All Your Fates (Currently editing/updating)

Chapter 8: Same as It Ever Was ~ Carrie Cutforth

“What the--?” I said staring at it.

“Trust me,” she said nodding to the panel behind me. I put the rest of the wide cookie in my mouth so that I could take the penlight in the hand opposite to the one holding the can. I shone it towards the box…and…

OH MY FUCKING GOD!! The whole panel was writhing with cockroaches…ah, gah…ah gross…so…yuck!! I pulled the spray out and just killed those motherfuckers like Jupiter inflicting humanity with pestilences and lightning and shit.

They began to fall to the floor at my feet, so I started to do the dead ants dance. Oh my …gawed….this was…ack…so…gawd…KILL THEM ALL!

When the last of them had been stamped out, I looked back at the panel, and tried to swallow the last of the cookie that now tasted like bug spray.

“There’s your problem,” Doc cackled behind me and then I could see it under the glare of the penlight. Dead cockroaches had gotten themselves through the fuse and the threading and had shorted it out.

Great, now I had to move these disgusting creatures out of the way. I used the penlight to, oh gawd, so…gonna throw up, to dislodge the dead bugs, and then jumped back when one of them floating too close to my chest. Gaahahahaha!!!

I ignored the Doc’s giggles behind me while I looked for a fresh fuse. Fortunately, there was a box of them sitting on top of the panel, so a quick switcheroo…

The lights flickered on out in the hallway with a buzz, although it stayed the same in the utility room – different circuit.

I brushed past the doc to tiptoe past Atticus who still snored soundly. Old Codger. I’m surprised I hadn’t woken up the dead with my squeals.

Once in the hall, I was a man on a mission. I could deduce that since the other me of this world was also trying to cross over, he must have blown it with the Emma of this world. I had to get back out there, and find her, before he blew his chances with other Emma’s before I had a chance to…not blow them?? with her.

“Hey!” the Doc called from behind me, “David! Where’s the fire?”

I called over my shoulder, as I continued to jot at my best feeble pace. “I need to go back…I mean…go forward…I mean…just go…” I trailed off while gasping for breath. Damn, this malnourished body! Why couldn’t he have taken better care of himself! Just when I needed myself most!

The Doc easily caught up and then stood in my way. “And where do you think that is, exactly, David,” she asked with a sharp glare.

It was the first time I had seen her in the full light: her freckles, the flashing emerald eyes, the way she tapped her toe, the way she held her hand on her hip. She was beautiful, and terrifying. It was all Pepper, only it felt as if all Pepper was not all there. Shrunken down, cut down to size. My mind kept trying to plump her up, fill in the missing curves. And then I felt a small pang in my heart. What was that sensation? What was I feeling?

Strange I never realized Pepper, my Pepper, was beautiful. Just as pretty…no, more so…than…

“Pepper,” I finally managed to say.

“Your quick,” she smirked at me with gleaming eyes and my brain flashed back to that conversation we had in the lecture…so long ago.

But that was impossible. This Pepper couldn’t have possibly remembered that…

Pepper…no, Doc Pepper, hung back her head and let out a loud frustrated groan. “David,” she spat, “What do you think you are after???”

“I’m trying to find the one…” I started.

“Ha!” Doc Pepper cried, “’The One!’ You don’t even understand what that even means! If only you knew. If only you would allow yourself to "get it" for a change.”

I felt conflicted. My legs felt urgent, bidding me to press on and make it to the lab to make the cross over…but my heart felt stagnant…unsure what to do with itself.

It felt so long since I had seen Pepper. I hadn’t realized…was it possible…I missed her?

How could I miss her…when she was always by my side?

“Pepper,” I started, reaching out my hand to caress her face. It felt so thin and bony in my hand.

Doc Pepper drew closer to me.

And then closer still.

The tips of her breast skimmed the shirt of my chest, before pressing into me and pushing me against the wall.

And then our mouths were on each other and it felt so good, and had been so long, but felt so weird. Pepper, this Pepper, felt so much tinier in my hands.

But still as aggressive as ever, clasping a fistful of my hair and yanking my head back to kiss my throat with her teeth.

I began to feel weak in the knees…no…light-headed, and remembered, I shouldn’t be here. I needed to get back! This was so confusing…Emma…

My mind began to drift loose, lose hold, and I felt as if I was floating…my soul just kept getting lighter as I felt the dial turn, the channel changing back to All Static All The Time.

The last thing I remembered thinking was: if I used this body to enter the cymatic bubble, would I be crossing over as myself? Or as him? The Other Me.

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EMMA'S POV

I love shopping. Sometimes I want to take everything home with me and just fill all my shelves with knick knacks and crafts. I'm such a hoarder!

Like take this white ceramic cat sitting on the flea market table. This would look perfect on my dresser next to my ceramic teddy bear with the sundress and hat on it!

I picked up the sweet puss and cradled it in my arms. What a cute kitty, and only 25$ 

Money was so tight right now with Paul giving me such a hard time for being a lazy layabout. I would get a job if there was a point to bother, but...why be gainfully employed when there were so many people out there who NEEDED jobs. Like those Occupy Kids! Surely, it would be only selfish if I worked when I could be doing better things like...

...buying ceramic white cats at fleamarkets and checking out that cute hipster in skinny jeans across the way browsing vinyl records. What a nice little touche he has. 

Just don't tell Paul I said so...

A/N//

HA!!!! I bet you didn't expect that to happen! 

I'm sure more than a few of you had suspected who the doctorish-type female was, but hoping the Doc Pepper still illicited a few laughs even if you saw it coming.

And what do you think of THIS EMMA???? 

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. This Emma is one that is featured in the TV show. Jim wrote her for the pilot. I'm not going to tell you our nickname for her because that would give it all away: but let's put it this way...when I first read the pilot: I HATED HER!!! Ha!

Now I'm warming up to her in that...LOVE TO HATE kinda way!

WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT!!!

So now we should more or less be back to a regular schedule until the end of Part Two.

I hope you all really enjoyed the story so far! I've got a lot of writing to do over the next two weeks and waiting for a few guest chapters to still roll in...but we should be back in the swing of things.

I'm only going to update once a week however to be on the safe side. Aiming for next chapter to updated Friday night! What do you think David will think of this Emma: TRUE LOVE ALWAYS???

We also want to thank all our amazing fans!!! You guys are super great. And love all the votes and comments and spreading the love. You really kept me going even when the numbers dipped cause of the glitch. Cause let's face it, numbers are great...but they don't replace the love we feel from our true supporters!! You guys are all ace!

C

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All Your Fates © 2012 Carrie Cutforth-Young, Jim Martin and Tom Liljeholm. All Rights Reserved.