PROLOGUE UNEDITED
&
MOVED
Gabrielle discovered she had awakened on
the ground, within a dark place, and knew she needed medical attention because
of the excruciating pain she had felt in the pit of her stomach and within her
abdomen, due to having a life of barely three months growing inside of her. She
became aware of the ground beneath her; it had a jagged surface. Trying to make
sense of her surroundings, she sat, and lifted her arms above her head and
beyond her body, only to feel the cool spring air. With eyes widened, she could not view her own hand as
she placed it out in front of her.
Gabrielle
wondered if her unconscious body then was finally abandoned or if she were just
left to die on the ground, centered within the alley. This was Gabrielle's
second encounter in this gruesome place where Bernadette must like to conduct
her business. Gabrielle could only associate this dreadful place with one
despicable woman, Bernadette Malone. The alley had to have been Bernadette's
battleground. What was she going to do to Gabrielle in here?
Two
beams of light emerged into this enormous cryptic place and Gabrielle stood as
the light shined upon her. It was Bernadette's van, she thought. Gabrielle was
sure Bernadette was behind the wheel and wanted to kill her because John had
met her due to the similar circumstance. Gabrielle felt as if she was reliving
the incident of when she was hit by the car and in a coma for almost two
months. Bernadette believed his "Coma friend," should have died that day and instead
Gabrielle had lived. Her feeling this way was exactly what Bernadette had hoped
for. Bernadette wanted to do a reenactment and this time she would be doing it
herself. During this dawn, Bernadette was going to succeed at what the drunk
driver had failed to achieve.
The
headlights were gleaming while the van moved slowly toward her. Her blurred
vision glanced at the opposite walls as her head turned back and forth quickly.
Both structures were not close enough for her to touch, but stood only spaces apart
from her sides. The outline of the van appeared to be moving forward yet it was
still near one of the entrances of this alleyway. As Gabrielle heard the van
scraping against the wall, she saw sparks flying; she darted to the opposite
wall flattening herself as if to blend into the blackness. If the van continued
to grind against the other side, it wouldn't hit her, as it plowed slowly
through. If it changed sides, she'd run to the other wall again.
Gabrielle
positioned herself against the wall with her back flat and arms down at her
sides. Her palms were pressed firmly into the paved cement. Gabrielle did
exactly what J.J. had done those few months prior when they were in here
together with Bernadette. This was what Gabrielle was supposed to do when J.J.
cut the pictures and threatened to burn the book, which was so important to
this woman. Bernadette hated Gabrielle because John was in love with, "The
girl," and not her. She hated Gabrielle with obsession. Gabrielle wondered if
she hadn't backed away from the wall months ago, would she be safe now? Tucked
away in their bed? With John, holding her body against his?
Another
vehicle approached the opposite entrance of the tunnel and its headlights were
brighter than the first as it entered the alleyway. The high beams must have
blinded the driver in the other vehicle, for if Bernadette was driving, she had
stopped proceeding forward. Both vans stopped far apart from one another with
Gabrielle waiting patiently in-between the two, adjusted against the wall.
Were
both vans going to battle toward her from opposite directions? At that point,
she wanted to be one with the wall. She wished her body could soak into it.
Even though Gabrielle was standing flat against the rough wall, crushing her
head into its rigid surface, and finding herself taking a deep breath in and
holding it, she felt the pain of helplessness and could not be reassured. She
shut her eyes because she knew it was time for her to die.
The
first van that had entered was now approaching on her left. It stopped
grinding, centered itself, and inched forward between the walls while the other
van became centered and proceeded slowly. The van on Gabrielle's left bumped
the wall she was standing against and stalled at least two car lengths from her
side. She ran to the other wall as the second van stalled within the center of
the alley.
On
both vans the windows were tinted just like John's had been to where she couldn't view beyond the headlights. The vehicle on her right was angled to
where she couldn't even locate a license plate if indeed it had one. The other
van was farthest from her to where her vision was so blurred, the color of the
vehicle brown, black, or even if it were navy blue couldn't be noted by her.
Gabrielle could not see the driver on her right or the passenger on her left,
from where she stood.
Instead,
someone opened the passenger door of the van on her right. With her believing
Bernadette was in this vehicle, Gabrielle remained motionless and attached to
the wall. No one would come up behind her, drug her, and render her powerless.
She thought to run, but knew escaping wouldn't be allowed and because of the
pain, she couldn't. The individual stepped down to the paved cement and
Gabrielle heard the footsteps walk around to the front end of the van. The
figure stood at the vehicles front bumper, in-between the low beams and in
front of the grill, she was not able to view. In disbelief, she could clearly
see him when he yelled her name, "Gabrielle!" It was John calling out to her.
