Author's Note: Howdy readers—ok so this idea has been bugging me for a while, and after watching the trailer for unveiled, I felt like I had to sit down and write it. That being said, it's still pretty rough, but I wanted to post it before 'Unveiled' because I felt like I'd never do it if I didn't do it today. So here goes…Read, Enjoy, and please, please, please review. I've already got the first few chapters planned out…but reviewing will make me get them out much, much, faster!
Timeline: I wrote this after watching The Frame, and after watching the previews for "Unveiled", but I have not seen Unveiled yet.
Disclaimer: J.J. is God…'nuff said.
H E A D R U S H
Prologue:
~*~*~*~*
5 A.M, January 29, 2006I wake up to the screeching sound of a cell door and a damp hard floor that smells vaguely of mildew. Pain floods my body in searing waves and is so great that I'm almost afraid to open my eyes. In any case, I know what I'll see when I do open them—the dim green-yellow glow of the only light in vicinity cast upon a small grubby cell currently occupied by me, a pair of shackles that attaches my hands to the wall and a Box left in the corner of the room which has been left with me to "think about" all night. Good morning, sunshine mocks my minds inner dialogue.
"Good morning, sunshine," This time the sarcastic phrase comes not from my own thoughts, but from the sticky-sweet voice of the person who has just entered the room.
I finally open my eyes, and stare my captor down as I say, cool as ice, "Good morning, Lauren." If there is one thing I won't do (actually, I'm sure there are several) I won't act intimidated, especially by her.
"Ah Sydney dear, I'm so glad you're feeling better today. That does look like such a terribly nasty cut you've got there. I hope you won't mind if I take a look at it." Before I even know what's happening she's grabbed my arm and is pulling apart the six-inch gash I received yesterday. I can't help but wince.
"I'm so sorry dear, but I think it might be infected," she says, releasing my arm and moving to the corner of the room, where she bends to pick up the Box, "Now dear, I hope you've had some time to think about this Box here. I know you wouldn't really want me to open it, and this can all be avoided if you just answer a few simple questions."
Her voice suddenly becomes stern and she blurts out, "What have you told Michael about me?"
"What bothers you more? That he might have figured you out, or that you weren't good enough and he was going to leave you anyways?" I can't help it—I've hated her for too long not to have fun with the fact that Vaughn wanted a divorce even without knowing she was Covenant.
She jerks back as though she was slapped and for the first time, I can see the façade of control melt into what appears to be anger.
Before I have time to even process what's happened, her fist has collided with my face and she's opened the box.
"I don't think that was a very good idea, Sydney, and I'm sure that in I few hours you'll agree with me. This could have all been prevented if you hadn't been such a whore trying to steel my husband away from me. Now I'll only ask you one more time, what did you tell Michael about me?" She's returned to her original cool persona and glares at me with hard, cold eyes, a smirk drawn across her face.
I cough, and whisper something out. As her face draws nearer, it registers that I'm playing with fire but I have too much anger to care at this point. Without a second thought, I spit in her face.
Once again I see the control fade away and the anger take over. She grabs something from the top of the box and plunges it into my stomach.
I can't help but scream. I can see half of what appears to be a long butcher knife protruding from my abdomen. Blood is rushing out, rolling down my legs and torso in a frantic race. I stare it—bright red contrasting sharply with white skin—as I struggle to remain conscious, my breath barely returning to me in shallow pants. I close my eyes.
"Isn't it amazing," she says, and even with my eyes closed I can hear the smile in her voice, "how such a simple kitchen knife can inflict so much pain?" She begins to slowly twist the knife within my gut, and I cry out again, praying to whatever God is listening to be swept off by unconsciousness.
As though she can hear my thoughts, Lauren jerks out the knife and grabs my face with cold clammy hands, jerking it towards her and forcing me to open my eyes in astonishment. "Don't you think of going anywhere, Sydney. The fun hasn't even begun yet." With that she slaps me hard across the face, stands up and walks to the door, her high heels knocking on the cold floor as she walks away.
"I'll be back in one hour." She tells the guard at the door, and with that she is gone, her high heels clicking down the hall and into oblivion.
I close my eyes. It's been a long day.
*~*~*~*
24 hours earlier…
"Vaughn!"
"I know my wife!"
She sighs. "Vaughn, I know this can't be easy to hear but really, you have to try to understand…" Her voice trails off and is quickly overpowered by my own. Detachedly, I hear myself snap back at her, as though from another body.
"NO, Sydney, you don't understand. I know my wife. I don't know what the hell you think your playing at, but I never thought you'd sink this low just to get me back." The words are out of my mouth before they even register in my brain, though the reaction is visible instantly on her face: first hurt, and then anger.
"That's what you think this is, then? Huh? Some twisted plot to get you back? Thanks but no thanks. You're not worth it. I came to you as a friend, AS SOMEONE WHO CARED ABOUT YOUR WELL BEING, and you walk all over me and claim that I'm lying to you. Go, then! Go, run back to you're "wife" or traitor or whatever the hell she is! I guess you've always had a thing for double agents…but fine, don't believe me! See if I give a shit about you or your lack of faith or your twisted marriage." With that she stamps out, her face contorted in anger, tears streaming down her face, leaving me to my thoughts. I've only heard her anger so harshly directed at me once before—right after she'd just come back from being missing for two years and berated me for not having faith.
I immediately feel horrible. The truth is, I've just hurt the one person that means the world to me, the one person I'd die for…the one person whose love I've already betrayed by marrying another woman.
Despite all of this, my mind fights against the information she's just given me so bluntly—that my wife is a traitor and a double agent for the Covenant. She has to be wrong. There must be some mistake.
I flop down on my bed and close my eyes. What she's told me is tugging at my mind, and I realize that secretly I'm far too eager to accept that my wife works for the Covenant. . Lauren's a good person. She wouldn't do that. This is me just trying to get out of an unhappy relationship.
The problem is, too many ridiculous stories and excuses for reasons to leave Lauren have been flying through my mind, and not a few of them involve Lauren working for some bad-guy or another, with me sweeping Sydney off to safety and happiness
But it's only a dream, and until then, I have to live with reality.
To Be Continued…
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