This can't be happening. In the course of a few hours, she's lost her family and everything that she's ever known. There'll be no more school or muttering about practice, no more teasing her brother or cooking with her mother, no more of anything remotely resembling normal.
Claire wants to scream and fight because she's tried so hard to be normal, even when she knows she's not. Now, though, she can't hide or pretend. The Haitian is watching her, silent and calm in a way she envies yet hates. He can't read her mind, thankfully, but he still stares in a way that makes her think he knows exactly what she's thinking.
"What?" she finally asks, aware that there's attitude in her voice but not really caring. She's lost everything, so there's not much else he could do to make her life worse.
He shakes his head slightly but says nothing. It's infuriating and sends her off the hard motel bed to pace on the dingy carpet that's worn and smells like tobacco. "Where are we going?" she asks, daring him to tell her. He continues to watch her quietly, and she glares when she realizes that he's amused.
"What's your name?" she asks this time. "If I'm going to be on the run with you, I want to know your name. My father...Mr. Bennet might not have felt stupid calling you The Haitian like some silly comic book star, but I want a name if I'm going to trust you with me life."
"Go to bed, Claire. We have much ahead of us, and you need your rest," he finally says, ignoring her questions.
"But-"
"You know all that you need to know for now, Claire. Rest and your mind will be more clear in the morning."
She sighs and sits on the bed, pulling her legs up so she can wrap her arms around them. "I'm scared," she whispers, not looking at him.
"You should be," he says simply. "Sleep now. I will let no one harm you."
She looks at him for several moments, staring into his eyes before she nods slowly. "I know," she says with a slight smile before she crawls up the bed and lies down, wondering how long it will take before she can sleep.
End
Rest
Story Notes:
Originally posted February 27, 2007