Chapter Two


Ever since Rose Red, Steve Rimbauer had hated the darkness.

No, not the darkness... Just what the darkness symbolized. Shadows, things lurking just beyond his peripheral vision, and that horrible feeling that it wasn't over yet, that he would awaken one night to find that his feet had carried him back to that house against his will. Then he would build and build until he was sapped of every bit of life he had left, and they would all laugh, Ellen and Joyce and Nick, all of them. How foolish to think that he could escape that easily.

When a person loses an appendage, they have phantom pains and itches. When a person loses a lover, they're left with a phantom touch. On many nights, Steve could've sworn that he had felt her... high and mighty Joyce Reardon... her cold, dead hand on his skin, her icy breath on his neck. On other nights he had awakened, not knowing what had pulled him from sleep, and yanked the blankets from the bed to stare at that empty space beside him.

When sleep was impossible, he went for long walks through the neighborhood, in well lit areas. He was certain that his late-night journeys would appear strange to others, but he didn't care. All that mattered was clearing his mind and assuring himself that he had power over his life and his actions... not Ellen Rimbauer... not Rose Red.

-But this night felt different somehow. Steve had felt more than just an eerie presence... more than just fear... He had felt an urgency. Something, a gut-instinct, perhaps, was telling him to get outside, fast. So he had gone, with nothing but his robe and boxers on. He hadn't locked the door behind him, but his neighborhood wasn't known for crime, and although he didn't know why he needed to be outside, he felt that he had to get there quickly.

It was exactly 3 AM when he met Rachel "Sister" Wheaton under the streetlight outside, pale, her hair a mess, her beautiful eyes and somber expression telling of her pain and distress. She had been on her way to his door.

They stared at each other for a moment, perhaps wondering what strange coincidence had brought them to each other on such an ominous night, before they embraced. It had been weeks since they had seen each other, but even that small amount of time had seemed long and lonely.

Rachel clung to him for a moment before backing away, looking into his eyes with such sadness that he felt his heart ache... felt his fear rise at the impending announcement, which she was barely able to say without sobbing.

"Annie's sick."

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Author's Note: I know that it's been a terribly long time since I've written more of this. I'm so sorry! @_@ I never expected it to be so popular or so well-received. I have to say that, if not for your wonderful reviews, I may have never gotten inspired again... I'd like to thank one reviewer in particular right now, L.McGonagall, who kindly reminded me that I needed to get back to work. ^_^ Thanks a lot!

Expect to see longer chapters in the future. The first few will be short, as I set the stage, but they'll be longer as I settle into the story a bit more. Also, to those of you who want to see more of your favorite characters, I'm planning on giving them all a time to shine, so hang in there. ^_- Thanks again, and expect the next chapter to be written in (hopefully) a more timely manner.