Chapter Five: A New Beginning
I awake from sleep with a jump, and as reality hits me, I stumble out of my bed and stare to the clock. 9 AM.
The sun beams shine through the window, breaking over the floor. I brush my hair behind my head and run for my computer room.
Hitting off the screen saver, I race the mouse to the bottom right-hand corner. December 25th.
I let out a small scream. "I haven't missed it!" I yell to the empty house. "I haven't missed it yet!"
I run back to my room and throw on my clothes for the day; A pair of jeans, a green sweater, and a red scarf.
I race out of the apartment complex and out to the street. Starting my car, I start off to the city.
An hour passes. After searching every alley, I've found the one from last night.
I park my car at the end and step out.
"Hello?" I yell.
The head of a little blonde hair girl pops out from behind a dumpster. I smile at her before she quickly yanks back behind.
"You're Jenna, aren't you?" I call.
She walks back from behind the dumpster again.
"Jenna, don't," says the voice of her mother, as her hand extends and pulls her back behind.
I walk over to them and lean down. "My name's Clarice," I say softly.
The mother, cradling the baby, looks up at me. "What do you want with us?"
"I heard your story," I say, softly. "Please, take this money and go get some food and a doctor for your baby."
I hand her an envelope. She takes it with caution, and slowly opens it.
"Why, there's a thousand dollars here," she says, a look of pure gratitude in her eyes.
"It's the least I can do," I say with a smile.
Jenna runs up to me and hugs me. "Thank you, Clarice!" She says.
I smile down at her and then to her mother. "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas," she says back.
With one last look, I climb back into my car and drive off.
Within ten minutes, I've parked my car at the airport and purchased a ticket for Maine. And in another two hours, at noon, I've landed and driven the half hour to Ardelia's mother's.
I walk to the door of their overwhelmingly large house and knock on it's red paint. The door swings open.
"Clarice!" Ardelia screams, throwing her arms around me.
I laugh, making my way inside the house.
Everyone inside has stopped what they were doing; Ardelia's mother holds a pan in her hands, the children are staring up from their game, and her husband has put down his book.
"Clarice!" Her mother finally exclaims. "See, Delia? I told you she'd be back one of these times..."
"Aunty Clarice!" The younger Clarice yells to me, as she races to me and embraces my legs. Her brother soon does the same.
"How are you, Clarice?" asks Ardelia's husband, extending his hand.
I shake it with a smile. "Never better."
***
After a long day with Ardelia's family, I've finally gotten the chance to use their computer, and sit down to type a letter to our director about the evidence incident.
"How's that sound, Delia?" I ask, handing her the freshly printed paper.
She sighs. "It's a long shot, Clarice, but I hope it works. That family doesn't deserve this."
I shake my head. "They're the last people on earth who do."
She smiles, handing me back the letter.
"I'm heading off to bed," she says, getting up. "Merry Christmas, C. Thanks for coming."
I hug her, following her out the door and to my own room. "It's my pleasure. Merry Christmas, Delia."
I walk in and shut the door behind me. The room is beautiful; A large bed with flowing canopy, and a balcony off to the side.
I toss off my scarf and change into the boxers and shirt I had grabbed that morning. I go to retire, but the urge to walk out to the balcony suddenly hits me.
Quietly, I walk over and open the door. It's freezing outside, but I go out for a quick moment anyway. The view over the Mapp Family's land is unbelievable...
"Clarice," I hear a voice say.
I look down, but can't make out who it is. The figure moves backwards and the moonlight hits a pair of dark, maroon eyes.
"Doctor?" I ask.
"Who else, My Dear?" He says with a twisted smile.
I smile back. "It's freezing. Come up here."
"You know I can't, Clarice," he replies, with a slightly annoyed tone.
I glance down. It had been a stupid thing to say.
"I needed to see you again. I needed to know if those lambs were still screaming."
I shrug. "Only slightly."
He smiles. "I should leave you now. Have a merry, merry Christmas, Clarice."
"Wait..." I say, as he turns to leave.
He turns around, with a raise of his eyebrows.
"Take me with you," I say, shocking even myself.
"You could never go back," he says, his tone serious and questioning. "You have to be sure."
"I've never wanted anything more," I say, with a small smile.
***
Within minutes, I've packed, dressed, and left a small note to Ardelia, in apology of my quick leaving.
I toss my bag down to the lawn and climb down to the ground using the piping.
"There is one last thing I'd like to do, though," I say as we walk across the yard and to a car hidden deep within the trees.
"Yes?" he asks.
"I'd like to make a stop in West Virginia to visit my sister, Cassandra, and meet my nieces and nephews."
"Then it will be done," he says, opening the passenger side door for me, and tossing my bag into the trunk.
"Merry Christmas, Clarice," he says again, as he climbs in, a faint smile on his face.
"Merry Christmas, Hannibal," I say, leaning against his shoulder.
And we drive off into the darkness, nothing but the moon lighting our way.
***
Ah, I don't like this chapter much, but hopefully you did =) Merry Christmas, fellow Lecterphiles XD
I awake from sleep with a jump, and as reality hits me, I stumble out of my bed and stare to the clock. 9 AM.
The sun beams shine through the window, breaking over the floor. I brush my hair behind my head and run for my computer room.
Hitting off the screen saver, I race the mouse to the bottom right-hand corner. December 25th.
I let out a small scream. "I haven't missed it!" I yell to the empty house. "I haven't missed it yet!"
I run back to my room and throw on my clothes for the day; A pair of jeans, a green sweater, and a red scarf.
I race out of the apartment complex and out to the street. Starting my car, I start off to the city.
An hour passes. After searching every alley, I've found the one from last night.
I park my car at the end and step out.
"Hello?" I yell.
The head of a little blonde hair girl pops out from behind a dumpster. I smile at her before she quickly yanks back behind.
"You're Jenna, aren't you?" I call.
She walks back from behind the dumpster again.
"Jenna, don't," says the voice of her mother, as her hand extends and pulls her back behind.
I walk over to them and lean down. "My name's Clarice," I say softly.
The mother, cradling the baby, looks up at me. "What do you want with us?"
"I heard your story," I say, softly. "Please, take this money and go get some food and a doctor for your baby."
I hand her an envelope. She takes it with caution, and slowly opens it.
"Why, there's a thousand dollars here," she says, a look of pure gratitude in her eyes.
"It's the least I can do," I say with a smile.
Jenna runs up to me and hugs me. "Thank you, Clarice!" She says.
I smile down at her and then to her mother. "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas," she says back.
With one last look, I climb back into my car and drive off.
Within ten minutes, I've parked my car at the airport and purchased a ticket for Maine. And in another two hours, at noon, I've landed and driven the half hour to Ardelia's mother's.
I walk to the door of their overwhelmingly large house and knock on it's red paint. The door swings open.
"Clarice!" Ardelia screams, throwing her arms around me.
I laugh, making my way inside the house.
Everyone inside has stopped what they were doing; Ardelia's mother holds a pan in her hands, the children are staring up from their game, and her husband has put down his book.
"Clarice!" Her mother finally exclaims. "See, Delia? I told you she'd be back one of these times..."
"Aunty Clarice!" The younger Clarice yells to me, as she races to me and embraces my legs. Her brother soon does the same.
"How are you, Clarice?" asks Ardelia's husband, extending his hand.
I shake it with a smile. "Never better."
***
After a long day with Ardelia's family, I've finally gotten the chance to use their computer, and sit down to type a letter to our director about the evidence incident.
"How's that sound, Delia?" I ask, handing her the freshly printed paper.
She sighs. "It's a long shot, Clarice, but I hope it works. That family doesn't deserve this."
I shake my head. "They're the last people on earth who do."
She smiles, handing me back the letter.
"I'm heading off to bed," she says, getting up. "Merry Christmas, C. Thanks for coming."
I hug her, following her out the door and to my own room. "It's my pleasure. Merry Christmas, Delia."
I walk in and shut the door behind me. The room is beautiful; A large bed with flowing canopy, and a balcony off to the side.
I toss off my scarf and change into the boxers and shirt I had grabbed that morning. I go to retire, but the urge to walk out to the balcony suddenly hits me.
Quietly, I walk over and open the door. It's freezing outside, but I go out for a quick moment anyway. The view over the Mapp Family's land is unbelievable...
"Clarice," I hear a voice say.
I look down, but can't make out who it is. The figure moves backwards and the moonlight hits a pair of dark, maroon eyes.
"Doctor?" I ask.
"Who else, My Dear?" He says with a twisted smile.
I smile back. "It's freezing. Come up here."
"You know I can't, Clarice," he replies, with a slightly annoyed tone.
I glance down. It had been a stupid thing to say.
"I needed to see you again. I needed to know if those lambs were still screaming."
I shrug. "Only slightly."
He smiles. "I should leave you now. Have a merry, merry Christmas, Clarice."
"Wait..." I say, as he turns to leave.
He turns around, with a raise of his eyebrows.
"Take me with you," I say, shocking even myself.
"You could never go back," he says, his tone serious and questioning. "You have to be sure."
"I've never wanted anything more," I say, with a small smile.
***
Within minutes, I've packed, dressed, and left a small note to Ardelia, in apology of my quick leaving.
I toss my bag down to the lawn and climb down to the ground using the piping.
"There is one last thing I'd like to do, though," I say as we walk across the yard and to a car hidden deep within the trees.
"Yes?" he asks.
"I'd like to make a stop in West Virginia to visit my sister, Cassandra, and meet my nieces and nephews."
"Then it will be done," he says, opening the passenger side door for me, and tossing my bag into the trunk.
"Merry Christmas, Clarice," he says again, as he climbs in, a faint smile on his face.
"Merry Christmas, Hannibal," I say, leaning against his shoulder.
And we drive off into the darkness, nothing but the moon lighting our way.
***
Ah, I don't like this chapter much, but hopefully you did =) Merry Christmas, fellow Lecterphiles XD