*~^~*Wish You Were Here*~^~*
I dig my toes into the sand. . .
The ocean looks like a thousand diamonds
Strewn across a blue blanket.
I lean against the wind,
Pretend that I am weightless
And in this moment I am happy. . .
Happy
I wish you were here.
I lay my head onto the sand. . .
The sky resembles a back-lit canopy
With holes punched in it.
I'm couting UFO's,
I signal them with my lighter,
And in this moment I am happy. . .
Happy.
I wish you were here
The world's a roller coaster and I am not
Strapped in.
Maybe I should hold with care
But my hands are busy in the air.
*~^~*Song "Wish You Were Here" is courtesy of Incubus*~^~*
Jack stepped out of the shower to see her big black Rotweiler, Danny, sitting in the door way of the bathroom.
Jack smiled softly, "Hold on Danny. Let Mommy put on some clothes first."
Danny was anxious to go for his evening walk on the beach. Always the same routine every night. Jack would walk in the door at 9 p.m. every night from her job as Good Will Ambassador of the planet New United States in the New Earth planetary system. The system had six planets one for each continent which the builders had made to look identical to the real Earth's continents since Earth had been blown up when it's moon smashed into it 100 years prior. Jack sighed, people and their damn need to populize and colonize and build and ruin everything. One day the universe was going to run out of space and then what? She shook her head, those thoughts were for work. . . right now it was time for she and Danny's nightly walk on the beach.
Jack walked into her spacious bedroom and walked over to her dresser where she pulled out a pair of big, baggy, white silk draw string pants and a white silk long sleeve button up shirt. Jack let her towel fall to the ground and pulled on her pants and then pulled the shirt over her shoulders only buttoning two buttons-just enough to cover the necessary to be decent. She then picked up her brush, pulling it through her long dark brown hair. Jack stood back looking in the mirror to make sure she looked okay. What did it matter? The only ones on the beach were she and Danny. That's all there ever was. . .just she and dog wonder Danny. Jack nearly laughed as she looked at herself, at the age of 27 she still looked like she was a fifteen year old except of course the filling out of all the areas that made her obviously female. Jack's deep brown eyes stared back at her through the mirror-her best quality he'd used to say-, her soft lips quivered at the thought but she forced back any emotion. It was okay.
Slowly, Jack turned away from the mirror in search of a hair tie. Once found Jack looked down at Danny and smiled, "Okay Danny Boy! Let's go for our walk."
Jack opened the door to her second story balcony of her home and stepped out looking over the vast expanse of ocean in front of her and the perfectly white sand below her. When Jack broke her gaze from the landscape she saw Danny was already out almost all the way to the water. Slowly, Jack walked down the spiral staircase that led to the beach. . .she loved living here on New United States and she loved this house even more.
\\ I dig my toes into the sand. . . / The ocean looks like a thousand diamonds/ Strewn across a blue blanket./ I lean against the wind,/ Pretend that I am weightless/ And in this moment I am happy. . ./ Happy //
Jack walked down the beach, Danny running slightly ahead playing in the waves. Jack savored the feeling of the warm tropical breeze against her exposed skin. The night was beautiful out here on the beach. Its was a beautiful mix of serenity and chaos within the waves. Jack looked over the water again, the moon shining off of the crystal blue water. Jack adverted her attention to the sky where the stars shown bright as day, so lovely. 'Wish you were here,' Jack thought silently. Suddenly, Jack felt the all too familiar sensation of tears prickling the back of her eyes. This was also part of her evening walk. . .crying.
\\ I wish you were here //
'Don't cry, Jackie. I'm free now. I love you.' The words echoed so loudly in the solitude of the deserted beach. The last words he'd ever speak. Damnit! He wasn't just a 'he'; HE was Riddick. Richard B. Riddick the first last and only love of Jack's life. And he was dead because of HER feeling of invincibility.
'Don't cry, Jackie. I'm free now. I love you.' Everytime she'd cry she remembered those words but it never helped, she stilled cried. . .all the time. But it was always worse when she was out here in this little piece of heaven. Jack could still remember the many times the two of them-and Danny, of course- took walks down this beach. Things were perfect back then. THEY were perfect, but it'd all been ripped away from her so abruptly that faithful day not even a year ago- 9 months and 13 days to be exact. The memories of that day rushed back to meet Jack head on. She could still remember them as vividly as the day it had all taken place. She had been on a Good Will mission to New Europe in the Germany sector. All had gone well, until the meeting ended and she'd been informed. . .
Riddick walked up to Jack a grim look on his face, "Jack. . .we've just been informed that there is a death threat put on you if you walk out of this building."
Jack smiled, the meeting with the President of Germany had gone SO well she was still in euphoria from it. "Don't be rediculous, Richard. How many threats do I get every day? It's the same thing every time: a total hoax, a lie, just a plain white lie."
Riddick remained persistant, "We have reason to believe they aren't kidding, Jack. This is an act from Gerard Kandolin, Germany's head terrorist. Jack please just listen. . .stay the night here or at least stay a little while longer."
"Riddick, I have other appointments. I cannot disappoint. It's just talk, Kandolin is just bluffing. I know it. Please? Things are going so well, I have to visit the Turkish Prime Minister next. If I am late that could cause real problems. THings are going so well now, please just. . .I know its a lie."
Riddick sighed heavily and relented, "Fine. Let's go." He looked over his shoulder to his right hand man," Crandel. . .assemble the troops. We're going out there. I want doubled security."
Riddick was Jack's head of security and he was damn good at the job. Within moments Jack and her enterage were leaving the building. No more than five seconds after they left the building the crowd of people around the enterance of the building broke into havoc as shots were fired from over head. Riddick was instantly on his radio, a group of large body guards surrounding Jack in a protective circle. That's when everything started to go to hell. An explosion to the left of the circle went off and then one to the right. Riddick dispersed the men , leaving only himself to protect Jack and then it happened. Suddenly a tall, black haired man with frosty blue eyes stepped through the crowd , not more than ten feet from Jack. He held an AK-47 in one of his hands and a small magnum in his other, his fingers held on tightly to the triggers of both guns. Jack instantly knew it was Gerard Kandolin and she knew there was a good chance she wouldn't make it out of this alive.
Gerard Kandolin raised the AK-47 the sky and fired off a few rounds sending the crowds only into further chaos. Then he aimed the Magnum at Jack's forehead, at that moment Jack prayed to God to save her soul. Jack closed her eyes tightly as she heard the man yell in German, 'Anarchie wird wieder herrschen. Verbrennen Sie in Hölle!' Anarchy will reign again. Burn in hell. Then Jack heard the firing of the gun, heard a sound of lead hitting flesh and spurting blood, and then a hard thud on the ground but she strangely felt no pain. Had she died at impact of the gun? Was she in shock and didn't feel the pain? Jack willed herself ot hopen her eyes, once she did she was met with screaming people and two bodies on the ground. . .Gerard Kandolin, already dead and. . .Riddick, breathing heavil as blood spilled from a wound close to his head. No, no. . .it had hit his heart or at least grazed it judging by the blood Jack watched spurt from the wound. Once realization hit, Jack dropped to her knees pulling Riddick's head into her lap. Riddick was shot, a bullet to the heart.
Jack started to panic, "Medic! Cranden. . .someone get an ambulence. SOMEONE PLEASE! MEDICS! SOMEONE HELP PLEASE!"
Then Jack heard the quiet, rumble of Riddick's strained voice. "Jack? Are you hit?" Riddick's eyelids opened to reveal his beautiful silver pools serving as eyes.
"No, baby. I'm fine and you will be too." Jack watched as a tear fell onto Riddick's face, she hadn't even realized it but she'd started to cry. "You're going to be just fine. They're getting a medic now."
Riddick smiled sadly, "Jack. . .baby, you know that's a lie. I'm hit. The heart. I know it, I feel it. I am going to die here Jack."
"No you wont. I know you wont. You can't, I love you too much. You can't die not here. Not by him. Not by anyone."
"Jack, don't do this. . .it's meant to be. I saved you Jack." Jack watched as a strained smile crossed Riddick's features, "I righted the wrongs from my past. I have you. I protected and saved you. I have your love. I can go in peace now. I am going to die a happy man."
Jack watched as Riddick coughed up blood and his eyes began to flutter, "No! YOU WILL NOT DIE HERE! I wont let you Richard. Please no! Don't! I can't live without you" Jack was now crying furiously.
"Shh. Baby, remember I will always be with you. No matter what. When you walk on the beach at night look at the night sky and you will know I am with you."
Jack cried fiercely, "Its not the same. Please don't leave me. I know you can live. I just know it."
Riddick suddenly grew deathly calm and his eyes began to glaze over. Riddick strained his body upward and barely brushed his bloodstained lips over Jack's. "Don't cry, Jackie. I'm free now. I love you."
"I love you too, Richard." Jack muttered but he didn't hear he was already gone.
Jack came back from her horrible memory, feeling her face she confirmed that tears had started to fall from her eyes. Wiping away the remaining tears, Jack continued to walk down the night lit beach. Out here she was free, free to be at one with Riddick once again.
\\I lay my head onto the sand. . ./ The sky resembles a back-lit canopy/ With holes punched in it./ I'm couting UFO's,/ I signal them with my lighter,/ And in this moment I am happy. . ./ Happy. //
Jack watched as Danny played in the water, new tears starting to form in her eyes but these tears held far more than just sorrow and guilt. The new tears were filled with happiness, love, pain, grief, joy, and dread. So full of emotion. So many feelings inside of Jack she sometimes felt she could scream but not out here. She could never bring herself to destroy the serene beauty of the beach. It was a sacred and special place for she and Riddick and it would always stay that way. Jack was happy, she really was. In a strange, implacable way she was at ease and that made her happy. It was okay, it would all be okay. . .that much she knew.
\\I wish you were here//
Riddick had tried for so long to get rid of his sins he'd once committed. He was a changed man and he wanted more than anything to make his past go away. Throughout the years, Jack watched as his past tortured him. Sure, he'd been happily blissful with Jack but still a single solitary part of him remained in chaotic rage. A sea of rage battling to infect the good things he'd managed to make of his life. Jack wanted so badly to make it all right but knew that it was something Riddick would have to work on by himself. It was an inner battle only he could face. She'd always sworn she'd be there with him no matter what. She still was. Always would be with him.
\\The world's a roller coaster and I am not/ Strapped in./ Maybe I should hold with care/ But my hands are busy in the air.//
Jack smiled sadly; he was free. Riddick had finally been freed of his past. Through the time he and Jack had spent together he'd tried desperately to right all his wrongs but never managed to but finally Riddick had done it. It cost him his life but he'd freed himself. Jack smiled again as a warm breeze past over her body. Sometimes it was so lonely without Riddick around but then she'd always remember he was free. Jack started to cry once more, tears of happiness. 'Don't cry, Jackie. I'm free now. I love you'. Richard was free. Richard loved her and he was free. There was nothing more that Jack could ever ask for. 'I love you, Richard. May peace be with you. I know it is. You're free. You died a happy man.' Jack smiled as she spoke silent words up to the heavens above, hoping Riddick would hear somehow.
Jack looked at Danny bouncing around on the beach, "Danny Boy, c'mon let's go home."
Instantly the dog took off in the direction of the house. Jack smiled as she turned around a gleam out of the corner of her eye catching her attention. Slowly, Jack looked up to the sky. . .'When you walk on the beach at night, look at the sky and you will know I am with you.' His voice rang through her ears. Jack lowered her gaze to her feet; he wasn't there. He was gone. Free. . .but gone. . .forever. Jack sighed heavily, 'I wish you were here,' she thought once more. In a sudden change of heart, Jack looked up at the sky once more, in search of a sign that Riddick was still there. 'Please be here.' Jack whispered silently. Then, out of the blue it happened. . .a shooting star ripped through the sky bringing tears of joy to Jack's eyes.
"I know you're here. We will be together once more someday but until then. . .please, stay by my side. I love you, Richard."
Jack blew a soft kiss to the sky and began walking back to her house in a state of peace. Her love was with her. He was free but he chose to stay with her. She no longer had to wish he were there, no. . .he WAS there and always would be. Jack smiled once more. . .even in death their love remained strong as ever and that was all Jack needed to carry on.
*~^~*The End*~^~*