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| Story: A New Life - Chapter 18 Sunday, 07-May-2000 19:23:59
Some more plot developments in this chapter. Will Sarah and Andrew ever get together? Read on, the answer might just surprise you. ;) Hope to have more done in a couple days. Sarah sat down at her table, dropping the heavy Sunday edition of The Denver Post onto the faux-wood. It was almost eleven in the morning, but she was just now getting around. She hadn’t slept well the previous night; her mind had kept active, going over thoughts and events that she desperately wished sleep would erase. Absently stirring a spoonful of milk into her coffee, the troubled journalist began leafing through the numerous pages, looking for a particular piece that might or might not be there. She passed over the front page, the sports, the comics, and the classified sections before her blue-gray eyes picked it out. On the first page of the “Neighborhood” section was a small section that told of a death in the South-Springs Mall. She thoroughly read through the article: “South-Springs Mall experienced another scene of violence Saturday afternoon. The victim was an unidentified man, 26 years of age. The police investigation team on the scene tentatively categorized the death as a homicide, as there was no evidence of suicide, although the team is withholding the cause of death until an autopsy can be performed. However, the lead investigator told The Denver Post that he suspected it as another gang-related murder. The victim apparently belonged to one of the local gangs, and the mall is often used as a gathering place of several of Denver’s largest gang-style groups.” The article went on for another paragraph, but Sarah had read enough. She let the newspaper slip from her fingers as she looked up, staring out into nothingness, her mind mulling over what she had just read. ‘Everyone thinks that it was a gang fight…. But obviously, some people are not too sure, as they haven’t released how he died. I know how he died, though - - I killed him….’ She looked down at her right hand and gently rubbed her fingers together. ‘It happened yesterday, yet I can still feel his neck in my hand. I can feel his bones breaking – his larynx being crushed - his - - - Stop it, Sarah!! You’re not doing yourself any good! You can’t keep thinking about it like this. It was self-defense, right? I mean, he was trying to rape and kill me, and I just did what any other person would have done.’ She glanced down beyond her hand at her body. Underneath the green-dyed cloth of her robe, Sarah could see a bit of the gleaming black material of her Gammonian outfit. It seemed as if it was mocking her, telling her that she was different from everyone else on Earth. And, what was worse, it was right. ‘But I’m not like any other person, am I? I have abilities and powers that are far beyond anything a human could accomplish. But with that power comes responsibility. I lost my head in that closet; I allowed that gang member’s dirty talk to get to me - and he paid for it with his life….’ Sarah Carter stood up, pushing the chair back from the table and turned on her bare heel towards the apartment’s small living room. “Xris?” “Yes, Sarah?” the modulated male voice asked. “Do you remember our talk yesterday? About my responsibility and future as a superhero?” “Of course. Sarah, have you decided upon a course of action?” “Yes, I have, Xris.” With a few motions of her hands the robe fell from her body. Sarah then reached behind her and undid the small, almost invisible zipper that held the black fabric closed. She let it fall around her feet and stepped out of the resulting black puddle, wrapping the robe back around herself. “No more, Xris. I’ve decided that, while I may not be totally responsible for my emotional response towards that young man, but I was responsible for my actions. I shouldn’t have lost control – especially with what I know I am capable of. I have no further right to call myself a ‘heroine’ any longer. So I’m giving up my short-lived career as a superwoman.” “Sarah, I trust that you know what you are doing.”, the small black computer spoke after several seconds. “I know you have given this decision a lot of thought, and I want you to realize that I support you on your decision. I may not be in complete agreement with your reasoning, but I will be here for you, Sarah.” She smiled at the module. “Thank you, Xris. Your approval means a lot to me.” ‘If only others could be so supportive.’, she thought, sighing. She was specifically thinking of Andrew Peters. Last night he had come over to see her, and she had only managed to confuse him further by being both forward and reserved at once. ‘Poor Andy… I wouldn’t be surprised if he wouldn’t want to talk to me about his feelings ever again after the way I treated him.’ She stopped for a second, an idea popping up into her mind. It was crazy; she wasn’t sure why she had thought it up in the first place. But, as bizarre as it was, this idea just might help Sarah with her burgeoning relationship with Andrew. ‘Okay, so she’ll make one more appearance….’ She picked the small pile of ebony material back off the floor and looked at it intently. “Sarah? What are you doing?”, Xris queried, his voice containing more than a hint of inquisitiveness. “Hmm? Oh, just an idea I’ve had. Although I’m giving up this secondary ‘career’, I owe a friend a last appearance as the heroine he’s come to admire - - and love. I owe him the truth behind her, Xris.” With that, she walked into her bedroom, closing the door behind her. Ten minutes later she came back out, dressed in a pair of white slacks, a pale blue polo-style short-sleeved shirt, and a pair of sandals on her feet. “I’m going out, Xris. I hope to be back within an hour or two. I’ve got to do this – not only for Andrew, but for myself.” Sarah walked through her front doorway and closed the heavy door behind her. Andrew Peters sat on his small couch in his apartment, watching some late-morning television show. But only his eyes were capturing the moving figures, and only his ears were hearing the various dialogue those figures spoke. His mind was a thousand miles away from his apartment – back to the previous evening at Sarah’s place. He had dropped by just to say hi, and possibly find out if she was free to see a movie or something with him. But she had not seemed herself that evening; she seemed withdrawn, but at the same time more outgoing in certain respects. He didn’t even pretend to understand, so when he got home he had tried to forget it. They would probably have a good laugh about it tomorrow at work, about how they had acted so strangely. But the young journalist found it near impossible to get the scene out of his mind. Seeing the woman he was truly falling in love with in such inner turmoil, fighting with something that she wouldn’t tell him about. In a way, that hurt him far worse than anything. He wanted to help her with whatever problem she was struggling with - - but he couldn’t help her if she didn’t want it. In some ways, his own nervousness and reluctance to get involved with his friend’s problems contributed to his restlessness. ‘What could I have done to make a difference? I wanted to help her - - I think she wanted me to help her. But, for some reason, she didn’t want to talk to me about it, and I couldn’t get over my own feelings of anxiety and indecision.’ Andrew sighed and scrutinized the television, watching the colors and shapes swirl across the screen, not paying a bit of attention to what was actually being shown. If only I could go back in time…..’, he thought dejectedly. ‘If only I had told Sarah that I loved her….’ A short series of knocks on his front door shook him out of his reverie. He stood up and stretched, looking at his watch. ‘Who could that be?’, he wondered, running a hand through his medium-cut black hair. He released the latch from the door and opened it. “Hi, Andrew. Umm – May I come in?” He thought his heart was going to leap from his chest and wrap around the figure that stood on the other side of the doorway. ‘Oh my - - It’s her! I – I never thought that I was going to see her again!’ To his unexpected guest Andrew stuttered, “Uhh - -Y – Yes! C – Come on in!” He stood back from the door to allow her tall, muscled, sexy form to bend down slightly and enter his living room. He quickly closed the door and turned around to face his guest. “I – Is there anything I can get f – for you…uhh, Jane?” Sarah shook her dark-green mane’d head. “No thank you, Andrew. I’m quite comfortable.” Inside her mind she cringed. ‘Ha! That’s a joke. If he only knew how nervous I actually am….’ It had been a hard thing for the journalist to carry out this act. It had seemed like the right thing to do back in her apartment, but when she actually arrived at Andrew’s apartment complex, the second thoughts had immediately set in. But she had pushed those down as best she could, summoning up as much courage as possible. This needed to be done – not only for Andrew’s sake, but for her own. So she had transformed and, making sure that no one had seen her, had walked up to his door and knocked. And here she was, trying to come up with a way to tell him what she needed to. Andrew walked over to his couch and gestured for her to sit down. “Please, Jane, h – have a seat.”, he invited. His stomach turned a small flip-flop when she sat her large and toned green body next to his. He licked his lips nervously, gently rubbing the palms of his hands against his thighs. “Well - - - Wh – What can I do for you?” Sarah sucked in a deep breath, not failing to notice that her friend’s eyes were locked on her firm, curved bust. She didn’t even think he realized that he was doing so; to bring it up to him would probably embarrass him so much that she wouldn’t be able to tell him what she wanted to. “Andrew, remember I talked to you last week about finishing that interview for your newspaper?” He nodded, his brown eyes finally coming up to meet her rich green ones. “I have some bad news for you. I won’t be able to complete it. I’m sorry. I’ve been doing some thinking since we’ve met, and I don’t think I can do as much here as I wanted, so I’ll be moving on.” She watched his face fall, and she hated herself for telling him this lie. ‘Why don’t you just tell him the truth, Sarah?’, she asked herself sternly. ‘He’s been one of your best friends since you’ve been here in Denver. And you love him. Doesn’t he deserve to know the truth? Doesn’t he deserve to know that this “heroine” and his friend Sarah Carter are one-and-the-same?’ She sighed again, a poignant expression involuntarily appearing upon her attractive emerald face. ‘Because I just don’t have the guts.’, she answered. ‘Look at me: I can easily lift buses above my head; I can run faster than any human; I can withstand impacts that would crush anyone else. But I can’t overcome my own fears and doubts and reveal myself to Andy. I’m lying to the man that I love. What kind of hero does that make me?’ “Oh….I - - I see…”, Andrew responded. “I’m - - sorry to hear that, Jane. I really was – looking forward to learning more about you.” Once again, it seemed that his luck with women was going to hell in a hand-basket. “Well, good luck with you, Jane. It’s - - - It’s been a pleasure knowing you.” Sarah couldn’t sit there any longer, seeing her friend in such torment with her decision. “Andrew, I - - “ With a sudden motion she leaned over, gently cradling the back of his head with her left hand, and settled her full, dark-green lips over his mouth. He didn’t respond at first, as he was too surprised at her sudden closeness. But then Sarah felt him relax, his lips pressing against hers with more force. The kiss went on and on, until Sarah slowly leaned back and watched Andrew’s reaction. “I hope I wasn’t too forward with you.”, her husky voice quietly said. “Uhh, n – no, no! But I have to ask you - - what was that for? I wasn’t that g – good of an interviewer, was I?” She smiled, resting a hand upon his shoulder. “Well, I don’t know if you were THAT good, Andrew. But I needed to do that before I left. In gratitude for being so kind towards me.” ‘C’mon, Sarah, just tell him!’, her mind screamed. “And, well, I - - - “ She couldn’t do it. She wanted to tell him – wanted to tell him with all her heart. But she just couldn’t make it come out of her mouth. It was such a simple sentence: “I’m Sarah Carter.” But she couldn’t force the words through her lips. She didn’t know how he would take the news. She wasn’t even sure how SHE would deal with him knowing, either. If anyone ever found out, it could place Andrew’s life in danger. That was something she wanted to avoid at all costs. She wanted to keep her two lives as separate and distinct as possible. But she also didn’t want to leave him like this….. Sarah stood up and bent over towards her friend. With no effort at all, she bodily picked his 185 lb frame off the couch and cradled him in her strong green arms. He gave out a small yelp of surprise. “Wh – What are you doing, J – Jane??”, he squeaked, his voice laced with naked fear. “I just don’t think a kiss is gratitude enough for what you’ve meant to me, Andrew. I don’t think you know just how much you really have meant to me.” She began walking down the apartment’s hallway, feeling the thick carpet on her feet’s bare green soles and toes. “You – you wouldn’t mind terribly if I show you - - you know – my gratitude in a more…..personal way?” She held her breath in anticipation. ‘Here goes…. If I mess this up, I will never be able to face him again.’ Andrew didn’t believe what he was hearing. Could she actually mean what she said? She was rapidly approaching the closed door of his bedroom, and he could think of no other reason to go in there as he sat there, suspended inside her strong, supporting arms. “Y – You mean, you want to do - - that?” He watched her nod, her throaty voice silent. ‘Maybe I was wrong about her….. Maybe she DOES love me….!’ “Y – Yes, then….. If you really want to, I mean, Jane.” Sarah’s heart flipped with joy. She reached the closed door and turned slightly, allowing Andrew to open it. She walked in and set him gently down onto his king-sized bed. “Andrew, I want to tell you how much this really means to me. And I will treasure this forever. Believe me, please.” She then reached behind her and began to slowly pull the zipper of her shiny ebony outfit down. Once it was opened, she carefully slipped out of it, allowing her strong body to slip out from its form-fitting embrace. She pushed it down to her ankles and slipped her feet out of the small pile of material and looked at her friend. His eyes were freely roaming about her nude form; he caught her eye and he immediately looked down. “I – I’m terribly sorry, J –Jane. I didn’t mean – to – to – “ She wrapped her green fingers beneath his chin and raised his head back up to look her in the eye again. “Don’t feel bad, Andrew. I want this. I hope you do, too. But I won’t force you. It’s your choice…..” He hesitated for a second, and then slid over beside her and wrapped his arms around her bare chest, kissing her. Sarah began to undo his clothes while he embraced her. They laid down together, and let nature take its course……. Harry McHenry picked up the phone. “Yeah, hello?”, he grumbled. He hadn’t been having a very good day. His little snooping session a couple days ago during that green woman’s interview had turned up no new leads as to her whereabouts. He had run out of ideas, and his magazine’s editor was yelling at him to find some other story to work on, or to find another job. So when the phone rang, he was just about on his last leg of patience. “Mr. McHenry?”, the voice on the other end asked. It was deep and smooth, ringing of confidence and power. “Yeah, who’s this?” “I understand that you are having a little trouble with your quest for this mysterious superwoman.” It was not a question. “If you are interested, I have some information that might prove of interest to you.” Harry immediately perked up. “Yeah? Right now I need all the info on her I can get. So, what’ve you got?” The voice chuckled. “It is not quite that easy, Mr. McHenry. First of all, I want to tell you that I work for Mr. Harris, of Denver Consolidated Freightways. I have high-level information that I want to give you on him, as well. If you promise to run this story for him, I will give you the information that you seek.” “What is this, blackmail or somethin’? Just what do you want me to print?” “Let us just say that it is very important for you to have it run for now. Will you agree?” Usually Harry was a little more suspicious than this; he wanted to know more about his sources before running anything he received from them. But he really needed to get any information about the superwoman that he could. “Okay, okay, I’ll do it.” “Good. Now, for your reward……” To be continued Terry |
| Story: A New Life - Chapter 18 (Terry) (07-May-2000 19:23:59) |
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