Blue Sun Room FICTION - SUSPENSE

Orphaned Soul, Part 9

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Inara and Shephard Book try to help a troubled girl who has lost her brother, and perhaps her mind.

CATEGORY: FICTION    TIMES READ: 4692    RATING: 9.0 (G)    SERIES: FIREFLY

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Inara stirred. Emergency lights cast flickering shadows across the small cabin. She ran her hand over the empty mat that lay next to her. It was cold; the shepherd had left some time ago.

Inara turned to see River sitting up, her head tilted sideways as if straining to catch words from a distant conversation, or a fleeting dream.

"River?"

"Daddy's home," River whispered.

The ship lurched suddenly; confused voices of waking passengers mingled with the unsettling sound of metal groaning under a terrible weight.

The door slid open and Book stepped through. "It's the Alliance. We've been ordered to dock by a passing cruiser." He glanced at River, huddled in the corner. "Hide her -- I'll try to buy you some time."

Turning from the departing shepherd, Inara surveyed their spartan accommodations. This was no Firefly. Even in the main passenger dorm, there would be nowhere to hide.

River wrapped her arms around herself, slender fingers digging relentlessly into her bare shoulders. "Don't let them take me!"

Inara knelt to comfort her but River recoiled from Inara's touch, pressing her slight frame against the wall. "I don't want to go back! They'll make me see things, hear things --” She lifted her head, her intense gaze penetrating the wild tangle of her hair.

Inara had comforted broken men before. Men who had experienced the terrors of war, who had faced their own capacity for brutality.

Comments
Tuesday, 11 January 2005 18:14
Thanks for your patience while I worked through my writer's block, everyone! I have the rest of this fic scoped out and drafted now, and plan to post one every week (perhaps every Firefly Friday?). Thanks again for your support and interest and please post/send me comments and suggestions!

- Shiny
ANONYMOUS
Tuesday, 11 January 2005 19:16
Ohh, I like!!

So, are we finally going to find out the mystery of Inara's syringe?

More!!
Tuesday, 11 January 2005 19:17
Oh, good gorram!

That was me, I got logged out.
Tuesday, 11 January 2005 19:27
Gorrammit, what in the nine hells did Inara inject into River? I just hope that whatever the *diyu* it was there is an antidote handy. Glad to hear you will be posting more regularly, can't wait to see what happens next! Ali D :~)
You can't take the sky from me
Tuesday, 11 January 2005 21:50
you left me with goosebumps again!! glad to hear we won't have to wait too long for the next installment.
Wednesday, 12 January 2005 12:21
Glad to see you continue this one. While the previous installment works as an ending, it's a rather abrupt one.
Thursday, 13 January 2005 19:16
Another tantalizing tidbit in this intriguing little saga... Eager for more.
Wednesday, 26 January 2005 18:37
WHOAH!

That was brilliant!

There were a lot of nice touches here and there:

'River wrapped her arms around herself, slender fingers digging relentlessly into her bare shoulders.'

'River's gaze was at once fierce and subtly hypnotic. Inara could scarcely break eye contact as footsteps approached, loud and precise. Military.'

and...

'The footsteps came to a halt outside their door. Book's muffled protestations were met with the sound of several guns being cocked.'

Also, what the hell's in that syringe?!

I need to read more!!

Good job Shiny!

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