She stayed inside for three days. Drifting in and out of restless sleep, she was haunted by violent images of nameless men on another alien planet a lifetime ago, mixing with the fresh assault far more painful. She got out of bed only to eat something, anything, it didn't matter because she didn't taste the food. She was startled by every unexpected sound, flinched at every shadow she didn't identify.
Then one morning, she woke up with a clearer head and realized she was not this woman.
Afraid. Hiding. Giving up.
Opening the door took every ounce of courage she had. Even the warm breeze and the sun on her face terrified her. Despite the soothing feel of the phaser strapped on her lap, her pulse was sky-high and her stomach tight.
Her eyes …show more content…
Maybe she could stay, just a while longer.
And by the time the shadows of the night were inching closer she'd had plenty of time to think.
He'd been gone for almost a week. So maybe, just maybe, he wasn't coming back at all.
And if he did, she would have her phaser ready.
At first, it was difficult to find anything meaningful to fill her days with. The equipment for her research was destroyed by the storm and finding a cure for the virus was the most she had done after arriving on the planet.
But she was restless, in desperate need of something to do. At the edge of her consciousness, she knew she would someday have to deal with what had happened to her, but that day wasn’t just yet.
Cleaning the shelter from floor to roof kept her busy for some time, and her mind occupied. The hours passed swiftly and when she finally noticed how hungry she was and sat down to eat, it was evening and with a full stomach, she fell into a troubled sleep filled with strange, disturbing dreams.
The next day, she sat down on the grass with her morning coffee, next to the tomatoes that had died and, absent-mindedly, started digging the dirt with her bare hands.
After pulling up the dried plants, she turned over the soil and fetched new seeds from the …show more content…
The confrontation had been empowering and somehow rather gratifying, making her feel stronger.
The days soon found a somewhat comforting routine. She took care of the garden where the tomatoes flourished side by side with a variety of herbs and salads, and an attempt to grow grapevines. Every day she expanded her territory, strolling deeper into the woods, eventually reaching the river and the vast fields behind it.
There, she would pause and let her gaze sweep over the long grass swaying in the gentle breeze, the sky opening before her like the endless space once had. The view captivated her with its overwhelming beauty but it also stirred inside a feeling she was not quite ready for, and even though she liked visiting the place, she never stayed for long.
It wasn’t long that she begun talking to herself. At first, she uttered a random comment every now and then, instantly blushing and glancing around as if someone might have noticed, but soon she was having conversations where she played both parts with ease.
The reasons for those monologues weren’t hard to define. Alone and aimless, she took solace in hearing her own voice to keep her company. The hours of the day weighed heavy on her, in an existence that was essentially without
Then one morning, she woke up with a clearer head and realized she was not this woman.
Afraid. Hiding. Giving up.
Opening the door took every ounce of courage she had. Even the warm breeze and the sun on her face terrified her. Despite the soothing feel of the phaser strapped on her lap, her pulse was sky-high and her stomach tight.
Her eyes …show more content…
Maybe she could stay, just a while longer.
And by the time the shadows of the night were inching closer she'd had plenty of time to think.
He'd been gone for almost a week. So maybe, just maybe, he wasn't coming back at all.
And if he did, she would have her phaser ready.
At first, it was difficult to find anything meaningful to fill her days with. The equipment for her research was destroyed by the storm and finding a cure for the virus was the most she had done after arriving on the planet.
But she was restless, in desperate need of something to do. At the edge of her consciousness, she knew she would someday have to deal with what had happened to her, but that day wasn’t just yet.
Cleaning the shelter from floor to roof kept her busy for some time, and her mind occupied. The hours passed swiftly and when she finally noticed how hungry she was and sat down to eat, it was evening and with a full stomach, she fell into a troubled sleep filled with strange, disturbing dreams.
The next day, she sat down on the grass with her morning coffee, next to the tomatoes that had died and, absent-mindedly, started digging the dirt with her bare hands.
After pulling up the dried plants, she turned over the soil and fetched new seeds from the …show more content…
The confrontation had been empowering and somehow rather gratifying, making her feel stronger.
The days soon found a somewhat comforting routine. She took care of the garden where the tomatoes flourished side by side with a variety of herbs and salads, and an attempt to grow grapevines. Every day she expanded her territory, strolling deeper into the woods, eventually reaching the river and the vast fields behind it.
There, she would pause and let her gaze sweep over the long grass swaying in the gentle breeze, the sky opening before her like the endless space once had. The view captivated her with its overwhelming beauty but it also stirred inside a feeling she was not quite ready for, and even though she liked visiting the place, she never stayed for long.
It wasn’t long that she begun talking to herself. At first, she uttered a random comment every now and then, instantly blushing and glancing around as if someone might have noticed, but soon she was having conversations where she played both parts with ease.
The reasons for those monologues weren’t hard to define. Alone and aimless, she took solace in hearing her own voice to keep her company. The hours of the day weighed heavy on her, in an existence that was essentially without