The Cry of the Planet Chapter 22
Aftermath
By Edyn Cross
Vincent slept restlessly and dreamlessly. He woke up around 4:00am with sweat
covering his body. He was fully aware when he heard a rustling coming from
outside his door and instinctively grabbed his gun on the nightstand next
to his bed. Vincent quickly got out of bed, slid a pair of pants on and walked
to the door. He turned the knob and opened it very slowly and only to a few
inches so he could see out to the hall.
He looked at Hojo's closed bedroom door and thought it odd, as Hojo hadn't
been to his bedroom in a long time. Weeks even. Vincent recoiled as he saw
the door slowly open and much to his horror, a tired and haggard looking
Lucrecia came staggering out closing the door softly behind her. She stumbled
to her own room, entered and closed the door behind her not seeming to notice
the Turk.
Vincent took a step back, shut his door quietly and dropped his gun on the
floor as his heart broke into a million pieces. He stood there motionlessly
thinking back to the past month and how he really thought he was gaining
ground with her, how he honestly thought he would finally earn her love.
And now this. Of all people, why Hojo? Vincent would rather her be with ANYONE
even if it wasn't him, just for her not to be with Hojo.
His gun forgotten on the floor, Vincent walked towards the bed and stood
in front of it. Without warning, Vincent's legs gave out and he collapsed
to his knees and bent over the bed pouring out his life and soul for his
dear Lucrecia. Beautiful Lucrecia.
------
Lucrecia didn't sleep for the rest of that evening. As soon as she entered
her room, she tore the clothes from her body, threw them in the trash and
looked at her crying face in the mirror. How could she ever look at that
face again? She covered her face with her small hands and cried for twenty
minutes before she could gather enough strength to make it to the
shower.
She turned the water on making it as hot as she could stand it and she sat
in the tub letting the water sting her body for over forty-five minutes.
When she finally got out, her body was streaked pink from the hot water.
After drying herself off, she looked at the clock, which read 5:30am, then
crawled into bed never ever wanting to leave.
Lucrecia lay in bed curled up in the fetal position thinking of what just
took place no matter how hard she tried not to. She didn't dare sleep because
each time she closed her eyes all she saw was Hojo leaning over her ravaging
her over and over again. Lucrecia wanted to die.
Tired and exhausted, Lucrecia tried her hardest to work things out in her
mind. Was it a sign? Was she making the wrong choice going to Vincent turning
away from her duties as a scientist? Was this the way it was meant to be?
She didn't know. What she did know was that she could never look at Vincent
the same way again. It was over for them because she was too late. Not only
her mind, but quite possibly her body belonged to science now and she was
just going to have to adapt.
She could never tell Vincent about this night, not even Professor Gast. How
could she? Lucrecia was filled with so much shame she didn't want to tell
another soul about what had happened. She would push it down so far inside
of her and tell herself that it never happened, that it was all a dream and
the next morning everything would be all right.
------
The next day, Lucrecia was later than normal coming down to breakfast. She
looked tired and worn out. Gast gave her his usual morning routine of witty
remarks, but Lucrecia could only offer the slightest hint of a smile. Being
a bit worried, Gast asked Vincent why she was so withdrawn and Vincent told
him of what he saw outside Hojo's bedroom the night before. Gast could only
frown and shake his head feeling defeated, but not even near the way Vincent
felt.
Vincent caught Lucrecia alone in the bedroom with the basement stairs before
she could make it without speaking to him. He lightly touched her arm from
behind and she jumped as if a rabid dog just bit her. She looked up at him
with worried eyes that couldn't meet his.
"Lucrecia," Vincent said trying not to sound sad.
She still wouldn't meet his eyes.
"Is this what you want?" He asked motioning towards the
basement.
"What do you mean?" Lucrecia asked softly.
"I saw you this morning," Vincent had to look away from her. "Coming from
Hojo's room. Is that what you want?"
She seemed to consider his question and then shook her head up and down quickly
as a tear rolled down her face.
"Then why do you seem so sad?" He asked reaching for her hand.
She took a mistrustful step back and shook her head. "I'm not sad," she lied.
"I've just got a lot of work to do."
"There's something else," Vincent said softly. "Will you be happy with that?
The work? Being with... with Hojo?"
She slowly nodded her head making Vincent close his stinging eyes tight for
a moment, "Yes," She softly replied. "This is what I was meant to do. It
was never with you, Vincent, we come from two separate lives. You would never
understand..."
"Understand what?" Vincent asked.
"It doesn't matter," Lucrecia said walking towards the basement stairs. "I'm
happy with Science, it was what I was meant to do. Please Vincent, don't
ask anymore about it, just let it be and I'll be happy."
Vincent stood in silence as Lucrecia quickly walked down the basement stairs
and he swore he could hear quiet sobbing as she went.
------
The days following were virtually the same for Vincent. Lucrecia never spoke
to him again the way she did before that evening. If anything, it was a polite,
"Hello, how are you doing?" Vincent knew she had made her decision as she
had been with Hojo almost every minute of every day since that night. Vincent
also knew that decision had nothing to do with love, but with Science and
either way, a manipulating, power-hungry scientist named Professor Hojo bested
him.
Her and Hojo rarely came out of the basement laboratory and even Professor
Gast was worried about young Lucrecia burning herself out with so much work.
Vincent kept to himself for next few months feeling defeated and for the
first time in his life, lonely without Lucrecia. Some mornings, Vincent would
wake up hearing the faint sound of vomiting coming from the room next to
his. He tried telling himself that she had just had some sort of bug, but
Vincent knew better.
Whenever Vincent would try to talk to Lucrecia, he would see her and Hojo
together and Vincent would back off, not wanting to make Lucrecia feel
uncomfortable in any way. She had asked him to let it be and he would do
as she requested. In their conversations, Lucrecia had always told him how
science made her happy and was one of the few things she lived for, and Vincent
wanted to respect that. Even though he wanted more than anything to be with
her and to take care of her... he couldn't interfere, she wouldn't want
that.
If she is happy, then I don't mind.