Chapter Two
When she woke the next morning, Riddick was still in the chair, simply staring out the window that looked out over the wide silvery blue water that gleamed like a jewel in the early morning sun.
She heard his deep breaths though she knew he wasn't sleeping. She said his name softly but he didn't hear her. He seemed as if he were some trace, just sitting stiffly in the black chair. She glanced at the watch on her wrist and saw that it was just past six in the morning.
Pushing herself into an upright position and looked at him for what seemed the longest time until he turned and met her gaze. "Good morning," He mumbled. The blanket fell just under her breasts and Riddick pretended not to notice but he did. Jack held out a hand and beckoned him closer.
He rose from the chair and went to the bedside were Jack barely held herself up with her limp arms. "I missed you," She said with a cough, her throat was so dry and scratched the simplest things were a chore. She saw what she thought might have been a smile, but as soon as it had come, it left.
Her hair was a terrible mess, he noted to himself with a laugh, on fatherly instinct, reached out and brushed the tangles out of the watery soft hair. She looked up at him from under her long inky black lashes, an utterly feminine look. Though he realized that she must of have been 17 or 18 by then, he wondered how she learned such a sexual look.
"If you're hungry," He began "There is a grocer on the corner, if you want I'll go down there and get you some breakfast" The thought of food made Jack's stomach bubble with excitement. She was starving but didn't want him to know that she hadn't eaten in 6 days. "Alright," She said and covered her mouth as she coughed. "What would you like?" She shrugged a thin shoulder. "I'll get whatever" He said and left.
Now alone, Jack looked around what was the bedroom. The walls were high and stark white with only the flickering bulb and wide window letting in the light. Still weary, she slowly sat up and began to look for her clothes.
Finding them neatly folded on the bathroom counter, she pulled them on and finger-brushed her hair. She looked closely into the musty and realized that her face was covered with a series of small bruises and cuts. Gingerly poking them with her pinky, she sighed sadly and moved away from the mirror.
It was funny, Jack thought as she sat on the couch, had she always thought Riddick so handsome? He looked older but not tired which was hard to do. He was rock hard and still gave off the aurora of being dangerous. Very dangerous.
She wasn't afraid of him though as she used to be. She couldn't explain why the light made him look like a man, like normal. She glanced over her shoulder and noted how bare the place looked, so void of color.
Riddick returned a few minutes later carrying some brown paper bags in his arms. He cast her a far-off smile and went into the kitchen. "How are you feeling?" He asked as he banged an iron pan onto the gas stove. "Alright," A framed picture on the wall caught her eyes. She lifted it off the wall and looked at it closely and smiled.
"What's this?" She asked as she held it out to him. He took it from her and sighed as he gazed at it almost fondly. It was he, years ago with a beautiful brunette. "It says the Phantom and Christine" Jack said confusedly. As if suddenly remembering she was there, replaced the picture on the wall and cracked an egg.
"I used to be in theater," He admitted a little sheepishly. "That was the opening night of The Phantom of the Opera" Jack couldn't help the smile now. "You were the Phantom?" Riddick nodded and added pepper to the eggs. "Yes" He said shortly. Looking at the picture again, Jack focused on the girl with him.
"What was her name?" She asked. He seemed to hesitate a moment before responding. "Eileen Bell" He said without looking at her or the picture. "She's beautiful," Jack said fondly as she gazed at the woman with mink brown hair and searing, almost smoldering brown eyes. "Yes, she was" Riddick said coldly.
Though she knew when to leave something alone, Jack decided to press forward with the beautiful mystery known as Eileen Bell. "What happened to her?" Riddick sent her a bitter look and whipped the eggs with deft hands. "You don't want to know" He said and dropped the conversation.
Jack didn't expect the toast, jam and eggs to taste like heaven, but they did. He sat silently as he watched her. He looked like he was in deep thought, but Jack could see the sadness in the dark beauty of his eyes. "So are you going to tell me why the man was chasing you?" Jack let the fork fall to the plate with a quite clatter.
"I have something that Lector wanted, that's all" Riddick snorted. "Come on Jackie we all know there's always something more then that. What does he want?" Jack rolled her eyes and reached into her pockets and pulled out something wrapped in unbleached cloth. She opened it and handed him a glittering piece of star shaped ruby. It was heavy and warm in his hand and the size of a dollar coin.
"What is it?" Riddick asked. Jack rolled her eyes. "It's the Dixit Inmaculis" When Riddick remained silent she continued. "It means Gods Mind, it has the power to bring life and death, I have it and Lector wants it" Riddick slid it back to her and she wrapped it and re-pocketed it. "Well," He said slowly. "I'll have to be sure not to get on your bad side then" and winked as he shoveled a fork of the hot eggs into his mouth and smiled.
When she woke the next morning, Riddick was still in the chair, simply staring out the window that looked out over the wide silvery blue water that gleamed like a jewel in the early morning sun.
She heard his deep breaths though she knew he wasn't sleeping. She said his name softly but he didn't hear her. He seemed as if he were some trace, just sitting stiffly in the black chair. She glanced at the watch on her wrist and saw that it was just past six in the morning.
Pushing herself into an upright position and looked at him for what seemed the longest time until he turned and met her gaze. "Good morning," He mumbled. The blanket fell just under her breasts and Riddick pretended not to notice but he did. Jack held out a hand and beckoned him closer.
He rose from the chair and went to the bedside were Jack barely held herself up with her limp arms. "I missed you," She said with a cough, her throat was so dry and scratched the simplest things were a chore. She saw what she thought might have been a smile, but as soon as it had come, it left.
Her hair was a terrible mess, he noted to himself with a laugh, on fatherly instinct, reached out and brushed the tangles out of the watery soft hair. She looked up at him from under her long inky black lashes, an utterly feminine look. Though he realized that she must of have been 17 or 18 by then, he wondered how she learned such a sexual look.
"If you're hungry," He began "There is a grocer on the corner, if you want I'll go down there and get you some breakfast" The thought of food made Jack's stomach bubble with excitement. She was starving but didn't want him to know that she hadn't eaten in 6 days. "Alright," She said and covered her mouth as she coughed. "What would you like?" She shrugged a thin shoulder. "I'll get whatever" He said and left.
Now alone, Jack looked around what was the bedroom. The walls were high and stark white with only the flickering bulb and wide window letting in the light. Still weary, she slowly sat up and began to look for her clothes.
Finding them neatly folded on the bathroom counter, she pulled them on and finger-brushed her hair. She looked closely into the musty and realized that her face was covered with a series of small bruises and cuts. Gingerly poking them with her pinky, she sighed sadly and moved away from the mirror.
It was funny, Jack thought as she sat on the couch, had she always thought Riddick so handsome? He looked older but not tired which was hard to do. He was rock hard and still gave off the aurora of being dangerous. Very dangerous.
She wasn't afraid of him though as she used to be. She couldn't explain why the light made him look like a man, like normal. She glanced over her shoulder and noted how bare the place looked, so void of color.
Riddick returned a few minutes later carrying some brown paper bags in his arms. He cast her a far-off smile and went into the kitchen. "How are you feeling?" He asked as he banged an iron pan onto the gas stove. "Alright," A framed picture on the wall caught her eyes. She lifted it off the wall and looked at it closely and smiled.
"What's this?" She asked as she held it out to him. He took it from her and sighed as he gazed at it almost fondly. It was he, years ago with a beautiful brunette. "It says the Phantom and Christine" Jack said confusedly. As if suddenly remembering she was there, replaced the picture on the wall and cracked an egg.
"I used to be in theater," He admitted a little sheepishly. "That was the opening night of The Phantom of the Opera" Jack couldn't help the smile now. "You were the Phantom?" Riddick nodded and added pepper to the eggs. "Yes" He said shortly. Looking at the picture again, Jack focused on the girl with him.
"What was her name?" She asked. He seemed to hesitate a moment before responding. "Eileen Bell" He said without looking at her or the picture. "She's beautiful," Jack said fondly as she gazed at the woman with mink brown hair and searing, almost smoldering brown eyes. "Yes, she was" Riddick said coldly.
Though she knew when to leave something alone, Jack decided to press forward with the beautiful mystery known as Eileen Bell. "What happened to her?" Riddick sent her a bitter look and whipped the eggs with deft hands. "You don't want to know" He said and dropped the conversation.
Jack didn't expect the toast, jam and eggs to taste like heaven, but they did. He sat silently as he watched her. He looked like he was in deep thought, but Jack could see the sadness in the dark beauty of his eyes. "So are you going to tell me why the man was chasing you?" Jack let the fork fall to the plate with a quite clatter.
"I have something that Lector wanted, that's all" Riddick snorted. "Come on Jackie we all know there's always something more then that. What does he want?" Jack rolled her eyes and reached into her pockets and pulled out something wrapped in unbleached cloth. She opened it and handed him a glittering piece of star shaped ruby. It was heavy and warm in his hand and the size of a dollar coin.
"What is it?" Riddick asked. Jack rolled her eyes. "It's the Dixit Inmaculis" When Riddick remained silent she continued. "It means Gods Mind, it has the power to bring life and death, I have it and Lector wants it" Riddick slid it back to her and she wrapped it and re-pocketed it. "Well," He said slowly. "I'll have to be sure not to get on your bad side then" and winked as he shoveled a fork of the hot eggs into his mouth and smiled.