Disclaimer: Lets see what do I own? Not much. I don't own the IAHB characters they belong to I believe Alliance Atlantis. I don't own A.J. Roberts, his parents or his parents friends if they should happen to drop by they all belong to Donald Bellisario (he created JAG). I also don't own the idea that this story is based on that belongs to Scott Wallens. I do own any errors you might encounter because my beta reader (who I don't own) is on vacation.
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Author's Notes: I'll try to make this as short as possible since the disclaimer was so long. First things first this is supergirl I changed my name to winter*rose basically because I like it better. Second, this story (which will hopefully become a series) is based on the book series by Scott Wallens called Sevens. I hope you enjoy my latest masterpieceJ Happy reading!
Sevens
Week 1: Broken
Prologue
Val's standing in the middle of a room. It has blue faded carpet, whitewashed walls and little slits of window from which she can see little patches of grass. Must be below ground, she thinks. Below ground, basement. Basement. Then it dawns on her this isn't just any basement, this is The Basement.
With that realization objects that were there that fateful day begin to appear. An old brown ratted couch and chair. A ping pong table with a sagging net. A certain chill fills the room and Val hugs herself to keep warm. An old cardboard box filled with toys. A dartboard. She feels chills start to run down her spine. A white door on the far wall. A dark red almost brown stain just inches from where she is standing.
Val backs away from the spot in effort to distance herself not only from it, but also the memories it holds. Smoke begins to fill the room.
"Val!" She hears her little sister's frantic call from somewhere in the basement that has now been covered by the blinding smoke, "Val, come get me! I'm scared!"
"It's okay Brooke. I'm here," Val calls back in an attempt to reassure her sister as she walks in the direction of her sister's call. The smoke gets thicker and Val can't see the far wall.
"Where are you? I need you!" Brooke calls again this one more desperate than the last. Val walks faster to the sound of her sister's voice.
"I'm coming, Brookie! Hold on!" Val assures her sister as she begins to pick up speed. Suddenly, she can't move. She looks to see if there is cause for why in one of her most dire hours her legs won't move. There clutching onto her legs determined not to let her go are six ten year olds. Ten year olds she remembers very well. Kenny Schultz, A.J. Roberts, Caitie Roth, Jin Sato, Nicole Blue Eagle and Bradley Daniels. Why won't they let her go? She has to-
"Val! Come save me!" Brooke cries out with a certain desperation that makes Val's heart ache. She looks down at the former selves of her friends holding on to her as if they have nothing left. They want her help too. She tries to shake them. She has to-
"Val!"
With that last cry for help Val bolts up in bed breathing hard and with strands of her hair clinging to her clammy face. It's not real, she tells herself, It was just a dream.
She climbs out of bed knowing that after she has one of those nightmares she isn't going to be going back to sleep anytime soon. Val walks through "her room" and has no problem getting cross the barren floor that is devoid of anything let alone clutter that would fill a normal teenager's room.
Val crosses the doorway into the hallway and walks down to where she knows the bathroom is. Once there she turns on the light to reveal the pristine gray-tiled bathroom. She leans down to open the cabinet located just below the sink and pulls out a clean washcloth. Using the cabinet in which the sink sits she pulls herself back up. Val turns on the and lets the yellow washcloth soak in it. After a few seconds she takes it out from under the water and turns the water off.
Val brings the soaking cloth to her face and moves it around trying to wipe away the memories of her latest nightmare. When her face is more or less clean she puts the cloth down on the edge of the sink, then lifts her head and stares at her reflection in the mirror. She realizes at that second that appearances really are deceiving because looking back at her is an innocent looking girl who is really, in Val's mind, is a murder contemned to her own private Hell.