Stories To Be

Bits and Pieces of my stories. Some posts here will be continuances of a story. Some will be details or ideas for a scene or other part of a story that isn't next but I don't want to forget. Each post will be titled with the name of the story it belongs to, to keep things from being confusing.

Stories In Progress

  • Bane of Death
  • Tabled Unfinished Stories

  • Troia
  • The Lost Song
  • New Mutants: Angel
  • The Unending Story
  • Finished Stories

  • End, The - Feint of Heart Warning
  • Faith Winterfields
  • Flight
  • Chronicles of Gaia
  • Project, The
  • What's At S.T.E.A.K.
  • Poems

  • Sense of Wonder
  • Happiness In Health
  • Thoughts
  • Anticipation (of News)

  • Please let me know what you think!  Comment or e-mail me.  Both positive and negitive critiques expected!

    Tuesday, November 08, 2005

    NaNoWriMo Day 8
    - Chapter 3 Beginning 

    1,682 words

    A week later things were returning to normal for most people, but not all.

    The family that had been in the original car that was hit was still frequenting the hospital to visit the father, Doug. He had undergone some intense surgery after the accident and would be in the hospital for a little longer. The mother, Natalie, had been released two days ago into the care of her own mother, while Natalie's sister took care of the children. And Alicia knew all this because she visited Doug every day for a few hours, just to be sure.

    The news on the driver of the four by four had been that he had actually died before the crash. The autopsy showed the man had died of a heart attack, and not impact nor any of the other trauma the accident caused his body. The coroner believed the man had the heart attack while driving and died at the wheel. With a heavy foot and good alignment, the truck barreled straight through the red light. Which explained why the driver made no attempt to slow down or avoid the collision. The odd circumstances surrounding the cause of the accident turned what would normally have been given fifteen seconds of coverage on the ten and eleven o'clock news, and a whole lot of curses from commuters at the intersection having been shut down for hours, into a blurb on the front page of the paper story.

    Alicia herself was recovering, but it would be weeks before the cast came off her arm. Perhaps it was better to say she was adjusting. And she was certainly learning as well, learning how to do with her left hand and arm ordinary things she normally didn't give a second thought to, such as eating with a spoon.

    She had been given two days off work right after the accident because the hospital had held her for observation for one, and then another so she could adjust to her medication at home. Which really meant so she could lay conked out from the pain killers on her bed in peace. She then had filled out the paid time off form for a week off and gave it to Martin to turn in to Susan. Everyone at the office assumed it was due to her injuries from the accident, they had even sent flowers and get well soon cards. Alicia assumed Susan suspected it was something more, and in truth the request was due to both the accident and to wrestling with the recent revelations about her life, but Alicia trusted no one else at the office knew about the latter.

    Martin visited Alicia every day. She could see in his eyes that he felt somewhat responsible for her. Whether because he had been driving, or because he was the one to have opened her eyes to what she could do, she didn't know. She didn't ask either. She was just glad to have someone to talk to, and to drive her to the hospital for her daily visits.

    Ever so often she spotted D at the hospital, wearing that same almost creepy serial killer outfit. Neither D nor Alicia made any efforts to talk, or even be near each other. Alicia wanted Doug and his family out before she confronted D. Alicia also spent a little extra time each visit walking around the hospital on the routes she usually took when there volunteering. According to Martin's company, somehow she was helping people when she worked here even though she wasn't seeing patients. So she figured doing as much the same as she was allowed should still work, at least some, and whatever she missed she should be making up for by walking around every day instead of twice a week.

    Today, however, Alicia and Martin were practically greeted at the door by D. Alicia reflexively moved closer to Martin. At first he didn't see what had caused her to crowd him as if wanting protection, but he had a good idea. He put his hand on her shoulder. Sure enough he saw D sitting just up ahead, watching Alicia. He - D - seem to be waiting for her. He was wearing the same maintenance uniform Martin had seen him in the first time they'd met and when Martin had seen him on the sidewalk right before the accident.

    "D," Alicia said with reservation as they approached.

    "Alicia," D replied flatly.

    The two faced each other in silence. Martin looked back and forth between them, wondering who would give in first. Finally he decided to be the one. "Are you here for a reason, or just to hold Alicia up?" he asked D pointedly.

    D turned a look to him that made him feel as if he was an insignificant thing that had just become a nuisance. For a brief moment he wondered what D was going to do. This time he moved closer to Alicia for protection.

    Alicia had jumped slightly at the thought that D was holding her up, theoretically so that she would not make it in time to save someone. She started on her way towards Doug's room. D stood and started to move with her.

    "Is there something I can do for you?" Alicia asked D.

    "Yes, actually," D replied casually. "You can leave."

    Alicia frowned.

    D continued with a wave of his or her hand, depending on whose perspective it was, "But of course you won't. So I thought I would put your mind at ease."

    Alicia turned a curious eye towards D, Martin a suspicious one.

    "As of last night Doug Stonewall has moved down on my list," D informed Alicia. "It will be many years before I come for him again," D assured her.

    The corners of Alicia's mouth twitched upwards. An almost triumphant expression crossed her face.

    "You believe him?" Martin asked Alicia.

    Alicia nodded without reservation. "Don't ask why. I just feel that I can."

    "Okay," Martin said with a shrug. If D's word was good enough for Alicia, it was good enough for him. She'd known D longer, and was the one with the connection.

    "Alicia," D said to bring the attention of the two off each other. "Walk with me."

    D started off down the hall. Martin and Alicia exchanged glances, then followed. D stopped by the elevators. Alicia, out of years of habit of walking with D, pushed the elevator up button. When the doors opened, the trio stepped on. Alicia moved to the floor buttons and pressed the standard one for the intensive care floor. After she'd done so, she realized things were different this time and that might not be where they were going. She looked at D a bit sheepishly. "Where to?"

    "That will do," D replied.

    Martin watched the interaction between the two with interest, keeping his hand on Alicia's arm so he could in fact continue to see D.

    As the elevator rose, D started to speak. "Alicia, there is something I wish to understand. As much as I appreciate you staying away from me for the most part now, I know your present state of mind is only going to lead us to confrontation whenever you decide you do wish to approach me. I would rather not go through that."

    "And just what state of mind do you think I am in, at present?" Alicia asked with a touch of defiance.

    "You think I am a killer," D replied matter-of-factly.

    "Of course," Alicia replied. "That's because you are!"

    D's head shook. "No, I am not. And that is what I wish you to understand."

    Alicia turned on D in anger. "Are you telling me that you didn't cause that accident last week? That you didn't make that man die so that his truck would crash and give you others to kill?"

    D replied calmly, "I did not cause it."

    "Liar," Alicia accused. "I saw you on the sidewalk before it happened." She motioned to Martin. "We both did."

    "I was there," D confirmed with a nod.

    "Because you-" Alicia started to speak with force.

    "Because he died!" D corrected her loudly, so that his or her voice was heard over Alicia's.

    Alicia was confused into silence for a moment.

    D's voice returned to its normal level. "I was there before the accident because a man died before the accident," she explained to Alicia. "I stayed because Doug Stonewall was dying, he wasn't supposed to make it until the ambulances arrived."

    The elevator reached the designated floor and opened its doors. Martin and D stepped out. Alicia followed somewhat slowly, partially lost in thought.

    D began talking again as the trio walked down the hall. "Have you considered yet why you can always find me around here, in the intensive care ward? It's because people are always dying in here." She motioned towards a window as they passed by. "Estelle Grady. She'll die two nights from now."

    Both Martin and Alicia watched the frail looking woman hooked up to a dozen monitors and medication lines as they traveled past the window. Then they looked at each other.

    "Matthew Worth," D continued, indicating a closed door. "Three hours."

    Martin frowned.

    Alicia's face started to drain of color. "D, don't do this," she half-pleaded.

    D stopped in front of another window, and looked in. A teenage boy was lying in partial traction, with a visible scar from recent surgery on his chest. "Alex Bensen," D labeled him. Tears started to well in Alicia's eyes. "He lives for sixty more years," D said.

    Alicia blinked away the tears, looking at D in shock. "Huh?"

    D turned to face Alicia. "I told you, I am not a killer. I am Death."

    Martin nodded as he started to understand. "There's a difference. To kill is to cause death. Death simply is the end of life."

    Alicia looked back and forth between the two for several seconds. "Okay," she finally said.

    "I did not cause that accident," D repeated. Then her voice took a serious turn. "But someone did."

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    posted by Jennifer Michelle  @11:54 PM


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