2:25pm
Lindsay sat solemnly on one of the chairs in the dreary room. Matt sat beside her, Peter beside Matt, Anton beside Peter, and Sandy beside Anton. Jillian Derby, a known OSIR 'contact,' sat across the room, eyeing the five scientists. Of all people, she had not expected to see them here. She forgot about them when visions of her dead second cousin, once removed by marriage, invaded her mind. She sat in the funeral parlor, weeping. 
Lindsay couldn't contain herself anymore and burst into tears for her dead aunt. She had spent a lot of time with her when she was little, and this reminded her of her mother's funeral. Her mother had died when she was young, and she didn't get to know her too well. Her teary eyes searched the room and came to rest upon and familiar face. The girl's name eluded her at the moment, but that didn't matter, since Lindsay turned to her father, who was starting his eulogy.
10:56pm
On the way 'home' from the funeral, Lindsay was continuously consoled by Anton, Peter, Matt and Sandy. Of course, 'home' for now was the Mobile Lab, as usual. Snow was falling from the darkened sky as the Expedition skidded across the icy road. Matt had to stop and start frequently because of bad or no visibility, and the five sat in the heated truck waiting for it to clear up. It was a long ride back and Lindsay was in no mood to be stuck in a car at this time of night, especially after just being at the burial of one of her family members, but she also wasn't about to get out and walk the rest of the way.
When they got back to the lab, they had to draw straws to find out who would get to go unlock the doors to the Mobile Lab before the rest made a mad dash so to not get iced over on the way. Of course, having all the bad luck in the group, Peter took Matt's keys and ran to the doors. When he had them unlocked and disappeared inside, the rest of them followed suit, except for Lindsay, who needed to be alone. She stayed in the truck until all the heat was leeched out by the howling wind outside. Her toes were numb, her fingers were sore, and she was frozen right through. It was time to go in.
She entered the Mobile Lab and went straight to her bunk, where she put her boots, jacket, gloves and hat. She changed from her black dress suit into a sweater and jeans, and joined the rest of the group in the conference room, where they were drinking hot chocolate and chatting about nothing in particular. Sandy was still in her jacket- she had to leave soon to go back home. She wasn't a full-time worker here; she just came to assist once in a while. Her job was done now, and she was just having a mug of hot chocolate and saying her good-byes. The three males, still in their black tuxes, still acting like gentlemen, listened intently while Sandy told them about her daughter, a cheerful young girl with strawberry blond hair and shining blue eyes. The three knew about having a young girl around the house- Anton, remembering his long-lost daughter Nicole, Matt, remembering his daughter, well known around the lab, and Peter, his niece Jessie. Sandy rose to leave after saying farewell, brushed by Lindsay as she entered the room, and disappeared around the corner.
Lindsay sat in her usual place and took the extra mug of hot chocolate from the center of the table. She sipped the hot liquid appreciatively, noticing how much better it was to be inside than in the truck in the freezing cold. The three guys rose to change out of their tuxes, and Lindsay was left alone with her thoughts once more.
She stepped through the mirror and gazed around the room with cold, harsh eyes. Her leather jacket smelled of shoeshine and her breath of cigarette smoke. Her knee-high black leather boots shined in the glare of the lamps and her straight, jet-black hair streamed over her shoulders. She gave off an unpleasant aura; she was someone you didn't want to have to look in the eye. She walked slowly around the room, turning on the lights as she went. She favored the light, so she could wear her ultra-black sunglasses. She grinned cruelly and nodded. "This will do," she said to herself, alone in the room. |
