Claire stepped out of the bathroom wearing her
undershirt but the same jeans. Timidly she peered out
of the corners of her eyes to see Wesker sprawled out
on his back where she had left him, it was as if he
hadn't breathed since she departed.
"Are you awake?" she said aloud, getting no respond.
Is he asleep? Can he sleep?
Couragiously, she sneaked over and bent over him. As a
kid, Chris would pretend to sleep when she'd run into
his room to wake him each day for school. Chris, was just all
around a lazy and goofy child, Claire had been the
reckless and curious one. But just by looking, she
could tell if someone was mock sleeping, or really lights out. Their
breathing would be shallow and underneath eyelids,
you could see their eyeballs rolling about as if they were
watching something. As far as Claire knew now, Wesker was
fast asleep.
"Good, stay that way." She whispered.
Claire quickly but stealthly hopped to the door
barefoot, feeling the relief of freedom already. She couldn't believe it. After almost two months
under Wesker's prisoner status, she was finally free. Wesker let his guard down and slept.
Then it hit her.
What if he's testing me? He doesn't trust me enough
to fall asleep when I could walk straight
out…either way…he'd find me.
Claire sighed and turned around, not surprised to see
Weskers eyes open, watching her expression. She
wondered if he could tell by the redness of her eyes as he stared,
that she had broken down not long ago. Normally such a hard cry as that had been, it was noticeable
afterwards.
Wesker stood and slowly moved towards Claire, stopping
no more then a few inches from her. Claire noticed his
eyes were cat like and red, menacing with intent to
intimidate her. She only looked into his eyes, not
flinching like she once had. The connection of red and
blue eyes ignited an odd feeling inside her. Even
though Wesker was trying to frighten her, his stone
perfect features were remorseful. Eyes locked tight,
Claire Redfield and Albert Wesker stayed like that for
a long time.
What are you thinking? What is this plan you so
thrive for Wesker?
Claire was breathing deeply, but so was Wesker. His breaths were more large and contained in his solid
body, but unstable all the same.
"Why am I still here Wesker? Why did you take me a
second time?"
Wesker's features didn't light up in surprise, though
his eyes did flicker.
"Because Claire, I'm not finished torturing your brother."
Claire smirked and looked away, breaking the almost
inseprable connection. Her smile was rueful even as
her eyes filled with more searing hot tears. Claire
tilted her head back and looked into him again.
"I don't think thats it"
No, she knew he was lying. Wesker wasn't giving her the full answer, not that he ever did. Softly he put his hand on her cheek, rubbing off tears she hadn't even known broke the surface. But it soon became more rough and aggresive, Wesker after a moment clutched the back of Claire's neck and shoved her close.
"Don't sound so surprised dear heart."
Rebecca Chambers thought back to the first time she met Claire Redfield. Not the perky collage girl who had visited STARS only a year prior, but the tired worn girl that reflected the same pain in her eyes that Rebecca had known too well.
"I sure hope Chris is alright." Jill said, wringing her hands nervously.
She had been looking ill ever since he had gone to Rockfort to get Claire. It's been six days, and he had made no contact what so ever. Rebecca herself missed him and prayed that Chris was still amoung the living.
"He is...I know it." she said, hoping her words would sooth Jill and Leon, a man who only recently joined their anti Umbrella group.
Rain poured outside along with roaring thunder and flashes of lightning. Rebecca hated storms, nothing good ever came from them. It was the only fear she had held onto growing up, being the smart underaged girl she was, normally shook off such little frets.
Though fear had taken a new turn that night when Rebecca and the BRAVO team infiltrated the Arkley forest. Who knew the dead could walk? Or that a man could mutate into a towering leech monster. Before then, she wouldn't of given it a single concideration. But in reality, the twisted world she thought was dangerous as it was, her own captain had been working against them all along. And how that hurt Rebecca, she being so younge, put all her loyalty into the one man who wanted nothing to do with her existance.
All of a sudden, a thud peirced all the awaiting three's ears. Jill stood fast and moved to the door. She herself almost assumed it was only another thunderclap, that is until Jill yelped.
"Chris!"
She flew out into the raging torrents of rain in only a small top and sweat pants. Rebecca and Leon followed in her tracks. She stopped at the porch but Leon kept running. She watched as he scooped up Claire and held her tightly. The rain muffled everyones words, but Rebecca could tell by the way Claire and Leon held each other, that something, a bond, held them togather. Jill standing in the rain weeping happily on Chris's shoulder made her wonder just how close these four were to each other. Rebecca felt like an outcast without someone, maybe like Billy Coen. He had saved her life, and she recalled leaving him harder then she'd admit. What bound these four was what they experianced side by side, and the fact that they would forever be close. What would Chris be if he never saw Jill again? Or Claire if she never reunited with Leon?
The four walked up and Rebecca entered with them. The entire gathering had sat down and the Redfields had shared their experiances. But it wasn't till that night that Rebecca talk to Claire. She and Leon stayed over that night, each sleeping in a spare bedroom. Rebecca couldn't sleep, she was plaugued by the memories and nostalgia of wondering what ever became of Billy. She sliently roamed into the living room, her small figure lightly pittering with each persise step. She noticed a faint light when entering the living room hall, the light grew until Rebecca was in, seeing the back of a women with cascading fire red hair that was no longer tied up.
"Claire?"
The girl who sat on the couch turned quickly to face Rebecca, features stretched in surprise.
"Oh Rebecca! God you scared me!" Claire nervously laughed and moved over to let Rebecca sit, and she timidly did so.
"What time is it?"
Claire smiled softly, now at ease. "Two, two thirty. I'm not so sure."
Rebecca analyzed Claire closly, taking in every aspect of her. Rebecca had never seen, in her two encounters with Claire, her hair down. It fell remarkably far down her back mid-way, like a red silk ribbon, even with the poor light. She was beautiful and torn looking at the same time, gorgeous yet tired.
"Claire, you look so...very sick. Are you alright? I mean sorry, thats a stupid question to ask after where you just were! Please forgive-"
Claire set a hand on Rebecca's, smiling frail at her hand that overlapped her friends.
"Its alright, thank you for caring. I'm just still in..shock. I didn't mention this earlier, but I lost a close friend during this."
She looked away, and Rebecca thought she was going to cry, but somehow, with Redfield strength, she willed it off.
"Claire...I'm so sorry...I lost friends myself, so I understand-"
"He told me he loved me...how could that be possible?"
Rebecca tilted her head and perked up.
What was it that she said? Someone loved her was it?
Claire fell from the trance and looked up, smiling
nervously. "Please forgive me, I was thinking out
loud. Just, an old friend I lost."
Rebecca knew there was more, but didn't ask about it,
finding it not her place. Instead she settled into the
back cushion and bit the corner of her lip.
"Tell me what Raccoon was like after we, uh Chris and
I left. Leon and Jill gave me some insight, but they
both didn't divulge much."
The redhead seem to think for a second, in her eyes
Rebecca saw a fire, as if Claire was rewatching the
madness. "Desolate, burning to the ground. Zombies
were everywhere, more them then any of people alive.
Then the virus called the G-virus came into contact. A
scientist named William Birkin, who is a close friend
of…Wesker. He injected himself with it. Leon, Sherry,
the scientists daughter, and myself fled from him and
a tyrant dispatched to kill us off."
"Tyrant? Was it like a man but his heart, it was on
the outside?"
Claire pursed her lips and shook her head. "No, but it
did look like a bulky man. He must have been different
from the one you know. It was smart enough to follow
Sherry around the underground lab…"
Rebecca saw the mechanics of Claire's mind at work.
She was no longer the tough little collage girl
Rebecca had met. Claire Redfield was tainted.
"Claire…"
"Rebecca?"
The younger of the two took a breath and averted her
eyes. "I'm scared."
Rebecca thought Claire would reach out and sooth her,
but instead, she didn't even blink. "Me too."
Since that odd moment, they had been quite close,
never as close as she was to Leon, but all the same.
Now Rebecca Chambers sat alone in her studio apartment
a few blocks from the Redfield house, staring up at
the ceiling. She was only a kid, and she knew it.
Smart, genious maybe, but she was no fiercer then a
flustered girl scout. If only she could be taken
seriously, maybe then she could man up and help Chris find Claire instead of staying back behind closed doors.
"I'm still scared…" she whispered