Redemption

Chapter 5: Shattered Memories

Chapter 5: Shattered Memories

     The Overseer gazed down upon the industrial district below; the walled-off, decrepit area looking like an open flesh wound compared to Danville. He stood, frozen like a waxen figure, against the guard railing of the high terrace; his gloved fists tightly gripping around the steel barrier. The gray tint of his glasses reflected the images of the smoke billowing out of the steel mill's chimneys as he waited in silence.  

   "Inmates are all in position, sir. How should we proceed?" a guard asked, slowly walking out onto the balcony.

 "Where are Mr. Hunt and Mr. Cramer?" he asked, keeping his back toward the officer.

  "Converging on one another's location as we speak, sir. Expected confrontation approximated to be in two to three minutes," the guard stated.

"Excellent work, Captain, do be sure to have a team ready to retrieve the body of whomever is killed in the scrimmage," he reminded, before dismissing the guard with a wave of his hand.

  The Overseer turned his attention back down to the streets below; looking upon the industrial district as if he were God, looking down upon on an insignificant ant hill. 

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    The gentle rustling of turning pages and soft murmurs were the only sounds heard through the shattered front windows of the small, abandoned bookstore Stacy found herself exploring. She happily walked along the rotting hardwood flooring amidst towering stacks of manuscripts all vying for her attention; pulling her subconscious every which way.  She hadn't been this happy in a very long time and as she reached out to grasp one of the books by its spine she couldn't help, but let a smile spread across her lips. From Jane Eyre to A Tale of Two Cities, Stacy found herself amongst good friends; old and new.  For what seemed like hours she found herself blissfully lost in the words she read. Stacy completely forgetting about the world around her, that was until a familiar voice jarred her from her own self indulgence.

  "How long do you think you can keep this up?" The Overseer asked, his tone demanding a response.

   Stacy bit her bottom lip as she tried her best to concentrate on the words of her book, but found it to be to no avail.

   "You can try to dismiss everything I've told you. Even go as far as telling yourself everything will work itself out, but in the end you and I both know you've got to set the books down at some point."

  Stacy turned yet another page as her hands began to shake nervously.

    "I'm not a monster. I can't go through with this...this game of yours," Stacy replied, tears forming just at the corners of her eyes.

   "Indulge me, Ms. Hemmings. You can't or you won't?"

   Stacy closed her book angrily before gritting her teeth and replying with a shaky, "I don't have to tell you anything."

   Stacy focused her eyes on her book for as long as she could but, sadly closed it as tears began to fall from her eyes.  The thin white pages becoming dampened by her sorrow.

"I wonder what your daughter would think of you?"

   "Leave my daughter out of this!" Stacy shrieked, hurling her book out in front of her. Stacy quickly got to her feet as she turned to find the bookstore's exit but, instead found herself face to face with tacky pink and green floral wallpaper. Her throat seizing up tightly as she stared blankly at the chipping wallpaper; wallpaper she had only seen once before. Stacy ran her hand along the floral design, the warm air around her slowly chilling her flesh. She took a reluctant glance down toward her feet at the brown carpeting beneath the soles of her perfectly polished pink high heels before, turning and looking up into the face of her past.