DISCLAIMER: I do not own Redeye
Chapter One: In the Shadow of a Bitter Slumber
She ran, almost jumping in stride as if the ground was crumbling beneath her. The only sound that echoed in the narrow street was the sound of her feet hitting the pavement. Though this was the only noise to be heard, she knew she wasn't the only one running, for the reason that Lisa Reisert was always in a constant chase, a chase that haunted her dreams. The dreams always replayed the same scenario, she would be running down a darkened street, not really sure of what she was running from, but then a shadow would loom over her, consuming what little light was left in the street. The shadow would grab her, and as the street grew bitter cold, would shake her into reality… this is normally where she would wake up shivering.
Lisa was a strong woman, both emotionally and physically, but she had been through a lot in her life, and the past year had weighed heavily on her mind. Jackson Rippner was in a hospital somewhere, a massive amount of blood loss had sent him into a prolonged coma, and the authorities thought it would be best if Lisa did not know of which hospital he was located at. She knew that she didn't have anything to worry about, and she knew that a life centered around fear was not a healthy way to live. What happened to her could have ended a lot worse, and she reminded herself of this daily. She was a survivor, and she was not the one in a coma.
She took a short leave from work after the fiasco, but found some sort of comfort in the work that she did, and went back after two weeks. She felt secure at work, as if she was fighting a new battle each day. As a manager, she was always settling complaints from guests, seeing to random problems, and making sure the overall day just went smoothly. She felt on top of her game at the Lux Atlantic, as if she had to be ready for an unwanted shadow to plague her existence.
That's what Jackson was to her, a shadow that always seemed to be watching her, reading her mind, and entering her dreams. She did not consider herself to be paranoid, but if she was, who could blame her? Jackson had kept a close eye on her for who knows how long before her experience on the red eye, and had figured out Lisa Reisert right down to the Sea Breeze she was reluctant to order. The only thing Jackson had not picked up on, was Lisa's courage and resourcefulness, which he would come to regret after pulling the pen out of his neck.
She was moving on, and it seemed as if with each passing night, her dreams became less and less dark. Finally after three months, she at last slept peacefully. What Lisa was unaware of though, was that this would be the same night that Jackson Rippner would regain consciousness and awaken from his coma. Would Lisa's dreams become reality? The only thing that could be sure, was that Lisa had not seen the last of Jackson Rippner.