Chapter 2 – Insanity
Tyana placed the newest V.R band onto her head and clasped it down over her eyes. She sighed, chose the work out she wanted and then took up a fighting stance. This Virtual Reality program wasn't so much illusory as it was real. Most people from the mission used it to work out and brush up on fighting techniques because not only did you imagine your opponent but a computer generated opponent would actually appear in front of you and the hologram meant your blows were actually landed on something instead of flying through thin air. The first time one used it was pretty strange but for Tyana she picked up on it easily and never lost a battle to the V.R computer.
Tyana secured the band across her eyes and waited for the computer generated opponent to appear. The second it faded into view in front of her she kicked it in the chin and then smashed a palm into the dark figure's nose, causing blood to spurt everywhere. Ready and willing to go all out in this work out Tyana flipped backwards to give herself a little more room then landed in a stance ready for combat. The figure charged towards her but she spun to the side simply then brought an arm out out-stretched and slammed her fist into the back of their head. She dropped to the floor, keeping a leg out and spun around to swipe them off their feet. They crumpled to the floor and Tyana waited for them to get to their feet, bored of the lack of response so far.
Slowly the pace began to pick up and the fight was less one sided. For every blow she landed one was returned and soon they were both blooded and bruised in battle. Tyana's anger bubbled, coming dangerously close to boiling over, as she imagined the faces of every guard, every chip-holder, everyone who had every hurt her. Slowly but surely she took back control of the fight and continued to beat the generated figure to a bloody pulp.
Meanwhile as Tyana battled with the latest in technology Bretski stood in the doorway, watching her with arms crossed. Her motions were fluent and crisp as she cut the air in two around her. As he didn't have the band on he could not see her opponent or the special effects of blood and pain that the machine emitted but he could tell by the contorted facial features of his young friend and the strength of her actions that the battle she was fighting served as more than a work out for her. She was releasing pent up frustrations and emotions that her ordeal had left her with. Bret wanted to sigh and tell her she could talk to him whenever she needed or wanted to but he knew Tyana and he knew she had her own way of dealing with things. And that was to let it bubble inside of her until she had to blow it all out, just as she was doing now. It had been several days since she had returned from the other dimension and although she was healed, she was one of the few from the mission who had been refused permission to leave the vicinity due to her emotional unstable state. Physically, as always, she was in perfect condition, and mentally she was as capable and intelligent as she had always been. Spiritually she was aware and open but emotionally she was broken and lost. Broken because she could remember the love that her heart's desire could not and lost because she had no way to get back to him and help him remember.
And that's when Bret began to feel the guilt he had managed to hold back for so long. There was a way she could get back to Jeff. She could cross the dimensions if she truly wanted to do so but it was a very dangerous procedure that may damage her body permanently—if she survived that is. Her body had already sustained tremendous pressure by crossing sides once each way and it surely could not hold up yet again to cross over without some harm being done, even if she was never to cross back over again. It was likely the atoms that made up her body could not cope with the transfer. There was no way she would ever be permitted to cross over. And yet he knew that's all she wanted.
Finally Bret did sigh, saturated with the guilt of keeping the truth from her. But he was under oath by the mission to never bring any harm to or allow an action that could bring about any harm to his Guided, and that was Tyana. And by telling her of the possibility of life on the other side—well that could harm her in many ways. He wouldn't tell, he decided, it was best for Tyana to just get over her heartache and then return to life on the outside.
He was snapped out of his inner battle of conscience when Tyana sank to her knees and placed her hands firmly in front of her, square beneath her shoulders.
And then her tears began to fall.
***
Jeff stared at his brother, waiting for the reaction.
"A chick in blue you say?" Matt raised an eyebrow skeptically, not quite sure what his brother was saying.
Jeff nodded, "Yeah, a sort of turquoise"
"And you've been dreaming about her?"
"Yeah. Well, I don't know whether it's a dream or a nightmare. You see, it's really horrible at first because there are all these lights and hideous screams and it's just, dreadful. But then there's this girl and she's just lying there but everything's really blurry"
"So?"
"So, it's weird. I can't even make her out but somehow I know what's happening and although I can't really see much I feel as if I know everything about her, every line of her body, everything. And she's gorgeous"
"I thought you can't see her"
"I can't"
Matt looked utterly lost, "Jeff if you can't see her how on earth do you know she's gorgeous?"
"You just do. I mean when I say I can't see her, I can, but she's just sort of blurred. It's not like you can see everything happening properly. It's like time is cut up and pasted in the wrong places"
"So, what, she gets there before you've even kissed her?" Matt laughed a little, finding amusement in the way Jeff described it.
"Matt it's not funny, it's seriously freaking me out, I can't go to sleep without this fucking twisted dream creeping me out!"
"Ok, ok, I'm sorry, that was insensitive of me. But seriously bro, what do you expect me to say? No body knows your subconscious better than you do. I don't know why you're having these dreams; no one can figure that out but you" he shrugged helplessly, patted his younger brother on the shoulder and then got up and left. Jeff sighed and leaned back into his chair. He rested his head in his hands with closed eyes. But all he saw was his dream flashing before him. His eyes flew open.
"This has gotta stop" he mumbled defeated, shaking his head then running his hands through his hair, "she's gonna drive me insane"
***
Bret walked over to her carefully, pulling her up out of the heap she lay in and cradling her to him, trying to calm her sobs. Her whole body shook with the pure power of her broken heart and she shivered in his embrace as she wept away the pain until she could cry no longer. The time ticked away as Bret just held her close, trying to calm her cries, but nothing he could say to her seemed to help. She just cried harder. Finally, when her cheeks were red raw, her eyes were puffy and tired, her throat dry and sore, she tried to quiet down and then through her silent sobs she looked up at the man who was the closest thing to a sibling she every had.
"Bret…I want him back" he nodded, pulling some of her bright turquoise hair away from where it stuck to her red and wet cheeks, telling her he understood. He knew she did. But she couldn't have him. She cried a little harder but still tried to speak, "Isn't there any way…I…I-I want to go back…is there no way?" Her voice cracked and split with her tortured questions and her eyes were wide and large, violet and clouded. She only looked the shell of the vibrant woman she really was inside. Bret felt his heart split in two when he shook his head and she broke down again.
He couldn't tell her the truth. He couldn't bring her any harm.
After all, the oath was more important than her sanity, right?
Suddenly he wasn't so sure.
********************************************
*A/N* ok, I wrote tons to this while FF.net was down and now I've got like 10 chapters. Lol, I should post at least one a day now then. Please leave me a review to let me know what you think of the story so far :o)
Shadow: Yeah, he kinda remembers, well, his subconscious sort of remembers I think is the best way to describe it but can't remember her at will. Which is so sad isn't it? *throws back of hand over forehead and sniffs dramatically* lol. Ahh well, watch this space for more updates, thanks for reviewing :o)
