Chapter 2 - Someone to Watch over me
The dark gray sky reflected the mood of the few people surrounding a hole with a coffin suspended above it. Matthew, Barbara, Dinah, Helena and a few of Cris' students had their eyes downcast to the ground or on the coffin. The minister's words were almost drowned out by the soft splatter of rain against the umbrellas.
Barbara felt as if it were a dream. She was still stunned at the suddenness of Cris' death. As her thoughts wondered she remembered a long time ago, in university, the one time when she had come to realize how close their friendship was.
********* FLASHBACK *********
The tears had long ceased. The only remains were dry salty stains on her cheeks on lips. Her eyes were half closed, everything around her seemed distant as she stared in front of her, at the void. She heard someone enter the room and make their way towards her. She closed her eyes wish the person away. She felt as that someone sat down gently on the bed beside her. A hand softly brushed her red hair away from her face. She kept her eyes closed, pretending to be asleep. She heard the person sigh, she realized it was Cris. Cris then spoke to her softly, "It hurts me to see you like this, even when I know how strong you normally are. Jarred is a real jerk! He deserved what he had coming for him! Yeah sure he hurt you, but that doesn't mean you should just fade away from the world. Hell it's been 2 weeks Babs! You're only a week away from one of your major final exams! C'mon, I know your awake, I know you can hear me." Barbara stayed silent, she realized now that Cris' presence comforted her. Cris sighed again and then lifted herself up. "No, don't go," Barbara said opening her eyes. Cris sat down again and looked at her. Barbara sat up and hugged Cris. The tears started welling up in her eyes again. She broke out sobbing. "Shhhhh, okay," Cris said, "Go on, let it all out."
After a minutes, Barbara had stopped crying, she pulled away and too a deep breath in and said, "Maybe I should just go talk to him." "What ever will make you at ease, but um. now wouldn't be a good time," Cris replied. "Why?" Barbara asked. "He's in the infirmary." "What? What happened?" Cris grinned mischievously and tapped her nose. Barbara's eyes widened in horror, "You didn't?" Cris just carried on grinning. Barbara gasped and slapped her arm. "What?! He deserved it!" Cris exclaimed rubbing her arm. Suddenly Barbara broke out laughing.
******* Present *******
Barbara closed her eyes. She was going to miss Cris, she was going to miss her a lot! A tear ran down her cheek. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up, Helena looked at her reassuringly and smiled. Before Barbara could say anything, something appeared in the corner of her vision. She turned to see and odd shadow on a tree trunk not too far from them. It looked like a human figure. It seemed to be watching them. Then Barbara felt a rush of calm and comfort wash over her and then the shadow disappeared. She stared at the tree for a while, suddenly she smelled the perfume Cris used to wear. She smiled, "She's still trying to protect me."
***
The night was darker than usual. Barbara sighed as she looked out the window at the full moon above them. The moon had a red shade to it. Barbara thought back to what someone had once said when the moon was red, "Beware of the bloodied moon Cherie," the old fortuneteller told her at the fair, "It means death is nearby"
Barbara shuddered and looked away. Death had struck too close lately and she wished she hadn't remembered that. She returned to her job at hand, "Okay, Dinah, Helena just says she has to pull a shift so you're alone tonight." ::Okay, at least I get to do all the kicking tonight:: Barbara could hear Dinah trying to sound enthusiastic, but it sounded flat. Cris death had affected the all. "Just be careful, and don't switch off your comset again," Barbara replied.
Helena descended the stairs and approached Barbara, "Okay, I'm off!" Barbara nodded, as she watched Helena enter the elevator, she saw the odd shadow again, this time it seemed urgent as it rushed to the elevator. After a moment of panic Barbara shook her head, "Damn it, get over it! You're not seeing this!"
***
He moved slowly through the bar. His fingers constantly tapping against the metal tube in his pocket. He smirked as he approached the woman he had desired to seek out. He approached her slowly, his every muscle tensing. "Hey what can I get ya?" Helena asked him. "Gin," he answered. His voice sounded slithery and seemed to echo down his throat. Helena smiled and turns around. This was the opportunity he had waited for. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the explosive, a pipe bomb.
***
The dream startled Barbara awake, she opened her eyes just in time to see that shadow again, before it disappeared. Her eyes were suddenly drawn to the moon. It seemed to bleed it self and scream out in pain. Her mind started racing, the shadow, it had to be Cris, she was trying to warn Barbara, something bad was happening. She rushed to the computer and dialed the number of Helena's bar. ::Dark Horse,:: a gruff voice answered. "Um, could I speak to Helena" Barbara said too quickly. She heard the man huff and then put the phone down on a surface, she heard him scream, "Kyle!" Barbara waited anxiously; she heard a noise and the owner say, "Make this you last call!" "Yeah, yeah," she answered him and the picked the phone up, "Hello?" "HELENA! GET EVERYBODY OUT OF THERE!!!" Barbara shouted. ::What? What the hell is going on?:: Before Barbara could repeat herself she heard a loud noise and then the phone went dead.
The dark gray sky reflected the mood of the few people surrounding a hole with a coffin suspended above it. Matthew, Barbara, Dinah, Helena and a few of Cris' students had their eyes downcast to the ground or on the coffin. The minister's words were almost drowned out by the soft splatter of rain against the umbrellas.
Barbara felt as if it were a dream. She was still stunned at the suddenness of Cris' death. As her thoughts wondered she remembered a long time ago, in university, the one time when she had come to realize how close their friendship was.
********* FLASHBACK *********
The tears had long ceased. The only remains were dry salty stains on her cheeks on lips. Her eyes were half closed, everything around her seemed distant as she stared in front of her, at the void. She heard someone enter the room and make their way towards her. She closed her eyes wish the person away. She felt as that someone sat down gently on the bed beside her. A hand softly brushed her red hair away from her face. She kept her eyes closed, pretending to be asleep. She heard the person sigh, she realized it was Cris. Cris then spoke to her softly, "It hurts me to see you like this, even when I know how strong you normally are. Jarred is a real jerk! He deserved what he had coming for him! Yeah sure he hurt you, but that doesn't mean you should just fade away from the world. Hell it's been 2 weeks Babs! You're only a week away from one of your major final exams! C'mon, I know your awake, I know you can hear me." Barbara stayed silent, she realized now that Cris' presence comforted her. Cris sighed again and then lifted herself up. "No, don't go," Barbara said opening her eyes. Cris sat down again and looked at her. Barbara sat up and hugged Cris. The tears started welling up in her eyes again. She broke out sobbing. "Shhhhh, okay," Cris said, "Go on, let it all out."
After a minutes, Barbara had stopped crying, she pulled away and too a deep breath in and said, "Maybe I should just go talk to him." "What ever will make you at ease, but um. now wouldn't be a good time," Cris replied. "Why?" Barbara asked. "He's in the infirmary." "What? What happened?" Cris grinned mischievously and tapped her nose. Barbara's eyes widened in horror, "You didn't?" Cris just carried on grinning. Barbara gasped and slapped her arm. "What?! He deserved it!" Cris exclaimed rubbing her arm. Suddenly Barbara broke out laughing.
******* Present *******
Barbara closed her eyes. She was going to miss Cris, she was going to miss her a lot! A tear ran down her cheek. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up, Helena looked at her reassuringly and smiled. Before Barbara could say anything, something appeared in the corner of her vision. She turned to see and odd shadow on a tree trunk not too far from them. It looked like a human figure. It seemed to be watching them. Then Barbara felt a rush of calm and comfort wash over her and then the shadow disappeared. She stared at the tree for a while, suddenly she smelled the perfume Cris used to wear. She smiled, "She's still trying to protect me."
***
The night was darker than usual. Barbara sighed as she looked out the window at the full moon above them. The moon had a red shade to it. Barbara thought back to what someone had once said when the moon was red, "Beware of the bloodied moon Cherie," the old fortuneteller told her at the fair, "It means death is nearby"
Barbara shuddered and looked away. Death had struck too close lately and she wished she hadn't remembered that. She returned to her job at hand, "Okay, Dinah, Helena just says she has to pull a shift so you're alone tonight." ::Okay, at least I get to do all the kicking tonight:: Barbara could hear Dinah trying to sound enthusiastic, but it sounded flat. Cris death had affected the all. "Just be careful, and don't switch off your comset again," Barbara replied.
Helena descended the stairs and approached Barbara, "Okay, I'm off!" Barbara nodded, as she watched Helena enter the elevator, she saw the odd shadow again, this time it seemed urgent as it rushed to the elevator. After a moment of panic Barbara shook her head, "Damn it, get over it! You're not seeing this!"
***
He moved slowly through the bar. His fingers constantly tapping against the metal tube in his pocket. He smirked as he approached the woman he had desired to seek out. He approached her slowly, his every muscle tensing. "Hey what can I get ya?" Helena asked him. "Gin," he answered. His voice sounded slithery and seemed to echo down his throat. Helena smiled and turns around. This was the opportunity he had waited for. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the explosive, a pipe bomb.
***
The dream startled Barbara awake, she opened her eyes just in time to see that shadow again, before it disappeared. Her eyes were suddenly drawn to the moon. It seemed to bleed it self and scream out in pain. Her mind started racing, the shadow, it had to be Cris, she was trying to warn Barbara, something bad was happening. She rushed to the computer and dialed the number of Helena's bar. ::Dark Horse,:: a gruff voice answered. "Um, could I speak to Helena" Barbara said too quickly. She heard the man huff and then put the phone down on a surface, she heard him scream, "Kyle!" Barbara waited anxiously; she heard a noise and the owner say, "Make this you last call!" "Yeah, yeah," she answered him and the picked the phone up, "Hello?" "HELENA! GET EVERYBODY OUT OF THERE!!!" Barbara shouted. ::What? What the hell is going on?:: Before Barbara could repeat herself she heard a loud noise and then the phone went dead.