A/N This one is really short because its a transition chapter.
Disclaimer: The original character is mine. All copy written material is merely borrowed
Sunday, September 25th 2011
Chapter Three: Cracked Mask
Gabrielle woke with a start, dripping in sweat and crying. Her hand went to her right shoulder and she wept. She dreamt of that night again. It was so vivid, so real that she woke up thinking she was in the hospital all over again. The instant terror at the thought of Dr Lecter possibly being killed. Her fight-or-flight instinct taking over before she had any thought of her own safety. The pain was so fresh, there was no way to stop the tidal wave it became. She slid onto the floor with her back to her bed and just let herself cry. There was no need to stop herself. No one was there to tell her she "shouldn't cry over a monster" or that she "did society a disservice by saving such a demon", like they did when she first got back to the US.
They were so cruel, when she came home. She was thankful that Agent Mapp had been able to shield her from the media. Though she had been pretty sure it was because she was a minor and they considered her to be a victim. The only people who knew it was her in the news report were her classmates, which quickly extended to the town, because obviously teenagers talk. College was different. All she heard was people talking and debating over the situation, with no realization that it was her they were talking about. After about a year it died down, but she still couldn't make her way around her hometown without at least a handful of people making some kind of rude comment.
She grabbed her pillow off her bed and screamed into it. Sometimes it was a war cry or screech. Other times she was calling for him, another thing she was most definitely not allowed to do before. She called out his title, she cried his alias, she cried his given name. She cried and screamed for over an hour. With each outburst she tried to release as much energy as possible. When the intense pain of heartache had subsided, she was able to calm down. She got up, put her pillow back on her bed and started taking out her braids. She started the shower and brushed out her hair while the water warmed up. She turned on some music and got in the shower, once she had stripped down. She stood under the water and focused solely on the sensation it created. She took her time with her shower routine. Making sure each step was fully completed before moving on to the next. When she felt thoroughly clean and a little lighter, she got out. She put on her towel bathrobe after wringing out her hair and putting it in a towel.
She got dressed, once she was dry, in sweat pants and fitted tank top. She went to the kitchen and made breakfast, egg and cheese sandwich with a bagel and cream cheese and orange juice. She took her food and drink to the living room and decided to binge watch "Charmed" on Netflix. She decided that she would stay home and avoid interactions with other people today, as there was only one person she wanted to speak to. Contact was left in his hands for the simple fact that he alone knew when and how it would be safe. She moved between; "Charmed", "Agents of Shield", "Once Upon a Time", "NCIS", and "Xena: Warrior Princess" throughout the day. She played games on her phone and worked on her 3D puzzles throughout the days as well. It was nice, quiet, and relaxing. She was thankful no one tried to get in contact with her today.
Dinner was simple spaghetti and sauce with Parmesan cheese. No alcohol tonight, though. She actually made a point to avoid it. She hadn't full recovered from this morning, and wasn't about to invite more bad dreams with inebriation. She was bored with TV once dinner was eaten. She turned everything off, straightened up the living room, then went to the kitchen to do dishes. By the time she had finished cleaning she had decided that she wanted to dance. She went to her room and turned on her music, turning it up kinda loud. She still had it on her club list. It was a list of songs she had put together that she would want to hear in a club setting. After hitting shuffle, "Wolves" By Selena Gomez came on. It was the perfect start and Gabrielle quickly got lost in the music. Two hours later she had danced herself to exhaustion. She crawled into bed praying she was tired enough that she wouldn't remember dreaming. Thankfully she was proven right. When she woke up Monday, she felt well rested and much more centered emotionally. She had another lazy day, with the added action of making sure her laundry was ready for the week. She curled up in bed that night, looking forward to the new project she had waiting for her at work.
Thanks for reading!
