'Til Death Do Us Reunite

Chapter One

The voices.

They're always the same. Saying the same things day in, day out. Never stopping. Like an old record on repeat, the same set of sentences.

"Are you alright Rae?" Someone asks. She doesn't know who, she can never see their faces. She doesn't see a lot really, just a lot of bright light. "Are you ready?" But it doesn't give her time to replay, it never does. . .

"Her vitals are good." Another voice says in the distance. They all sound the same. "Ten minutes." The voice calls out.

"Alright Rae, here we go." She feels a sharp nip in her neck. As quick as it came, it was over. She could feel her eyelids drooping. The voices fading out slowly.

". . . going under in three, two, one. . ."

A baby cries loudly. So loud it breaks the silence.

Rae bolts up, breathing heavily. Always, always the same. The same voices, the same order and the same baby crying before she wakes up. She shoved her fingers into the mess she called her hair, trying to tame the wildness that sleep let loose. Sighing she turned to her bedside table to where her clock sat. 07:03. 'Time for a quick run.' She thought.

Quickly, she hurried around her hotel room, scourging the draws for clean clothes suitable for running. Finding a pair of yoga pants and a sports bra she got dressed and wove her hair into a fishtail braid. Grabbing her phone, earphones and her hotel keys she shoved them into a bum bag that she had clipped to her waist and left the room.

Outside people walked in their own directions, quickly moving around those who simply walked too slow. Rae herself had never been one to walk slow. Rushing through the crowd, she found herself caught amongst the mass of suits waiting for the red man to change green, granting them permission to cross the road. Around paved corners and across roads she sped until Rae came to a large park amidst the grey towers. Greenery fenced by concrete, steel and glass. It'll do. Rae hummed to herself as she pulled out her Bluetooth earphones and her phone. Plopping them into her ears she turned them on, Rae allowed time for them to wake up and automatically connect to her phone. Stumped on what to play, she put all of her songs on shuffle and began her run at a steady pace.

Two laps in and her music was cut off by a ring tone. Rae pulled out her phone to see her manager's number filling the screen. She sighed as she dragged the green phone icon across her screen she answered the call.

"Rae!" The female's voice shouted into her ear. Rae cringed away. "Where are you? Why aren't you in your room? Your stylists are going to be here in half an hour and if you're not here by then then we'll be behind schedule and then if we're behind schedule we're going to be late for –"

"Clarisse! Clarisse, calm down, it's fine. I'm only a ten minute walk from the hotel. I won't be late." The voice on the other end sighed and Rae could practically hear Clarisse purse her lips and narrow her eyes. "To prove I'm not going to be late I'll set off right now and I'll see you in ten minutes, okay?"

"See you in ten and don't be late." A warning. Get-your-arse-here-in-time-or-I'll-cancel-your-contract type of warning. 'Great. She's in one of those moods. . . I wonder what Hell's like in the summer.' Her inner voice huffed and considered being late just for shits and giggles but decided against it for now.

The walk back was quick enough but was it good enough for Clarisse? When she got to the lobby of the hotel she found Clarisse stood as straight as a plank in a firm blue dress suit looking down at her watch. Clarisse looked up and spotted Rae. When Rae was within arms distance she frowned. "Nine minutes. Adequate." Rae rolled her eyes, 'Ever the control freak.' Clarisse turned on her heel and