Disclaimer: As much as it pains me to admit, I don't own any of Thomas
Harris's characters..just lending them okay?
A huge thank-you to all who reviewed recently: Clariz, mimi6, Absolut(how dare she indeed!!), Mizuko, guber, lilian, steph and Give-Me-Your-Coffee amongst others...esp. thanks to Cleve who I have consulted many a time. And Thanks to Lauren who is sitting next to me and will hit me if I don't say it.(One word, dear.crack)
Beaten
Dizzy, room swirling, slight nausea. Clarice came back to the room slowly and painfully, neck stiff and temples throbbing cruelly. Her vision swam back in front of her eyes and the murky mix of moonlit shapes and spaces appeared all around her.
"Careful when you sit up, Clarice. I expect you will have quite a headache."
A voice. Words registering. The heavy weight of reality settled snugly back on her shoulders as she rose to a half kneeling position.
"Bastard."she hissed, anger and pain thick spread on her tone.
"Now, now, Clarice. Did you expect me to remain in such a hysterical state? You might have done yourself some damage."
She slumped forwards again, feeling slightly sick.
"And you wouldn't want that, would you?" She practically dripped sarcasm.
She felt his hands on her own, helping her rise. When she met his eyes they were deadly serious.
"No I don't, Clarice." He whispered.
She was drawn into his eyes again-rendered immobile although he only had a light hold on her wrists. She could feel the warmth of his palms curled around her.
'Just a flick of the wrist and you could hold them properly.'
The thought came unbidden and was banished from her consciousness but her mind was in full revolt.
'Why are you still fighting? Do you want anything good I your life?'
'Go away, please go away.' She muttered wretchedly, trying to pull her wrists free but he held fast, pulling her closer.
"Clarice?" She looked him straight in the eye, suddenly so tired of this battle of wills. She opened her soul to him and she saw the strain in his face as he took it all in.
Then though his eyes, she glimpsed the man through the monster. Something changed then, for both of them. There was a door closing behind them and many opening in front.
He leaned into her then, slowly, holding his face close to hers. She could see his eyes flicking over her face before settling at her eyes.
His breath was hot on her cheek as his head tilted ever so slightly and she dropped her head.
"I.I'm sorry. I can't." She rose to her feet jerkily and stepped back, looking at him still kneeling back on the floor, eyes dark and molten in the poor light.
"I apologise, Clarice. You must be tired after-"
"Don't you dare!" she hissed, eyes flashing.
"Clarice?"
"Don't you dare try and put this down to tiredness. Do you have any idea what I'm going through? Did you-"
"Do you think this is simple for either of us?" His eyes were narrowed now, his body in an offensive position-or was it defensive? He stood quickly. "Do you honestly think this is easy for me? Don't let yourself be blinded by media speculations of some sort of 'psychic' ability I possess. I can only see what is clear to me-what follows my logic."
His eyes softened and he sat back on the sofa. His breathing rattled slightly and he looked pained by the exertion. One hand rubbing his battered chest he continued, softer now.
"You don't follow my logic Clarice-this does not follow my logic but its happening, its real." He looked up at her. "Logic isn't always right." He whispered.
Tentatively she sat beside him-close to him. He turned to her, instead of looking drained by this speech he looked practically humming from it- energised even. She couldn't continue with this. It was either fight it or embrace it.
"I...I.I'm so sorry." She whispered, backing to her bedroom.
"Clarice?" The look in his eyes was nearly the undoing of her. Nearly.
The gaze was finally broken a she turned and left him.
He sat for a few minutes. He felt derailed. He was loosing his strength against the world. He was loosing his foresight. Or was it just Clarice?
He pulled the blanket from the floor and wrapped himself in its artificial embrace.
For once, tomorrow wasn't as certain a sit usually was. He watched the bedroom door until sleep stole him away.
'He pulled the blanket from the floor and wrapped himself in its artificial embrace. '
Oh God.I nearly cried writing it. Will they ever find solace? Review and I'll continue.(Who said bribery was a sin!!*evil grin*
A huge thank-you to all who reviewed recently: Clariz, mimi6, Absolut(how dare she indeed!!), Mizuko, guber, lilian, steph and Give-Me-Your-Coffee amongst others...esp. thanks to Cleve who I have consulted many a time. And Thanks to Lauren who is sitting next to me and will hit me if I don't say it.(One word, dear.crack)
Beaten
Dizzy, room swirling, slight nausea. Clarice came back to the room slowly and painfully, neck stiff and temples throbbing cruelly. Her vision swam back in front of her eyes and the murky mix of moonlit shapes and spaces appeared all around her.
"Careful when you sit up, Clarice. I expect you will have quite a headache."
A voice. Words registering. The heavy weight of reality settled snugly back on her shoulders as she rose to a half kneeling position.
"Bastard."she hissed, anger and pain thick spread on her tone.
"Now, now, Clarice. Did you expect me to remain in such a hysterical state? You might have done yourself some damage."
She slumped forwards again, feeling slightly sick.
"And you wouldn't want that, would you?" She practically dripped sarcasm.
She felt his hands on her own, helping her rise. When she met his eyes they were deadly serious.
"No I don't, Clarice." He whispered.
She was drawn into his eyes again-rendered immobile although he only had a light hold on her wrists. She could feel the warmth of his palms curled around her.
'Just a flick of the wrist and you could hold them properly.'
The thought came unbidden and was banished from her consciousness but her mind was in full revolt.
'Why are you still fighting? Do you want anything good I your life?'
'Go away, please go away.' She muttered wretchedly, trying to pull her wrists free but he held fast, pulling her closer.
"Clarice?" She looked him straight in the eye, suddenly so tired of this battle of wills. She opened her soul to him and she saw the strain in his face as he took it all in.
Then though his eyes, she glimpsed the man through the monster. Something changed then, for both of them. There was a door closing behind them and many opening in front.
He leaned into her then, slowly, holding his face close to hers. She could see his eyes flicking over her face before settling at her eyes.
His breath was hot on her cheek as his head tilted ever so slightly and she dropped her head.
"I.I'm sorry. I can't." She rose to her feet jerkily and stepped back, looking at him still kneeling back on the floor, eyes dark and molten in the poor light.
"I apologise, Clarice. You must be tired after-"
"Don't you dare!" she hissed, eyes flashing.
"Clarice?"
"Don't you dare try and put this down to tiredness. Do you have any idea what I'm going through? Did you-"
"Do you think this is simple for either of us?" His eyes were narrowed now, his body in an offensive position-or was it defensive? He stood quickly. "Do you honestly think this is easy for me? Don't let yourself be blinded by media speculations of some sort of 'psychic' ability I possess. I can only see what is clear to me-what follows my logic."
His eyes softened and he sat back on the sofa. His breathing rattled slightly and he looked pained by the exertion. One hand rubbing his battered chest he continued, softer now.
"You don't follow my logic Clarice-this does not follow my logic but its happening, its real." He looked up at her. "Logic isn't always right." He whispered.
Tentatively she sat beside him-close to him. He turned to her, instead of looking drained by this speech he looked practically humming from it- energised even. She couldn't continue with this. It was either fight it or embrace it.
"I...I.I'm so sorry." She whispered, backing to her bedroom.
"Clarice?" The look in his eyes was nearly the undoing of her. Nearly.
The gaze was finally broken a she turned and left him.
He sat for a few minutes. He felt derailed. He was loosing his strength against the world. He was loosing his foresight. Or was it just Clarice?
He pulled the blanket from the floor and wrapped himself in its artificial embrace.
For once, tomorrow wasn't as certain a sit usually was. He watched the bedroom door until sleep stole him away.
'He pulled the blanket from the floor and wrapped himself in its artificial embrace. '
Oh God.I nearly cried writing it. Will they ever find solace? Review and I'll continue.(Who said bribery was a sin!!*evil grin*