Author's note: Hey, I'm back, and thanks to the beautiful people who reviewed. Here's the second chapter of my oddly inspired story about life, and I hope you enjoy.
Sara: Glad to see you back. How's it going?
Frenchy: Nice bio you have there, babe.
Alex (may I call you Alex in the net?): You're mail got me typing again (after going through a hellish exegetical study), so the next chapter will be dedicated to you…or something.
Saunce: Yeah, some other characters, but saying it all would really ruin the surprise, right?
Chapter 2: "Stir"
Mark had already spent the whole morning in the Stoneville Public Library, specifically in the health and sciences section. The library was a grand fixture, something that seemed to have been taken from the hallowed grounds of Cambridge and Harvard. He was on the ground floor, where only a few people were reading. The second floor could be seen from where he was, since the study area was a wide room that spanned two floors vertically. Massive, arc-shaped windows lined the far left wall, pouring ion the rays of light, as it God Himself watched over them right outside.
The stones that made up the walls were old and gray, while the shelves, railings and carrels were all made of highly polished mahogany. A lot of taxpayer's money was put into refurnishing the library, and it definitely showed. Mark always loved it there, the smell of the old books, the peace and quiet. He wore a loose, long-sleeved orange shirt and a pair of blue denim pants, both of which were already notably faded. A female librarian waved at him as he sat down on a carrel, waving back to her as well. Mark then resumed his business.
A pathology book was by his right hand, still closed, and piled over three more books on cardiovascular and respiratory functions as well as their corresponding ailments. He wasn't entirely fond of medicine-related subjects, but then, he found himself eating each and every fact. A yellow pad was by his left hand, where he wrote his findings with a Mongol 2 pencil. Mark had just spent the last four hours bulleting various causes of chest pains as well as treatments for them. His index finger already had a painful mark on it after having the pencil buried against his skin for so long.
"…Recurring chest pains could be attributed to high cholesterol…no, I don't think this goes for Heart." He thought as he read through. All of a sudden, the lead of his pencil snapped, making him swear out, much to his embarrassment. "Sorry." He whispered, prompting everyone to resume what they did, save a few of the girls who let a lingering look fall on the young man. "…Okay, typical syndromes of heart disease include…numbness in the extremities, swelling, labored breathing…" He closed the book and rubbed the back of his head. There were a hundred different reasons for the pains attacking his girlfriend, but none of them suited how she claimed to have felt.
Heart on the other hand, found time to jog the forest routes surrounding her home. She always did, finding the call of nature to calm her bones, especially now that it felt like they were staging a revolution inside of her. She had on a pair of Oakley shades that were silver in color, a gray sleeveless top and her black Nike jogging pants that had a white streak on the sides. Rays of light pierced through the massive halls of pine. She was a city girl who always knew when and what to appreciate in life. "I'm going to beat this thing." She thought to herself.
She could always remember running through those woods. She once loved those tales of fabulous creatures running about in enchanted forests. Will o' wisps flew through the air as Pan played his flute. Eponines and faeries whispered and giggled as they lived in the water lilies by the bank. They had beautiful wings, some of butterflies and others of wasps, shining in colors that no rainbow could match. Things that the mortal eye couldn't see, nor the mortal mind could comprehend, would swirl about in utter silence, carrying with them the wisdom of nature and the eyes that have seen through ages. Then there would come the white stallion, with a horn as its crown, proud yet silent. Its hooves were loud as thunder and soft as chimes both at the same time, with a mane so flowing that you'd swear it would cover the sky. Heart always wanted to live the life of the fairytale, even now at her age.
Out of the blue, a loud gasp of air escaped her, sending her down to the dusty road. It was a feeling that her twisted face and gaping mouth could not tell justice. She couldn't scream, but only writhe in agony as pain began to envelop her. Her body convulsed, and she began to panic at the combination of pain and lack of control that she felt. It wasn't the fact that her body felt like it was being bombarded with halberds that frightened her; it was the feeling that she could do absolutely nothing to stop it. Just as soon as it came, the pain stopped, and Heart found herself staring to the blue sky, gasping for air. After a few moments, Heart finally held her chest with one her left hand then pushed herself up with the other.
A clear brook was by the foot of the sloping earth, relatively easy for Heart to push her way down. "They are definitely going to want to know why I'm covered in dirt…" she told herself as she tried not to think of the resounding soreness that lingered in her body. Heart immediately kneeled by the side of the brook, scooping up the cold water with both her hands then consequently splashing it on her face. She did it again, and again, and then again, relishing the comfort that the water dealt.
Heart looked up, noticing how fast the sky seemed to have changed from bright gold to hazy gray and blue. The wind was cooler now, almost icy against her wet skin. A hand then grabbed her shoulder from behind, making her cry out and turn. "Heart it's me!"
"Mark? What…what?"
"What happened? You look…"
"It's nothing, I just…tripped on my way down. Jogging is bad."
"Are you okay?" he asked, not letting his suspicion get the best of him, she did look ruffled up after all. Mark was always the one to make anyone laugh with a witty remark and a perennial half-smile, but those days, neither of those were common.
"…Yeah, maybe just a little scratch here and there…"
"…Want me to kiss it to make it better?" Mark asked, causing Heart to laugh a bit and playfully slap him on his arm.
"I…was in the library, looking over books that could possibly tell me what's wrong."
"…"
"Nothing I found suits you, especially in your condition. Plus, teenagers suffering chest attacks aren't really prone to…uh, any big dangers."
"Oh." His words gave her a quick air of relief, even though it was just moments ago that she felt like her heart would erupt from her chest.
"…But…I still think that it isn't a good idea keeping this to ourselves."
"…"
"Heart, I…"
"Did you, uh, like the dinner last night? My mom makes such great Seafood Caesar doesn't she?" heart quickly changed the subject.
"…Yeah, the salad was great."
"…" Heart nodded and turned away. She didn't want to look into his eyes, riddled with concern for her. "God, maybe it was a mistake telling him about this…but he'd figure it out sooner or later…" Heart's eyes traveled back to the tranquil water, beckoning her to loose herself in its cold embrace. "If this thing inside me doesn't…leave, then mom and dad will surely catch on too."
Heart then felt Mark's arms around her waist as he embraced her from behind. "Don't do this to yourself Heart. This isn't your fault. There's nothing to be ashamed of." He whispered to her ear as if he just read her mind. Once again, the girl didn't reply.
"…Heart?"
"…"
"I'm taking you to Raccoon City, maybe you can get treatment there without your parents knowing."
"…No, Mark, no."
"Why not?"
"Do you know how expensive everything in Raccoon city is ever since it was rebuilt by the Bio-Ethics Corporation? And my parents and their friends even have monuments there…"
"Then I'll take you to Toluca Lake, they have a great clinic by the old hotel right?"
"Mark, just don't, I swear, I'm fine. This is just…a thing, maybe I just get too stressed out, you know?"
"Stress doesn't do this to you."
"Well, maybe stress evolved into a genetic mutation or something."
"…That's not funny."
"That's what dad would say."
"…"
"You just worry too much."
"And you don't worry at all."
"…Isn't Toluca Lake supposed to be haunted and everything?"
"Hmm?"
"You know, the old stories where ships get lost and no sign of them ever get seen again. They say that a whole ton of people are under those waters."
"You've been playing too much videogames."
"And you need to be playing more."
Jill shut off her cell phone and put it on the table. Chris was staring right at her. "She isn't home yet." Jill reported to him with both a worried and reprimanding look on her face. "Did you try her cell?" Chris asked, finishing the last piece of California Maki on his plate. "Yeah, I can't connect to her. I don't think that there's any network coverage where ever she is."
"Then she's probably in the forest again."
"Probably." Jill said as she pushed back her hair. The seats and the table that they occupied were both lime green, as was all of the other furniture of Bon Appetit. Jill wore a blue blazer over a sky blue shirt, and a pair of denim pants. Her husband wore a green, collared shirt tucked into his black slacks.
"You have to trust the girl, Jill."
"I do! I just…don't trust the fact that she's always alone with her boyfriend."
"We raised our kid well."
"…But…"
"And she knows that you'd kick her ass if her stomach ever gets bigger than it naturally should be."
"…Yeah, I guess you're right."
"Right as sushi."
"Huh?"
"Nothing."
"Oh?"
"Uh-huh."
"I'm banning you from sugar."
"But sugar is my friend."
"No it isn't."
"Sugar tells me to put things to sleep."
"I'm armed."
"I'll shut up now."
Heart sat on the grass, leaning on Mark who kept her hands around her from behind; he was sitting as well. They hadn't moved since earlier, because he didn't want Heart to have to walk a long distance especially with the way she looked. It was as if something was inside, eating her, taking away her radiance and replacing it with an air of melancholy that not even love could hope to overcome. Miracles don't always happen.
Author's note: Okay, so I like fantasy stuff (I'm not obsessed so don't expect to see me actually dress up as an elf or something). Well, that's that for now, until next time. See ya!