"What I have become"
Chapter two
"No answer"
***Noin***
The bold tap of heels paces across the floor, left to right, right to left, up and down, down and up. She never stops. Pacing is the only thing keeping her from collapsing I a weird sense. She just has to keep moving. She can't think of anything until he gets here.
In this room, with the windows and shelves she was here. In this room with the desk in the middle and couches to the right she was here. In this room, her presence is still noticeable. That letter on the computer still hasn't been touched and will not be touched till my husband gets here. I came here early to get something he needed for a meeting some place on L1 or L2. When I arrived, a woman was leaving the building. She had long dark, dark brown hair, just like dark chocolate. She wore baggy pants that could have been too big for her and tennis shoes. She had a bag that she picked up on her way out of the building. She stuffed files. Before I could get out of the car, she was already gone. I got only a glimpse of her face. With just that glimpse, I noticed something that I didn't want to admit. This person resembled Relena in almost every way.
When I made up to the office, everything was there. Not a single paper was out of place. The phone was still gone and the quilt was still on the window sill. The same path went around the desk in the just right steps. Nothing was different.
Was she a secretary? Who was she? I was about to leave the office to go back to the lobby. That is when I noticed something different. Although I have come used to it, it really isn't anything new. On the monitor was one single envelope just like before she went missing.
I was scared to take a step forward. Was it from Milliardo? Reaching out, I grabbed the letter and turned it over. There in plain print read:
Relena
Of course, I didn't know how to react. I didn't know what to do. I had the urge to rip it open but restrained myself. Was that girl…her? I just went with my first reaction.
I ran to the elevator, out of the lobby, and outside. I stumbled on my own feet but kept running. Yards away in the parking lot, a car sat. The tinted windows prevented me from seeing anything but an outline. That didn't even help.
Then, the person rolled down its window and dropped something. It looked like paper of some kind. What was it? I just watched. It was too dark and too far away for me to see a face. Even so, the person just sat there in the car looking straight at me. I could feel a yearning to run to them. I wanted so badly to scream…so I did.
"RELENA!!!" With such a scream, my voice crocked and I wobbled. It wasn't like I was expecting a response but it felt right to yell it. I saw some reaction though. The person leaned forward and opened the door. They were about to step out when a sound went off. It was my phone. What if it was Milliardo? What if it was Heero, Duo, Quatre, Wufie, or Trowa? They need to know! They need to know! I just can't leave and let them get away.
Turning, I ran into the lobby and grabbed the phone and ran back out. The person was still there with the door open. They were hunched over for some reason. I answered the phone.
"Hello?" I was breathless
"Noin, are you alright? I called the secretary's phone and you didn't answer. Where are you?"
"MILLARDO!"
There was a jerk from the person. I couldn't help myself so I stepped forward, again, again, and again.
"What, what is it Noin? What's wrong?"
No matter how much I wanted to, I just couldn't. I couldn't tell him that I had found Relena when it may be a lie. I couldn't tell him there was a letter from Relena when that too may be a lie. I couldn't tell him anything until he got here.
So instead, I said, "You need to get here now and fast…call the boys!" click.
Hanging up, I slowly got closer. The closer I got, I noticed it was the girl from before. She was putting more and more paper on the ground. I just couldn't see what it was. When I got about 7 feet away, she placed the last paper down. They were pictures.
"Is that you, Relena?"
No answer.
"Relena?"
No answer.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?"
No answer.
I couldn't stand the silence so I pushed forward. I was 2 feet way from her. I could see the pictures. There was a person in them. I just couldn't tell who. Looking down on her, I noticed cuts and bruises. They looked new. If this was Relena, she truly has changed.
I tried again, with a whisper.
"Who are you?"
"…Lena"
"Lena, who?"
"…you, you don't want to know."
"I do, I do want to know!"
I couldn't believe it. Lena, Lena was Relena's nickname. Plus, that voice was different yet so familiar. I just couldn't see her face. I had to see her face.
Stepping a foot forward, I crouched down and tried to look through her long bangs. What I saw was a river of tears flowing down her cheeks and off her chin and nose. It was horrible. I wanted so badly to grab her and hug her. But, what if it really wasn't Relena?
Lifting a hand, I reached out to push her bangs away but it happened too fast.
Next thing I knew, my arm was painfully behind my back, I was on my knees, and hunched over. Eyes wider than wide, I tried to look over my shoulder but my arm was pulled back further causing me to yell.
"Don't you dare touch me!" A shaky voice screamed.
After a minute or two of a harmful grip, I was released to fall forward onto the ground. I couldn't speak. As her car door slammed, another car came. It was a truck. To be exact, it was Duo's truck. Hilde jumped out of the car, running to me and Duo speed toward the car just a foot or two away from me.
I wanted to scream. The car speed away and down the highway and Duo went after it. Hilde was by my side, rubbing my arms, asking me what happened. I just couldn't speak. I pointed to the papers on the ground and she grabbed them as we headed for the building once more. As she called the others again, I went back up to the office. I went back to the letter and waited for Milliardo to show up.
Even though it couldn't be Relena in so many ways, I just felt like I knew it was her.
TBC*