Chapter 1: Breaking the bonds.
Inside the matrix, an apartment above a sleazy movie theater.
(If you like listening to music while you read, I'd personally recommend the opening score of the Matrix film, played at 1.25 speed and Hunger Games- Overture played at the same pace as the other piece of music.)
Trinity's fingers clacked against the keyboard as she typed, hoping to break the final ring of encryption to unlocking how the agents could mysteriously pop up at any given point in time. "C'mon, Trin. One more layer to go-" her whisper fell silent as she heard the familiar click deep in her brain that alerted her that there were Agents on her trail, or perhaps a police officer.
"Put your hands up! Stand against the wall, facing it!" an officer barked. "Stupid piece of code," Trinity thought but complied to his orders.
Two other officers came in, their flashlights lighting up the dirty room. Trinity waited, biding her time, and then her eyes snapped open, she lept into the air in the stance of a crane, and attacked. Like a spring coiled into a tight space, she sent all of her pent up adrenaline forward, kicking and punching with such ferocity that her attackers had no chance at blocking her.
She bolted out of the room, and down the hallway. To her horror, she felt the tinge of an agent and sprang out onto a balcony to find her exit blocked. Trin turned around, and took the fire-escape four stairs at a time, and sprinted across the roof, and turned her head. An agent was in fact on her trail, and closing in fast on her heels.
The gaps between the buildings widened, and Trinity took them in stride, using the reserves of her adrenaline to jump further than any human normally could, and knew with a sinking thud, that the agent had followed her. She ducked behind a chimney and saw a lit window across a major intersection. "I can make that leap-" she whispered, took a deep breath, and sprinted across the roof, and jumped, making her body lie flat and sleek.
The glass of the window smashed, and Trinity rolled down a flight of stairs, to find herself on her back, guns pointed at her entrance way. The lamp she'd disturbed swung back and forth like a pendulum, and after a few moments, Trin rolled over, and ran outside, to see an unmanned phonebox on the end of the street. However, a garbage truck's lights streamed past her, and Trin realized that the agents were going to reach the box before she could, if she ran at a reasonable speed.
She gritted her teeth, and got to the phone booth, moments before the truck did. She took the phone in one hand and pressed her other hand against the glass, fingers splayed apart. The truck smashed the booth into pieces, but Trinity was nowhere to be found.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia, the winter of 1911.
The breakfast room was quiet, except for the rustle of Cal's newspaper. Rose glanced nervously at him over the rim of her teacup and managed to swallow a sliver of bread, taking care not to choke and spray crumbs everywhere. Cal glanced up at her, and Rose felt her stomach drop, inch by inch. "Lovely morning, my dearest. I thought it nice if perhaps you would like to join me for luncheon in the spring room?" that wasn't a question, Rose thought. It's a death sentence. "Of course, darling," Rose replied shakily, putting on a sweet smile, though internally, she thought she would be sick. That piece of toast wasn't holding down too well. "Good," Cal muttered. "I expect to see you there by noon, wearing the dress,"
Rose barely suppressed a shudder of horror. The dress was a green silk backless dress that screamed dishonor and shenanigans. "Alright, dear. I'll wear it. Without the petticoat, seeing as I'm pregnant?"
Cal gave a sickly sweet smile and nodded his assent, and then before he left, grabbed Rose's arms and pinned them above her head. "You will obey me, dearest fiance."
she gave a nervous nod and tensed her shoulders for the slap that was coming.
Thankfully, Cal didn't slap her, only turned around and left, his cologne and cigar scent clouding in his wake. Rose collapsed in her seat and held a trembling hand to her stomach. She was only in her first trimester, a dangerous time for her and the baby because of Cal's violent outbursts.
Rose stood up, gritted her teeth, knowing that the only way out of this situation was by refusing Cal's marriage proposal. She walked back to her bedroom, kneeled on the floor, and clasped her hands together. "Daddy-" Rose's voice choked, but she bit her bottom lip. "I need your help and guidance. Cal's, being, well, Cal. I'm pregnant and alone in the world, and I'd really like a friend to help me through all this. I love you very much." She whispered, hoping that Cal wouldn't hear her.