A New Beginning
Author: Lexie Mara
Prologue:
She clutched the dark blade tighter in her hand, and glanced into the darkness. The silence was deafening. She sighed in relief and continued to trace the old pattern of scars on her leg lightly with the tip of the dark blade of her shiv. Well, not hers, his, Riddick's. Not that he'd ever care, he left 3 years ago without looking back. He dropped her and Imam on the first transport vessel they came across, and then he was gone, a few brief words to Imam and a quick look in her direction. Nothing more, no take care, no see ya later, nothing, just a look. She was proud of herself though, she didn't cry, she didn't scream and beg for him not to leave her. Not like she was doing on the inside. She watched him pull the little skiff out of the docking bay and into space. She just clutched the blade of his shiv, carefully hidden in her pocket, as Imam directed her towards their cabin for the trip to New Mecca.
She locked herself in the bathroom as soon as they reached the cabin, she pulled out the shiv and pressed the blade into her hand and dragged it across, watching the trail of blood suddenly swell up so suddenly, and then the rush, the adrenaline, the pain. It showed her she was still alive, it fed her mind's need for pain, for suffering. After everything that happened, she needed to feel something. And her emotions weren't going to be it.
She started a new pattern lightly tracing in her leg until it showed up
pink, she kept repeating it over and over, pressing harder and harder each
time. She could feel the warmth of her blood as it flowed over her skin
and started to drip down her leg. She sighed as the rush slowly wore off.
Grabbing the shiv she headed towards the bathroom on the lookout for Imam,
not that he was ever up at this hour, she went through the daily rituals
of cleaning everything, removing all traces of her previous actions.
Chapter 1:
Muffled prayers rose Jack out of her concentration, grinning she entered the living room wiping sweat off the back of her neck she gave a small smile to Imam who was just finishing his prayers. For all intents and purposes he was a good guardian, a lot better than her real parents, but he was a bit overprotective, and disapproved of a lot that she did. Sometimes so much that she would end up working out for hours at end just trying to calm her down and stop her from saying something she'd regret. One such incident happened last night when she announced that her and Elixa would be heading to Vata, New Mecca's sister planet, after graduation. Vata wasn't the safest planet around, but it had lots of entertainment for newly legal graduates who'd spent any time on New Mecca, the damned religious planet, as Elixa so unlovely called it.
"I suppose there's no stopping you from going is their child, " Imam raised her from her thoughts. She gave a quick smile, "Nope, my mind's set, sorry Imam. You know I respect your opinion and all, but I need to get out of here."
Imam studied her and sighed, "I though so, these three years have been hard for you, but you pulled through and have done well here, but you've never felt at home." He cocked his head, "Religion dose not sit well with you and a lot of the other children around here."
He sighed and continued, "You'll always be welcome here, child, but I realize you must travel and see the galaxy. And so I called a friend of mine last night, he owns a small ship, only three other crew members, he's willing to take you on, teach you how to pilot and repair." … he paused, "It's a merchant ship, you'll get five percent of the profits, and you can start when you get back from your vacation, that is if your interested."
Jack was shocked to say the least, she wanted to be a pilot, to travel, but she never dreamed of getting a chance like this, she planned on staying on New Mecca and going to a training school, but this, this was the opportunity of a life time. She glanced at Imam, did he know what he was saying? She was finally going to be on her own, her own life, her own choices, she'd get to travel. She felt the tears slid down her face as she launched herself at Imam "Thank you, thank you so much, you don't know what this means to me." She sobbed in his arms. He patted her back and hugged her tighter, "I just hope this is what you want, my child."
In the background the phone rang, Jack wiped her tears and ran to answer it. Elixa's face appeared before her, "Shit El, you look like hell, what's the matter?" Jack asked worriedly. Elixa sighed, "You don't look that much better, but my grandmother died last night, we're going to Gonz for the funeral, we're leaving tonight, I can't go to Vada." She sighed again, looking like she was about to burst into tears. Jack felt the tears slip down her face, Elixa's grandmother was like her grandmother, "Oh El, I'm so sorry."
They talked for a few more minuets, Jack told her about her job and when she'd be leaving, how they wouldn't get to see each other before Jack left, but they promised to stay in touch.
Jack walked into the kitchen where Imam was making breakfast, "What would you like for breakfast today child?" Imam turned and looked at her, "What's wrong? What happened?"
For the second time that day Jack hurled herself into Imam's arms, sobbing, "El's grandmother, she," She paused, "she died last night, El's going to Gonz, we're not going to Vada, and I won't be able to see El before I leave."
Imam hugged her tight before he pulled back a bit, "Go and see her, say goodbye, and wish her well." Jack smiled at him, he was right as usual, "Go now, while you still have time, my child." Jack hugged him quickly before running out of the house and down the road.
Imam watched her leave and followed her movements as she ran down the road, he turned away from the window and went to the phone, he'd say a prayer for Elixa's grandmother later, right now he had preparations to be made. He punched in the code and waited for it to connect, when it did all he saw was darkness.
"You'd damn well have a fucking good reason to be waking me up this
early, Imam."
Chapter 2:
"You'd damn well have a fucking good reason to be waking me up this early, Imam." Imam jumped a bit and focused on the screen, trying to see a trace of him, anything, but as always, he saw nothing.
"Jack's not going to Vada." He paused, he swore he heard a sigh on the other side but couldn't be sure.
"What's your point holy man?"
Imam looked at the screen, he thought it was obvious, "I want her to go with you sooner." He felt rather than saw the intense gaze on him. He turned his head away from the screen, he felt guilty and must look it.
"There's something your not telling me, what is it?"
Imam sighed and looked back at the screen, and began to speak slowly, quietly, "Jack, she's not …" He sighed, "She's not doing too well." He paused waiting for an answer,
"Not doing too well?" The voice held a hint of mockery "How so holy man?"
Imam looked away, he shouldn't do this, Jack wouldn't want him to, but then again, she wouldn't want him to set her up either, and that's exactly what he was doing. He sighed, and spoke more quietly now, "I'm not sure what exactly she's doing, it may be nothing, but she's gotten more irritated." He paused, not quite knowing how to go on, "I think she's hurting herself." He sighed again.
The voice on the other end was quiet and tense, "And why do you think she's hurting herself?"
How could he explain it, her being up early every morning, the occasional drop or two of blood in the bathroom in the morning. He sighed, all circumstantial evidence. "I don't know, I just…" He sighed again not knowing how to explain that he knew, just couldn't prove it.
"And you think that I can help her?" The question was quiet.
Imam looked back at the screen, two silver blue shined eyes looked back at him. "I think, maybe, you'd be better off to help her, if something is wrong." He finished off quietly. He heard swearing in the background and then finally, "I'll be there in a week." Imam sighed in relief, "Thank you Mr. Riddick." Riddick sighed, "Don't thank me yet holy man, I'll be there in a week."
Imam signed off, now to find a way to tell Jack without her freaking out.
Chapter 3:
Fuck, he didn't need this, hell, he should just call Iman back and tell him to forget it. He never should have agreed to take Jack, to teach her, he should have just told Iman to find her a fucking doctor for whatever problems Jack had. But he knew he wouldn't do any of that. If it was anyone else he would have laughed in their faces and told them to find another savior, but this wasn't anyone else, this was Jack and Iman. As much as Jack believed that he just abandoned them, it wasn't true. He'd kept in contact with Iman, sent money every month to help look after Jack, and made sure she was alright.
He sighed and ran a hand across his shaved head, there was no point to go on with this, he was going to pick her up, he knew it, Iman knew it, fuck everyone knew it. He was going soft. He growled softly and threw on his black tank top and walked out of his dark room, the lighting in the corridor was only slightly better. Riddick made his way through the small ship up to the main living compartment, it was a fair size kitchen and living room. He could hear two of them in the living room, the other was upstairs at the controls. Better get everyone together, they needed to know that they we're getting a new crew mate, the sooner the better, let everyone get use to the idea.
Riddick paused at the top of the stairs, what the fuck was Jeff doing? Fuck, Jeff, his latest member to the crew, was currently under the belly of the control panel.
"What the fuck do you think your doing?" Riddick demanded. He had the pleasure to see Jeff's head smash against the control panel as he tried to sit up.
"Captain.. Um, hi, you startled me.." Jeff paused as he slid out from under the console rubbing his head.
"So I can see, but what the fuck were you doing to my ship? You know the rules, your not touch my ship." He growled out, he was gonna fucking kill this kid if he did anything to his ship.
"But.. But, Chloe and Scott can…" He stuttered out
"Chloe and Scott haven't broken my ship twice already." Riddick growled out, "If one fucking thing is broken or out of place I'm gonna have you head as a fucking trophy."
Jeff slowly backed away from the console as Riddick stalked towards it, "I didn't have time to do anything."
Riddick turned and stared at Jeff, he was telling the truth, he could smell it, "Next time you want to try something with my ship, get my permission first. Now lets go, I'm calling a meeting."
"When the fuck were you going to tell us?" Chloe demanded "The day we picked her up? Fuck Riddick." Chloe stood up and started to pace, "Did you even use your head when you thought of this, where the hell is she going to stay?"
"The room next to mine."
"The ..room…next…to …yours…" She repeated slowly.
"Yeah, move the shit out of there, it will be perfect."
Chloe sat down and ran a hand through her hair, "I don't like it, but you're the captain, do what you want."
Riddick nodded once at Chloe and then turned to Scott and Jeff, "What do you two think?"
Scott gave a small smile, "I agree with Chloe, you should have told us sooner, but I think it'll be fine."
Jeff grinned, "Finally a new face around here."
"Ok, good, I'm going to move the shit out of that room, and you guys go back to doing what you were doing. You," He said to Jeff, "stay the fuck away from my ship." With that he turned and walked away, leaving the others to talk among themselves. After next week things were going to be very different.
Chapter 4
Jack walked in the door just as Imam was finishing up with his prayers. He gave her a small smile, she looked like hell. She just glanced at him and went straight to her room, he could heard the door being locked and what sounded like something being thrown against the door. He sighed, she could be in there for hours, and doing god knows what, he had his ideas after all but that's all they were, ideas. He really hoped he was wrong about her hurting herself and that it was just his overactive imagination working, but that was looking less and less true. He shook his head and walked into the kitchen; that was why he was sending her to Riddick, if anyone could help her, it'd be him.
Jack walked pass Imam and his smile, she needed to be alone. She closed and locked the door, the instant the door slid closed she started to cry, going to Elixa's was a bad idea, she grabbed the closest book and threw it against the door. The action brought a bit of relief to her, but not very much. Elixa's whole family was upset, her mother and her sister were openly crying, especially after they found out Jack was leaving, Elixa was barely containing herself. She reached behind her bed, in the little opening in the wall, she felt the cool metal touch her skin. Any knife or shiv would do, but this was her tradition, Riddick's shiv, her reason for starting this. She lifted the hem of her shirt and dragged the edge against her skin, pressing deeply, the blood welded up immediately, the pain followed a few seconds later, followed by the rush, the adrenaline. She sighed as the sensation took over her, there were few substitutes for this, and many of them were not enough. She let the pain take over her, it pushed the other problems away.
Imam saw Jack leave her room and head towards the bathroom about ten minutes after she locked herself in her room. He sighed and continued to make supper, she'd be out of the bathroom in about another ten minutes, she'd be happy, and act like nothing happened and as if Imam was blind to what was going on, and he'd act like he was. Sometimes he wondered if he brought up his fears with Jack that maybe she would have talked to him and wouldn't be where she was now.
Jack walked out of the bathroom drying her hair, the table was set and Imam was sitting waiting for her. She gave him a smile and sat at the other place and started to eat. Imam was just pushing food around on his plate; something was up. Suddenly he put his fork down and looked at her. Jack slowly lowered her fork and met his gaze.
"Jack," he began slowly, he could see the emotions run across her face, fear, sadness, anger, curiosity. Suddenly he knew that if he told her that it was Riddick who she was going to be learning from, she'd leave, she'd turn around and run, just like he did.
"Yeah," She said slowly, this really didn't look good now.
He gave her a small smile, trying to comfort her, she looked like she
wanted bolt out of there. "The ship your going on, it's going to be
passing this way by the end of this week, I told them that you'd be
catching a ship to meet them on Vada, instead of them having to come
back to get you in a few weeks."
Jack looked at him, he looked like he wanted to say more, like there was
something that he was keeping from her. "Um, okay. Is that it? You
look like you were about to tell me my dog died."
He gave a quick laugh, "Nope, that's it. Just didn't know how you were going to react."
Jack gave a smile, "Well, I guess I should start packing."
Imam smiled as she walked away from the table and heading into her room. The smile faded when he realized he had to tell Riddick about this, and even worse when he realized that Riddick was not going to be happy about this change in events.