*Flashback
I was aware that people called my name as I walked hurriedly past them. I was aware that people moved from my path to prevent a collision. I was aware of where my feet were leading me. I was aware that I moved unstoppably, as if pulled by a force field towards the exit doors.
I was aware of it, and I didn't stop.
I would have been all right if I had left at that moment. I would have been just fine if I didn't have to deal with the aftereffects of the day's events. I would have been okay if I wasn't a witness to the outcome.
I could have saved myself, and I would have, I honestly would have.
That's when I heard it, the sound that changed everything.
*Present:
The phone rings annoyingly, bringing Kerry's attention back to her work.
She looked at the clock in passing before answering the phone. She still had three hours left before she was done.
Three hours. Three hours could go on forever. Hell, a moment could go on forever. She stopped herself before any deeper thoughts could make themselves present.
"Hello," she said into the receiver.
Another meeting, at least it would fill the day.
*Flashback:
The world was muted. I don't know how long it lasted, or even if it happened at all, but the world became silent, completely silent.
Time froze. Nothing moved, no one spoke, no one breathed. Nothing happened.
The experience was amazing, empowering, even comforting. Unfortunately it was broken, just like everything else, it was broken.
It was broken as the sound of Susan sliding down the wall beside me tore through my head like scissors tear through paper. The pain was excruciating to my unadjusted mind.
The thoughts in my head began to run again. Thoughts I had been momentarily able to forget. Or at least I like to let myself believe that I was able to forget them momentarily, now I'm not so sure.
We sat silently, lost in our own heads for some time before Susan began to speak. She began saying my name quietly at first.
I didn't answer.
Her voice grew louder, her urgency stronger, as she repeated it several times.
I still didn't answer.
She sighed, and I believed that she was giving up.
I was wrong. She wasn't.
She continued, this time skipping my name and beginning with her question, "What do you think. . ." no, I couldn't let her finish that sentence.
"Don't," I warned, I'm not sure how it came out, but my point was acknowledged. As long as the words weren't spoken out loud I could pretend that they weren't real. As long as they were in my head, I didn't have to admit the truth that we all, on some level, already knew.
I didn't realize until several minutes later that I was shaking my head furiously; maybe I hadn't spoken at all? I'll never bring myself to ask her.
That's when it happened. The end finally came with one sound.
*Present:
Carter stood on the roof confused by what had led him up here today. The sound of car horns loudly echoes from the busy street below.
This wasn't a place to forget the things he was trying to forget today. No, instead this place brought back memories. It brought back memories of happier times, times when he could smile without it being forced, times when he had it all.
Times with Abby. Yes he still missed her. Everyday he tried to get over the fact that she wasn't coming back, but the hope wouldn't die.
*Flashback:
He finally moves off of me and stands up. I move to slide my clothes back on, and he lets me. Then he tells me to lie back down and not move. I know better then to not listen by now, so I follow his command.
"Goodbye Abby," he said pointing the gun at me. I didn't close my eyes. At the time I thought it might stop him.
*Present:
Abby hadn't even been aware of the fact that she had fallen asleep until the captain's landing announcement came over the speaker, promptly waking her.
She gently moved to lift a still sleeping Cara into her arms while also grabbing their bags. She managed to move off the plane without fully waking her.
It was time to make her decision. She took a deep breath and moved towards the taxi pickup line outside. She had to pause to sit down and reluctantly wake Car up so that she could put a sweatshirt on her.
As Cara's sleepy eyes looked at her, Abby knew that she could do it this time.
She needed to go back there. It was that simple. She needed to do this.
*Flashback:
I was still being questioned. I wish they would stop and just go help Abby; someone needed to help Abby.
"So you believed the man was a cop?" Officer Michaels said, breaking me from my thoughts. Maybe that was a good thing?
"Yes, he has a uniform on, we assumed he was a cop. Didn't I already answer that?"
"Do you know his name?" The officer asked.
All I could think was how stupid his question sounded, "No I don't know his name!" I yell, "Shouldn't you be trying to get her out?!"
The moment I said it, is the same moment I heard the shot. No, is all I could think. She can't be dead too, she can't. I couldn't move. I was paralyzed by both fear and guilt, neither of which allowed me to run to the door like I wanted.
The resonance of this second shot rang through my head, as I stood there frozen in time.
*Present:
Luka is startled from his thinking as a ball rolls through the woods towards him. A little boy, about 8 or 9, follows it. He looked worriedly at Luka as if questioning if he should approach for several seconds.
Luka decided to help him with his decision by rolling the ball back towards him. The boy smiles, silently thanking Luka before he, and his ball, disappear back into the park.
It is then that He realizes what time it is. He should get home it's late.
Home. The word illuminates in his mind as he moves to stand up. It has been a while since he had a place that he considered home. Yet in the moment he realized, he consider himself to have one now.
*Flashback:
The moment the question left my lips I wished I could take it back. 'What do you think'..I don't even know what the end of the question was. I was only vaguely aware that I was asking it until I saw Carter's reaction.
His eyes turned to me. They held such conviction, condemnation. It terrified me. He shock his head furiously, and he opened his mouth to speak. I don't know what he said, but I will never ask him.
That's when we heard it. The sound of the shot rang through my head over and over. I was unable to move temporarily. I realized, however, that Carter already stood by the doors by the time I came to my feet.
I was scared to find out what had happened. The end had come, but what it brought wasn't such a relief.
*Present:
Susan had finally made it home, and Lacie's temperature wasn't high, but that didn't stop the nervousness. She was only 6 months old, Susan's second baby.
Aason was two years old, and he was defiantly going through the 'terrible twos' that people had told her about. Presently, he was running around Lacie's nursery pretending to be a superhero.
Susan and Kevin had been married for 3 years now, and she considered herself lucky to have such a great life.
Well maybe lucky wasn't the right word.
~~~
A/N: thank you for the reviews, and the e-mails! I know this chapter ends at a very tense part, sorry about that. The good news is that the next part will be posted on Monday (it's not quite done yet, and I won't have time to finish it until then). Hope you all have a great holiday!
Mealz and CarbyFan: you will find out who Cara's father is in a few chapters.
Well thanx again for all the feedback,
~Hailie Jade
I was aware that people called my name as I walked hurriedly past them. I was aware that people moved from my path to prevent a collision. I was aware of where my feet were leading me. I was aware that I moved unstoppably, as if pulled by a force field towards the exit doors.
I was aware of it, and I didn't stop.
I would have been all right if I had left at that moment. I would have been just fine if I didn't have to deal with the aftereffects of the day's events. I would have been okay if I wasn't a witness to the outcome.
I could have saved myself, and I would have, I honestly would have.
That's when I heard it, the sound that changed everything.
*Present:
The phone rings annoyingly, bringing Kerry's attention back to her work.
She looked at the clock in passing before answering the phone. She still had three hours left before she was done.
Three hours. Three hours could go on forever. Hell, a moment could go on forever. She stopped herself before any deeper thoughts could make themselves present.
"Hello," she said into the receiver.
Another meeting, at least it would fill the day.
*Flashback:
The world was muted. I don't know how long it lasted, or even if it happened at all, but the world became silent, completely silent.
Time froze. Nothing moved, no one spoke, no one breathed. Nothing happened.
The experience was amazing, empowering, even comforting. Unfortunately it was broken, just like everything else, it was broken.
It was broken as the sound of Susan sliding down the wall beside me tore through my head like scissors tear through paper. The pain was excruciating to my unadjusted mind.
The thoughts in my head began to run again. Thoughts I had been momentarily able to forget. Or at least I like to let myself believe that I was able to forget them momentarily, now I'm not so sure.
We sat silently, lost in our own heads for some time before Susan began to speak. She began saying my name quietly at first.
I didn't answer.
Her voice grew louder, her urgency stronger, as she repeated it several times.
I still didn't answer.
She sighed, and I believed that she was giving up.
I was wrong. She wasn't.
She continued, this time skipping my name and beginning with her question, "What do you think. . ." no, I couldn't let her finish that sentence.
"Don't," I warned, I'm not sure how it came out, but my point was acknowledged. As long as the words weren't spoken out loud I could pretend that they weren't real. As long as they were in my head, I didn't have to admit the truth that we all, on some level, already knew.
I didn't realize until several minutes later that I was shaking my head furiously; maybe I hadn't spoken at all? I'll never bring myself to ask her.
That's when it happened. The end finally came with one sound.
*Present:
Carter stood on the roof confused by what had led him up here today. The sound of car horns loudly echoes from the busy street below.
This wasn't a place to forget the things he was trying to forget today. No, instead this place brought back memories. It brought back memories of happier times, times when he could smile without it being forced, times when he had it all.
Times with Abby. Yes he still missed her. Everyday he tried to get over the fact that she wasn't coming back, but the hope wouldn't die.
*Flashback:
He finally moves off of me and stands up. I move to slide my clothes back on, and he lets me. Then he tells me to lie back down and not move. I know better then to not listen by now, so I follow his command.
"Goodbye Abby," he said pointing the gun at me. I didn't close my eyes. At the time I thought it might stop him.
*Present:
Abby hadn't even been aware of the fact that she had fallen asleep until the captain's landing announcement came over the speaker, promptly waking her.
She gently moved to lift a still sleeping Cara into her arms while also grabbing their bags. She managed to move off the plane without fully waking her.
It was time to make her decision. She took a deep breath and moved towards the taxi pickup line outside. She had to pause to sit down and reluctantly wake Car up so that she could put a sweatshirt on her.
As Cara's sleepy eyes looked at her, Abby knew that she could do it this time.
She needed to go back there. It was that simple. She needed to do this.
*Flashback:
I was still being questioned. I wish they would stop and just go help Abby; someone needed to help Abby.
"So you believed the man was a cop?" Officer Michaels said, breaking me from my thoughts. Maybe that was a good thing?
"Yes, he has a uniform on, we assumed he was a cop. Didn't I already answer that?"
"Do you know his name?" The officer asked.
All I could think was how stupid his question sounded, "No I don't know his name!" I yell, "Shouldn't you be trying to get her out?!"
The moment I said it, is the same moment I heard the shot. No, is all I could think. She can't be dead too, she can't. I couldn't move. I was paralyzed by both fear and guilt, neither of which allowed me to run to the door like I wanted.
The resonance of this second shot rang through my head, as I stood there frozen in time.
*Present:
Luka is startled from his thinking as a ball rolls through the woods towards him. A little boy, about 8 or 9, follows it. He looked worriedly at Luka as if questioning if he should approach for several seconds.
Luka decided to help him with his decision by rolling the ball back towards him. The boy smiles, silently thanking Luka before he, and his ball, disappear back into the park.
It is then that He realizes what time it is. He should get home it's late.
Home. The word illuminates in his mind as he moves to stand up. It has been a while since he had a place that he considered home. Yet in the moment he realized, he consider himself to have one now.
*Flashback:
The moment the question left my lips I wished I could take it back. 'What do you think'..I don't even know what the end of the question was. I was only vaguely aware that I was asking it until I saw Carter's reaction.
His eyes turned to me. They held such conviction, condemnation. It terrified me. He shock his head furiously, and he opened his mouth to speak. I don't know what he said, but I will never ask him.
That's when we heard it. The sound of the shot rang through my head over and over. I was unable to move temporarily. I realized, however, that Carter already stood by the doors by the time I came to my feet.
I was scared to find out what had happened. The end had come, but what it brought wasn't such a relief.
*Present:
Susan had finally made it home, and Lacie's temperature wasn't high, but that didn't stop the nervousness. She was only 6 months old, Susan's second baby.
Aason was two years old, and he was defiantly going through the 'terrible twos' that people had told her about. Presently, he was running around Lacie's nursery pretending to be a superhero.
Susan and Kevin had been married for 3 years now, and she considered herself lucky to have such a great life.
Well maybe lucky wasn't the right word.
~~~
A/N: thank you for the reviews, and the e-mails! I know this chapter ends at a very tense part, sorry about that. The good news is that the next part will be posted on Monday (it's not quite done yet, and I won't have time to finish it until then). Hope you all have a great holiday!
Mealz and CarbyFan: you will find out who Cara's father is in a few chapters.
Well thanx again for all the feedback,
~Hailie Jade