Bip flipped off his couch. It's just the door, someone's at the door,
He thought. He stood and jerked it open.
"Hey Steph, I was waiting for you."
Stephanie stood in the doorway with her lips parted. For a moment she
stared blankly at him, then she said, "We need to talk."
"I know, come on in."
The warmth thawed her icy limbs as she entered his one bedroom
apartment.
She gazed around to take her surroundings in. One ugly pink
and blue stripped couch with coke stains sat pushed up against the far
wall and little toys from Mc Donald's and other fast-food restaurants
had been arranged all over the room; on the counter, the mantle, above
the mini fridge, and hanging from the walls. Other than the couch and
toys she saw no other furniture. Fire from the hearth gave the room a
warm light. Finally, she turned to him, ready to ask questions.
"What do you know?" Stephanie asked.
"About your two visions?" He suggested. "Everything."
Stephanie sank onto the couch, ignoring the mysterious stains and weird
smell. Bip followed her. "Why did I see Dakota at a wedding? Why was
I walking down the isle of a church like I was getting ready to marry
him? And why did I see you in my head? Why-"
The look on his face made her stop and she stared at him.
Bip thought for a moment. "Why do you think you saw those things?"
Stephanie looked dumbly at him for a moment. Her green eyes searched
his for a clue.
"Think." He said simply.
"Well, maybe....it was...to give me hope? Hope that...he wouldn't
die?"
"You're guessing Stephanie." Bip said. "Think more deeply."
Her brain cramped, something blocked her view. Clouds filled her mind
and shadowed something she needed to see. She shut her eyes and
thought hard. "I don't know, I don't know!"
"Yes you do Julia."
The clouds cleared away and her eyes opened. "Of course." She said
softly.
"You're not surprised." Bip observed.
"No, strange as it is, I'm not. I know, I've always known. I'm not
Stephanie at all...who is Stephanie?"
"A projection. And so are Stephanie's parents. Her whole life, is a
projection to-"
"Protect me." She finished.
"One year ago I found out that The Counsel was going to have Dakota
Stevens wife, you Julia, killed. Therefore, I 'kidnapped' you and
projected an image of you for the wolves to kill. Then, I put you back
in Dakota's life as Stephanie."
"Dakota. Oh Dakota. As Stephanie I wondered why I fell in love with
him so fast." She said.
"He needs you Julia, you are the one he is waiting for." Bip said.
"He's not as helpless as Paul thinks he is. He just needs you to wake
him up."
Julia stood and ran out the door. After a few second she ran back in
and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you so much."
Bip exhaled. "Get out of here your husband needs you."
She turned and went out the door again, brown hair bouncing.
Bip smiled. Go get 'em kid.
He thought. He stood and jerked it open.
"Hey Steph, I was waiting for you."
Stephanie stood in the doorway with her lips parted. For a moment she
stared blankly at him, then she said, "We need to talk."
"I know, come on in."
The warmth thawed her icy limbs as she entered his one bedroom
apartment.
She gazed around to take her surroundings in. One ugly pink
and blue stripped couch with coke stains sat pushed up against the far
wall and little toys from Mc Donald's and other fast-food restaurants
had been arranged all over the room; on the counter, the mantle, above
the mini fridge, and hanging from the walls. Other than the couch and
toys she saw no other furniture. Fire from the hearth gave the room a
warm light. Finally, she turned to him, ready to ask questions.
"What do you know?" Stephanie asked.
"About your two visions?" He suggested. "Everything."
Stephanie sank onto the couch, ignoring the mysterious stains and weird
smell. Bip followed her. "Why did I see Dakota at a wedding? Why was
I walking down the isle of a church like I was getting ready to marry
him? And why did I see you in my head? Why-"
The look on his face made her stop and she stared at him.
Bip thought for a moment. "Why do you think you saw those things?"
Stephanie looked dumbly at him for a moment. Her green eyes searched
his for a clue.
"Think." He said simply.
"Well, maybe....it was...to give me hope? Hope that...he wouldn't
die?"
"You're guessing Stephanie." Bip said. "Think more deeply."
Her brain cramped, something blocked her view. Clouds filled her mind
and shadowed something she needed to see. She shut her eyes and
thought hard. "I don't know, I don't know!"
"Yes you do Julia."
The clouds cleared away and her eyes opened. "Of course." She said
softly.
"You're not surprised." Bip observed.
"No, strange as it is, I'm not. I know, I've always known. I'm not
Stephanie at all...who is Stephanie?"
"A projection. And so are Stephanie's parents. Her whole life, is a
projection to-"
"Protect me." She finished.
"One year ago I found out that The Counsel was going to have Dakota
Stevens wife, you Julia, killed. Therefore, I 'kidnapped' you and
projected an image of you for the wolves to kill. Then, I put you back
in Dakota's life as Stephanie."
"Dakota. Oh Dakota. As Stephanie I wondered why I fell in love with
him so fast." She said.
"He needs you Julia, you are the one he is waiting for." Bip said.
"He's not as helpless as Paul thinks he is. He just needs you to wake
him up."
Julia stood and ran out the door. After a few second she ran back in
and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you so much."
Bip exhaled. "Get out of here your husband needs you."
She turned and went out the door again, brown hair bouncing.
Bip smiled. Go get 'em kid.