Post by The Harbinger on Jun 21, 2015 20:57:37 GMT -6
††† Parental and NSFW Advisory †††
††† Scenes will contain Violence of a graphic nature, Foul Language and Adult Content. †††
††† You've been warned. †††
The last thing Danielle Bay remembered was the sound of shattering glass...
She came awake to the sounds of sirens, and voices, all around her. And she wasn't sure which woke her. The sirens. The voices... Or the excruciating pain that seemed to radiate through her entire body.
But it was a pain that seemed to bring everything into a sharp clarity. There are many levels of pain. But this pain.. This one was enough to push her body, and brain, into releasing endorphins that blocked out the pain receptors through-out her entire body. So much so, that she tried to move. Tried to stand. And it was then that she cried out in horror as she wasn't able to move.
“She's awake!”, someone yelled out.
And then the same voice was next to her. “Miss.. Miss.. Don't try to move. You've been in an accident.”
The voice was soft. Tender, even. But that didn't stop her from trying to move again. It was the pain that blasted her mind into oblivion that stopped her.. Again.
“Wha.. What.. Happened?”, she asked hoarsely.
The voice spoke up again, “You've been in an accident. Please, Miss.. Don't try to move.”
“Where's Brandon? Is he ok?”, she asked lowly.
Silence.
Silence was never good. Not in a situation like this.
No, silence was never good.
She shook her head to try and clear it up again as the pain had started to cloud her thoughts again. The pain was just too much. And she passed out again.
She didn't know how long she'd been out. She didn't remember dreaming. Was this a dream? All she remembered was the sound of shattering glass.
Shattering glass.. And the screams.
Oh, fuck! The screams.
But that was replaced by the sounds of, what she thought, a saw.
The Jaws of Life.
She blinked awake again. And this time, she woke to a face. But it wasn't a face she knew.
“Who are you?”, she groaned out lowly.
The man that was above her looked down and smiled at her.
“Hi there.”, he said. “I'm Jon. What's your name?”
“...Danielle...”, she replied back to him. “Danielle Bay.”
Fear started to creep into her mind. He was being too nice. Was that even possible? To be too nice?
“Well, Miss Bay, it's a pleasure to meet you.”, he said. Again, he was being too nice.
She tried to move again and he put a hand on her upper arm and she screamed out in pain.
“Sorry! I'm sorry.”, he said. Like apologizing would make the pain go away.
“What.. what happened? All I remember is glass shattering.”, she said to him once the pain subsided.
Clear blue eyes looked down at her.. Sympathetic. Sad, even.
“Well, you've been in an accident. We're working to get you out of the car now.”, he replied stoicly.
But that didn't stop the fact that she began to panic. And in that panic, she tried to move. Tried to free herself. She felt herself pinned in the car.
“Brandon.. I need to get to Brandon.”, she said. Again, trying to move and get out of the car.
“Danielle.. DANIELLE! I need you to stop moving. We don't know how bad your injuries are and moving like this could make them worse.”, he was firm in trying to keep her where she was. To keep her from making things worse.
But, he still hadn't answered her question about Brandon.
“Why aren't you answering me?!”, she screamed at him. “Where's Brandon!?”
The look of sorrow in his eyes spoke volumes. A library worth of them.
And the tears started...
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The screen comes to life. And like before, it's pitch black.
With a single mask appearing in the center of the screen.
The mask was solid white this time.
It had no mouth. And around the left “eye” was an intricate black design that swirled, dipped and dripped in a line down the cheek.
And out of the darkness, her voice whispers.
“It is not power that corrupts..
But fear.
Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it..
And fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it.”
The mask begins to move closer. Coming more into focus.
“We're taught Lord Acton's axiom: All power corrupts; Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Her voice doesn't change in either level or tenor.
“I believed that, when I came to UWA..
But I don't believe that anymore.
Power doesn't always corrupt.
Power can cleanse.
What I believe is always true about power is that power always..
A l w a y s..
Reveals.”
The mask moves ever closer.
“Because if power corrupts..
Society demands for moral authority.
And character increase as the importance of the position increases.”
Finally, the mask is in full view of the screen. Unmoving in the darkness.
“Power does not corrupt men..
Fools, however?
If they get into a position of power, corrupt power.”
Out of the darkness, a hand reaches up to allow slender fingers to dance across the smooth porcelain of the mask.
“I don't believe that power corrupts.
I actually believe it's more true that power attracts the corruptible.
The sane are usually attracted by other things than power.
When they do act, they think of it as service..
Which has limits.
The tyrant though, seeks mastery, for which he is insatiable..
Implacable.”
The hand drops away from the mask. And a soft laugh is heard.
“There is something infantile in the presumption that somebody else has responsibility to give YOUR life..
Meaning..
And point..
The truly adult view, by contrast, is that our life is as meaningful, as full and wonderful, as WE choose to make it.”
And suddenly, the mask is ripped away and the screen is delved into darkness.
“Careful what you wish for, Cole..
You've asked the Devil to come play..
And you must remember..”
A small, silent pause.
“Your sin is not greater than His mercy.”
And just when you think there is nothing else to be said, the screen brightens.
Showing the visage of the Harbringer.
“Oh Mister Travis.. Don't think I forgot about you.”
Danika smiles darkly.
“Every face wears a mask, Mister Travis..”
She leans towards the camera. Dropping her voice to barely above a whisper.
“And I want to taste you again, Kyle..
Like a secret..”
She pulls back, tilts her head and smiles again.
“...or a sin.”
And the screen goes black..
