Chapter 9 – Coping

Life, Jack found, often travelled in circles. Loss and despair had clung to her before; dragging her below and now they found her again biting at her heels and begging her to give in. Firstly it had been the loss of her family, then the loss of Riddick and now the loss of her new life.

The return of Riddick didn't comfort her as she thought it would. She could not see him as the man she had adored, instead only a distorted image came to her mind. Merging his features into an ugly sneer and tainting her memories of their time together.

She avoided thoughts of Damien, fearing it would pull her deeper into depression. Imam was sympathetic and spent many hours soothing Jack. Staying with her whilst she cried herself to sleep and stroking her hair gently, it was the closest he had come to being like a father and Jack found new love for him growing in her as their bond grew.

At first she did nothing but sleep and cry. After a few days though Jack became angry with herself.

This is pathetic. I can't carry on like this or soon there will be nothing left of me but an empty shell.

She began to fill her days with activities. Training in the mornings and exploring in the afternoons. Although she had lived on New Mecca before and often wondered around the busy area where Imam lived, now that she was close to her eighteenth birthday Jack felt confident to walk further without worrying her adoptive father.

She skipped slowly along the dusty roads, kicking sand into clouds with her feet as she went. Admiring the slow setting suns in the far distance she looked around for a quiet place to rest. An armadillo chose this moment to crawl from its hiding place in a cracked stone wall. Jack hopped easily onto the wall and watched with amusement as the armadillo, confused by the sudden movement, curled itself into a protective ball and rolled quickly away. She lifted a hand and waved goodbye to it, almost sorry to see the small creature leave. She breathed in deeply before the pain could return, allowing herself to hold her head between her legs and count steadily to ten.

She wondered what it would be like to tuck herself into a ball and roll away from the problems in life. To bump cutely over the dry earth, carefree and unconcerned by trivial things such as love. Smiling to herself she jumped of the low wall and walked away from the thought. Jack was sick of hiding; she was ready to be found.