Vaughn carefully handed her the small body of their child. Sydney received
her carefully, gazing upon her with tear filled eyes.
They all looked on in horror. Everyone speechless, in immeasurable shock.
Sloane crawled up beside Sydney and looked closely at the baby. Sydney could barely breathe. But she looked down upon her sweet, still child. She realized what had happened. Without thinking she spoke aloud.
"The bullet passed through me and hit her. I was trying to protect her. I." She stopped overcome by what was happening. "I can't save her now." She cried.
Vaughn watched as Sydney convulsed in tears. He couldn't breath much less answer her cries. So he sat watching in silent horror.
"You can save her Sydney." Sloane's voice broke the silence.
"No, I can't, she's gone." Sydney cried tearing her eyes from the child and looking hatefully at Sloane. "This is all your fault." She screamed.
"I know, Sydney." Sloane cried. "This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. It's my fault I have failed. But you, you can still save her." He sounded hopeful.
"No, my child is dead can't you see that?" Sydney cried.
"Yes, but The Prophesy. You have the power to save her Sydney. You can heal her." Sloane said, tears streaming down his face. His smiled widening with hope.
"I cannot heal something that is dead." She said quietly. "It is not the way things are." She said looking back down upon the child.
"I know, Sydney, I know. But you can still give her life." Sloane said, excitedly. "You have the power to give her a life force."
"I know, but I have none to give." Sydney cried staring at him. "Don't you see? I have no life to give." She said holding both of her hands up to show him.
"Sydney, I have taken so much from you. I have worked to fulfill The Prophesy, but I have been selfish. I've tried to fulfill my goals, and it has cost you and I everything. You are all I have left Sydney. You are everything to me. I have stolen this life from you, and there is only one way I can repay you." He paused, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Take me." He said softly.
Sydney stared at him. She held the body of her dead child in her lap and stared at the man who was willing to give up his life for her.
"You would do that?" She whispered. "You would give me your life to save hers?" Sydney said in disbelief.
"Yes Sydney. My life is yours." He said holding out his hand.
Sydney watched him. She glanced down at her child, and then back to him. She held her hands up in front of her face and watched them closely. She scrutinized them carefully.
Her thoughts wandered to Ryan, and how he had done just that, when they'd explained to him that Vaughn was his father. His small hands were so far way now. But hers were here. They were right out in front of her, but she could barely feel them. She could barely feel anything. Ryan was supposed to have a little sister. Emma was supposed to grow up and live longer than Sydney or Vaughn. But now she lay lifeless in her mother's lap, on the cold stone floor of a warehouse in Taipei. It was the beginning of her life and the end of her life wrapped up in one horrible place. It was the beginning of The Prophesy and the end of The Prophesy. The blood of Danny and the blood of Emma. The cycle was complete.
Sydney looked upon her hands. She had done so much with them. Memories flooded back to her. She'd deceived, she'd lied, she's killed with these hands. But she's also loved, she'd also done great things, good things, as well. She could still feel the power emanating from her hands. She thought back to when she touched Emma's sweet brow and held Emma's life in her hands. She looked back to Sloane, and began to reach out toward him.
She pictured what it would be like to take Emma home to Ryan. What happiness she would bring to their lives. Sydney thought about Vaughn and Alex, and Damien. Her father and mother, and all the people that she loved so dearly.
As her hand neared his, the words of The Prophesy echoed in her head.
"Unless prevented, at vulgar cost; This woman will render the ultimate power unto utter desolation."
She watched his hand as it came closer. She remembered all of the acts that hand had committed. He'd killed Danny, he'd killed Francie, he'd hurt everyone in her life immeasurably. He deserved to die for everything he'd done, he deserved to rot in hell. He'd stolen almost everything from her. He'd stolen two years of her life, he'd stolen Vaughn from her; everything was his fault. He'd killed her child. She'd been alive less than a week, before he'd stolen her away from this earth.
An instant before their hands met Sydney stopped. She looked at Sloane with tears in her eyes, and began to cry.
"No." She paused lowering her hand and looking away.
"No." She cried softly, unable to raise her voice.
"I will not." Her quiet whispers echoed through the room.
"Rambaldi dies here. In the death of my child."
"You deserve to pay." She said looking to Sloane.
"You deserve to bleed as I have.
"To suffer as I have.
"To be murdered as you have murdered my innocent child.
"It ends here. You will never hurt anyone again.
"I would this very moment give up my life to see this end.
"I would drag your worthless soul into hell with me as I go.
"No.
"It is over.
"No more destruction.
"My own desolation is enough.
"In the body of my child, dies all of my hate, my burning anger.
"I will here and now, give up every dream, and every wish I have ever had, to prevent you from seeing yours completed.
"The blood of my child will wash away everything you've tried to create.
"And her sweet innocence will remain untouched forever.
"This price I pay to see the end, to ensure it's finish.
"I would take her place in an instant. But she is the price Rambaldi demanded.
"I have paid my vulgar cost, and I give up my ultimate power.
"No." She said shaking. "I will not fulfill your retched prophesy." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THE END
Epilogue to come.
They all looked on in horror. Everyone speechless, in immeasurable shock.
Sloane crawled up beside Sydney and looked closely at the baby. Sydney could barely breathe. But she looked down upon her sweet, still child. She realized what had happened. Without thinking she spoke aloud.
"The bullet passed through me and hit her. I was trying to protect her. I." She stopped overcome by what was happening. "I can't save her now." She cried.
Vaughn watched as Sydney convulsed in tears. He couldn't breath much less answer her cries. So he sat watching in silent horror.
"You can save her Sydney." Sloane's voice broke the silence.
"No, I can't, she's gone." Sydney cried tearing her eyes from the child and looking hatefully at Sloane. "This is all your fault." She screamed.
"I know, Sydney." Sloane cried. "This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. It's my fault I have failed. But you, you can still save her." He sounded hopeful.
"No, my child is dead can't you see that?" Sydney cried.
"Yes, but The Prophesy. You have the power to save her Sydney. You can heal her." Sloane said, tears streaming down his face. His smiled widening with hope.
"I cannot heal something that is dead." She said quietly. "It is not the way things are." She said looking back down upon the child.
"I know, Sydney, I know. But you can still give her life." Sloane said, excitedly. "You have the power to give her a life force."
"I know, but I have none to give." Sydney cried staring at him. "Don't you see? I have no life to give." She said holding both of her hands up to show him.
"Sydney, I have taken so much from you. I have worked to fulfill The Prophesy, but I have been selfish. I've tried to fulfill my goals, and it has cost you and I everything. You are all I have left Sydney. You are everything to me. I have stolen this life from you, and there is only one way I can repay you." He paused, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Take me." He said softly.
Sydney stared at him. She held the body of her dead child in her lap and stared at the man who was willing to give up his life for her.
"You would do that?" She whispered. "You would give me your life to save hers?" Sydney said in disbelief.
"Yes Sydney. My life is yours." He said holding out his hand.
Sydney watched him. She glanced down at her child, and then back to him. She held her hands up in front of her face and watched them closely. She scrutinized them carefully.
Her thoughts wandered to Ryan, and how he had done just that, when they'd explained to him that Vaughn was his father. His small hands were so far way now. But hers were here. They were right out in front of her, but she could barely feel them. She could barely feel anything. Ryan was supposed to have a little sister. Emma was supposed to grow up and live longer than Sydney or Vaughn. But now she lay lifeless in her mother's lap, on the cold stone floor of a warehouse in Taipei. It was the beginning of her life and the end of her life wrapped up in one horrible place. It was the beginning of The Prophesy and the end of The Prophesy. The blood of Danny and the blood of Emma. The cycle was complete.
Sydney looked upon her hands. She had done so much with them. Memories flooded back to her. She'd deceived, she'd lied, she's killed with these hands. But she's also loved, she'd also done great things, good things, as well. She could still feel the power emanating from her hands. She thought back to when she touched Emma's sweet brow and held Emma's life in her hands. She looked back to Sloane, and began to reach out toward him.
She pictured what it would be like to take Emma home to Ryan. What happiness she would bring to their lives. Sydney thought about Vaughn and Alex, and Damien. Her father and mother, and all the people that she loved so dearly.
As her hand neared his, the words of The Prophesy echoed in her head.
"Unless prevented, at vulgar cost; This woman will render the ultimate power unto utter desolation."
She watched his hand as it came closer. She remembered all of the acts that hand had committed. He'd killed Danny, he'd killed Francie, he'd hurt everyone in her life immeasurably. He deserved to die for everything he'd done, he deserved to rot in hell. He'd stolen almost everything from her. He'd stolen two years of her life, he'd stolen Vaughn from her; everything was his fault. He'd killed her child. She'd been alive less than a week, before he'd stolen her away from this earth.
An instant before their hands met Sydney stopped. She looked at Sloane with tears in her eyes, and began to cry.
"No." She paused lowering her hand and looking away.
"No." She cried softly, unable to raise her voice.
"I will not." Her quiet whispers echoed through the room.
"Rambaldi dies here. In the death of my child."
"You deserve to pay." She said looking to Sloane.
"You deserve to bleed as I have.
"To suffer as I have.
"To be murdered as you have murdered my innocent child.
"It ends here. You will never hurt anyone again.
"I would this very moment give up my life to see this end.
"I would drag your worthless soul into hell with me as I go.
"No.
"It is over.
"No more destruction.
"My own desolation is enough.
"In the body of my child, dies all of my hate, my burning anger.
"I will here and now, give up every dream, and every wish I have ever had, to prevent you from seeing yours completed.
"The blood of my child will wash away everything you've tried to create.
"And her sweet innocence will remain untouched forever.
"This price I pay to see the end, to ensure it's finish.
"I would take her place in an instant. But she is the price Rambaldi demanded.
"I have paid my vulgar cost, and I give up my ultimate power.
"No." She said shaking. "I will not fulfill your retched prophesy." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THE END
Epilogue to come.