Eli: Here's part two. I tried to make it just as good as the first, so I
hope everyone likes it.
"You're what?!" Sara stood in front of him, hands on her hips, in disbelief. Charlotte quietly sat on the couch in the living room holding Delphia. Ian was not in his usual servant pose. He was not a servant now, he was a child's dark knight and determined to complete his task.
"I am going out to search for their mother and sister."
"No, you're not!" He took a step closer to her and looked her in the eye. She was unuse to this and he knew it.
"I am not asking for your premission. I am simply telling you that I am going out. I will be back when I am done."
"Then at least let me go with you."
"And leave Charlotte and Delphia unattended?"
"Then you stay here and watch them and I'll go out."
"No. I am going. I would take less time."
"Whay are you doing this?"
"Charlotte deserves at least that."
"Charlotte? She asked you to go out, huh? And you're actually doing it? She's seven years old."
"I, or should I say you, owe her a debt."
"What kind of debt?"
"A debt of honor. I'll be back." He walked passed her toward the front door.
"Ian?" He stopped and turned to her. "Be careful out there." He nodded and left.
Sara stood and stared at the door. She didn't realize she had been doing it till Delphia cried out and demanded her attention. She rocked the babe in her arms to quiet her. Sara began to think of the whole situation. She turned to Charlotte.
"You'll probably have to stay here tonight. I don't want you two alone. Why don't we go down to your apartment and get some supplies?"
"Okay." She followed Sara out the door and back to her apartment. Sara set Delphia down in her crib and started to gather up bottles, formula, things she would need for Delphia. She stuffed them all in bag and then grabbed the folded up play pin. She turned to find Charlotte behind her holding a bag.
"Do you have everything, Charlotte?"
"Uh, huh." Sara took them back up to her apartment. She made a bottle of formula for Delphia and began to feed her. Charlotte pulled on her sleeve.
"What?"
"Can I watch my movie?" She held up a movie. Disney's Mulan. Sara nodded. Charlotte put the movie in and was about to press play, when they both her a rumbling. Charlotte ran back to Sara and hugged her legs. Sara set the bottle down and held Delphia close to her. Charlotte covered her ears.
After a few minutes, it was over. They couldn't figure out what it was. Sara looked down at Charlotte to see that she was not only pale, but was shivering.
"Charlotte, what's wrong?" Charlotte didn't hear her. She was staring at the blackened window. Sara held Delphia with one hand, and put her other hand on Charlotte's shoulder.
"Charlotte?"
"Ian was out there."
"What?"
"He's in that?"
"In what?"
"Whatever just happened."
"I'm sure he's fine. Just like your mom and Linda. Why don't you start your movie?" Charlotte moved off of Sara and went back to the living room.
Sara had just finished feeding Delphia, when her cell went off. She picked it up one handed.
"Pezzini."
"Sara? Are you alright?" The voice was scared and belonged to her friend Gabriel.
"Gabriel. I'm fine. Are you alright?"
"Of course, I'm not in the city. I'm at my dad's place in New Jersey. I just woke up and turned on the t.v. and the towers....."
"Yeah. I saw it happen through the window."
"It wasn't just the towers. Whoever it was hit the pentagon and crashed one more plane in a field out in Pennsylvania. Damn it, Sara. They used our own planes!"
"Oh God! Who the hell is doing this?! I want to know!"
"No one knows yet. I hate to get off, but there are some others I have to call. So, I will see you as soon as I can."
"Alright, see ya."
"Bye." Sara put down the phone. She carried Delphia back to the living room and sat down. She was angry. She tried despretely to calm down. As long as there were others to take care of, she must hold back her anger.
Charlotte sat cross legged on the floor. She consentrated on the movie. It was hard. This was her favorite movie and she had seen it a million times over. But now she saw it with new eyes. She never realized how much the rockets in there looked liked, when in flight, a bird.
Or a plane.
She shook her head and distracted herself by praying for her mama and Lyn. And Ian.
Sara had just put down Delphia for the night, when someone opened the front door. She and Charlotte rushed to the front door and were taken back by what they saw.
Charlotte, despite the mess he was in, went to Ian and tried to give him a hug. He put a hand out to stop her, not wanting her to get any of this on herself.
Sara couldn't believe the state he was in. He was covered in dirt and grime and...... blood. He looked to Sara. She nodded and lead him to the bathroom. He closed the door behind her. He quickly stripped and went into the shower. He just let the water fall on him.
Charlotte didn't understand. Everything was so cold. What had happened?
Sara looked through her drawers and pulled out a tank and sweatpants that had belonged to one of her ex's. She opened the door a crack and placed them on the counter.
He walked out a few minutes later. Charlotte ran up to him again and succeed in giving him a hug. He picked her up and carried her to the couch. She sat on his lap. She waited to hear the news on mama and Lyn, but he said nothing. How could he relate to her what he had found? She didn't deserve to hear it. It should have never happened.
Sara needed to know. She picked Charlotte up off his lap and placed her up right on the floor. "Charlotte, could I talk to Ian alone for a while? Just go in my room for a couple of minutes." Charlotte nodded and went into Sara's room. Sara turned her attention towards Ian. She sat down on the table directly in front of him.
"What happened?" He looked down. She moved her hand toward him, but he knew what she was going to do and backed away. She went in his face and forced him to look at her.
"Would you rather put it into words?" He thought for a moment, then grabbed her hand.
She saw what had happened. How could she not have known? The second tower had collapsed. The darkness had once again taken the sky and debre refilled the air. While she and Charlotte had been hiding, Ian had been out there and had seen it. He had seen it all. Through him, she saw the aftermass, the people covered in dust, striving to breathe. People, up close, were trapped in the mess. Alive, dead, injured, and with the witchblade's own gruesome additions, it was all too much.
She had let go. She was crying. Still, there was one thing left to know.
"Where are they?"
"Her mother had a concussion and I placed her in the hospital's care."
"And Linda?" Her eyes widened as he shook his head.
"She is dead. I was too late." They looked at each other, Sara's eyes streaming with tears. His, not letting anything escape him.
Linda was nineteen. Had just started college. Watched her younger siblings with care. Was just begining life. Now, she was gone. Forcibly taken from her.
How she would have loved to strangle whoever did this. Forcibly take his life. Take his life for Linda and the so many others. So much was lost.
She and Ian looked at each other again. It was too much to bear alone. She reached over and embraced him. He pulled her closer and closer till finally, she straddled his lap and they held each other. Had this been any other time, this would have been for other reasons, possibly sexual. But not this. This was comfort, reassurance that the tomorrow would come again.
'Why does it take so much pain for there to be unity?' They thought to themselves.
Sara soon called Charlotte into the room. She sat down on the couch between Ian and Sara.
"Ian, what happened? Did you find Mama and Lyn?" Ian's eyes flashed from Charlotte to Sara and back again. Sara nodded.
"Charlotte, mama's in the hospital. But she will be okay."
"What about Lyn?" Sara took a deep breath.
"Linda is dead, Charlotte." Charlotte began to cry. She leaned on Ian and he put an arm around her. Sara then continued.
"I, we, are so sorry that it has happened. But think of where Linda is now. She's in a better place, where she can rest. She can listen to as much System of a Down as she wants. She can eat as much chocolate as she wants. And she can look in on you and protect you. Always. Please, she wouldn't want you to be sad. She had no pain, and she never will. Do you understand, Charlotte?" She nodded her head.
They stayed with her till she had no more tears left. "You're tired, sweetie. Why don't we get some sleep?" Charlotte nodded.
Sara entered her bedroom to see the woman from her vision standing in the corner of the room. She knew now what the message had meant, but only too late. Or perhaps she wasn't meant to have prevented it. The woman in white was no longer illuminated and her face was now visible. She reconized her now.
It was Linda.
She shrugged her shoulders and then turned to the bed. Charlotte sat on the edge looking confusingly at Sara. Linda smiled at Charlotte.
"Watch her, will ya? She isn't all grown up yet." Sara nodded at the apparition. Linda smiled again and faded. Charlotte caught the look on Sara's face.
"Linda was here, wasn't she?"
"She's protecting you, Charlotte."
The two then went to bed. Ian insisted on keeping vigilince for the whole night. When she was half asleep, she felt Charlotte move off the bed. She opened one of her eyes to see Charlotte climb onto Ian's lap and whisper something in his ear. He shook his head.
"I don't think Sara would like that." Sara sighed with sleep.
"As long as it includes getting to bed, go ahead. I don't mind." She then closed her eye and tried to sleep. She felt Charlotte put her one of her arms around her and put an arm around the child in return. Then someone, who was deffinitely not Charlotte, put an arm around her. She looked to see Ian lying down behind Charlotte with his right arm around her little shoulders. The other resting on her waist.
Sara looked down at Charlotte.
"For protection, Sara. So the bad people can't get us. We're protected." With that said, Charlotte closed her eyes and went to sleep.
Sara and Ian looked at each other. They seemed to have an understanding now. Ian placed his hand on her face and traced down her side back to her waist. She moved her left arm till it was out from under her and had a secure hold behind his neck. They then both went to sleep.
Once again there was silence, but different. No rumbling in the back round. No tears falling. No more destruction happening. Just the peace.
Another type of sacred silence.
The end.
Eli: Well, what did you think? Dedicated to all that was lost and to those left behind to tell the tale. God bless you all.
"You're what?!" Sara stood in front of him, hands on her hips, in disbelief. Charlotte quietly sat on the couch in the living room holding Delphia. Ian was not in his usual servant pose. He was not a servant now, he was a child's dark knight and determined to complete his task.
"I am going out to search for their mother and sister."
"No, you're not!" He took a step closer to her and looked her in the eye. She was unuse to this and he knew it.
"I am not asking for your premission. I am simply telling you that I am going out. I will be back when I am done."
"Then at least let me go with you."
"And leave Charlotte and Delphia unattended?"
"Then you stay here and watch them and I'll go out."
"No. I am going. I would take less time."
"Whay are you doing this?"
"Charlotte deserves at least that."
"Charlotte? She asked you to go out, huh? And you're actually doing it? She's seven years old."
"I, or should I say you, owe her a debt."
"What kind of debt?"
"A debt of honor. I'll be back." He walked passed her toward the front door.
"Ian?" He stopped and turned to her. "Be careful out there." He nodded and left.
Sara stood and stared at the door. She didn't realize she had been doing it till Delphia cried out and demanded her attention. She rocked the babe in her arms to quiet her. Sara began to think of the whole situation. She turned to Charlotte.
"You'll probably have to stay here tonight. I don't want you two alone. Why don't we go down to your apartment and get some supplies?"
"Okay." She followed Sara out the door and back to her apartment. Sara set Delphia down in her crib and started to gather up bottles, formula, things she would need for Delphia. She stuffed them all in bag and then grabbed the folded up play pin. She turned to find Charlotte behind her holding a bag.
"Do you have everything, Charlotte?"
"Uh, huh." Sara took them back up to her apartment. She made a bottle of formula for Delphia and began to feed her. Charlotte pulled on her sleeve.
"What?"
"Can I watch my movie?" She held up a movie. Disney's Mulan. Sara nodded. Charlotte put the movie in and was about to press play, when they both her a rumbling. Charlotte ran back to Sara and hugged her legs. Sara set the bottle down and held Delphia close to her. Charlotte covered her ears.
After a few minutes, it was over. They couldn't figure out what it was. Sara looked down at Charlotte to see that she was not only pale, but was shivering.
"Charlotte, what's wrong?" Charlotte didn't hear her. She was staring at the blackened window. Sara held Delphia with one hand, and put her other hand on Charlotte's shoulder.
"Charlotte?"
"Ian was out there."
"What?"
"He's in that?"
"In what?"
"Whatever just happened."
"I'm sure he's fine. Just like your mom and Linda. Why don't you start your movie?" Charlotte moved off of Sara and went back to the living room.
Sara had just finished feeding Delphia, when her cell went off. She picked it up one handed.
"Pezzini."
"Sara? Are you alright?" The voice was scared and belonged to her friend Gabriel.
"Gabriel. I'm fine. Are you alright?"
"Of course, I'm not in the city. I'm at my dad's place in New Jersey. I just woke up and turned on the t.v. and the towers....."
"Yeah. I saw it happen through the window."
"It wasn't just the towers. Whoever it was hit the pentagon and crashed one more plane in a field out in Pennsylvania. Damn it, Sara. They used our own planes!"
"Oh God! Who the hell is doing this?! I want to know!"
"No one knows yet. I hate to get off, but there are some others I have to call. So, I will see you as soon as I can."
"Alright, see ya."
"Bye." Sara put down the phone. She carried Delphia back to the living room and sat down. She was angry. She tried despretely to calm down. As long as there were others to take care of, she must hold back her anger.
Charlotte sat cross legged on the floor. She consentrated on the movie. It was hard. This was her favorite movie and she had seen it a million times over. But now she saw it with new eyes. She never realized how much the rockets in there looked liked, when in flight, a bird.
Or a plane.
She shook her head and distracted herself by praying for her mama and Lyn. And Ian.
Sara had just put down Delphia for the night, when someone opened the front door. She and Charlotte rushed to the front door and were taken back by what they saw.
Charlotte, despite the mess he was in, went to Ian and tried to give him a hug. He put a hand out to stop her, not wanting her to get any of this on herself.
Sara couldn't believe the state he was in. He was covered in dirt and grime and...... blood. He looked to Sara. She nodded and lead him to the bathroom. He closed the door behind her. He quickly stripped and went into the shower. He just let the water fall on him.
Charlotte didn't understand. Everything was so cold. What had happened?
Sara looked through her drawers and pulled out a tank and sweatpants that had belonged to one of her ex's. She opened the door a crack and placed them on the counter.
He walked out a few minutes later. Charlotte ran up to him again and succeed in giving him a hug. He picked her up and carried her to the couch. She sat on his lap. She waited to hear the news on mama and Lyn, but he said nothing. How could he relate to her what he had found? She didn't deserve to hear it. It should have never happened.
Sara needed to know. She picked Charlotte up off his lap and placed her up right on the floor. "Charlotte, could I talk to Ian alone for a while? Just go in my room for a couple of minutes." Charlotte nodded and went into Sara's room. Sara turned her attention towards Ian. She sat down on the table directly in front of him.
"What happened?" He looked down. She moved her hand toward him, but he knew what she was going to do and backed away. She went in his face and forced him to look at her.
"Would you rather put it into words?" He thought for a moment, then grabbed her hand.
She saw what had happened. How could she not have known? The second tower had collapsed. The darkness had once again taken the sky and debre refilled the air. While she and Charlotte had been hiding, Ian had been out there and had seen it. He had seen it all. Through him, she saw the aftermass, the people covered in dust, striving to breathe. People, up close, were trapped in the mess. Alive, dead, injured, and with the witchblade's own gruesome additions, it was all too much.
She had let go. She was crying. Still, there was one thing left to know.
"Where are they?"
"Her mother had a concussion and I placed her in the hospital's care."
"And Linda?" Her eyes widened as he shook his head.
"She is dead. I was too late." They looked at each other, Sara's eyes streaming with tears. His, not letting anything escape him.
Linda was nineteen. Had just started college. Watched her younger siblings with care. Was just begining life. Now, she was gone. Forcibly taken from her.
How she would have loved to strangle whoever did this. Forcibly take his life. Take his life for Linda and the so many others. So much was lost.
She and Ian looked at each other again. It was too much to bear alone. She reached over and embraced him. He pulled her closer and closer till finally, she straddled his lap and they held each other. Had this been any other time, this would have been for other reasons, possibly sexual. But not this. This was comfort, reassurance that the tomorrow would come again.
'Why does it take so much pain for there to be unity?' They thought to themselves.
Sara soon called Charlotte into the room. She sat down on the couch between Ian and Sara.
"Ian, what happened? Did you find Mama and Lyn?" Ian's eyes flashed from Charlotte to Sara and back again. Sara nodded.
"Charlotte, mama's in the hospital. But she will be okay."
"What about Lyn?" Sara took a deep breath.
"Linda is dead, Charlotte." Charlotte began to cry. She leaned on Ian and he put an arm around her. Sara then continued.
"I, we, are so sorry that it has happened. But think of where Linda is now. She's in a better place, where she can rest. She can listen to as much System of a Down as she wants. She can eat as much chocolate as she wants. And she can look in on you and protect you. Always. Please, she wouldn't want you to be sad. She had no pain, and she never will. Do you understand, Charlotte?" She nodded her head.
They stayed with her till she had no more tears left. "You're tired, sweetie. Why don't we get some sleep?" Charlotte nodded.
Sara entered her bedroom to see the woman from her vision standing in the corner of the room. She knew now what the message had meant, but only too late. Or perhaps she wasn't meant to have prevented it. The woman in white was no longer illuminated and her face was now visible. She reconized her now.
It was Linda.
She shrugged her shoulders and then turned to the bed. Charlotte sat on the edge looking confusingly at Sara. Linda smiled at Charlotte.
"Watch her, will ya? She isn't all grown up yet." Sara nodded at the apparition. Linda smiled again and faded. Charlotte caught the look on Sara's face.
"Linda was here, wasn't she?"
"She's protecting you, Charlotte."
The two then went to bed. Ian insisted on keeping vigilince for the whole night. When she was half asleep, she felt Charlotte move off the bed. She opened one of her eyes to see Charlotte climb onto Ian's lap and whisper something in his ear. He shook his head.
"I don't think Sara would like that." Sara sighed with sleep.
"As long as it includes getting to bed, go ahead. I don't mind." She then closed her eye and tried to sleep. She felt Charlotte put her one of her arms around her and put an arm around the child in return. Then someone, who was deffinitely not Charlotte, put an arm around her. She looked to see Ian lying down behind Charlotte with his right arm around her little shoulders. The other resting on her waist.
Sara looked down at Charlotte.
"For protection, Sara. So the bad people can't get us. We're protected." With that said, Charlotte closed her eyes and went to sleep.
Sara and Ian looked at each other. They seemed to have an understanding now. Ian placed his hand on her face and traced down her side back to her waist. She moved her left arm till it was out from under her and had a secure hold behind his neck. They then both went to sleep.
Once again there was silence, but different. No rumbling in the back round. No tears falling. No more destruction happening. Just the peace.
Another type of sacred silence.
The end.
Eli: Well, what did you think? Dedicated to all that was lost and to those left behind to tell the tale. God bless you all.