Categories > TV > Beauty and the Beast > A New Bond
After breakfast, Elena spent her first morning trying to express her feelings and impressions about being in the city and her new home (or second home - she hadn't given up the house in Kingston she'd bought a year ago). She'd called Doris during breakfast to let her know she was okay, and still around. They chatted a few minutes and set up an appointment to meet at the publishing house early the following week.
Her thoughts flowed freely at first, and she typed up two pages of them. It had been a while since she'd written anything, or even felt a need to write, and it felt good to be doing it again. Then she began to falter, as the pull she'd been feeling grew stronger. She tried to ignore it, but it was too persistent.
Finally she gave up. She stood up and stretched, then considered her next move. Moments later, she went over to where she'd left the keys and picked them up, putting them in her pocket. She walked out of the apartment and began to explore the building.
Her rambling took her down to the basement, where she met the superintendant. They introduced themselves, and he told her a little about the building (and some of the other residents), then left to do his work for the day. Once he had gone, she looked around for a bit, then headed to the sub-basement. Something drew her down, further and further.
She stood there for several minutes, still feeling the pull, and looking for something - she didn't know what. She peeked into and around boxes, barrels, crates and other large items. Then she noticed some boxes against a wall, and quickly moved over to them. Following her instincts, she pulled them away from the wall, finding that they moved more easily than she expected. Once they were far enough out, she looked behind them and saw a hole in the wall, big enough for a person to go through fairly easily.
She didn't hesitate to move. Once she was through, she looked back and noticed a rope she could use to pull the boxes back in place. After she covered the hole again, she turned around to find herself in a small area, with an opening in the floor. Moving over to it, she spotted a ladder leading down and knew she had to descend. Once she was at the bottom, she paused. The pull had grown stronger, and she decided that she had no choice but to follow it to wherever it led her.
As she walked, feelings of expectation and apprehension grew. She heard tapping on metal and thought, ~It's probably the pipes, but what would be making such sounds?~ She tensed, growing more alert. From time to time she heard other sounds, as if someone was quickly moving away down a side tunnel.
Suddenly she stopped as she felt a presence close by. The look on her face changed slightly and she turned toward a side tunnel, cloaked in shadow.
"Don't come any closer. This is no place for someone like you. You must go back."
"Why?"
"It isn't safe for strangers. It's too easy to get lost and there are deep pits you could fall into. No one would ever see you again. Go back."
"No. I can't until I get some answers."
There was a growl from the figure in the shadows and she tensed, her face changing its expression even more. "You won't find your answers here," he said. "It is better if you turn around and leave, never returning."
"I was led here and I'm not going back until I find out why," Elena replied. She moved toward the shadowy figure.
Suddenly the tunnels echoed with a roar, followed immediately by a second, slightly higher pitched one. They faded away, leaving a stunned silence. Elena backed up a step in surprise. She was panting slightly, feeling that at least some of the answers she sought lay in those shadows.
"Come out of there into the light where I can see you. Please."
Vincent hesitated for a long moment, then slowly moved into the light. The two of them looked at each other for what seemed an eternity, then Elena frowned and shook her head slightly.
Some memories forced their way into her consciousness, and the expression on her face changed from amusement back to a frown, then she winced as she felt a sharp pain. She looked away, rubbing her forehead, then looked back at Vincent. She slowly moved toward him, then one memory repeated, causing the pain to intensify, and she gasped.
Vincent felt her pain and reached out to support her as her knees began to buckle. It intensified, and she fell forward into his arms, gasping out six words just before losing consciousness.
"He told me you were dead!"
Her thoughts flowed freely at first, and she typed up two pages of them. It had been a while since she'd written anything, or even felt a need to write, and it felt good to be doing it again. Then she began to falter, as the pull she'd been feeling grew stronger. She tried to ignore it, but it was too persistent.
Finally she gave up. She stood up and stretched, then considered her next move. Moments later, she went over to where she'd left the keys and picked them up, putting them in her pocket. She walked out of the apartment and began to explore the building.
Her rambling took her down to the basement, where she met the superintendant. They introduced themselves, and he told her a little about the building (and some of the other residents), then left to do his work for the day. Once he had gone, she looked around for a bit, then headed to the sub-basement. Something drew her down, further and further.
She stood there for several minutes, still feeling the pull, and looking for something - she didn't know what. She peeked into and around boxes, barrels, crates and other large items. Then she noticed some boxes against a wall, and quickly moved over to them. Following her instincts, she pulled them away from the wall, finding that they moved more easily than she expected. Once they were far enough out, she looked behind them and saw a hole in the wall, big enough for a person to go through fairly easily.
She didn't hesitate to move. Once she was through, she looked back and noticed a rope she could use to pull the boxes back in place. After she covered the hole again, she turned around to find herself in a small area, with an opening in the floor. Moving over to it, she spotted a ladder leading down and knew she had to descend. Once she was at the bottom, she paused. The pull had grown stronger, and she decided that she had no choice but to follow it to wherever it led her.
As she walked, feelings of expectation and apprehension grew. She heard tapping on metal and thought, ~It's probably the pipes, but what would be making such sounds?~ She tensed, growing more alert. From time to time she heard other sounds, as if someone was quickly moving away down a side tunnel.
Suddenly she stopped as she felt a presence close by. The look on her face changed slightly and she turned toward a side tunnel, cloaked in shadow.
"Don't come any closer. This is no place for someone like you. You must go back."
"Why?"
"It isn't safe for strangers. It's too easy to get lost and there are deep pits you could fall into. No one would ever see you again. Go back."
"No. I can't until I get some answers."
There was a growl from the figure in the shadows and she tensed, her face changing its expression even more. "You won't find your answers here," he said. "It is better if you turn around and leave, never returning."
"I was led here and I'm not going back until I find out why," Elena replied. She moved toward the shadowy figure.
Suddenly the tunnels echoed with a roar, followed immediately by a second, slightly higher pitched one. They faded away, leaving a stunned silence. Elena backed up a step in surprise. She was panting slightly, feeling that at least some of the answers she sought lay in those shadows.
"Come out of there into the light where I can see you. Please."
Vincent hesitated for a long moment, then slowly moved into the light. The two of them looked at each other for what seemed an eternity, then Elena frowned and shook her head slightly.
Some memories forced their way into her consciousness, and the expression on her face changed from amusement back to a frown, then she winced as she felt a sharp pain. She looked away, rubbing her forehead, then looked back at Vincent. She slowly moved toward him, then one memory repeated, causing the pain to intensify, and she gasped.
Vincent felt her pain and reached out to support her as her knees began to buckle. It intensified, and she fell forward into his arms, gasping out six words just before losing consciousness.
"He told me you were dead!"
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