Disclaimer: Not for profit. I do not own Rizzoli & Isles or any of its characters.
No, I Am Not as Others Are
By
BlueCanto
The smooth slink of Jane's natural stride was disrupted by the rubble beneath her feet. She moved slowly as she navigated through the dusty haze, squinting and blinking furiously as she tried, unsuccessfully, to force her eyes to adjust to the gloom of her surroundings. With her arms extended, she clawed the air, desperate to find something or someone. Jane paused momentarily confused. She shook her head and a jumble of dark curls slung free from the band at the nape of her neck. Where was she and why was she alone? Jane couldn't remember. She could hear the rubble shifting and crumbling all around her. She shook her head again. A sort of dust was collecting itself in patches on the surface of her skin, in the tresses of her hair, the moist flesh inside her nose and exposed mud brown pools of her eyes. Jane scrunched her nose; there was a persistent smell that shifted with the breeze that she couldn't quite identify. She suppressed a sneeze as she moved further into the darkness, where the air was warm and grew warmer still.
Jane stopped abruptly and closed her eyes when a swirl of gritty air forced itself against her. For a few moments she stood rooted as she waited for the air to still. When she opened her eyes, she immediately looked to her left. There was something fixed far in the distance. It was a faint glow that broke through the gloom and gave her hope, a destination, and a goal.
Jane wheezed and released a shallow cough. Her breath quickened as she began to sweat profusely. It was hot, but Jane didn't care. She was mesmerized by the light, so captivated by its irregular flickers and how it shone brightly at first, withered, and grew back again, brighter than before. That was where Jane wanted to go. She needed to go to the light. And although Jane moved lethargically, she didn't despair. Jane knew that she could reach her goal, she would always reach her goal, and she would reach the light.
Something twisted and turned inside Jane's mind and a surge gathered in her chest and abdomen, and then spread throughout her body. Suddenly she found herself moving in a swift surefooted jog. That is, until she misstepped and fell into a rough embrace that left her scraped and bruised. Momentarily shocked, Jane's mind wandered. She marveled at the wet substance on the insides of her hands, the hands that broke the majority of her fall. She could feel pain. Curious, Jane sniffed her hands. The smell was familiar. Her tongue darted out impulsively. It was bitter. It was blood. Vertigo and a rush of fatigue overcame Jane and her eyes fluttered. The heat was unbearable. Jane ignored the many sensations that were overwhelming her and looked forward, into the light. She was much closer now. She needed to move.
Jane pushed herself up just enough to climb over all that was rough and tangled beneath her. She was almost there. The gloom of her surroundings began to brighten into a dull gray. Shadows began to dance playfully before her eyes. The gritty air that she felt before was now almost visible. Odd shaped silhouettes littered the air and floated to and fro. The rough and tangle beneath her began to emerge from the darkness and take shape as well. Jane could see now how it spread and weaved along the ground, half hidden under large slabs of what appeared to be earth and stone. There was a new sound that accompanied the shifting and crumbling, a strange cacophony, or a sort of roar that occasionally popped and whistled in low and high pitches.
The roar grew louder. Jane could hear and see a lot more than she did just moments before. And when she finally arrived, Jane was blinded by the light. She shielded her eyes as she slowly stood. The heat engulfed her and her breath hitched. She was shaken by and in awe of the illumination before her, of the amber glow, the large breeze blown flits of scarlet and the melodic sway of two closely twined trees aflame.
Jane felt her legs collapse, she felt her arms slacken, she felt all the fervor and excitements leave her body. Indeed, she had arrived. Jane could almost hear someone's laughter over the roar of the flame. When she realized that it was her own laughter, Jane froze completely, uttered a breathy curse, and fell flat on her back, knocking a small amount of wind from her body. Jane didn't know what to do, so she closed her eyes—defeated.
The air shifted and brought a welcome cool breeze; as well as, a sorrowful whisper that echoed above the roar. "I won't let you give up, Maura—never!"
Jane's eyes flew open. She found that she couldn't move her arms and legs, so she cried out, "Who's there?"
"I know you can hear me…"
The voice was lovely and familiar. Jane's vocal chords began to tighten and enflame. It was difficult to speak but she managed a strained shout, "Where are you? I know you. Why aren't you here with me?!"
"I'm right here."
There was an audible sigh that seemed to lessen the flames. A dark, inky hole opened before Jane's eyes and she could see what looked like partial legs and hooves. When it fully emerged, it was a massive form. It was the distorted figure of woman astride a dark horse.