Drabble; Erica's thoughts. Set before Jack agrees to help her with the resistance. R&R
Disclaimer: so obviously not mine. Why would I be here?
START
She was supposed to be sleeping. She had to go back to work in the morning, act as if the entire world wasn't in danger by the kind, humble V. Those beautiful, peaceful people had an agenda and she had to work out what it was. Who were they? What did they want? Why did they come? Where did they come from? What was their true name?
Why was nobody asking about their homeland? For such perfect people they had to come from a perfect planet right? It made no sense for them to seek out the waring, greedy, messy people of Earth. For peace? No way.
Yet no one saw the truth. They were all so stunned to find life beyond their borders that they were becoming lax, letting their natural mistrust fade. And for what, giant lizards covered in a faux human skin?
She couldn't even tell anyone. Her partner, her friend of seven years had been one. A reptile, an alien… a V. Who could she turn to if not her most trusted friend?
She rolled onto her side and hugged the pillow to her cheek. There was the priest… Father Jack. But what did he know of war, what did he know of betrayal and pain and suffering?
She bit her lip to banish the cruel thoughts from her mind. She didn't know him. She didn't even know he was a priest until he showed up at her work in his preacher clothing. He didn't want listen to her; he didn't want to be a part of the pathetic resistance she was trying to cook up. He just wanted to sermonize and hear confessions. She was on her own until she could find a trustworthy soul. One of the survivors from the warehouse would be good. But where to find them…
She sighed loudly and kicked off her blankets, feeling as if they were suffocating her. She felt like Alice from Wonderland, tumbling down the rabbit hole. When would she wake up? Before or after the destruction of mankind?
Feeling a sob well up in her chest she climbed out of bed and tramped out to the kitchen, turning on the kettle and setting about to make a strong coffee. She wasn't going to sleep so she could at least feel awake. She leaned against the fridge and pressed her forehead to the cool surface.
She'd never thought she would be a part of a global war. And this… this was so much bigger… this was teetering on the knife's edge; one side galactic war, the other, genocide. It was like choosing how to die. Would you like fries with that?
The kettle reached the boil and flicked off and she poured the steaming water into her mug, savouring the smell of the coffee that wafted to her nose. She wrapped her hands around the cup and walked to the couch, settling into its soft furnishing and staring into the murky liquid.
Unwillingly her thoughts again drifted to the planetary crisis. There were no bombs exploding and no screaming as people died but it was war. It was just most of her side were caught under some sort of spell. The enemy was a new force, an unknown force. Who knows, maybe they have disintegrator beams and pulse weapons. It seemed surreal enough.
Erica stayed seated on the lounge for the rest of the night trying vainly not to feel the despair hovering over her head in a thunderous, lightening streaked cloud descend. It would do no good to mope. She had to stay strong. Not only for herself, but for Tyler too. The son who thought his mother didn't have time for him; which to her dismay, was starting to become evident. Between keeping her composure and trying to undermine the V, her life was going to be even more strenuous and demanding. She didn't want Tyler stuck in the middle, but it would be worse for him to be shunted to the side. She just had to try harder.
She looked out of the partially covered windows and watched as the predawn light turn the sky from inky blackness to dismal grey. The silhouetted ship hovering over the city was casting a rather large shadow and it occurred to her that the ship was displaying its master ominous intentions rather well. It was so hard to acknowledge that only a few of the population could see that.
The half drunk coffee sat cold on the table and she stirred herself to movement by the thought that she had to get ready for the day. Soon Tyler would be awake and she would be needed at work. She had to prepare herself before she could waltz into the department as if everything were dandy.
She emptied the contents of the mug into the sink and sat it on the drainer to clean later. Then she went to the bathroom to shower and present herself.
Passing by the mirror, she saw the ever present frown that marked her between her eyebrows these days and tried vainly to smooth it with her fingers. It didn't work and she quickly gave up. She had more important things to do at the moment.
As she stood under the scalding water she made a decision. She wont sit back and watch as her people were betrayed and executed. She would stand and fight; even if it was the death of her.
END