Jeremiah didn't know what he had expected, but this certainly wasn't it. I guess evil intentions don't necessarily translate to villain's lair after all, he thought wryly as the henchmen shoved him roughly forward. The room, far from looking overtly sinister, in fact looked more like a country kitchen (though there was no stove in sight). It was warm and inviting, but Jeremiah dreaded the confrontation that was to come.
She appeared before him, and suddenly, inexplicably, he was reminded of June Cleaver from Leave it to Beaver. Surely this couldn't be a woman intent on taking over the world. But she is, he reminded himself, looking up for strength. You have to stay firm, stick to the plan.
A laugh filled his ears, and his eyes were drawn back to her. Her light brown hair was pulled back into a braid, and her deep blue eyes seemed like bottomless pools. She laughed again. "I can tell what you're thinking, Jeremiah, and it won't work."
He panicked. "You…can read minds?" he asked warily, trying to think of anything but the plan.
A third laugh. "No, you silly boy, but I can read people. You have come here today," she said slowly, looking into his eyes as she spoke, "to try to…shall we say, persuade me to give up."
He shook his head. "No, you're wrong. I don't just want to persuade you. I want to change your mind. To help you see that what you're doing is all wrong, and it's just going to hurt people!"
The fourth laugh washed over him, and he felt fear course through him like a bolt of lighting.
***
"Change?" she asked, her calm smooth voice belying the fire that flashed in her eyes. "My dear, dear girl, that simply is not possible."
"But why not?" Abby asked defiantly. "You've seen, you know! Nothing is truly impossible."
The woman strode around her desk and grabbed Abby before her movement even registered. If she had thought the woman's eyes were fiery before, Abby had been wrong. Now they were an inferno.
"You don't know the meaning of the words possible and impossible," she said, hissing practically spitting out the last word. She took Abby's face in her hand, her long, red fingernails feeling sharp against Abby's cheek. "You are nothing but an impertinent child. If you knew what I have been through, if you had faced the same situation, you would understand why I am doing what I do." She dragged her index finger down Abby's cheek before pushing the girl's face aside. "But of course, you are one of them, so you're here trying to change me." Abby was nursing her cheek, but the sneer was evident in her voice. "Don't talk to me of change, for I have already changed more than you could ever know."
Abby dared to look up, and was stricken by what she saw. Underneath the enraged, calculating exterior, Abby could have sworn there was a glimmer of a wounded child, but then it was gone. Perhaps she had just imagined it, and perhaps she hadn't. Either way, the woman was right. Asking her to change her mind had been a futile attempt, the hope of a child. Asking wouldn't change anything. It was up to her, to her and to Jeremiah, to find a way out of this situation.
no subject
She appeared before him, and suddenly, inexplicably, he was reminded of June Cleaver from Leave it to Beaver. Surely this couldn't be a woman intent on taking over the world. But she is, he reminded himself, looking up for strength. You have to stay firm, stick to the plan.
A laugh filled his ears, and his eyes were drawn back to her. Her light brown hair was pulled back into a braid, and her deep blue eyes seemed like bottomless pools. She laughed again. "I can tell what you're thinking, Jeremiah, and it won't work."
He panicked. "You…can read minds?" he asked warily, trying to think of anything but the plan.
A third laugh. "No, you silly boy, but I can read people. You have come here today," she said slowly, looking into his eyes as she spoke, "to try to…shall we say, persuade me to give up."
He shook his head. "No, you're wrong. I don't just want to persuade you. I want to change your mind. To help you see that what you're doing is all wrong, and it's just going to hurt people!"
The fourth laugh washed over him, and he felt fear course through him like a bolt of lighting.
***
"Change?" she asked, her calm smooth voice belying the fire that flashed in her eyes. "My dear, dear girl, that simply is not possible."
"But why not?" Abby asked defiantly. "You've seen, you know! Nothing is truly impossible."
The woman strode around her desk and grabbed Abby before her movement even registered. If she had thought the woman's eyes were fiery before, Abby had been wrong. Now they were an inferno.
"You don't know the meaning of the words possible and impossible," she said, hissing practically spitting out the last word. She took Abby's face in her hand, her long, red fingernails feeling sharp against Abby's cheek. "You are nothing but an impertinent child. If you knew what I have been through, if you had faced the same situation, you would understand why I am doing what I do." She dragged her index finger down Abby's cheek before pushing the girl's face aside. "But of course, you are one of them, so you're here trying to change me." Abby was nursing her cheek, but the sneer was evident in her voice. "Don't talk to me of change, for I have already changed more than you could ever know."
Abby dared to look up, and was stricken by what she saw. Underneath the enraged, calculating exterior, Abby could have sworn there was a glimmer of a wounded child, but then it was gone. Perhaps she had just imagined it, and perhaps she hadn't. Either way, the woman was right. Asking her to change her mind had been a futile attempt, the hope of a child. Asking wouldn't change anything. It was up to her, to her and to Jeremiah, to find a way out of this situation.