Vapor trail
Title: Vapor trail
Characters: Adrian Veidt
Rating: PG-13 (mental decline, character death)
Disclaimer: Not mine, Adrian just suffers for my catharsis.
Summary: Adrian has saved the world, but the world has no intention to save him.
DAY 0
The cold wind stings, but he stays there until he begins to feel numb.
He goes inside. It is easy to shut the cold out, close the doors behind him and henceforth live in other quarters of his icy fortress. There’s plenty of rooms. He has everything he needs.
They have all left. They will be living their lives - nothing can keep them from it now. He has made it possible. He has achieved what he had planned in his mind all along, brilliantly, slowly, efficiently. It is done. The world will continue to exist, and everything is set for him to do the same.
The greatest blow in human history. Still he is but a man. He still must obey his body. He hasn’t turned into some god just because he acted like one. There are still the same profane needs as ever.
Adrian fixes himself something to eat and then sits down to have supper. He stares at the peas and potatoes and carrots. They seem somewhat alien to him. Glaring at his meal, some time passes.
Eventually, he eats.
DAY 3
He stares out of his large windows into the snowy desert. He finds himself doing that more often than he should. He misses Bubastis.
DAY 5
There is a storm outside, and he lights a fire. The reactor keeps everything going, the radiators are always warm, but he assumes it will be cosy.
There is nothing to do.
DAY 9
He likes to be in his room, reading and watching the dull scenery he can see from the place he usually sits. He still dresses accurately and as if anyone cared.
He takes his meals in his dining room where the clatter of the cutlery makes everything seem even emptier.
DAY 15
His eyes become weary all too quickly. He forgets about his meals and stares into the whiteness outside, eventually remembering that he is still human.
DAY 17
Everyone left. Nobody ever came back for him. Not that he expected them to. Not that he wanted them to.
DAY 18
Snowflakes melt on the glass. Water runs down in little streams, joining another and uniting.
Adrians forehead feels numb from being pressed against the window for too long. Has he had something to eat today? What day is it?
Does it matter?
DAY 22
His clothes don’t fit him anymore. He tightens his belt - 1 hole, 2 holes, 3 holes. He shaves. He grooms. He plucks.
He’s neat and tidy for his supper. He can’t remember having fixed it, but here it is, still warm. It’s vegetable soup, one of his favourites. His store room is full of everything. He can go on living here forever.
Three spoons in and he’s getting sick. He doesn’t make it to the toilet, he doesn‘t even try. He throws up into the soup bowl in front of him, and he feels nauseous. A little trickle still runs from his mouth.
DAY 25
Adrians nose bleeds. Food feels alien nowadays. He can’t even think of it.
He drinks a lot. Mostly water. He goes to the toilet 12 times a day.
DAY 29
Sometimes he eats. He’s having steamed vegetables today. He doesn‘t season them. He’s indifferent to cooking. He vomits everything out that he eats. Mostly right after he has eaten it.
He reads a lot. Still he is on that same page of ‚War and Peace‘ that he read a week ago. How can that be?
DAY 30
He doesn’t bother to dress anymore. He can’t.
A bathrobe and his socks and shoes are all that will stay on his body. He’s looked at it in the mirror. He feels indifferent to it.
DAY 31
Adrian wanders the vast corridors of Karnak. He thinks about his legacy, but he is so certain that everything will work out fine that he hasn’t checked his set of TVs even once. Everything will be as he has planned it to be. And if not - what point is there in knowing?
Water comes down from the ceiling. There are puddles on the floor he carefully avoids.
DAY 33
The good times keep coming back. Studio 54. A handsome young boy opens one of the back doors that lead to the rooms above. He was beautiful then.
DAY 35
He doesn‘t leave his room anymore. There‘s water here, his bed and his memories. He can sit here and watch the water pour down the windows. Everything is water outside. Nearly everything of him is water now.
DAY 38
Sometimes Edward sits with him. Sometimes Dan sits with him.
Eddie always lets him hold his hand. Dan seems to be constantly out of reach; everytime Adrian stretches out his hand to touch him he doesn‘t quite manage to. Dan doesn‘t want to be touched. Adrian understands.
„Forgive me“, he says and cries; water pouring down his cheeks.
DAY 40
Jon knows where he is. Jon can easily save him from this hell. Why doesn‘t he? Why doesn‘t anyone?
Jon looks at him and laughs; Adrian is sure of that. Maybe he pities him, which is even worse. That giant blue asshole is somewhere out there, watching him rot away. He enjoys not bringing help to Adrian when he easily could.
He is indeed the world’s smartest termite. And nothing more.
DAY 42
His nose bleeds regularly, but there’s only water coming out.
He stands in front of the mirror, watching his body. This can’t be him. His hair begins to fall out in strands. He can see every rib in his chest, every bone in his body. He looks down at his genitals, limp and shrivelled. He is but a walking skeleton. Still his face is fair as ever. He tries to smile. His teeth are falling out too.
DAY 44
The water level in the room begins to rise slowly. Adrian can see it. At first it just covered the floor; now it goes up to his ankles when he steps out of his bed. Which he rarely does. He doesn‘t even have to go to the toilet anymore.
Still, he is standing in front of his windows, and he drinks. Water comes out of his eyes, then his ears. Holes are forming in his body; water leaks from them. He can’t pee anymore, but here he is, a human waterfall. It is almost amusing.
He turns his head and vomits water. It comes out as clear and liquid as it has been going in. His body doesn‘t want it anymore. It is right. There is already enough water here, and soon he will be part of it. And then he will rise into the air and leave a vapor trail before he fades.
DAY 45
The water level rises faster than before. Adrian can see it through his hands which he holds before his eyes. He is tired all the time.
Day 46
Eddie never visits anymore. Adrian misses him.
Dan not so much, his presence was painful and unnerving.
He sees Bubastis a lot, sneaking around, her beautiful fur soaking in the water. He wants to touch her so badly. He wants to hold Eddie’s hand. Anyone’s.
Day 47
The water reaches his mattress, and Adrian dies.
Characters: Adrian Veidt
Rating: PG-13 (mental decline, character death)
Disclaimer: Not mine, Adrian just suffers for my catharsis.
Summary: Adrian has saved the world, but the world has no intention to save him.
DAY 0
The cold wind stings, but he stays there until he begins to feel numb.
He goes inside. It is easy to shut the cold out, close the doors behind him and henceforth live in other quarters of his icy fortress. There’s plenty of rooms. He has everything he needs.
They have all left. They will be living their lives - nothing can keep them from it now. He has made it possible. He has achieved what he had planned in his mind all along, brilliantly, slowly, efficiently. It is done. The world will continue to exist, and everything is set for him to do the same.
The greatest blow in human history. Still he is but a man. He still must obey his body. He hasn’t turned into some god just because he acted like one. There are still the same profane needs as ever.
Adrian fixes himself something to eat and then sits down to have supper. He stares at the peas and potatoes and carrots. They seem somewhat alien to him. Glaring at his meal, some time passes.
Eventually, he eats.
DAY 3
He stares out of his large windows into the snowy desert. He finds himself doing that more often than he should. He misses Bubastis.
DAY 5
There is a storm outside, and he lights a fire. The reactor keeps everything going, the radiators are always warm, but he assumes it will be cosy.
There is nothing to do.
DAY 9
He likes to be in his room, reading and watching the dull scenery he can see from the place he usually sits. He still dresses accurately and as if anyone cared.
He takes his meals in his dining room where the clatter of the cutlery makes everything seem even emptier.
DAY 15
His eyes become weary all too quickly. He forgets about his meals and stares into the whiteness outside, eventually remembering that he is still human.
DAY 17
Everyone left. Nobody ever came back for him. Not that he expected them to. Not that he wanted them to.
DAY 18
Snowflakes melt on the glass. Water runs down in little streams, joining another and uniting.
Adrians forehead feels numb from being pressed against the window for too long. Has he had something to eat today? What day is it?
Does it matter?
DAY 22
His clothes don’t fit him anymore. He tightens his belt - 1 hole, 2 holes, 3 holes. He shaves. He grooms. He plucks.
He’s neat and tidy for his supper. He can’t remember having fixed it, but here it is, still warm. It’s vegetable soup, one of his favourites. His store room is full of everything. He can go on living here forever.
Three spoons in and he’s getting sick. He doesn’t make it to the toilet, he doesn‘t even try. He throws up into the soup bowl in front of him, and he feels nauseous. A little trickle still runs from his mouth.
DAY 25
Adrians nose bleeds. Food feels alien nowadays. He can’t even think of it.
He drinks a lot. Mostly water. He goes to the toilet 12 times a day.
DAY 29
Sometimes he eats. He’s having steamed vegetables today. He doesn‘t season them. He’s indifferent to cooking. He vomits everything out that he eats. Mostly right after he has eaten it.
He reads a lot. Still he is on that same page of ‚War and Peace‘ that he read a week ago. How can that be?
DAY 30
He doesn’t bother to dress anymore. He can’t.
A bathrobe and his socks and shoes are all that will stay on his body. He’s looked at it in the mirror. He feels indifferent to it.
DAY 31
Adrian wanders the vast corridors of Karnak. He thinks about his legacy, but he is so certain that everything will work out fine that he hasn’t checked his set of TVs even once. Everything will be as he has planned it to be. And if not - what point is there in knowing?
Water comes down from the ceiling. There are puddles on the floor he carefully avoids.
DAY 33
The good times keep coming back. Studio 54. A handsome young boy opens one of the back doors that lead to the rooms above. He was beautiful then.
DAY 35
He doesn‘t leave his room anymore. There‘s water here, his bed and his memories. He can sit here and watch the water pour down the windows. Everything is water outside. Nearly everything of him is water now.
DAY 38
Sometimes Edward sits with him. Sometimes Dan sits with him.
Eddie always lets him hold his hand. Dan seems to be constantly out of reach; everytime Adrian stretches out his hand to touch him he doesn‘t quite manage to. Dan doesn‘t want to be touched. Adrian understands.
„Forgive me“, he says and cries; water pouring down his cheeks.
DAY 40
Jon knows where he is. Jon can easily save him from this hell. Why doesn‘t he? Why doesn‘t anyone?
Jon looks at him and laughs; Adrian is sure of that. Maybe he pities him, which is even worse. That giant blue asshole is somewhere out there, watching him rot away. He enjoys not bringing help to Adrian when he easily could.
He is indeed the world’s smartest termite. And nothing more.
DAY 42
His nose bleeds regularly, but there’s only water coming out.
He stands in front of the mirror, watching his body. This can’t be him. His hair begins to fall out in strands. He can see every rib in his chest, every bone in his body. He looks down at his genitals, limp and shrivelled. He is but a walking skeleton. Still his face is fair as ever. He tries to smile. His teeth are falling out too.
DAY 44
The water level in the room begins to rise slowly. Adrian can see it. At first it just covered the floor; now it goes up to his ankles when he steps out of his bed. Which he rarely does. He doesn‘t even have to go to the toilet anymore.
Still, he is standing in front of his windows, and he drinks. Water comes out of his eyes, then his ears. Holes are forming in his body; water leaks from them. He can’t pee anymore, but here he is, a human waterfall. It is almost amusing.
He turns his head and vomits water. It comes out as clear and liquid as it has been going in. His body doesn‘t want it anymore. It is right. There is already enough water here, and soon he will be part of it. And then he will rise into the air and leave a vapor trail before he fades.
DAY 45
The water level rises faster than before. Adrian can see it through his hands which he holds before his eyes. He is tired all the time.
Day 46
Eddie never visits anymore. Adrian misses him.
Dan not so much, his presence was painful and unnerving.
He sees Bubastis a lot, sneaking around, her beautiful fur soaking in the water. He wants to touch her so badly. He wants to hold Eddie’s hand. Anyone’s.
Day 47
The water reaches his mattress, and Adrian dies.