Reliving the Nightmare
By Kuro Kin'youbi
Chapter 15
Torn's spine stiffened as Praxis laughed. "First you love her, then you hate her, next you kill her?"
"It's not like you would care!" Tess said.
Praxis glared at Tess. "You're next on my list, you squeaky little blonde."
Tess gulped. "Torn, we're in way over our heads. We should leave."
"After the processions for Harmony, Errol and Jinx." Torn said.
They walked up to a row of seats and sat down. They could feel Praxis' eye on them throughout Harmony, Errol and Jinx's ceremony. Finally it came to Ashelin's one after an interval. In other words, supporters of the Underground and people that just didn't like Ashelin left.
Including Torn and Tess. They got up, and headed out slowly. They had no reason to stay. There was only a short amount of people leaving at the time of her funeral, receiving glares from all the people staying.
"So, should we go back and start the Underground's makeover?" Tess suggested with a smile. "Anything to get out of the funeral mood."
"Sounds like a plan." Torn smirked.
Tess held Torns hand and they walked slowly from the richer part of the city to the slums. They came to the hideout, and Torn was amazed at how bad it looked in daylight.
"Wow… it looks worse than I thought." Torn mused.
"You can say that again." Tess whined. "So the sooner we can get people to help the better."
"So, are these your plans to rebuild the Underground?" Tess said, pouring over a bunch of plans. "They look complicated."
Torn glanced over her shoulder at them. "Sounds easy."
Tess covered her face so that the Shadow and Torn wouldn't see her glaring. She sidestepped out of Torn's grip/embrace and left the room.
"I left my bag at home." She said as they turned and watched her leave.
Torn frowned. "Sure…" He muttered. "Although you live here…"
Tess ran out of the hideout and into the alleyway. The zoomer that was parked there seemed inviting, so she ran to it and got in. She was angered by Torn's comment. Although she said that it looked complicated and he had replied that it actually looked easy, she now felt weak and stupid compared to him.
She came across South Town, and noticed a bar. She was never one for a drink, but people have firsts for everything. She pushed the door open and went inside.
She was greeted by a huge, floating man. "Ah, another customer." He said.
Tess kept her mouth shut. When annoyed or offended, she was known to spew insults. And right now, this man was seriously offending her.
"Listen," She said, closing her eyes and opening them again. "I don't know who you think you are, but stop staring at me like that! I have a boyfriend, and I only came here for a drink."
The man glared down at her. "I like your thinking, aye? Could be good for working at the bar, eh?"
"I might consider it." Tess said.
She didn't wait for a response. She even forgot that she had come there for a drink. She left the bar, wondering where to go next. Torn would probably give her an earful when she got back to the hideout for leaving, and the Shadow wasn't really a nice man to talk to at the best of times.
Tess headed to the place she had wanted to go to for a long time. As soon as she entered the Racing Stadium she felt much better. And not to mention, there was a race on soon and she had enough money left over for a ticket.
"Hey, do you know where Tess went?" Torn asked the Shadow as they finished going over the plans for the hideout.
"I'm not sure. I'll admit." He replied. "Although she once told me that the place she had wanted to visit forever were the Races."
"Then she'll probably be there." Torn said. "I'll go now."
Tess smirked. She was content. Although she was devastated over losing 3 friends and an enemy – which wasn't the devastating part – their deaths had been a thing of the past and she needed to get on with her future. She had Torn to care for, and to care for her too, and would probably be needed for the help with rebuilding the Underground.
"If you didn't think I was weak." I said, glaring a little. "By the way, did I ever forgive you for that?"
Torn shrugged. "Yep, I think so."
"That's right, I remember." I said. "You turned up at the Race and apologised huh?"
Torn nodded. I got out of my seat and sat on his lap. I rested my head on his chest and closed my eyes.
"We'll find a way to avenge Errol, Jinx and Harmony one day." I said, smiling. "Don't you worry."
"Alright, seems you seem so determined on it." Torn said, kissing me on the head.
That's the end! Now I know for sure that there is going to be a sequel to this, and a sequel to 'This is not Goodbye', too. Please tell me what you think!
Also, a few pointers as to how the story could have been…
At the start of the story, Torn was reflecting, not talking to someone. I guess you could say, in a not-Torn way, he was talking to himself, or his reflection on the mirror.
In chapter 1 it says how Ashelin was at Freedom HQ, but she ended up dying, and the story took place before Jak 2.
After introducing Harmony into the story, she was going to be the person that was talking to Torn, and actually Errol's sister, not boyfriend
There was obviously a lot of the story that Torn left out when he was telling it.
Thanks to everyone who read this!