CH.19
She ran out crying. She didn't stop, she ran and ran, until she had no more strength, until she didn't know no more where she was. Her mind confused. She looked up. She had come back home without even realizing it.
Her heart was definitely broken. Because she'd discovered, better she'd realised only now, that she'd felt in love for a dangerous multiple murderer. She had fallen for Riddick. Only now that she'd definitely lost him.
He didn't trust her, after all they had done together, after all it had happened between them, and since this, there couldn't be a future for them. He thought she'd betrayed him and he wouldn't have changed his mind. She thought sadly. Both too proud, too scared about their feelings, their future, they hadn't had the courage to tell to each other all. And now, now it was too late.
Jackie saw her arriving in such those conditions, but she said nothing. She knew all, but she couldn't no more help her. Stephanie had to find her own way to come back to life, even if it was painful.
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Three weeks had passed from that unforgettable night. Three terrible weeks. Sleepless and lonely nights where she cried all her tears while the rest of the days she worked as a robot without she even perceived it. Without thinking. She was no more able to do it.
Tired, she almost didn't eat. She'd lost weight, and shadows had appeared under her eyes. After a moment of embarrassing silence, Stephanie had given vent to her feelings with Jackie which had proved to be very mature, hearing her silently and taking care of the shop, since the first days Stephanie hadn't been able to work.
Stephanie couldn't imagine that her life could change in such this way. She'd thought that the blows she'd taken during the theft were terrible. But this was nothing compared to what she was living now; to the deep pain she felt in the middle of her chest. Sometimes she thought, she couldn't breathe, so much strong it was. She felt empty of all her strength. Life had lost her beauty. Even her pets were a new reason to make tears coming out. Their eyes, their wonderful eyes.
Jackie and Stephanie were alone in the store. Jackie checking some bills and Stephanie arranging some books when one, suddenly fell on the floor. She kneeled to pick it up. What was it about? She opened it casually. Bizarre. She had opened it on a feline page. She started to read the description absently, beside a black panther picture:
--"Beautiful carnivorous, from feline's family.[.] The panther is agile and daring; he climbs very well. His prey are various; Might be very dangerous for man. He doesn't live very well in slavery and his taming is relative."--
She smiled sadly, it seemed the description of Richard B. Riddick. A black cat pet came near to her rubbing against her legs, purring. She shook her head. I'm hurting myself she thought . "Am I pitiful ?" she said to the cat which was looking at her with his tender green eyes. She took him in her hands and caressed tenderly. "You said something?" asked Jackie. "Nope. Just thinking at loud voice." Answered absently Stephanie.
She heard the doorbell and closed the book. From the back of the counter she sighed and lifted up with a formal smile. " May I help you." she didn't end her words " Imam!" She left the cat and went on the other side of the counter to embrace him. Tears came from her eyes. "Imam!" said happily Jackie joining him too.
"Hey? What's that? Are you so happy to see me?" he said tenderly smiling at the two girls. "What a beautiful surprise!" she dried her tears away trying to keep back her control: "How are you?" Stephanie tried to look as much serene as she could. "Fine. It's a great pleasure for me, to see you again. And you girls? Everything is fine?" he asked. Jackie looked silent at Stephanie, letting her talk.
She lied: "Everything fine, don't you see?" showing with her hands the store. He was staring her seriously. Jackie silently sighed, lowering her head down and putting her hands in her pants pockets.
"Yes, yes." He said very quietly: "I'm so proud about you and what you did too, Jackie." Said Imam: " Stephanie, you're a strong good girl, who believes in God and loves life, isn't it?" he continued.
"Y-yes .Imam. You know me." She smiled uncertainly giving a glance to Jackie then back to him. She was embarrassed. She hated to lie to him. He was such a good person and wearing that mask with him was so difficult.
"So, you would never lie to me, wouldn't you?" he insisted with an inquiring look. She sighed lowering her eyes down. She couldn't stand to look at him no more. He knew it already. Was it possible? Was she so foreseeable? She thought.
"Well." she sighed again feeling tears coming again to her eyes. She hated herself for this. She didn't want to cry, not now. Not in front of him. She had to be strong. "Not everything is fine. But things can't always end as fine as we would, isn't it?" she tried to talk in a neutral almost light tone, as it wasn't important. But it was more and more hard to keep her self control.
"What happened?" Imam insisted. "It's a long story and I don't think you have time to listen." she tried to say. "Got time enough. Let's walk outside a little" indicating her the door of the store. "But?" said confused Stephanie looking both Imam and Jackie.
"Go with him." Said Jackie slapping her hand on Stephanie's shoulder: "He will help you" she softly added.
She followed him without protesting. She needed to talk with him. He knew her character as well as that one of Riddick, maybe he could have helped her. She left the store to Jackie and went out with him.
It'd been a long walk, she told him all and at the end, she started to cry. He did let her cry on her shoulder. She cried desperately sobbing, no more controlling herself.
When she calmed down, she looked at him again. "What have I to do Imam? What?" she was devastated.
"You love him?" he asked firmly staring her.
She lifted her eyes up meeting his ones and sighed. She couldn't lie to Imam and no more with herself. "Yes. I think I love him." She replied in a whisper.
"Go to him." He simply said.
"W-what?" she was confused.
"Go to him. Talk to him".
"What? But you didn't hear me, he thinks." she insisted.
"Love can brake all barriers." he simply said.
"Not this time, holy man. Not this time." she sadly said.
Imam smiled comprehensive.
"Listen to your heart. Your heart and God will drive you".
"Imam, please." she has become fond of Imam, he was a dear person, but she wasn't in the mood for this.
"You and Riddick are so proud so stubborn and at the same time so scared of your feelings."
"Imam." she tried to say.
"Put aside your pride. Don't be scared." He gave her a reassuring gaze.
She looked thoughtfully.
"Go and talk to him. If you truly love him, nothing will stop you. Go to him."
"And if he refuses to see me?" she asked worried. This thought terrified her.
"He will not." Imam was so calm and positive and Stephanie wanted so much to believe him, she needed to do it.
They stayed in silence for a moment.
"It's bizarre. I'm in love for a multiple murderer, is it possible?" she finally said ironically shaking her head and giving voice to her thought. "The way our God show us, are mysterious sometimes. Maybe your destiny is to help come back to life, a man like Riddick. But I can't promise you it will be easy" He simply said.
She looked at him thoughtfully. Her eyes showing all her uncertainty, fear but also love. Than lowered her eyes.
"He.completes me" she said softly more to herself.
Imam approached and slapped her on her shoulder.
"Go to him. Talk to him" he said waving his head emphasizing it.
She lifted up her eyes and met his ones.
"Don't loose your chance of happiness" he finally said.
She sighed: "Thank you Imam. Hope you're right." And she embraced him.
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She ran out crying. She didn't stop, she ran and ran, until she had no more strength, until she didn't know no more where she was. Her mind confused. She looked up. She had come back home without even realizing it.
Her heart was definitely broken. Because she'd discovered, better she'd realised only now, that she'd felt in love for a dangerous multiple murderer. She had fallen for Riddick. Only now that she'd definitely lost him.
He didn't trust her, after all they had done together, after all it had happened between them, and since this, there couldn't be a future for them. He thought she'd betrayed him and he wouldn't have changed his mind. She thought sadly. Both too proud, too scared about their feelings, their future, they hadn't had the courage to tell to each other all. And now, now it was too late.
Jackie saw her arriving in such those conditions, but she said nothing. She knew all, but she couldn't no more help her. Stephanie had to find her own way to come back to life, even if it was painful.
---------------------------------
Three weeks had passed from that unforgettable night. Three terrible weeks. Sleepless and lonely nights where she cried all her tears while the rest of the days she worked as a robot without she even perceived it. Without thinking. She was no more able to do it.
Tired, she almost didn't eat. She'd lost weight, and shadows had appeared under her eyes. After a moment of embarrassing silence, Stephanie had given vent to her feelings with Jackie which had proved to be very mature, hearing her silently and taking care of the shop, since the first days Stephanie hadn't been able to work.
Stephanie couldn't imagine that her life could change in such this way. She'd thought that the blows she'd taken during the theft were terrible. But this was nothing compared to what she was living now; to the deep pain she felt in the middle of her chest. Sometimes she thought, she couldn't breathe, so much strong it was. She felt empty of all her strength. Life had lost her beauty. Even her pets were a new reason to make tears coming out. Their eyes, their wonderful eyes.
Jackie and Stephanie were alone in the store. Jackie checking some bills and Stephanie arranging some books when one, suddenly fell on the floor. She kneeled to pick it up. What was it about? She opened it casually. Bizarre. She had opened it on a feline page. She started to read the description absently, beside a black panther picture:
--"Beautiful carnivorous, from feline's family.[.] The panther is agile and daring; he climbs very well. His prey are various; Might be very dangerous for man. He doesn't live very well in slavery and his taming is relative."--
She smiled sadly, it seemed the description of Richard B. Riddick. A black cat pet came near to her rubbing against her legs, purring. She shook her head. I'm hurting myself she thought . "Am I pitiful ?" she said to the cat which was looking at her with his tender green eyes. She took him in her hands and caressed tenderly. "You said something?" asked Jackie. "Nope. Just thinking at loud voice." Answered absently Stephanie.
She heard the doorbell and closed the book. From the back of the counter she sighed and lifted up with a formal smile. " May I help you." she didn't end her words " Imam!" She left the cat and went on the other side of the counter to embrace him. Tears came from her eyes. "Imam!" said happily Jackie joining him too.
"Hey? What's that? Are you so happy to see me?" he said tenderly smiling at the two girls. "What a beautiful surprise!" she dried her tears away trying to keep back her control: "How are you?" Stephanie tried to look as much serene as she could. "Fine. It's a great pleasure for me, to see you again. And you girls? Everything is fine?" he asked. Jackie looked silent at Stephanie, letting her talk.
She lied: "Everything fine, don't you see?" showing with her hands the store. He was staring her seriously. Jackie silently sighed, lowering her head down and putting her hands in her pants pockets.
"Yes, yes." He said very quietly: "I'm so proud about you and what you did too, Jackie." Said Imam: " Stephanie, you're a strong good girl, who believes in God and loves life, isn't it?" he continued.
"Y-yes .Imam. You know me." She smiled uncertainly giving a glance to Jackie then back to him. She was embarrassed. She hated to lie to him. He was such a good person and wearing that mask with him was so difficult.
"So, you would never lie to me, wouldn't you?" he insisted with an inquiring look. She sighed lowering her eyes down. She couldn't stand to look at him no more. He knew it already. Was it possible? Was she so foreseeable? She thought.
"Well." she sighed again feeling tears coming again to her eyes. She hated herself for this. She didn't want to cry, not now. Not in front of him. She had to be strong. "Not everything is fine. But things can't always end as fine as we would, isn't it?" she tried to talk in a neutral almost light tone, as it wasn't important. But it was more and more hard to keep her self control.
"What happened?" Imam insisted. "It's a long story and I don't think you have time to listen." she tried to say. "Got time enough. Let's walk outside a little" indicating her the door of the store. "But?" said confused Stephanie looking both Imam and Jackie.
"Go with him." Said Jackie slapping her hand on Stephanie's shoulder: "He will help you" she softly added.
She followed him without protesting. She needed to talk with him. He knew her character as well as that one of Riddick, maybe he could have helped her. She left the store to Jackie and went out with him.
It'd been a long walk, she told him all and at the end, she started to cry. He did let her cry on her shoulder. She cried desperately sobbing, no more controlling herself.
When she calmed down, she looked at him again. "What have I to do Imam? What?" she was devastated.
"You love him?" he asked firmly staring her.
She lifted her eyes up meeting his ones and sighed. She couldn't lie to Imam and no more with herself. "Yes. I think I love him." She replied in a whisper.
"Go to him." He simply said.
"W-what?" she was confused.
"Go to him. Talk to him".
"What? But you didn't hear me, he thinks." she insisted.
"Love can brake all barriers." he simply said.
"Not this time, holy man. Not this time." she sadly said.
Imam smiled comprehensive.
"Listen to your heart. Your heart and God will drive you".
"Imam, please." she has become fond of Imam, he was a dear person, but she wasn't in the mood for this.
"You and Riddick are so proud so stubborn and at the same time so scared of your feelings."
"Imam." she tried to say.
"Put aside your pride. Don't be scared." He gave her a reassuring gaze.
She looked thoughtfully.
"Go and talk to him. If you truly love him, nothing will stop you. Go to him."
"And if he refuses to see me?" she asked worried. This thought terrified her.
"He will not." Imam was so calm and positive and Stephanie wanted so much to believe him, she needed to do it.
They stayed in silence for a moment.
"It's bizarre. I'm in love for a multiple murderer, is it possible?" she finally said ironically shaking her head and giving voice to her thought. "The way our God show us, are mysterious sometimes. Maybe your destiny is to help come back to life, a man like Riddick. But I can't promise you it will be easy" He simply said.
She looked at him thoughtfully. Her eyes showing all her uncertainty, fear but also love. Than lowered her eyes.
"He.completes me" she said softly more to herself.
Imam approached and slapped her on her shoulder.
"Go to him. Talk to him" he said waving his head emphasizing it.
She lifted up her eyes and met his ones.
"Don't loose your chance of happiness" he finally said.
She sighed: "Thank you Imam. Hope you're right." And she embraced him.
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