Wanderer - Tainted Universe

Chapter 2-3

Sal jerked upright, body soaked in sweat and heart pounding. The lights in her room came on dimly, responding to the fact she was awake. She stared around for several moments, completely disorientated, before understanding where she was. Then she vented a string of curses, with the odd reference to Markus thrown in.

The start of the dream had been based in reality. Her last memories of her time with Markus came from sitting in that cell. Well, her last memories of him until a handful of days before. Despite being a prisoner she’d been happy then. Markus had returned her love, promised to escape and find her if they were ever separated. Minutes later they were. Guards had stormed into the cell, dragging Markus and several other prisoners away.

There had been no betrayal by Markus, no rejection. Not then, anyway. Her path had crossed Markus’s again just a few short days earlier, and she had learnt everything she thought she knew about him had been false. He’d been an Imperial agent posing as a slave, and she’d just been part of his cover.

He’d claimed to be someone else when they met again, claimed not to know her. Circumstances had exposed his lies and ultimately led to his death. Before he died he’d told Sal what he truly thought of her while under the effects of interrogation drugs. He’d told her how much disgust he felt for being with her, how he saw her as vermin.

Now Sal was left trying to pick up the pieces of her life. The dream had woven together the two conflicting emotions she wrestled with. The love she still felt for her Markus, even if he hadn’t ever really existed, and the pain and anger she felt whenever she thought of the real Markus. Or Andreas, as she had learnt his actual name was.

Often she wished she’d never discovered the truth. She wished she’d spent the rest of her life in ignorance, nursing memories of her lost love. Other times she wished it had been her that killed Markus, not Jess. Anger burning through her veins, she wanted to make Markus suffer, make him pay. The anger was so strong it scared her.

And then there were times, like now, when she just felt lost. So much of her previous life had been ripped away she felt cast adrift. Sometimes she even missed being a slave. Then at least life was straightforward, if never easy. She did what she was told and tried to survive. Now… well, now everything was so complicated. So difficult. What was the point? What was there to live for?

She sat on the bed in the dim light, blanket pulled tight around her, staring at nothing as dark thoughts pulled her deeper into depression.