Aberrant: The Long March - Interlude Chapter 10: Dreaming

[Joani]

Dreaming

Joani woke up with a gasp and looked around a bit startled by a strange noise next to her. “Shh… it’s just me, Joani. I found it! I found it!”, even though he tried to speak quietly she could clearly identify his voice – it was Andrew.

“Found what?”, she asked as she slowly turned to face him sitting at the edge of her large bed.

“The Cure! And like I promised you’re the first to get it.”, Andrew reached with his hands to her in one hand holding a large syringe and with the other he supported her head. Before she could respond or act he plunged the syringe right into her forehead where her Node was and pushed.

Joani felt an intensive pain spreading through her head which nauseated her and then the room started spinning. She stood up, stumbling half blind through the room while Andrew kept talking with excitement.

“I was so close to the cure all the time but I never realized. But now everything is going to be alright Joani. Taint won’t affect you ever again, like I promised. Without your node there is no Taint!”, he proclaimed cheerfully.

Joani couldn’t believe what he was saying, “What have you done to me?!”, she screamed at him still stumbling. Then she fell backwards and hit a cupboard with her head. She could feel the pain, her skin getting punctured where the solid surface of the cupboard pierced her delicate skin and dug itself deeper into her flesh. She reached with one hand to her head feeling the intense pain and felt something liquid covering the tips of her fingers. Her eyes had trouble focusing but she could tell that it was blood she felt… her blood. Everything went red, then she passed out.

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Joani woke up with a gasp and looked around confused. She felt a strange pain on her forehead and reached carefully for it. There was a small indenture which felt a bit like scar tissue. Suddenly she was fully awake again. She was in her room – alone. Usually her eyes would’ve adjusted to the darkness by now but she felt have blind. She fumbled for the light switch and flipped it on. A dreadful feeling spread across her body and she tentatively squinted her eyes to use her x-ray vision but failed.

She got out of her bed feeling awkward and clumsy and walked to the large mirror standing next to her wardrobe. What she saw terrified her. Her body had changed dramatically. Her peaked Nova physiology was gone, her vibrant eyes and beautiful facial features gone. She looked… plain and normal. Shaking her head in disbelief Joani walked to back to the bed and tried to lift it. She refused to believe what has happened but reality caught up with her. The bed was simply too heavy and she couldn’t even make it budge an inch. Frustrated she tried again and slipped falling backwards against the wardrobe bumping her head – which resulted in a bruise which throbbed painfully.

She got back on her feet and looked at the mirror and screamed at herself “NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” – The mirror crashed and with it her image then the world went dark again.

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Joani woke up with a gasp and almost jumped out of her bed. She was in her room and the lights were off but she could see perfectly. She walked nervously to the mirror and recognised herself and smiled relieved. She undressed her robe and checked her body to be sure everything was alright. She closed her eyes and concentrated using her super-hearing. She could her Ulric breathing peacefully in their bed and expanded her awareness to beyond the room. Outside she picked up all kinds of noises which she easily identified. Satisfied she opened her eyes again and opened the wardrobe. Within a blink of an eye she was dressed in her new Supergirl uniform and went to the window. Looking back at her husband she smiled and looked up to the sky. She needed to clear her mind and flying was the only thing that helped her relax and gather her thoughts. The dream felt more than just a dream to her and she didn’t like the feeling she had in her guts because of it.