She placed the bags onto her kitchen counter and began emptying them into their desired cabinet spaces. Once finished, Jack moved herself back into her bedroom. All the while she had completely forgotten to check the message on her computer. She had intended to grab a movie but the mirror along the way had caught her eye and once again she found herself drifting back to the time she was twelve. Back then she had shaved her head to be like the man she had idolized and adored. Her very action was an attempt to be a spitting image of Richard B. Riddick. Even at 12 she could feel the way her body responded to him. It was unusual, yes, but she'd known how he made her feel. She thought about what would have happened if she had mentioned to Riddick that she had it for him. She'd had it bad. Riddick was 13 years older than her then and there was no doubt in her now mature mind that he would have taken no interest in it. A compliment, sure, but he would have went right back on with his ways. Not your everyday twelve year old falls for a mass murderer, and for that she knew it was something special.

She pictured his shaven head and glowing mercury eyes and felt that familiar tingle in her. She'd never had a boyfriend before. Not because she was never asked out, because she was. An awful lot. Imam had to fight the boys off the front door. It was mainly because no one ever measured up to Riddick. No one ever made her feel the way that he had. Looking at herself in the mirror, she stared and contemplated how much she had really changed in the 10 years since the accident. She had long blond hair now which she had personally streaked blue once she had reached her goal of having hair that cascaded to her lower back. Her eyes were still the same. A bright questioning cerulean blue that could capture anyone's stare and hold it for just long enough. Her lips were now fuller as was her chest. Imam had told her one day, around her 17th birthday, that she had blossomed into a painstakingly beautiful woman. She had curves in all the right places and made all the guys drool. The ones she turned down just figured she was a lesbian or too full of heself. Quite the opposite actually. She just didn't see herself as being that attractive.

Tearing her eyes away from the mirror she went into her closet of DVDs and c.d.s and reached in for a movie. The first thing that her hand came to was Dirty Dancing. A classic, she thought. She tossed the movie onto her bed and headed into the kitchen for some snacks. She popped the movie in and enjoyed the first half, having fallen asleep for the rest.

***

Imam had just woken up. He had had a rough night of tossing and turning, his premonition that something was going to happen was only getting stronger. He rose, and dressed in his traditional robes and ambled over to his computer. Apparently, Jack had not recieved his message. He sucked in his breath and sat down to type her a new one.

Jackie dearest,

I miss you more everyday that passes. I wish to know how you are and what you have been doing, seeing as we have not been in contact for some time now. Is the job completed yet? Have you met any nice young Nessosian men? I would very much like to get a response from you. Please write back, child.
With much affection,
Imam.

He pressed send and stood from his desk. He walked downstairs and flipped on the t.v. He wasn't much of an avid t.v. watcher, but he did enjoy an occasional glimpse of the news once and a while. He opened the fridge and pulled out two eggs, some bacon, and some jelly. He put some bread into the toaster and began to scramble his eggs just the way Jackie loved them. Hearing something on the television that peaked his interest, he turned and raised the volume.

"...has been reported today that last night there was a breach into a maximum security prison. The 'Slam' as it is referred to on the street has been shut down, and press comunication has been severed. The only information that we have recieved at this hour is that there were four escapees. The names of the criminals have as yet, not been released. We are being told by an insider, that one of the men was convicted of murder, assualt, battery, reckless endangerment, forgery, and fraud. Knowing this information is helpful indeed but we will work on getting the names and description of each man and we will report it as soon as...."

Imam tugged at his collar. He was no longer listening to the drone of the program and he did nothing about the eggs in the pan behind him that were slowly burning. Had Mr. Riddick been shoved back into the slam? Had he escaped? Imam thought all these years that Riddick had been a free man, dead to all but still alive and breathing on his own. He thought Mr. Riddick an exceptionally smart man who could elude capture at all costs. Suddenly, everything floating in his subconcious clicked and he dashed up the stairs to write a new urgent message to Jackie.

***