A nurse pulled his sleeve and a shiny metal appeared in front of Anna.

"What... is that," Anna asked, pointing at the silvery thing.

Jack didn't speak. And Anna's mind was full of doubt.

"Miss, didn't you know the person in front of you is a half-human and robot that was invented years ago?" A nurse who was holding up a clipboard asked, "it is becoming more and more popular nowadays."

"What?" Anna froze and stared at Jack, who was still emotionless about what the nurse has said. A nurse put her helmet on and has started connecting the electrical wires back to place.

"So... That's why I told you not to increase our workload!" The doctor who had badly treated Anna came in," didn't you actually know that the person in front of you is an AI? You really don't need to act like a nerd cause you're one! And we need to call those stupid nurses who were related to fix that!"

The nurses in the ward whispered to each other silently. Then one nurse stepped forward and said," back to sleeping mode, Dr. Peterson." With the voice control, the doctor lowered his head with beeping sounds following.

"These things need to be repaired once in a blue moon," one nurse pulled the doctor or so-called one of the AI robots, "and we have already fixed the robot, or you so call 'Jack'? All you need to wake him up is to touch his forehead." She said as she pulled with all her might and the nurses slowly left the room.

Anna couldn't believe what she has discovered. Her friend Jack was actually an AI robot. The doubts cleared about why Jack was always that smart and that brave was able to do dangerous acts and stunts. She couldn't believe AI was taking over the world that quick, even the person in front of her was one.

Anna wept her reddish eyes and applied the makeup she has worn out. She then slowly leaned closer to Jack and touches his forehead slowly.

"Hi, I am Jack!" Jack's eyes filled with a glow as he starts moving like a real person again. He slowly turned around and saw Anna, who still looks a bit sad and had cried for months.

"Jack! You're finally here..." Anna cried.

"Oh, Anna you're here..." Jack said, patting her head, "I thought I was dropped dead after the fall. Where are the others? Where's Alex and Monica?"

"They ran away without a doubt..." Anna cried out, "they don't want to be changed for the crime."

"I understand, thanks for staying with me that long," Jack hugged Anna, which made her couldn't hold her tears dripping like rain. At the same time, his super-intelligent mind was already forming a plan that could take revenge on both of his friends, or so-called, enemies for the future.