A clouded mixture of water, dye and tears whirled around the drain before spilling down the pipes of Talia's shower.
She could not risk being recognised in Seattle, the hair dye was of utmost necessity, the tears however, were not and as soon as she felt she had cried them all, Talia scolded herself for being so weak.
She knew why she cried them, yet not why every time she cried them it seemed that they would never stop.
He's been gone a whole year and you're still crying like a baby she thought.
It shouldn't be this way…time heals all wounds…you should be over it by now,
He's gone and he's never coming back…it's over. Pull yourself together, you're a
Soldier, you should be stronger than this.
Talia stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. She wiped the fogged up mirror and took a look at the job she had made of her hair.
Her once blond hair now burned bright red. It shone like fire.
Fire…she thought as new tears welled in her eyes and blurred her vision.
It was fire that took him from me all those months ago.
I have to get a grip.
Talia wiped her eyes and made her way into her bedroom. Her bed was bare, the room empty except for the one bag which rested on the floor. She knelt down and took out a pair of jeans and a black leather jacket.
Black, like my empty heart.
She tossed them aside and dug into the bag in search of a hairbrush. Her fingers groped something cool and hard.
Gun…
Then moved on till they came to rest of a piece of paper.
The Photo…
She quickly ripped it out.
Staring at it she could hardly recognise the girl in it as herself. Back then she had looked more like a boy.
She kept her eyes trained on her own image for she had seen this picture many times before and knew the pain she would suffer if she allowed her eyes to wander…
"Rav" she muttered as her eyes fell on his face.
The golden hair, blizzard blue eyes, stern forehead and proud masculine jaw line….
Her mind drifted back to the night of the fire, the night Rav had died.
Someone would pay dearly for what they have done she thought as she let the pain wash over her and through her, consuming her in it's endless vat. She thought of the numbness that would follow and longed for it to take her.