PART 3:
Stanton stared lovingly into Serena's eyes, holding her hand on a nearbye park bench.
"I'm glad you came." He whispered, kissing her softly.
"Me too. I was scared at first, but not now." Serena replied, giving his hand a squeeze.
"Now we can be together. . .forever." She said, kissing him with brutal force. Immediatly, Stanton's mind shields went up, pulling away harshly.
"No." He said, and she merely smiled.
"I thought that was what you wanted. ."
"No." Her eyes grew cold, and Stanton could feel the pressure of her mind on his, trying to read his thoughts. He knew what she wanted, but it wasn't really her, it was the Atrox controlling her that made her act this way. He thought of the sweet, young girl, determined to defeat evil and save him that she used to be, and felt a twang of guilt.
"What's wrong?" Serena asked, tilting her head to look at him sideways.
"Nothing." He answered. He didn't like the way she was now, like Cassandra, and that thought frightened him beyond belief. He wanted her to be back to normal, good, even if it meant their love was forbidden. Then it's settled, he thought, I'll turn her back.
"I have to leave. Meet me at the park in an hour." Stanton didn't give her enough time to argue, he disappered into the shadows towards his destination. Once he was out of view Serena grinned wickedly.
"I know you're plan Stanton, come catch me."
In East L.A.:
Jimena sat cross-legged on her bed, wrapped a blanket, sifting through old photographs. The rain beat hard on her window sill, and lightning pierced the sky outside of her bedroom. She came along a picture, recently taken, of all five of them together. Tianna and herself stood in back with Serena, and Catty and Vanessa sat on the ground in front of them. All six were smiling and it was a beautiful picture.
"I'll have to frame this someday. ." She said, setting the picture aside and sighing. A lone tear rolled down her cheek, on after another.
"God Serena, why did you let us leave you behind? Why the hell didn't I stop you? Why didn't I go back?!" She flung the pictures from her in a fury of tears and anger. Anger at herself and her foolishness and her broken promises. Jimena had never left one of her homegirls behind without a fight. . .but now, she wasn't sure what she had done. And she had blamed herself for what happened to Serena since that very night. Laying on her bed, she softly cried herself to sleep, reliving every aching moment of the night of the Cold Fire in her dreams.
Stanton stared lovingly into Serena's eyes, holding her hand on a nearbye park bench.
"I'm glad you came." He whispered, kissing her softly.
"Me too. I was scared at first, but not now." Serena replied, giving his hand a squeeze.
"Now we can be together. . .forever." She said, kissing him with brutal force. Immediatly, Stanton's mind shields went up, pulling away harshly.
"No." He said, and she merely smiled.
"I thought that was what you wanted. ."
"No." Her eyes grew cold, and Stanton could feel the pressure of her mind on his, trying to read his thoughts. He knew what she wanted, but it wasn't really her, it was the Atrox controlling her that made her act this way. He thought of the sweet, young girl, determined to defeat evil and save him that she used to be, and felt a twang of guilt.
"What's wrong?" Serena asked, tilting her head to look at him sideways.
"Nothing." He answered. He didn't like the way she was now, like Cassandra, and that thought frightened him beyond belief. He wanted her to be back to normal, good, even if it meant their love was forbidden. Then it's settled, he thought, I'll turn her back.
"I have to leave. Meet me at the park in an hour." Stanton didn't give her enough time to argue, he disappered into the shadows towards his destination. Once he was out of view Serena grinned wickedly.
"I know you're plan Stanton, come catch me."
In East L.A.:
Jimena sat cross-legged on her bed, wrapped a blanket, sifting through old photographs. The rain beat hard on her window sill, and lightning pierced the sky outside of her bedroom. She came along a picture, recently taken, of all five of them together. Tianna and herself stood in back with Serena, and Catty and Vanessa sat on the ground in front of them. All six were smiling and it was a beautiful picture.
"I'll have to frame this someday. ." She said, setting the picture aside and sighing. A lone tear rolled down her cheek, on after another.
"God Serena, why did you let us leave you behind? Why the hell didn't I stop you? Why didn't I go back?!" She flung the pictures from her in a fury of tears and anger. Anger at herself and her foolishness and her broken promises. Jimena had never left one of her homegirls behind without a fight. . .but now, she wasn't sure what she had done. And she had blamed herself for what happened to Serena since that very night. Laying on her bed, she softly cried herself to sleep, reliving every aching moment of the night of the Cold Fire in her dreams.
