Fic: All That Glitters
Title: All That Glitters
Progress: 19/100
Word Count: 750
Prompt: #43 Castle
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and no profit is being made from the use of them.
All That Glitters
A pointed chin dipped, honey blonde hair falling forward to cover her features as she adjusted the box of her possessions and ignored the scientist at her back. Her recently shorn hair fell in varying layers from chin to collarbone and the slanted bangs that had been a last minute addition were, at the moment, begging to be held at bay by a headband. The cut and color had been done by a sweet faced professional that she had told-tongue firmly in cheek-that she didn’t want to recognize herself.
The metal doors slid open, pulling her from internal thoughts as she stepped off the elevator and into another white corridor similar to the one that led to her old living quarters. Her regulation boots were nearly noiseless against the linoleum-tiled floor as she made her way to the second elevator that would lead to the surface and Rain. The other woman had volunteered to help her move back home. The two were apparently neighbors because according to Rain, one couldn’t beat the accommodations or price of living on site.
Her lips quirked as she stepped into her next ride and absently counted with the small black screen as the red lines shifted, depicting each floors number. The compound had in the past few weeks, as she was given more and more freedom, made her think of a massive underground castle. With towers that penetrated deep into the earth rather than attempting to pierce the sky. The sections above ground usually only rose two or three stories but were spread out, taking up several acres of land. Land that she had explored and ran until she lost her breath and became uneasy with just how much land she could actually cover before that happened.
The elevator slowed and she shifted the box for a better grip as the doors opened and she stepped out onto a floor covered with marble. She studied the thin white and silver vein work before the jingling of keys drew her attention sideways and she caught sight of Rain leaning to the left of the elevators. Back to the wall, one foot angled against that beautiful marble and the other propped, heel to toe, against the white drywall.
Her lips pulled up at the corners as she lifted the set of keys, “Ready?”
She arched a brow, “They gave you my keys?”
“So?”
“Did you steal anything?”
“Would you know if I had?”
She snorted, “Let’s go.”
Rain fell instep beside her and they nodded to the security guard that slipped his pass card through the control panel located to the right of the door leading to the outside. It released with a hiss of compressed air and Rain moved past her and a step ahead, making her way to a golf cart and slipped behind the wheel.
“Nice,” she stretched out the word and smirked before adding, “Ride.”
“Shut your mouth and get on before I leave your ass.”
She cleared her throat to hide the laughter. “To walk the whole 200 feet?” she raised her brows with the word ‘whole’ and smiled wider as Rain’s lips thinned.
“Get. In.”
She moved around the back of the cart and made her way up to the passenger side, still smirking. She eased herself onto the plastic covered seat and laughed outright when Rain punched the gas and they shot forward, pushing her back and forcing her to fumble with the box of her belongings. Rolling her eyes she tightened her grip on the cardboard and tried to enjoy her ride with a crazy person.
Within a few minutes they came to a jolting stop in front of several duplexes lining the far side of the compound behind the asphalt track Rain had first taken her on for training. She had noticed the narrow buildings then but never understood their purpose until now as she followed Rain to what were usually temporary lodgings until new employees could find their own homes in Raccoon City.
Rain stepped up to a random cookie cutter door and slipped a brass key into the deadbolt, unlocking it and she winced with how the loud the tumbler was as it released. Her brows slanted when she noticed that Rain showed no reaction to the loud scraping sound and stepped back, waited for the door to be pushed open and the other woman to step aside.
Waited for Rain to allow her to trade one cage for another, more gilded one.
The End.