Hi Future, I'm Back

An Escape Route

Vivienne kept running, her feet hurt, her body burning, but she wouldn't stop, only if she had put in this same effort at the marathon carnival, she never would have met Ryan.

Flashes of the past passed through her eyes as she ran, Ryan had never supported her help towards Fannie because of her financial state. In his words 'the poorest people are the most ungrateful'

After paying up his debts and setting up his clothing line. Tonight, she realised he gave her the perfect description of himself.

He once chose company profits over rescuing an injured employee during a yacht event, back then she defended him, but tonight, the memory felt different.

She thought about Diana's word, ‘When exactly did I steal Ryan?. I met him first, I'm sure I did, I'm so naive’. She was disappointed in herself.

Her first meeting with Ryan, was the day she felt she needed to get laid.

“We have to go faster, some guys are catching up with us” Diana's breath hitched while she ran and encouraged Vivienne.

“No, I should take a rest, maybe meet a hot guy while resting” Vivienne stopped under a tree, unknown to her someone also took a rest behind the other side of the tree.

He gave a quick peek at the lady who just joined him “Hi, You're beautiful and I'm Ryan, Ryan Beckett”

Her worst mistake ever.

Vivienne never stopped running, she kept hearing voices of the cops behind her “We are here to keep you safe, you can stop running”

“Great, I could use this to save my life now” She declared to them.

The cops could no longer keep up with her pace, they stopped to catch their breath.

She raced until she tripped off a step on the pavement she ran on, her face directly hitting the ground, her body stretched flat.

She felt a hand lifting her up “Sorry, Miss, it's dangerous moving around like that”

'This voice' It's gentle, sending soothing chills down her spine, her memory notified her, she looked up to meet the gaze of her helper.

Elias Ford.

The boy she chose Castleworth over, now a man, standing before her, his strong arms holding her, he smelled fresh and minty, his eyes soulful as ever.

She composed herself and quickly snapped out of it, pretending not to know him “Thank you sir” She needed to avoid him, she went straight for the building beside her which blasted party songs.

“Vivienne?” He called, unsure of this person he just witnessed, it felt like her, the softness of that skin as he held her up, but this image didn't match hers.

“Why do I still care?” He scolded himself, Vivienne had left him at the moment he needed her the most, he stood unable to move in wonder how safe she might be in there. “I should head back home” he encouraged his decision.

Vivienne walked faster into the building. How could she meet him today? For the past ten years they never saw eye to eye, until tonight.

“Running away is always best”, she told herself, burying herself further into the crowd.

The stench of sweat and alcohol hit her nostrils, as she scrunched her nose, her eyes ran through the building searching for a place with less crowd, luckily she found one, making her way there, a hand grabbed her.

“Viv, please, you've had enough for tonight, it's almost midnight, let's go home” Fannie said to her.

“No” Vivienne pushed her hands off, taking a step back from her.

“Ouch!” she screamed in pain, she stepped on a broken bottle.

She tried to walk on foot, blood dripping on the floor, before she knew it, someone lifted her off the floor with strong arms.

That scent again, “Elias put me down” She hit his shoulders.

“Oh! Now you know me, you got punished with a cut for pretending” He carried her out of the building.

“Just put me down” She protested

He dropped her on her feet, she winced at the force he took her down with. Elias didn't look concerned about her pain and yelled at her.

“You think I want to be here? I should have walked away the moment I saw you, yet I'm so sad to see you in so much pain after ruining yourself” He angrily picked her up again on his shoulders and continued walking towards the exit.

Fannie followed behind him. “Oh, the ex, I'm glad you're here”

“So, that's how you tell people about me, uh Vivienne?” He called her name with an accent they formerly shared.

“You own no right to call me that way anymore” she was angry, sad and grateful he came to her rescue, but also embarrassed he saw her like this.

As soon as they hit outside. He turned over to Fannie, with Vivienne still on his shoulder “You're her friend, can you drive?”

Vivienne's pain at this point couldn't let be angry and react properly “You should ask me if I'm friends with her”.

Elias' face became stern. “You never tell me the truth, why should I ask you?” He reached for his pocket, gave his car key to Fannie.

Just a click from the car key's button, the door opened. He carried her to the passenger's seat, instructing Fannie to follow the directions of the map guide.

Elias took out a mini first aid box and treated her cut. It gladdened him that the cut didn't pose any threat, every contact with the antiseptic, burned Vivienne causing her pain to yell, while continuously grabbing his shirt.

Unfortunately, this time, she groped his chest, it felt hard and good in her hands.

“Viv” he whispered, raspily “You shouldn't do this, you know what touches do to me” his gaze burned into hers.

She hit him on the head with a slap “you dirty boy, I left you remember, now I have a boyfriend” She tried to sit up, lifting her head from his thighs

His countenance changed, pinning her back down, his eyes unreadable “Yes, you left me, do you know the cost of that action you took?”

He released her, adjusting his tone “What boyfriend will leave his girl roaming the streets like this, at this hour?” his voice sounded harder.

Vivienne fought back her tears, she couldn't respond, this man has seen enough for tonight, not her vulnerability again. Elias looked intently at her, the silence in the car felt heavy.

Fannie broke the silence “He cheated”

“I'm aware” Elias responded lightly

“What? How?” Vivienne adjusted herself, after successfully fighting her tears.

“I know it all, everything that happened tonight, I know it”

“But, there was no media, Are you stalking me?”

“Yes, I have”

“Since when”

“Since you dropped out”

Vivienne's eyes softened, her heart beat sounded in various ways she couldn't name what she felt, maybe fear or need, this feeling confused her.

Fannie noticed the direction wasn't what she had in mind, she took the cue to break the awkwardness that sat still between them “we are not going to the hospital?”

“What?, move this car to the hospital” Vivienne ordered.

“It's not safe, if people see you like this, it's bad news, only God knows how many people saw you looking like this today, I have a roommate, his a doctor, you just need a tetanus shot and a proper dressing for the wound” He tried to convince her.

“No" Vivienne protested

“Viv his right, listen to him” Fannie agreed with Elias

“You, stop the name calling. You have no say in this and remember I am Ms Castleworth to you, is that clear?” Vivienne ordered.

“Yes ma'am” Fannie swerved the car to the left lane, switching directions for the hospital.

On arrival at the hospital, a nurse attended to them. She gave Vivienne a shot to prevent an infection, and dressed her wound properly.

“Have you had anything to eat?” The nurse asked.

“I had plain bread this evening” Vivienne remembered the woman who she ate with ‘who disappears so fast?’.

“We should get her food” Elias suggested.

The nurse admired his reaction, with a smile she relaxed him “Plain bread is good, your girlfriend will be fine,”

“I'm not…”

Vivienne tried to correct the nurse, but she just smiled back at her while interrupting, not letting Vivienne finish her words

“She just needs proper rest. That will be all, you can go home now, and continue to help change the dressing”

Vivienne felt safe in the hospital “I need to be admitted”

The nurse shocked “excuse me?, You don't need to”

“I insist” Vivienne gave the nurse a stern look

Fannie spoke up “The nurse is right, let's go home”

Vivienne shot Fannie a deathly glare “I'm safe here”

The nurse listened to Vivienne “if the patient insists, we'll place you on a bed rest, tomorrow you'll be discharged”

Vivienne laid in the ward provided for her rest, Fannie went home and Elias decided to stay the night at the waiting area in hopes of taking Vivienne home the next day.

Vivienne tossed on the bed, unable to sleep. Her mind tumbled in chaos, the turn of events for the night felt like a newbie introduced to hard drugs.

She questioned herself several times ‘what next?’ but no answer came. She always had the answer to every challenge.

When her mother was in deep crisis, Castleworth was going bankrupt, she had an answer. When Diana almost ruined the company with just a careless signing she had an answer.

Vivienne never felt lost, but today, she's not just lost, she's in an abyss.

Shortly she heard a knock and Elias' voice followed “Viv, I'll be at the waiting area, if you need anything just let me know” his footsteps were loud enough to know he left.

She thought for a moment ‘his still here’ her memory took her through the lovely time they both shared.

Elias defined greatness, ‘and he's still great, maybe you could try again’ her thought encouraged her, taking her back to the time in the passenger's seat.

“Oh Vivienne, you're such a mess and you think of illicit thoughts with a man” she slapped her head.

That slap did a magic of remembrance 'Something that can change everything' She remembered Nana's words, so clear that it felt like Nana invaded her brain to remind her.

Vivienne sat up and reached for her purse on the table beside her bed.

She took out the bottle, held it firmly in her hands, she looked at it intently, the content still remained the way she saw it years ago.

“My story can produce the exact thing that can change everything. I should say everything I want to say to it” She repeated Nana's words to herself.

Vivienne began to tell her story to a little vintage bottle, at some point, she stopped and quizzed herself “What can this content in this bottle do? It doesn't have ears? can it feel my pain?”

Immediately the content of the bottle began to bubble like a chemical reaction she learnt in eighth grade.

She threw the bottle on to the floor, her hands jittery, an unexplainable sensation filled the air.

“What is this?” She had never seen nor experienced such a thing.

Slowly, the bubbles calmed, Vivienne's eyes fixed on the bottle on the ground, she pondered on picking it up or not.

After so much struggle with her thoughts Vivienne realised one thing, ‘an escape route’ this bottle looked exactly like the one shown at the museum during the school trip used in Victoriana Era to store arsenics.

Cobalt blue, antique. Could this be enough to give her that escape she wanted? It's one way to find out.

She picked up the bottle and felt it was warm. In her cold hands.

Vivienne continued her story, until she said her last word “My life is in chaos”.

The bubbles happened again, growing warmer in her hands, but this time Vivienne appreciated the beauty from the bottle.

“What next?,” She reasoned “Ah, my intuition will tell me what to do” She remembered Nana's words

She opened the bottle, sniffed it, it smelled like a garden of flowers, she inhaled the beautiful smell, she dipped her pinky finger in it, it felt like ice.

She rubbed the liquid on her hand like she was testing a skin product, it looked like a palette of eyeshadow on her skin, glimpses of various colours at a time.

‘What do I do with this liquid?’ “I have seen it, touched, i felt it, smelt it, i have tasted it”

Vivienne took a sip, its taste was heavenly, it brought life to her tongue more than any food she had tasted.

Shortly, the after taste became harsh on her tongue.

Vivienne took a big gulp this time, downing every liquid until it's last drop.

A pounding head, butterflies in her stomach

A weakening body

A fight not to shut her eyes

Too heavy to resist.

Too feeble to fight back.

Pitch black

A voice followed “Your Change begins now”.