Barely Dead

☠ t h i r t e e n ☠

☠ t h i r t e e n ☠

She was numb. Libitina was lying like a log on the ground. She had been dressed neatly in what seemed like a uniform. Or, at least that's what she thought. It defied the standards of what she expected on any uniform. It was formal on the exterior, yet still comfortable, designed for one sole purpose. The only problem was, Libitina could not identify that purpose. Despite not knowing, she knew it was custom-made for some kind of sport. It looked similar to that of a hunting uniform.

She opened her eyes, and only saw sky. Miles and miles of beautiful navy blue sky. She smiled softly at the sight, and counted the stars. Until she realized that there were no stars. Her nose crinkled and she searched. She'd think that there would be at least one star in the sky, considering how dark it was, but she guessed not. 

The uniform fit her body perfectly, as though she wasn't wearing anything at all. And that's when she felt it. 

She screeched, sitting up, and fumbling away from it. A pistol. The pistol that was uncomfortably in her hand not more than mere seconds ago. It was awkward in her palm and out of place. She let go of it as soon as she felt it.

Questions formed in her head as soon as she looked around. Where was she? Just the night before she remembered being at a hotel with Gunner and... The other one. What happened while she was asleep? Did she even fall asleep? She couldn't tell. It wasn't the first time this happened. She tended to fall asleep and wake up confused, not knowing where or what happened. It was like she had gone to sleep drunk every night. She shrugged, knowing she'd remember eventually, and it was best not to panic.

As her vision cleared, she noted that there was nobody and barely anything in plain sight, aside from a house in the distance, and upon that realization, Libby froze in place, each muscle in her body tensing as if soaked in concrete that was drying quickly.

...was that...?

The light in the front window beamed in rays through the darkness, peering over the curtain, exposing the silhouette of a man. She recognized those curtains. She knew the silhouette. 

"Dad?" she whispered to herself, as if questioning her eyes, before screaming again: "Dad!"

Quietus... was he responsible for this? Did he bring Jon back to life? Clearly, she thought with a wide smile, before running towards her house. She owed him. She really owed him.

She didn't think it was possible for him to feel compassion, but she did see a hint of it when he talked to her. And he apologized. Was this his way of saying sorry?

The neighborhood houses trickled into vision, slowly. The familiar enviornment alone was enough to threaten tears to pour out of her eyes. She was overwhelmed with emotions - all good ones, of course - as she sprinted to the house. She opened the front door excitedly.

"Lucy, I'm home!" she all but cried as she walked into the comforting aroma of her home. She always said that when arriving home to her father. He used to watch I Love Lucy with her when Libby was a little girl.

"Libitina?" Jon stuttered in shock. He twisted around and sought out balance by placing his hands down on the table. He squinted his eyes as he looked his daughter up and down, and he slowly came back to his senses. "Is it really you? I... I thought..." he whispered. Tears filled his eyes, and he glanced up. Libitina nodded meekly, before running towards her shaken father.

"What happened to you? I woke up in the hospital and you weren't there!" Jon murmured as he patted her hair down soothingly. Libitina sighed, and looked up.