The Prisoner - Location Alpha

Meanwhile, TJ needing something to do, had reround the video to watch Michelle at breakfast. TJ had made french toast and served it with fresh cantaloupe. Michelle jumped at the tray hitting the ground before running to the bean hole to ask what was going to happen and if she would be given her phone calls. The bean hole slammed shut before a single word was able to leave her mouth.

Michelle picked up the tray and went to sit at the table. She smiled at her favorite breakfast food and a single tear rolled down her face at the memories she had dreamt of. She had had a restless night of broken memories of her long dead love and the breakfast just rubbed the pain in her face. The food brought memories of her TJ cooking breakfast after their sleepovers, they were so bittersweet. She always made french toast. It was always perfect and she always added cinnamon and sprinkled it with real sugar instead of powdered sugar.

Looking down at her plate it was a perfect replica of TJ's cooking. How the fuck did these fuckers know. There is no diary. There was no recipe, no documentation. She hadn't even made it for herself, not even once since her T had last made it for her. No one knew how her T made her French toast and these bastards had the audacity not only to pry into her brain for it but then to throw it on the ground.

"FUCK YOU, YOU FUCKING BASTARD. I FUCKING HATE YOU. LET ME THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" She screamed while picking up her plate and throwing it back at the cell door, not touching a single bite. She crawled back into bed and cried herself back to sleep.

TJ, still watching the recording, saw recognition wash across Michelle's face.

"She has to know I made it," She thought, "I'm the only one who makes her toast perfect and no one, no one adds plain sugar but me."

She continued watching emotions float across Michelle's face, and saw them land on anger and hatred. She heard the yelling on the playback and knew the words were meant for her alone as she watched Michelle ruin the perfect breakfast without taking a single bite. Okay, that hurt a lot more than it should have.

TJ began to doubt her plan for the first time ever. She thought she would feel better knowing the monster she loves who destroyed her was safe somewhere, without the capacity to hurt anyone else. What she didn't realize, was the emotional toll she would take facing continual rejection.

TJ left the control room to find Matti and apologize to her. She knew she fucked up and hurt Matti in her rejection. Michelle's rejection had reminded her of how much Matti must be hurting right now. TJ found Matti heating up lunch and sat at the table.

"I'm sorry Matti, I don't want to hurt you through this continually turning you away. I need you to understand that I will never be enough for you. I will never be able to give all of myself to you because I don't have all of me to give."

"Teej, I know," Matti said with a sigh. "We have had this conversation multiple times, really I know, well not all of what I got myself into but I know you need me to, not the way I desire you but you need a part of me to help you through this. Whatever your prisoner did to you, you need help getting through this. I'm here however you need me okay? I'm not mad about earlier, I was the one who attacked you first. I was just trying to help and I didn't know where your power button was for a hard start. Well I know where it is now and I know what not to say if there ever is a next time. Do you want to take her lunch to her now?"

TJ looked at the pizza with extra sauce and the fries next to it. She wouldn't be able to handle it if there was an immediate rejection again, and not many people know how good french fries dipped in the marinara sauce from the pizza is. From Matti's initial reaction to the idea, TJ figured it could just be the two of them. Once Michelle saw what it was, she would know once again it was from TJ, and TJ didn't want to think about it being thrown right at her. Nope. She needed to work out, get her emotions in check, get her Zen centered and then she would serve dinner.

"Would you please go pass her lunch. I don't think I can deal right now."

Matti smiled, "oh of course Teej, I'll be right back."

Matti opened the bean hole and got the prisoners attention. Michelle came over to the door, looked at lunch, and broke down crying. In between tear choked breathes she got out

"W-w-why ar-r-r-re you doi-in-n-ng this-is-is to meeee.."

Matti looked into her blue eyes and even with the little green monster sitting on her shoulder she felt sorry for the girl for a moment. She was truly hurt by looking at her lunch tray.

"You broke her little prisoner. I don't know how and I don't know why, but you broke the best thing you could have ever had. She would have been the most loyal and trustworthy lover, the best companion to the end of time, your everything, and somehow you threw it away. I'm trying to find pieces to put Humpty together again but I don't have any horses and I certainly don't need the king's men. But I need to know what you did to her, even just a piece of the puzzle."

Michelle was still trying to riddle out the meaning of the strange new guard's speech when she realized they had to be talking about her love, though she couldn't fathom the reason for all the emotional torture, or whatever this was.

"She's dead now, what does it matter what happened in the past, pieces of our lives here and there are nothing compared to the passion I still have for her, why try to douse my flame for her with my own tears?"

"She was dead for a long time, I have been trying to bring the life back into her for years now, piece by piece and I will keep trying. I guess your secrets will remain between the two of you but unlike you I will never give up on her." With that Matti closed the bean hole frustrated with the beautiful prisoner who seemed just as stubborn and refused to give information as much as her equally beautiful captor.

Whatever happened between them must have been far worse than she had imagined. Matti returned to the living area to find TJ passed out on the couch. She pulled a blanket over her, plugged her phone in to charge and went to read a book.

TJ hadn't meant to fall asleep and her demons were still too close to the surface to let her rest. Finally, they were able to claim victory after being thwarted so many times in the past.

The increase of thug activity reported on every local news station was the cause of the horrific scenes left behind throughout the once peaceful town. It was suggested by one expert these criminals were pick and hired to come in and destroy the town.

TJ wandered through the darkness of the night unable to change the inevitable. She heard a noise behind her and spun around to confront the one who had been following her, only it wasn't one it was 7. TJ might have been able to hold her own against one, but 7 was asking a bit much, especially in her saddened and depressed state.

The summer was almost over and Michelle still hadn't used her gift. Mrs Wolferson had called her mom to inform her that Michelle had in fact received the tickets, but was refusing to use them. TJ didn't know what else to do. She had followed all of the bread crumbs Mrs Wolferson had left for her. She had searched whichever way she had hinted towards and still came up empty.

One of the boys with a dew rag on his head spoke up, "Michelle sends her regards and a birthday wish."

TJ was stunned "What?"

"It had to be cleverly hidden to avoid unwanted attention."

All of TJ's intuition and street smarts flew out the window. She ignored the feeling in her stomach, and the prickly feeling on the back of her neck saying this was a bad situation. Any communication from her girl was wanted despite the risk. She would have traded almost anything for a chance at hearing from her.

"What are you waiting for then? Let's go now," The words flew from TJ's mouth.

"You understand we will have to blindfold you, because you can't know where we go."

TJ was nodding along with everything he said now, desperate enough to follow along with any conditions given. One of the boys in the back snickered, pulled his dew rag out of his back pocket and walked behind TJ, who stood stoically still while the bandana was rolled into a blindfold and tied around her head. Two of the boys supported an arm of hers each and they set off.

TJ was pretty sure it was the way down towards factory alley, not a place she wanted to be, but if Michelle was there then she wasn't second guessing it. TJ tried to pry answers from the boys who marched her along. The leader spoke up and said if she didn't keep quiet around here they would have to gag her too. TJ tried to keep her mouth shut but she had to know.

"Is Michelle here? Did she find a way back to me?"

The leader rolled his eyes. He knew she was a lesbian based on their contract, but the chick was a little too much. This was going to be so much fun. Even better because they were getting a huge pay off for it.

He tsk'ed his mouth a few times, pulled his rag from his head and, thinking it would be even more amusing, unzipped his pants to rub the rag around his balls a few times which were already getting antsy just thinking about what was to come. He then shoved the rag into her mouth causing a gag reflex. He tsk'ed again and ripped a piece of her own shirt off to tie the rag into her mouth.

By the time they got to the factory they had to all but carry her. She was freaking out now and the guys had restrained her well. They tied her hands above her head and now was the time for the speech, which for whatever reason was needed for the pay off.

"Okay TJ, this is from Michelle so you need to listen carefully," He said it right into her ear, and she stopped struggling so she could listen. He pulled the paper out of his pocket and began to read it.

"Dearest Tabitha, I have tried to convey how repulsed I was from your actions towards me. I have moved multiple times in an attempt to lose contact. I am not interested in your advances. I am going away again now that I'm an adult. I am trying to get away from you. I have hired these gentlemen to show you what I truly enjoy since actions speak louder than words. I have hired them to show you how I am having a good time without you. The things they will do to you will knock any perverse ideas you have out of your head. These men will show you what you wanted me to miss out on. P.S. Hope you enjoy your birthday, because the mighty have fallen," Finished, he kissed her ear. Then she began screaming.

TJ's screams in the nightmare were escaping through her lungs and, thankfully, they were loud enough to wake her once again before she had to relive that night. It was also loud enough to bring Matti running back in. Even Michelle in the cell jumped out of bed.

TJ was trembling. There was no safe place, no safe area. She needed to be free, not caged in by walls. Matti tried to hold her still to talk to her, but it was like trying to hold a caged tiger. TJ was not seeing her surroundings, so she was screaming and kicking, trying to get to the exit. She had to get away from the horror her mind had trapped her in. TJ made it to the stairs, bolted up them, and ran across the house to the garage. She saw her black Ninja waiting, begging to get away, far away.

She kicked it to life, and it screamed right along with her. She revved the throttle and before the gate was even half way up she was out in the country with lungfuls of air being forced down her throat. Wind was flying past her ears and drowning the echo of her own screams. The vision of the road and trees flying past was invading her eyesight, forcing the previous sights out of her head. Needing even more of her brain focused on the task of fleeing she popped the clutch again, forcing the bike back onto a single wheel.

At this speed all of her mental concentration was focused on keeping the bike upright. Leaning forward just in time to balance and lean into the next curve, she tried to escape the tragedy of the past. That night she had limped her way back home with bones broken, bruises covering her body, only to find officers waiting for her at her house. Her parents were victims of a mugging that had occurred according to the officers. Neither of her parents had survived and she needed to go with them. One of the male officers attempted to comfort her by reaching out to her, bringing his outstretched arm closer. Wrong decision.

Fight or flight kicked in and she was able to fight this time, now that she was free. The officer was laying on his back now. TJ's adrenaline pumping through her entire body. Taser deployed, nothingness, hospital bed, nothingness, medication, emptiness, phycologist, nothingness, psychiatrist, pain, no comfort.

Something clicked in her brain this time, as she rounded the next series of curves. The dew rags and her parents mugging. She had to know for sure. She had to face her demon, her love, her prisoner, her tormentor. Had she also hired them to end her parents life, along with her life, taking everything from her in one smack?

Was the only unconditional love she had ever known taken away by the one she loved unconditionally, right along with everything else in one night? She had to know if Michelle was responsible for it all.

Without realizing she was already headed back, TJ turned into the drive to the shelter. It all seemed so obviously related, now that she could look back, but she needed to know why.

Michelle had still been laying in bed trying to figure out all the riddles from the new guard. Not her guard like the other one. She had realized she felt a pull towards her guard, when she tried to differentiate the guards. One was Her guard, the new one was just a guard.

She realized she had been calling her guard hers since she first heard the deep voice. What was it about that guard that made her feel as though possessed by her? No, the riddle was more important to figure out first. What did the new guard mean by she was dead, but is being put back together?

Her mom had told her about the mugging that had taken away the best people she had ever met. They were all gone. Had been dead for 12 years. Why would pieces of her matter? Then she heard it, her guard screaming her name. No, that wasn't her guard, it was MyT screaming for her!

"I have to get to her," She thought desperately to herself, "They can torture me for whatever they want but they need to leave her the fuck alone, she is in pain can't they hear it in her screams?"

Michelle started screaming back pounding the door, the table, anything she could reach. TJ's screams were getting further away. There was a loud roar from an engine, then nothing. Not okay. What did they do to her? How did she survive the mugging? Where the hell had she been? Have they held her captive here all along? She was still screaming and kicking the door when the bean hole opened. New guard was there with blood flowing from her nose and paper towels holding it back.

"No more riddles, what did you do to her? Where is she? Let her come in here. Can I go calm her down? She is in pain! Please take me to her. How long have you kept her here?"

Michelle's questions kept being yelled at the new guard in no order and without waiting for a response to any of them, while on her knees staring at the stranger not even in a guard uniform.

Matti stared back unable to comprehend half the questions, "Me? What did you do to her? That's what I need to find out so I can help her, I've never seen her like this."

"How long have you been holding her here?"

"What? No she is holding you."

"Huh? I just heard her, she is in pain, let me see her, please," Michelle pleaded.

"She's gone."

"Let me go, please" Michelle begged the guard.

"Abso-fucking-lutely not, she would kill me." Matti retorted.

"I need to see her, I can't believe she's alive!"

"Wait you thought she was actually dead?" Now Matti was dumbstruck.

"Yes, twelve years ago her family was attacked in a mugging and all of them were suppose to have died. Please, I need to see her." Michelle was still on her knees staring through the bean hole.

TJ walked back down to hear the end of the conversation, "Matti I need to speak with her alone."

Neither Matti nor Michelle had heard TJ return, too wrapped up in their own conversation.

"Uh yeah Teeej I'll just umm be upstairs, you look uhhh determined. Just holler and I'll be back down here."

"Matti, just go. Now." TJ demanded.

Once Matti was upstairs, TJ opened the cell door and stepped inside. Michelle couldn't believe her eyes, her T was standing there in the flesh, alive and well. She just stood there dumbstruck eyeing her up and down not believing her eyes, needing to feel her, run her hands all over her. She took a tentative step towards her.

"Stop, don't come any closer. I need to know if you meant what you just said. You meant them to kill me too?" TJ demanded answers.

"What? MyT I thought you've been dea..."

She was cut off by TJ screaming,"DON'T CALL ME THAT, YOU LOST THAT RIGHT YEARS AGO WHEN YOU SENT YOUR NECKLACE BACK IN PIECES, AND SEVERAL TIMES AFTER!"

"What necklace T? You were supposed to be dead, please let me feel you, let me know you're real." Michelle was shaking with emotions.

"I can't do this Michelle. I thought keeping you away from people would be better for society, but you just confessed to the hired murder of two of the best people in the world, and the attempted murder of myself. It's all recorded. With back up files, so don't do anything stupid while I call the sheriff's office. I'll bring you the necklace so you can spit on the pieces or whatever ever you want with them before they get here."

With that TJ stepped out and slammed the door on any chance of happiness she could have had. She pulled the box down off the shelf, the container still on top, the pieces of one and her own half also still inside. She dropped it inside the bean hole, didn't even bother closing the hole, while she walked upstairs, ignoring the words from the monster of all her nightmares.

She found Matti upstairs in the living room of the barn house. She looked her in the eyes and explained the entire story from beginning to end with the added confession she heard from Michelle. Matti was speechless staring at the most amazing, strong, intelligent, beautiful, stubborn, and dumb person she had ever met.

Matti, now having heard the full story from TJ's perspective, was able to see all of the flaws her jaded friend had overlooked with all the hurt and pain and suffering she had endured. It had been beyond what anyone could have imagined. Something even fewer could have survived and come out the other end as her friend had. She knew not to get any closer, to not even move a hand to try to comfort her friend. It would have been taken as a hostile act and dealt with swiftly.

She let TJ pour her heart out. She had heard so much pain in her friend's story that her own body ached. Being an outside person to this entire circus however, she had also seen and heard the pain in Michelle when she thought TJ had been dead for the past 12 years. She saw what TJ had missed. The hope and happiness in even the possibility of TJ being even partially alive.

She had also seen what the then teenager had missed several times over, whomever this mother of Michelle was, she was at least 80 percent responsible for all of the confusion and damage if not a lot more responsible and guilty for the crimes committed.

Now what to do with the obvious answer, now that the story was out there. Option 1, pick up the pieces of what was left of TJ like she had promised herself and take whatever TJ would give her. Or, option 2, enlighten her friend to the innocence of Michelle and lose any hope of ever getting a chance at happiness with her. TJ currently blamed the entire series of her life falling apart on Michelle. It would be so easy to reach out and comfort her and let whatever happens to Michelle happen.