Life After Death

The next few weeks went on as normal. Nothing our of the ordinary happened except Alex managed to get a B+ on his physics test, which was probably due to my awesome tutoring. I had all but forgotten about my encounter with Eric Lehnsherr and the unnamed woman. I had much more important things to worry about. Finals were quickly approaching and I had to make sure both Alex and I were prepared.

Alex wasn't dumb, he just preferred to watch television than study. He was perfectly satisfied with a C. I wasn't sure if it was my strive for perfection or the need to support myself that made me so anal about school and grades. It was probably a mixture of both. I wanted to prove to myself that I picked the right path. That I choose right in not revealing my existence to my parents and trying to rebuild my old life. So far, I believed I made the right choice.

Finals came and went without a problem or disturbance. I wasn't really looking forward to traveling back to Philadelphia. I just had an apartment and a few distant friends back home unlike Alex, who had an entire family, across the ocean in Hawaii. It was a day before we were due to leave campus; a day before we went our separate ways for the summer. It was also the last night of my job at the restaurant, I would be able to resume my post when school started again. After helping clean up the last few tables I still had to clean out my locker so my car was alone in the parking lot when I exited the already locked door.

It wasn't unusual for me to be the last person to the leave the restaurant, so I wasn't uncomfortable walking to my car alone, at night. But I wasn't exactly alone that night. It wasn't until I reached my car that I noticed him. My car was parked by one of two lamp posts the lot contained, so the spot was lit. I was jumbling my keys when I saw the shadow spread across my car. Naturally, I jumped and dropped my keys in the process. As I spun around to face him, a rough hand appeared over my mouth. His other arm came up and placed itself on the top my car, blocking my exit to the left. He positioned his body, so it leaned to right, blocking my other exit.

It had been over two year since I'd see his face; something I could have went the rest of my life without seeing again. He had changed much since I last saw him but, yet, he still looked the same. His chin-length, light brown hair was longer than the army-standard crew cut I last saw him with. It was also in need of brushing. If it was possible, he seemed even bigger than he was the last time he loomed over me like this. That seemed so long ago; another life time.

“Long time, no see, Lorna.” Victor Creed said in his, still, malevolent voice. I reacted immediately; before the increasing fear could handicap me. I intended on bending the metal light post to knock Victor out of the way, but that was before he removed his hand from my mouth and roughly gripped the back of my neck. “Do it and I'll break your neck.” I took a few seconds to evaluate Victor's reflex ability and in the end I decided not to risk it.

“Aren't you going to say 'hello'?” Victor teased. His eyes were still two black pieces of coal. There was a hint of emotion in them but I couldn't decipher it. I was sure it wasn't anything pleasant.

“What do you want?” I said rudely, trying to hide my fear. Victor's grip tightened slightly around my neck.

“You haven't changed much, Lorna. Still the same stubborn, naive, little girl I met all those years of ago. You're so predictable,” Victor said in a rather calm, conversational voice.”Though, I was surprised at the amount of time it took you to get over Wade. You know he really liked you. Still, that Alex kid looks nice -” Victor stopped talking when I slapped him across the face. The smile melted away and was replaced with more rage and anger. Then as quick as it came, the rage disappeared again.

“What do you want?!” Tears started to fill my eyes and cloud my vision. I was losing my composure.

“What I want is of no matter do you right now. What matters is who I work for. Eric Lehnsherr, I believe you've met him, isn't exactly a patient man. Now, he's asked you kindly once and this is him asking kindly again. I doubt you wanna make him ask a third time.” It suddenly became obvious to me why Victor was acting so civilized. Lehnsherr had instructed Victor not to hurt me, at least not physically. I took hope in the assumption that my observation was correct.

“No.” I kept my voice quiet and even.

Victor removed his hand from both my neck and my car. He stepped back a foot or two and stopped. “For both Alex's and your sake, you should change your mind, kid. Do something smart for once in your life.” Victor Creed then disappeared back in to the darkness of the empty parking lot.

I stood by my car for ten minutes waiting for something bad to happen. Something bad always happened. But nothing came, so I quietly picked my keys up from asphalt, started my car and drove away as a plan started manifest in my mind. A light rain came falling down as I turned onto campus.