Disclaimer: I don't own Mutant X or X Men. Evie and the children are mine.
Imaginary Friend
Chapter 9
Shalimar got to the club and walked to the bar. There wasn't really a crowd, just a few of the after work group. They were the people who left work quickly to gather and have a quick drink before they had to get home and face the house and kids and chores. She smiled as she looked around and tried to imagine what that type of 9-5 life was like.
"Shalimar?"
Shal turned quickly at her name. "Lisa, hi."
"Hi. Isn't it early for you to be here? Oh…Jesse told me all about his son. I'm so happy for them." Lisa quickly became excited at the thought.
"Yeah, it's great. He's so cute and cuddly."
"Just like his dad, huh?" Shalimar and Lisa just laughed. "Is there anything I can get you?"
"I'll have a soda, thanks. I just needed to get out a little."
Lisa quickly produced the drink and smiled. "Let me know if you want anything else. I have to check on the supplies for tonight. I'll be back in a few minutes." She smiled when Shal nodded and then retreated to the back.
Shalimar sipped the soda and looked around at all the faces for a few minutes. Suddenly she got the sensation that she was being watched. Slowly and casually she turned on her stool and glanced around the club. Everything looked normal. Then suddenly she heard her name. When she turned she was surprised to find Cassie looking up at her.
"Hi, Shal. Do you remember me now?" The bright face of a seven year old girl smiled back at her.
"Cassie? You really did call me here. Why can I see you again after all this time? And why a club?" Shalimar looked around self consciously, knowing it looked like she was talking to herself.
"I know you have a lot of questions. I'll answer them all. Follow me." Cassie turned and walked, unnoticed by anyone else, through the club.
Shalimar had so many questions rolling around in her head she couldn't focus enough logic to help her understand what was happening. Was she crazy? Why has her imaginary friend returned? She followed her to a door just inside the entrance to the club. Shalimar stopped with a gasp as the little girl seem to just ghost through it. Of course. Why would she need to open it if she's imaginary. Shalimar slowly reached for the handle and was actually surprised when it opened. Once through the door, a set of stairs led them down into a large basement area. When the door had finally closed above them the music and noise from the club was muted. The air began to get cooler and it was very dark. Shalimar's eyes became aglow to help her see. The stairs seemed to lead on forever. Finally the bottom was reached. Cassie led her through the large open area to a door on the far side. Through that door Shalimar found herself in a storage room of sorts. Many things were scattered around the room. Catching her eye first was a large dressing mirror and stand. There was an old lounge chair and various other pieces of what looked to be old style furniture scattered around. There were old clothes and a few small lamps here and there. Against the far side was a small bar. As she moved further into the room to see what was there, the door behind her slammed shut with an echo that rang loud in her sensitive ears. Shalimar jumped and ran toward the door. She tried to open it but it was locked. "LET ME OUT!" she screamed. Trying to force the door only got her arm bruised. It wasn't moving. Suddenly in her panic she felt an overwhelming tiredness come on her. She could hardly keep her eyes open long enough to get to the chair. Darkness fell on her like a blanket and Shalimar collapsed.
Back at Sanctuary, Brennan and Bobby got home and went to shower and change. Brennan was the first one down and made his report on the mission. "It really was a good thing I had Bobby there," he told Adam. "A couple of times the kid got spooked and fire came out of nowhere. Bobby iced it and no one got hurt."
"I'm glad you got him settled. Sean will be able to help him now that he's in a controlled environment."
"Good. He seemed like a nice kid. He was just really scared." Brennan then added, "Where's Shalimar?"
"She went out. She said she'd be home before dinner." Adam didn't like the circumstances of her wanting to go but…she'd be home soon. It could all just be her imagination. There was no need to overreact.
A couple of hours went by. Dinner was ready and Shalimar wasn't back yet. They started without her, thinking she would come in and join them. When dinner and cleanup was over and Shal still hadn't returned, Adam began to really worry. Brennan found him at the wall, looking for something. "Adam, I just tried to call…" he stopped when he saw the trace on the display.
"I know. I got worried, too," Adam answered without looking up.
"Where is she?"
"I don't know. Her ring signal is down."
"Well, didn't she at least tell you where she was going?" Brennan voice began to strain.
"Did she tell you much about her dreams of late?" Adam asked.
Brennan frowned at the change of subject.
When Shalimar awoke she found herself very uncomfortable. Trying to shake the fog from her mind she stood and stretched her sore back. As clarity dawned, so did the memories. Quickly going completely feral she scanned her surroundings. She was alone. The door was the only exit. About to throw herself against it, she remembered the bruise on her shoulder. Relaxing her powers she moved her hand to activate… It's gone. "Great. Now what?"
"I'm glad you're awake," a small voice sounded behind her.
Shalimar spun around to find the little girl sitting on the chair she had awoken on. "Cassie? I don't understand. What's going on? How can you be here?"
"Boy, you have a lot of questions. You didn't ask all those questions when you were in the institution. We used to talk and make up stories. Do you remember?"
Shalimar watched as Cassie sat peacefully playing with a ribbon in her hand. She's just the same as she was then. How?
"I especially liked it when we took turns adding on parts. My favorite was the one about the princess in the tall tower. Remember that one?" She just spoke on without ever looking up. "You were the princess and I was your secret fairy friend. You wore beautiful dresses and had sparkly jewelry, just like this." She touched the necklace she wore then held out her hand to admire the rings that were almost too big for her thumbs. "Your jewelry now is almost as beautiful."
Shalimar instinctively reached to her throat and then for her wedding rings. "How can you…"
Seeming to not notice Shal's movements she went on. "We always talked about when you would be rescued. You said you'd would hide me under your cloak and take me with you."
Shalimar's eyes stared into the air as she began to remember. Memories of a time intentionally forgotten began to resurface; a time when the world was cruel to a frightened child who was changing in ways she and others around her, couldn't understand. Shalimar fell to her knees and held her increasingly aching head. "I was always…afraid," she whispered. "Those stories seemed so real to me. They were another world that I could escape to for a while." After another moment Shal turned back to the child. "But you were just imaginary. How can you be here now?"
Seeming to ignore her questions, Cassie continued. "Then one day all the stories stopped. I couldn't find you anymore. I realized that you really had escaped and I thought you just didn't have the time to hide me, like you said. I was young, too. I waited for you. I knew you would come back and get me when it was safe." The child finally looked up at Shalimar. "You never came back. You left and forgot all about me. Why?" Tears were in her questioning eyes.
Shalimar was confused. "But I…you were just…just…" The pain increased and Shal fell completely to the floor.
"JUST WHAT?" Gone were the tears and soft features. Years of pain turned rage, unnaturally marked such a young face. Cassie stood and took slow deliberate steps as she looked down at Shalimar.
Caught completely by surprise in her confusion, Shalimar got scared and began backing away.
"I was only your imaginary friend. You only needed me while you were in the institution. When you got yourself out you ran and never looked back." Cassie stopped a few feet from the frightened woman. She closed her rage filled eyes and…began to change.
Shalimar tried to sit up as she watched the little girl began to age. In a matter of moments the child was now a teenager. Again she was frozen in fear when the wrath in the girl's eyes turned back to her.
"I believed in you. I trusted you." Cassie's voice dropped to a whisper. "Then I began to hate you." She turned and walked back to the chair and sat once more. "You see I was growing up, too. Oh, this isn't really me anymore. I'm a little older now. When I was strong enough, I tried to find you but couldn't. I finally realized that you must have completely forgotten me. If you hadn't I would have been able to find you. I would have been able to bring us together again, long before this." The teen stood and smiled. "Now that we're together again, we can continue our stories," she said cheerily. Then her eyes grew dark and her smile, sinister. "I can't wait to see the ones we come up with now." Then she was gone.
Shalimar's heart was beating wildly. Her feral side suddenly became overwhelmed by the feeling of being trapped. Her eyes glowed and she let out a loud growl as she fell to the floor and grabbed her head yet again. In a moment her brown eyes were back and she tearfully muttered to herself, "What's happening to me? What's happening?"
Brennan was stopped short by the question. "Yeah, she's had a few nightmares that I had to wake her up from; a crying little girl, and endless falling."
"She asked me this morning if I remembered her telling me about any friends she had before she came here. I didn't...but Jesse did. He said there was an imaginary friend she told him about."
"Adam, what does an imaginary friend have to do with now?" Brennan's patience was stretched.
"This friend was someone Shalimar invented while she was at the institution." Adam continued unaffected by Brennan's ire. He knew and well understood his family. "All of the memories of her time there had to be suppressed. We had to do it, in order for her to get over her fears and learn to control her powers. Today she told me about the dreams and asked the question. A little while afterwards, I found her in the rec room. She was talking to someone but there was no one there. When I questioned her about it she said that her little friend was back to visit with her and asked her to meet her at the club. Before she left I check all the scanners to make sure it was really imagination and not a presence. Sanctuary showed all clear."
Before Brennan could think to question further, Evie's voice rang out, "AAAHHHH…ADAM!"
Both men bolted and found Evie on the floor in her lab, rocking in pain as her hands were firmly over her eyes. Just as they were helping her up, the others entered to see why she would yell like that.
"Evie, what happened?" Adam helped her to sit in the chair Brennan quickly produced then knelt in front of her.
Breathing deeply to try and calm down she lowered her arms and looked at Adam then turned and took Brennan's hand. She looked up at him with pain still etched on her face. "It was Shalimar." She could feel his panic as he too, knelt beside her.
Suddenly, Nadene began to cry. "I got her," offered Bobby, "Maybe she sensed her mom."
Thank you, Evie sent to him.
"Shalimar…Is she ok? Where is she?" Brennan begged.
"I don't know. It was sudden and then gone. I saw her for only a second and then felt her scream. She's feeling…trapped."
"I'm leaving," Brennan stood and headed for the door.
"Wait,…" Jesse had to grab Brennan's arm to make him stop. "Where're you going? I'll track her ring and see…"
"Did that already…her ring's off." Brennan turned back and met Adam's worried eyes. "I'm going to the club. It wouldn't have been very busy when she went. Maybe one of the bartenders saw something." Without waiting Brennan was off with long strides.
"Jesse, go with him. Don't follow any leads until you let me know." Adam sent him on his way.
TPC
