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A Different Path by SDerkins (c) 2008 All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: This is my own original work and may not be duplicated, copied, or reposted without my written consent. A printout is fine for personal enjoyment as long as the Author, title, disclaimer, warnings, and copy right remains on the printed copy. Warnings: This story contains adult themes with sexual content, strong language, and occasional violence. If you are a minor or if it is illegal for you to view this story then please refrain from doing so. Part 1 Cierra White didn't know why she was moved from Northern Heights, her home for the last three years, to this new facility. In truth, she wasn't sure exactly where she was anymore. Her room was without a window and she wasn't allowed to visit with any of the other patients. Her only contacts were with the staff and doctors who would tell her very little. And why the sudden interest in her dead grandmother? What possible need would they have to know about a dead Indian shaman who once lived in the South West Territory of the colonies? And why all the strange experiments? Cierra had no clue what they were testing for and it wasn't like they were giving her therapy any longer. They just left her alone most of the time in her room. She scratched another mark on the bed frame. It was the only means she had to keep track of time. Cierra made a new mark each time she was served breakfast. She counted the marks every once in a while and tried to calculate how long she had been there. She tapped the marks as she counted. Ninety-three marks. Just over three months. She sighed and rolled to her back. She was bored and wondered if they would allow her out of her room today. They allowed her to walk on the grounds once a week or so. The odd thing was that she never saw any other patients. Did they lock them away when she was to be brought outside? Would it be so terrible to ease her loneliness? Even a mad woman needed friends. Her wish to get out of her confining room was answered a few hours later when one of the male nurses arrived and told her to put on her shoes. Cierra eagerly slipped on the light tennis shoes and put on her terry cloth robe. She followed the young man down quiet corridors to a side door that led to a small garden area. It was rather isolated and Cierra long decided it was an employee's picnic area. It was fenced in with a cement picnic table, trash can, and a bin for cigarette butts. "Hey, Jerry, psst," another nurse hissed at her escort. The male nurse kept the door open and leaned forward, listening to the other person while Cierra slowly walked around the tiny area. She kept an eye on him while she made her way towards the trashbin. She had spotted a newspaper. She watched him carefully as she slipped the folded paper under her robe. It had been ages since she last had anything to read. She stepped away from the trash can and walked to the fence. The nurse closed the door and turned around, spotting his charge standing meekly by the chain-link fence. Satisfied that she wasn't causing any trouble, he sat down at the table and lit a cigarette. Inside the building, two doctors watched their high-risk patient from an office window. George Randall looked at his colleague, Stephan Shriver, and sighed, "I think we need to reduce her medications. She can't concentrate long enough and her voices have disappeared.'' "She's better off without them," Stephan told his friend. "She's been in institutions since she was nine years old because of them. Maybe without them she could live a normal life." "She doesn't have the skills to live in society. She angers easily and doesn't know how to deal with her emotions." "That's what we're supposed to do, help her. I hate this assignment, trying to see if she has the same abilities as the other Cierra White. Even if she does, how do we control her? This is a futile project in my opinion." George shrugged, "Sometimes we have to sacrifice one person to help others. The government is paying us a small fortune to keep her here. We didn't have the means to help the patients we did have. Now we can update our hospital." "Hmm, funny how humans rationalize victimizing other people, isn't it?" Stephan whispered. George felt the same guilt but had already agreed to take the money. If he disobeyed the government officials now he'd lose everything. No, the girl had to be kept locked away and kept in ignorance for now. Maybe she'd prove to have no special abilities and they'd lose interest in her, leaving them in charge of helping her. ****** Cierra laughed in delight as she danced with Kiona to the beat of the music playing on Eva's solar powered CD player. The people around her enjoyed the music as well as they partied inside the tightly packed communal building. The first of the crops had been harvested and stored away. The next crops would be brought in later in the month, just before the Fall Trading Event. In the meantime, the community was having fun and enjoying fresh foods and barbeque. A baseball game was going on outside where JP was acting as umpire. Kiona laughed as her mother dipped and gave her smooches before resuming dancing to the upbeat music. The toddler played with her mother's face, tweaking her nose with a giggle when her mother nibbled her fingers. "Hey, are you gonna hog this pretty thing all to yourself?" Jim teased, holding out his hands. Cierra handed over her child to her friend. He hitched Kiona onto his hip and began dancing slowly, singing to the music. In spite of Jim's rough appearance and bushy beard, he sang like an angel, charming the little girl. She snuggled into his neck and soon drifted to sleep. "Time for naptime," Cierra told Jim, taking her daughter carefully from his arms. She would take Kiona out to the outdoor playpen where the toddlers and babies were kept while the parents mingled. The women took turns keeping an eye on the children. Kiona joined the other sleeping children under the shady tree. The toddlers that were awake were kept further away so they wouldn't wake the others. They had a larger group of babysitters, playing in a small pool or the sandbox. Cierra joined the crowd watching the baseball game. Her eyes automatically sought out her mate. JP was stationed behind the catcher and batter, leaning forward with her hands on her knees. It gave the shaman a good view of the lean brunette's tight buttocks. The view also gave Cierra naughty ideas. It had been over two weeks since they last had the energy or time to make love. Tonight the shaman planned on getting lucky. Maybe she could ask Pam and Eva to watch Kiona tonight, leaving them alone. "Oh yeah, sounds like a plan," Cierra smiled. ****** Cierra pulled the newspaper from her robe and sat down on the toilet seat. It was the only room without a camera or two-way mirror. The outer room she never got over the feeling she was being watched. Only in the bathroom she felt alone. Opening the paper, she poured over every word, starving for the written word. It wasn't until she reached the society page that her heart gave a lurch. She reread the article several times, not believing what she was reading. Cierra White-Foley was once more reported to visit with Earl Brommer, a grocery store owner located near the Mare Island shipyards in Southern California Territory. Rumor has it that... Cierra read the long article once more, shocked at the story. How was it possible? And her story and name...was it possible they were the same person? A shaman grandmother was mentioned. Cierra lifted her grandmother's obsidian fetish that hung from her neck and rubbed the warm stone. She willed her grandmother to speak with her but the drugs stopped her from hearing her voice. The sound of someone entering her room made her jump up and search for a place to hide the paper. They would take it from her if it was found. She tore the article from the paper and flushed the rest down the toilet. The small square of newspaper she stuffed into the toilet paper roll and left the bathroom. One of the female nurses was waiting with her tiny tray that held her medication. Cierra picked up the paper cup and noticed that there were less pills than normal. She didn't comment on it, merely placing them in her mouth and using the cup of tepid water to wash them down. The nurse left without a word after inspecting her mouth. Cierra knew she didn't dare enter the bathroom now or they'd think she'd disposed of the pills by vomiting them up. She crawled into her bed to take a nap. * * * * * "She's been off the heavy medication for a week now and so far nothing has manifested itself. I think we need to induce this ability somehow. The article on the original Cierra White mentioned that she stumbled into the alternative world after a traumatic experience." "What do you suggest?" Stephan asked tightly of the government assigned scientist. "There has to be something we can use. Perhaps if she felt in danger the ability would appear." The panel discussed several possibilities until at last they agreed on a method. A team of builders would be brought in and build what was necessary to conduct the experiment. * * * * * Cierra was brought to a tiny room that held nothing but a table and two chairs. A large mirror, no doubt two-way, was attached to one wall. There were no windows and only a dim lightbulb hanging from the ceiling well above her head. She sat down and waited. After about a half an hour, she wondered if they had forgotten about her. No one had come in yet. She thought about knocking on the locked door to see if someone would answer the door. She stood up just as the faint smell of smoke met her senses. She sniffed and looked around for the source. It was then she noticed plumes of smoke trickling inside the room under the door. Now frightened, she approached the door only to find it extremely hot. "Help me! Please!" she shouted, striking the door with a fist. She coughed as smoke began affecting her breathing. No voices could be heard. Had the staff run from the building and left her alone to die? Cierra panted as she once more knocked on the door then the walls as the fear of burning to death took over. "Please, let me out!" she cried, not realizing that the scientists and doctors were on the other side of the mirror, watching her with mixed feelings. Cierra didn't know that the smoke came from a machine that blew it under the door jam and the heat came from coils on the metal door. They watched her reach for the door handle and winced as she gripped the hot metal and screamed from the pain. Stephan shouted that they needed to stop the cruelty but the others ignored him. They continued to watch as the young woman became more terrified and finally curling up in one corner of the small room, sobbing. Stephan stepped closer to the mirror, his nose almost pressed against the cold glass when he saw her disappear. "Well, you got what you wanted. She jumped. Now what?" he asked. Chapter 2 Cierra gasped as she found herself in cold water, choking as it entered her mouth. She struggled to reach the water surface, her feet finding ground, allowing her to stand. She coughed as she looked around her, the cold water up to her hips. Around her were tall grasses, a lot of water, and towering trees. The young woman didn't know that she had jumped to an alternative world, much like the original Cierra White. Here, humans had not arrived and drained away the marshes that could be found around the DC area. She looked around frantically as she shivered, wanting out of the frigid water. Cierra headed for the trees, hoping for solid ground and a place to get warm. Finally she found a grassy spot beneath a tree. She pulled off her soggy robe and wrung it out before spreading it over a bush. She then stripped out of her hospital gown and squeezed out the water from it as well. Her tennis shoes were kicked off and placed in a sunny spot to dry. Now nude, she hugged herself and continued to look around her, dealing with the fact that she had somehow jumped like the other Cierra. But how did she do it? And where was she? Only wilderness could be seen. No sounds of civilization could be heard. No sign of contrails in the sky or planes. No traffic noises could be heard, just the sounds of birds and insects. Cierra chose a large stone and sat down on the rock, grateful for its warmth. She knew she ought to be afraid. She was alone in a strange place but she felt calm, to her surprise. She remained on her rock, watching insects buzz by. It wasn't until something moved nearby that she felt startled. Watching the moving brush, she was surprised to see a racoon appear, sniffing the air, no doubt wondering what strange creature she was. She felt laughter bubble up from within her and the animal scurried away. "Grandmother, what a strange place you have brought me," Cierra giggled. She could almost feel the older woman chuckling in reply. After a while, her stomach grumbled from hunger, making her aware that no one was going to bring her a meal. Now she was getting worried about her situation. She put on her still damp clothes and tennis shoes and began looking around. Maybe there were some berries or something she could find. Soon she found a raspberry bush and eagerly began popping the seedy fruit into her mouth. Her fingers and mouth became stained with the juices but she didn't care. The berries were easing her hunger. Unfortunately, she was eating the berries from one black bear's favorite spot. He arrived only to find this strange animal. He stood on his hind legs to get a better look with his weak eyes. Cierra screamed when she realized she was not alone, falling back and tripping over a root in her efforts to get away. The bear returned to all fours and took a step closer, making the young woman panic. As much as she hated the hospital, she wished for its security. The sudden onslaught of city smells and sounds surprised her. She was now on someone's well manicured lawn and the sound of a lawnmower in the distance could be heard. She was apparently in a suburb neighborhood. She scrambled to her feet and looked around. No one could be seen and children couldn't be heard. It was probably too early for school to be out for the day. She looked around quickly for a place to hide away from any possible spying eyes and headed for the rear of the nearby house. She was away from the hospital and safely out of the wilderness and the idea of being outside was too appealing to allow herself to be taken back. Her first thought was that she needed to blend in. Walking around in a robe would surely be too risky. She looked around and noticed laundry hanging from a line several houses down. She headed for the yard and carefully peeked into windows. The woman of the house was watching television, no doubt a soap opera, and facing away from the back yard. Cierra examined the clothing and grabbed what she thought would fit her before hiding inside the tool shed to change. She stuffed her robe and gown inside a trash bin and quickly left the area before she could be noticed. Now that she was dressed, she wondered what to do next. She had no money, not that she had a real concept of it after living eighteen years in institutes. She knew no one, even her family, who had given her up to the doctors and conveniently forgot she existed. The only name she knew was the name of the reporter who had written about Cierra White-Foley. Spotting a dime on the ground gave Cierra an idea. She kept walking until she found herself near a shopping area and sought out a phone booth. She dropped the dime into the slot and dialed for an operator. When the operator spoke, Cierra asked to speak with Elinor Masters, naming the newspaper and city. "Please deposit one dollar for the call." "I don't have any money," Cierra told the operator. "Do you wish to make a collect call?" "Yes, please." "Your name, please?" Here was where it was risky but she didn't dare not give her true name. The woman might not accept a call from an unknown. "Cierra White." "Hold, please." Sounds of connections being made and the operator asking for Elinor Masters could be heard. There was long pause, no doubt from someone fetching the reporter. "This is Elinor Masters," a female voice spoke. "Will you accept collect call charges from Cierra White?" "Cierra White? Yes, of course. Cierra? Where are you?" "I don't know. I'm lost," Cierra said, wondering now what to say. "Are you in a phone booth? Okay, look at the phone book, what does it say?" Cierra read off the name of the phone company and city. The women spoke, with Cierra never confessing she wasn't the same Cierra that Elinor knew. The reporter told Cierra to find the nearest bus station, telling her to use the map inside the phone book. Elinor would call ahead and arrange for a ticket in her name and to come to her city. She would meet her there. ******** It took a long time for Cierra to find her way, even with the map. She just had never used one before. She stopped many people on her way and finally found the bus station with relief. She walked up to the ticket booth and gave her name. Elinor, bless her, had also wired her enough money to buy meals and necessities for her trip. The bus she needed to take wouldn't leave for another three hours so she headed across the street to a five and dime store to buy a few things. She bought a toothbrush and a few other items plus some under garments and another sundress at another store. She was dressed poorly but at least she had another set of clothing. She bought a small travel bag and placed her purchases inside. Cierra looked at the clock in the store and saw that she still had another hour and a half to wait so found a small diner. This was the first time she had been inside of one since she was seven years old. She nervously ordered a meal from the menu and waited until it arrived. She didn't see the stares from other diners because of her lack of table manners. They didn't know she had grown up in an institute where they didn't bother teaching her the niceties of life. After she finished, she paid the bill without leaving a tip, not knowing about such things. The waitress was rather annoyed at being stiffed. The young woman returned to the bus station and waited for her bus. She boarded it a short time later, heading for the back to avoid the eyes of all those strangers. She didn't know that the rear was normally for the negro passengers. Her wish to go unnoticed was a failure. A kind Negro woman whispered that she should move further forward but Cierra refused to leave her seat. The woman shook her head and sat down next to her. Dark looks were sent her way but she ignored them, staring out the smeared bus window at the passing scenery. Many hours passed before the bus stopped at a diner to allow people to eat and visit the public restrooms. Cierra noticed that the people that had sat near her never entered the diner. As she was looking behind her, she was subject to several rude shoves and bumps from the other passengers. She sat alone, silently shunned. She ordered her meal and ate her sandwich quickly. One of the waitresses, a girl of about seventeen, patted her hand sympathetically. Cierra froze as images came to her from the contact. Scenes of the kind girl, beaten by her father. Images of her running away and half starved. Without words, she knew the waitress could barely read or write and took odd jobs to survive. Moments later, the young waitress walked to the counter to clean away the plate and found a pile of bills. The grateful girl slipped the money into her pocket and walked to the window, waving into the darkness towards the bus. * * * * * The rising sun woke Cierra. She stiffly sat up and looked around. "Where are we?" she sleepily asked the woman next to her. "We should be there in about an hour. Do you have someone meeting you?" Cierra nodded as she yawned. She felt odd now that her medications were nearly worn off. Her senses were sharper and she didn't feel sluggish as usual. The Negro woman next to her handed her a foil-wrapped muffin from her bag. Cierra smiled, "Thank you, Mattie." The woman looked at her oddly. "I never told you my name. How did you know it?" The Native American could only shrug. She just knew. "Do I know you?" the woman asked. Cierra shook her head no so the woman asked her name. Without thinking, Cierra told her. The woman's eyes opened wide and began asking her questions in a soft whisper, afraid people would overhear them. Cierra tried to explain she wasn't the one people wrote about but the woman didn't believe her. She continued to grill her with questions until the bus arrived at the bus depot. Cierra hurried from the bus, anxious to escape the woman. She only hoped the reporter she was meeting would spot her quickly since she had no idea what the woman looked like. She looked around at every female she could spot until a woman raised her hand and waved, calling her name. "Cierra?" Elinor asked in confusion. The Cierra in front of her didn't look the same. She wasn't tanned or as in good physical shape as she remembered. Also her hair was much shorter and darker. "Elinor Masters?" That was all it took to convince the reporter that this wasn't the same woman. She didn't know whether or not to be angry at being deceived. "I think we need to talk. My car is over there," she said, pointing up the street. They walked to the car and got inside. "Now, tell me who in the hell you are," Elinor growled. Next Page |