Chapter 1. "Into the past."
She was in a dark, eerie outskirt of the forest.
Above the midnight sky stood the vibrant red moon, casting its red glow on the green field, she stood amidst them, trapped between the dark path. Claire sat on the ground, her hand holding onto her injured arm as it continued to bleed, legs throbbing from the pain.
She fought through it, pulling herself up with what remained of her strength before she started moving forward and running deeper inside the dark forest, her pace now slower than before as she limped forward.
Her destination was crystal clear, eyes were filled with endless motivation. With every ounce of her strength, Claire went through the uneven and rough path. With each step taken she moved closer and closer. The uneasiness slowly started to creep in the deeper she went. A castle stood in the distance, covered by the path of trees.
She was reluctant to step forward. A loud cry of an eagle startled her, and she staggered and fell on her back. She saw it a brown majestic-looking eagle with its eyes shining bright in the dark flew around her… its voice made her feel pain in her heart, nothing like a normal eagle sounds..like it was singing a sorrow-filled lament over something.
…
The woman jolted awake only to realize she fell asleep in the rooftop. She rubbed the crust off her eyes and pulled herself to a sitting position. " What was that all about?" She wondered about that strange dream that haunted her for a couple of days now.
In a small quiet neighborhood, Claire lived in Washington, DC, where dogwood trees lined up with the sidewalk, and green grass graced the street.
She always felt something from the sky, the birds, and the strong sunlight; somehow, it comforted her whenever she felt lonely, tired, or stressed from work.
She'd come here to reflect on how she desired to share a visit of any kind with her old friends.
To be with them at that very moment!
But, her brother Chris Redfield said each of them would reunite someday to have a party when they finished their assignments. Which usually meant he'd be wrapped up in a demanding mission.
She started dating the special agent she fancied for quite some time.
The two of them were survivors. They had the shared trauma that brought them together... although Leon was a bit of a closed book, they formed a connection, for she gave him space and did not pressure him to talk. It just occurred naturally that way.
The woman had dark red hair that shines in the light; it was made a little thin from many years of haircut and hair drying. She never really required tweezers and had a long nose hooked over her full lips.
Her features were merely a reflection of her entire body structure.
She is Claire Redfield, recently she celebrated her twenty-four birthday.
Some observers would call Claire an ordinary woman living with her brother; she was a survivor of the Raccoon City tragedy and Rockfort Island incident. Two nightmares she wished to forget for good.
The current attempt to distract herself is waiting for a chance to get a steady job.
The residence Claire resided in belonged to her workaholic and dutiful older brother. Remnants of a dead company called the Umbrella Corporation have individuals upset at the Redfields for exposing and ruining their inhumane operations. Living with her brother was the primary method to secure her safety as Chris would check in with Claire often. The very reason why Claire was involved in Raccoon City and Rockfort Island was that Chris became emotionally distant and cut off contact with Claire for months in a misguided attempt to protect her. After that harsh lesson, the Redfield siblings decided to remain close to each other to protect and support one another. The house was lovely, but it screamed a safe house instead of a home. Granted, Chris was family, but Claire knew that she'd require independence.
"You are lucky to have some time for yourself to relax and clear your mind," Leon stated during their last date.
Before the current arrangement, Claire worked as a paramedic... she worked to save people in need. However, she did go on multiple occasions with a rescue team to help innocents affected by natural disasters and biohazards.
What really bothered Claire was that Leon would be away at work for several days, and she was left alone in the house, worried for his safety. She did feel her relationship with Leon is going through issues.
Chris tried to help and comfort her as he did during their childhood. She respected the effort but still did not change how much this bothered her.
Claire is skilled in offering emotional support to stressed and depressed people, and she stands by them until they feel better. It is the trait she is well-known for it. But, unfortunately, she cannot help herself when she needs it the most. A bit ironic, to say the least.
Lost in thought, Claire did not notice her brother enter on the other side of the roof.
"Claire, come on down." Chris pleaded.
Claire dreamily sighed and took her time down the stairs. Chris waited for her at the doorway.
"Today is your first day in the new job, and you already going to be late? Come on, you have only five minutes to get ready." Chris added pep to his voice, "Since when did youth equal laziness?"
Claire punched his shoulder lightly, "Shut up; it is only a short walk from our house. I'm not going to be late." she chuckled. "How's your vacation going?"
"Don't worry about me; I'm doing okay. My co-workers kept me updated," Chris winked, an obvious smirk on his face.
At last, Claire took her bag, and she made her way to the front door.
She wore a black shirt and a red jacket, along with blue jeans.
"I might be a little late today Chris, no need to worry about it, okay? I think I'm going to stay in the nearby park for a while, and I might pay a visit to Leon," Claire stopped at the threshold.
Chris nodded and waved goodbye...
The building she saw screamed high-tech and expensive. The pearl top counters, the pure blinding white color, and cool blues. To Claire, it reminded her of something out of a sci-fi movie. Over the upper section of the building, there was the company's name, Abstorgo.
Claire went through the auto-opening glass door, and she was met by a crowded hall. People were coming and going. Elevators were filled to near max capacity. Not that it bothered Claire. In fact, it was mildly comforting because it reminded her of a hospital.
The receptionist waved at her to come. "Over here, miss Redfield."
Claire came forward and took a deep breath. "Hello, today is the start of my part-time job? Claire Redfield."
"Yes, please go to the fifth floor."
Claire felt her nervousness rise with every step she took toward the elevator. She always hated the first day of work. Her anxiety breaks her too much on this day.
At last, she entered and pressed the number five.
The elevator whisked her with terminal velocity to the destination.
The doors slid open, and she was in another large lobby – again all glass, steel, and white sandstone. She was confronted by another desk and a young woman dressed impeccably in black and white.
"Miss Redfield, my name is Lucy; follow me, please?" She pointed to a silent hall and walked in front of her.
Claire saw leather chairs in her way, and behind the leather chairs is a spacious glass-walled meeting room with an equally big dark wood table and at least twenty matching chairs around it. Beyond that, there is a floor-to-ceiling window with a view of the city skyline.
It's a stunning view, and she was momentarily paralyzed in amusement. But then, she was taken to a room with a large machine tied to a bed in the middle.
"Okay, what is this?" Claire said with bated breath.
"Relax, you'll lay down, and glass will cover your face, and the machine will work," Lucy answered her. "This is the Animus, a high-tech piece of equipment recently developed. You will be in a sleep-like statue, so it should be fine."
'So, my job is testing this on my very first day; wow.' Claire thought to herself while the side of her lip twitched in annoyance.
Lucy led her inside and waited for her.
The bed was not a typical hospital bed. Instead, it was like a futuristic desk with a computer server attached to it on the side. 'This is gonna hurt.' Claire thought to herself as she lay down and stared at the ceiling. Her heart is about to explode in her chest.
Relax… Claire. She encouraged herself.
A man came through the room overlooking the bed, and he called for Lucy to come.
"Relax, Miss Redfield." Lucy rubbed her hand to make her feel better. "We're watching you."
Lucy joined her co-worker, and they closed the door, they had a full control panel in front of them, and they were about to activate the machine.
"Three, two, one." The man said and pressed the yellow button.
Slowly Claire saw the glass cover her eyes, and the machine started to make a loud sound. Then out of nowhere, she felt a stab to her throat. An audible gasp escaped her lips. The pain was like her lungs were poked.
Claire tried to move, but her body felt like it was freezing ever so slowly, she tried to speak and call for help, though the pain was too great, and an electric shock was painfully spreading in her body. The only thing she could do was scream bloody murder.
Then everything went black, she lost consciousness.
Claire heard voices, far away, as she lay in a kind of dream. She thought she saw a bright blue sky, the voices were speaking some words, but she couldn't be sure what they were saying.
At last, she cracked her eyes open and observed her surroundings. Although at first, her vision was blurred, she saw nothing but intense light.
"Huh?" She wondered if help arrived, and they took her to another room, they are checking up on her.
Claire had a long earful to say to the person who hired her for this job. This is dangerous. If she didn't take the job, someone else would, and the same thing would happen. Maybe she can sue them for this.
However, once her vision cleared, she was in green land; she could see mountains to her left, the air felt cool and breathed life into her lungs.
She was on the side of a dirt path. This can't be right. Is this a dream of some kind? But this feels too real.
"Where am I?" Claire whispered.
In front of her, she saw rising dust coming her way. She couldn't tell what is this exactly until she heard a male scream very clearly.
Adrenalin started pumping through her veins, and she tried to move her body. But, the very moment she moved her arms, a sharp pain stabbed through her.
She let out a scream. Claire knew she cannot stay here until that dust reached her. She put her hand over the rocks near her and pushed herself up. With every movement, her muscles felt like they were getting pulled painfully.
Still, she pushed forward and started limping along.
"Help me, please, somebody." Then, ignoring the pain, she cried out with all the strength she could muster.
Her vision began to blur, but she could see a large brown gate in the front. "Help," she screamed one last time before she felt strong arms hold onto her before she crashed to the ground.
"It's alright, my lady, you're safe here." A deep, gentle voice spoke to her, and she drifted into a black void.
"Who is she?" A hooded soldier asked.
"Altair, take her inside. Hurry." Another one replied.
The man nodded and put his left arm under her knees and the other over her shoulder and carried her.
"Hold on, my lady."
Thank you for reading.
Thank you The95Will.