.......:::::::Epilogue:::::::.......
The trek back to camp was the longest, and it didn't help that Veronica at first had no clue what that was or what happened. Then, she was mad at Jacen for not telling her about it since he'd run into it before already. Now, she was just quiet and reserved to the silent trek back to camp. The issue of Claire was gone, and now all that remained was the fear for her own life. Every noise drew her attention.
Jacen was lost in his own though as well. When she was half-way down that hole and the smoke had her, Jacen was scared he would never see her again. The pain and suffering in his heart while he was pulling her back was enough torture for him.
"So,.... when you were pulling me up," Veronica said, breaking the silence, "You said you'd done horrible things and that you deserved to die..."
Jacen had hoped she'd not heard that or it was forgotten in her panic. Apparently, she wasn't a forgetful girl at all. Then again, maybe she was trying to focus on other things. Jacen sighed, "I asked you before, 'what makes you think I'm a good guy?' I'm not. I've done horrible things, Veronica. I'm not a good guy."
"Do you really believe that?" She asked, hugging herself with her arms as if finding some solace or comfort in it.
"Yeah..." He answered simply, and he meant it.
She paused a moment, then she began talking, "When I was younger, a friend of my Uncle's was a man from prison. A lot of people didn't like him or trust him, said he was a bad guy too. But, my Uncle didn't believe that. He offered the man a job on his farm, and when he lost his home, my Uncle gave him a room in the house until he found an apartment. He stayed there a month with us, and at first I was afraid of him."
"Veronica.." Jacen said.
"Let me finish," She said, "But, there came a night when a man broke into my Uncle's house. My Uncle got his shotgun, but the robber got my Uncle. He stabbed him twice. My Aunt and I were locked in my room, and all I could do was cry. But, when my Uncle yelled for help, my Aunt started to get up. She stopped though when we heard the footsteps."
"The man from prison that stayed in the room in the basement had come upstairs after hearing the fight, and all I could hear were his heavy footsteps running down the hallway. I was scared he was going to come take me, but...," Veronica turned and looked at Jacen, "But, he fought the robber with only his bare hands. He was stabbed three times, but he broke both of the robber's arms. And.. instead of killing the robber, he called the cops. He saved my Uncle's life.. and maybe mine."
"Why are you telling me this?" Jacen asked.
"Because people change. The man had done something bad in his past, he'd killed two people. But, he changed who he was while he was alone in prison. The ex-convict that lived with my Uncle for a month was a hero that saved a family." Veronica said, reaching for Jacen's hand. She shook her head, "Maybe you've done bad things, and when you want to talk about it, I'll listen. But, the Jacen I know right now, he's not a bad guy. He's a good guy, and he's got a good heart."
"Sometimes the only thing missing from people's lives is a second chance...." She said.
Jacen didn't know what to say, he stood there and could only stare back at her. A part of him felt like crying, another part felt like he should just keep walking, and another part told him that she was wrong. He'd done a lot of bad things in his life, and his worse was killing an innocent woman for money. Maybe she was right, maybe she was wrong. He didn't know, but he knew that he wanted to believe she was right.
They started from a distance away, but the whispers came fast, and Jacen tensed up. Veronica wasn't prepared and she fell into him. Her fingers dug at his shirt and his skin, and Jacen could only hold on to her. He shook his head, "It's not the smoke..."
"What? What is it?" She asked, the fear in her making her imagine something worse coming for her now.
The tall man's voice rang eerily calm and unnatural in the surroundings, "Jacen."
Jacen and Veronica turned to see Christian standing there, eyeing Jacen and his face as serious and as still as death itself. He nodded, "You can't tell the others what you two experienced."
"What?" Veronica asked.
"They are not prepared for this," Christian said then pointed to Veronica, "She was not prepared for this."
"She's safe with me." Jacen said.
"Nobody will be safe with you, Jacen." Christian shook his head.
"How would you know?"
"Because I know what your purpose is, and I'm here to guide you to it."
Jacen paused a moment. He was never a 'destiny' believer or any of this stuff. Yet, after all that he'd come through, he paused. This man had saved him once from the monster, guided him home once already, and seemed to have good intentions despite everything else that has happened.
"What is my purpose?"
"There's somebody you must meet first," Christian said.