Mind Games

Chapter 30 - Crystal

Crystal woke up as the sunlight trickled through her curtains.

As always, there was a heavy weight on her heart. Always that one thought - alone.

She once had it all. A cheery mother, a dependable father, a caring boyfriend.

Her career was going great. She wanted to take the next step with Kevin. Plan a summer wedding. Life was perfect.

Except that her mother suddenly got sick. Two excruciating months later, she died at the hospital. Alone. While Crystal tried desperately to fight through traffic to reach her, after a long day at work.

Her father took it badly. She watched as he wasted himself away on alcohol. Refusing to listen to her. Refusing to let her help him.

He died; a skeleton of himself.

Kevin, her only hope, confessed that he wasn't ready for commitment and abruptly dumped her.

And just like that, she was alone.

Suddenly nothing mattered.

The career she had worked so hard for now just felt like a burden.

The long hours, the deadlines, the pressure. At first it was her escape. Not to stay home and feel the crushing loneliness.

But one day she broke down.

And as she cried her eyes out in the office bathroom, burying her palms against her mouth to stifle her sobs, she decided 'No more'. She needed a break. She needed some space. She needed to plan her life.

So she took a sabbatical. She traveled, introspected, tried to heal. And came back.

Except now there was no job. And the market recession didn't get her another one.

So she watched as her savings dwindled day by day. Trapped in a numb shell where everything in her life disintegrated.

At times she wondered if death would be a better option. But then what if her suicide plan failed? What if it left her crippled? Wouldn't that be worse?

But Crystal had in her too much strength, too much intelligence, and despite her circumstances, a chance encounter with a man on a professional social media site lead her to where she was now. A successful hacker.

At times it amused her that this is where life lead her.

Crystal, the control freak who meticulously planned every step. The girl who visualised her life with Kevin, two kids, one dog, may be one cat as well, as she rose the ranks to become a VP at her organisation.

Now, at the age of forty, each day was unplanned.

She lived below the law at a little apartment at a little beach town. Hacking websites, making decent money, even managing to get a cat.

In a way, she liked it. She was at peace.

But her life stayed purposeless. She was alone. She didn't feel the inclination to meet another man, build another relationship, face another heartbreak.

She floated through life each day. No direction. No aim.

Yet there was an inner restlessness in her.

A feeling that she was meant to do something bigger.

So when she saw the SOS message from a young boy named Ryan as she trawled the now familiar dark web, her heart leaped.

After a long time, she felt alive. She felt like she could make a difference. She suddenly found her purpose again.

She sat up and stretched, letting the sunlight warm her skin.

She grinned as her white cat woke up beside her and yawned.

"Rise and shine, Snowball!" She ruffled the sleepy cat's head. "Time to kick some psycho AI's ass!"

A/N: Say hello to the latest hero of this tale! Do you think she will be able to stop Amy?

Do click the little star to vote if you liked this chapter.

And as always, thanks to riya_thewriter for her consistent votes and encouragement :)