"Do you believe in Reincarnation?"
Catherine didn't look up as she asked the question. She continued to doodle aimlessly on the paper in front of her.
Warrick frowned, "What do you mean?"
"You know," she threw her pen down and rested her chin on her arms. "Like if you've led a good and true existence, then when you die you return as a higher being. If you've lived a life of sin, then you return as some lower level creature."
Warrick pulled a face. "God, I hope not."
Catherine laughed.
Nick leaned back in his chair, resting his foot on his opposite knee. He looked thoughtful. "But how can something like a worm commit a sin? Their soul must just keep on moving up and up the chain until it's reincarnated as a creature that's capable of evil."
Sara grinned, "Hey. Maybe that's why Grissom's so into his bugs. Maybe his soul remembers being one."
A slightly evil look passed over Warrick's face, "Hey Nicky. I reckon you were a slug."
"Bite me!" Nick threw a folded newspaper at Warrick. Warrick ducked just in time. The paper ruffled his hair as it sailed over his head.
By this time Catherine had retrieved her pen and returned to her doodling. She looked troubled. Sara wondered briefly what was bothering her, but Grissom entered the room, drawing the focus of her attention elsewhere.
In the morning, after her shift, Catherine drove straight to her sister Laura's house, where Lindsey had spent the night. She stood now in the darkened bedroom, watching Lindsey sleep. Her daughter's face twisted in her sleep, reflecting her dreams. For a second she bared a shocking resemblance to her father, Eddie.
Catherine sat on the edge of the bed, stroking Lindsey's hair. She kept thinking about Eddie. He'd not exactly lead an honest life. She wondered what had become of him after his death and if the same fate awaited her.
A soft knocking on the bedroom door roused her from her thoughts. Her sister stood there looking worn out.
"Do you want some coffee?"
Catherine smiled gratefully and followed Laura into the kitchen.
"So, how's Ellie these days?" Catherine enquired about her niece.
Her sister rubbed her tired eyes. "God. You tell me. I don't even know where she is. I daren't go look in her room. Sometimes I check on her and find her bed unslept in. My heart sinks. I keep picturing her lying dead in a ditch somewhere.
"Sometimes I look in and she's there, but it's even worse. Maybe she'll be passed out in her clothes. Perhaps lying in her own vomit or covered in cuts and bruises from some stupid fight. Or maybe entangled in some guy. Maybe someone I've met before who she's introduced as 'just some friend' or maybe it'll be a random stranger."
Laura paused, tears streaming down her face.
Catherine placed a hand over hers, to comfort her.
Laura sniffed and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand.
"I'm so afraid Cath. She's barely seventeen years old. Just a child. And there's nothing I can do to help her. It was bad enough when it was you. I had to watch as my little sister went totally off the rails. But this is so much worse. She's my baby girl and I can't touch her. I'm just watching her destroy herself."
Her whole body shook with her silent sobs.
Catherine went over and hugged her sister, stroking her hair to soothe her.
She felt someone tapping her in the centre of her spine.
"Mommy. Can I have some breakfast?"
She turned to see Lindsey looking up at her, dressed in her pyjamas.
"Oohh. Sweetie." Catherine scooped her up in her arms and kissed her on her forehead. "Auntie Laura'll fix you something."
She waited for Laura to nod before placing Lindsey down on the floor beside her.
"I'll go check on Ellie."
"Thank you," Laura whispered gratefully.
So this is the start of a new story. It's a bit dark I'm afraid. Anyway, please let me know what you think, coz I love reviews!
Catherine didn't look up as she asked the question. She continued to doodle aimlessly on the paper in front of her.
Warrick frowned, "What do you mean?"
"You know," she threw her pen down and rested her chin on her arms. "Like if you've led a good and true existence, then when you die you return as a higher being. If you've lived a life of sin, then you return as some lower level creature."
Warrick pulled a face. "God, I hope not."
Catherine laughed.
Nick leaned back in his chair, resting his foot on his opposite knee. He looked thoughtful. "But how can something like a worm commit a sin? Their soul must just keep on moving up and up the chain until it's reincarnated as a creature that's capable of evil."
Sara grinned, "Hey. Maybe that's why Grissom's so into his bugs. Maybe his soul remembers being one."
A slightly evil look passed over Warrick's face, "Hey Nicky. I reckon you were a slug."
"Bite me!" Nick threw a folded newspaper at Warrick. Warrick ducked just in time. The paper ruffled his hair as it sailed over his head.
By this time Catherine had retrieved her pen and returned to her doodling. She looked troubled. Sara wondered briefly what was bothering her, but Grissom entered the room, drawing the focus of her attention elsewhere.
In the morning, after her shift, Catherine drove straight to her sister Laura's house, where Lindsey had spent the night. She stood now in the darkened bedroom, watching Lindsey sleep. Her daughter's face twisted in her sleep, reflecting her dreams. For a second she bared a shocking resemblance to her father, Eddie.
Catherine sat on the edge of the bed, stroking Lindsey's hair. She kept thinking about Eddie. He'd not exactly lead an honest life. She wondered what had become of him after his death and if the same fate awaited her.
A soft knocking on the bedroom door roused her from her thoughts. Her sister stood there looking worn out.
"Do you want some coffee?"
Catherine smiled gratefully and followed Laura into the kitchen.
"So, how's Ellie these days?" Catherine enquired about her niece.
Her sister rubbed her tired eyes. "God. You tell me. I don't even know where she is. I daren't go look in her room. Sometimes I check on her and find her bed unslept in. My heart sinks. I keep picturing her lying dead in a ditch somewhere.
"Sometimes I look in and she's there, but it's even worse. Maybe she'll be passed out in her clothes. Perhaps lying in her own vomit or covered in cuts and bruises from some stupid fight. Or maybe entangled in some guy. Maybe someone I've met before who she's introduced as 'just some friend' or maybe it'll be a random stranger."
Laura paused, tears streaming down her face.
Catherine placed a hand over hers, to comfort her.
Laura sniffed and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand.
"I'm so afraid Cath. She's barely seventeen years old. Just a child. And there's nothing I can do to help her. It was bad enough when it was you. I had to watch as my little sister went totally off the rails. But this is so much worse. She's my baby girl and I can't touch her. I'm just watching her destroy herself."
Her whole body shook with her silent sobs.
Catherine went over and hugged her sister, stroking her hair to soothe her.
She felt someone tapping her in the centre of her spine.
"Mommy. Can I have some breakfast?"
She turned to see Lindsey looking up at her, dressed in her pyjamas.
"Oohh. Sweetie." Catherine scooped her up in her arms and kissed her on her forehead. "Auntie Laura'll fix you something."
She waited for Laura to nod before placing Lindsey down on the floor beside her.
"I'll go check on Ellie."
"Thank you," Laura whispered gratefully.
So this is the start of a new story. It's a bit dark I'm afraid. Anyway, please let me know what you think, coz I love reviews!