From Dust We Came

Christie J. Solverson

Before the Dust : Christie J Solverson

*Step* *Step* *Step* *Step*

She walked into the parkade, her head held high, white purse swung around her arm and with a white fur coat to compliment her dazzling red mini skirt. But perhaps what really announced her entry was the sound her shiny red high heels were making as they clashed with the floor, sending echoes all around the empty parkade. She continued walking until she eventually stopped in front of a seemingly brand new silver Chevrolet, she stood still in front of it and removed her black-brown sunglasses revealing furious eyes.

       *Beep*  *Beep*  *Beep*

She removed a rather large phone from her bag, looked at it for a second and placed it against her ear.
"There's my favorite blonde!...Hey Christie!.."

"Oh...Hey Baby....How did it go?", replied Christie with a warm smile.

"Oh..Hon,...about that.... I know I promised okay....but-"

Christie's facials changed to other extreme, she was furious once more "But what!? Eddie?..."

"I tried, I tried Hon but I didn't manage to-", Christie angrily dropped the call and started to quickly dial another set of numbers, She thereafter re-placed the phone on her ear.

"Hey Sunshine, I hope you liked it...Happy Bir-"
Christie interrupted,

 "I said a red Chevrolet Brad, red!...not silver, red!...Do you even listen when I talk!?..Or You're just always too busy!?...Thanks for ruining my day, You're like the best father I could dream of", She said those last words with so much irritation and sarcasm. Before she walked away from the parkade she flung her phone into the car's windshield dealing considerable damage to it as the phone itself shattered it into pieces. She put her sunglasses back on and walked away to the sound of the cars alarm going off.

                                                                     ****

"Wake up...Wake up", There was then a short interval after those words were said, soon a cold splash of water followed. Charlie and Scott jumped off from the floor they slept on in confusion to the sound of laughter "Hahaha, Rise and Shine Boys..The Boss wants to see ya" said Bobbie. Bobbie was a rather Italian looking man with a large body, large beard and a scotch sunhat. He proceeded to gleefully push them outside the factory.
Outside stood Joe with two other men beside him. "Scott, Charlie we're going to need all the man power we can get if we want to keep this place together, Bobbie will show you what you can do to help". Bobbie already had his arms around the shoulders of the two, pushing them with him. Bobbie walked with them over a bundle of awkward silence to the gate, took a few steps toward and turned around and stood in front of the two.
 "Which one'o'you is a runner?", Bobbie asked the two, to which they both replied with silence. He stopped for a second, "Wait.. a scouter?", they both looked at him communicating that they had no idea what he was talking about. Bobbie chuckled in disbelief for a bit and took a pistol out from his jacket pocket and displayed it in front them. "Take it", He instructed the both of them, for a second both Charlie and Scott looked very hesitant but right after the second had passed Scott quickly snatched it from his hand without a second thought. In response to this, "Scouter" Bobbie said pointing at Charlie, "And you're a Runner" he told Scott.
Bobbie took a few steps forward and realized Scott and Charlie weren't following what he meant due to their silence still. "Arghmmmph!", He sighed in irritation. But he humored them all the same. 

"Charlie, you didn't take the gun from my hand,you hesitated. Scouts need to be stealthy, they need to be witty, they need to be sure, they need to learn their environment and they need to be invisible, you should only act when you're certain of a hundred percent positive outcome, that's why you didn't take the gun, you simply didn't understand, you were cautious and that's what makes a scouter Charlie,  strategy"

 He then turned to Scott "Runners need to be fast, and quick. Its risky work and out there anything can happen in a split second, you need to rely on your impulses, you need to recognize spaces as quick as they come and utilize them, you'll have no time to stop and think, no time to breathe... sometimes you'll just jump on decision and just hope its right, that's what a runner is...and that's you Scottie"
"Now...lets get to work", Bobbie said as they were being joined by seven other young men by the gate.

****

Before the Dust : Christie J. Solverson II

*Click*

The door made a clicking sound as Christie gently and very quietly closed the door behind her. She walked into her family mansion with her high heels in her hand preventing herself from making even the slightest sound.
She walked down the corridor reaching out her other hand to the wall to use as balance. She clearly wasn't walking straight, she clearly was intoxicated. Her hair unkempt and her make up distorted. It seemed as if she had just come from some sort of wild party.
She continued heading to her room all the same, went up the stairs, almost slipping and finally stopped by her bedroom door but before she could open it - 

"Christie, ...Thank God!", her father said from a distance behind her. It was dark but he was definitely crying whilst saying those words"

Christie irritably looked back and replied, "What do YOU want?"

"It's twelve midnight and you're just coming in now!? Do you have any idea how-"

"How what?...huh?...worried?...How do you know that this isn't the time I arrive everyday!?...Oh wait I know, because you're never home Brad!...And now YOU want to tell ME abo-"

"I do it because I care about you Christie!...I'm always out there so I can look after you, ....my family" 

"Your family!!?,...Now you want to pretend as if you care about me!?"

"Christie,  I...."

"You let her die!...you let her die!...You...let... her die!.", Christie hatefully said with her finger pointed at him, "You left her all alone even though you knew!, even though she needed you!... you still left!. Go...go your your company, go to your money, go to your meetings, your stocks, your breakthroughs!... that's your real family." Christie bitterly said before she slowly walked into her room and silently closed the door.

Brad just stood there, speechless, he finally saw through all her make up, her clothes, her fanciness and for the first time saw the real Christie and how she really felt inside. The look she had on her face as she said those words scared him indefinitely and he feel to his knees engulfed by sorrow and regret of what had become of his life and the life of his daughter.

****

"Hey! Hey!....Wake up...wake up!" 

Bernard opened his eyes to the sound of whispers from outside their cell. The effects of Clyde's assault on his head were now fading, the pain was still sharp but he could now sit up straight. He turned his attention to the steel bars and to his shock there was someone standing there. "Guys!?",  Bernard cautiously whispered to Gabe, Terrence and Christie, waking them up and directing their attention to the person standing in outside.

Kate stood outside the bars carrying a key in her hand, "I'm going to get you out of here."