To Hurt Is to Become [InnocentGuilt]

submitted by InnocentGuilt - Aug 31, 2002

This is the third Chapter of my story. The plot and characters have been developed so lets see what new adventures have been cooked up for the Edwards family today.


InnocentGuilt
To hurt is to Become
Chapter 3 Day 3

'Damn, not this place again.' Bill thought. "Hello stupid brain wake up. I know this is just a dream. End the nightmare already."

"So you think that this place is just a dream." A voice appeared.

"Here we go again. All you stupid voices appear and then try to brainwash me. Fat chance. Now let me wake up so I can go on with the rest of the day."

"So little that you do know yet you think you know everything. Human minds assume that which isn't within there understanding." The voice said.

"This is really getting old. Hey Brain you're only dreaming. This guy isn't real. Produce me something that will block out the noise from him. " Suddenly a pink Pacifier with purple ribbons around it appeared. The ribbons quickly wrapped around Bill's neck, while the pacifier flew into his mouth. This isn't what Bill wanted to happen at all. The Voice laughed evilly.

"What control you have or had we have given you. You have no will other then that which we provided. You are a small child who can not control their own emotional thoughts. We have decided that your fate will be decided by the imagines you have shown us. However the trial shall go on." The voice explained.

"Trial? What the hell are you talking about?," but all that came out were muffled sounds hidden by the pacifier. Two roads suddenly appeared out of nowhere. One of the roads looked peaceful. While the other looked like in belong deep down in the path of a volcano.

"One road leads to one path and the other leads to another. Each path contains a fate. Which fate is up to you. Now choose your path." The voice laughed sadistically knowing what was in store with either path wouldn't be what Bill wanted.

Bill was being pulled towards the direction of the roads." You said that I could choose which pathway way I was to take. You never said anything about this!" Bill screamed.

"Oh I might have left out a few details. This is just to make sure that you follow through and don't try to run." Another sadisticl laugh. Bill was being pulled closer and closer to his doom. The roads where so close to him now that he could feel the flames from the other path. Which one would he choose? And if he did choose one would it be the right road or the wrong road?

Bill's and Cindy's bedroom

Cindy was the first to wake up that morning. She was had been woken up when the alarm went off like normal.' I guess we forgot to turn it off last night.' She thought. She then creep out of bed hoping and trying not to wake Bill. After she had cleared the bed she then went to the shower to freshen up for the day. Showers always seemed to do two things for Cindy. One was it cleaned her soul and body. The other was she enjoyed the feeling of having the water touch every part of her body. The only thing better then a shower was a bath. Suddenly there was a knock at the bathroom door that brought Cindy back to reality. " I'm taking a shower. Who is it?" Cindy asked.

"Mommy, there's some strange men at the door." Chrissy replied.

'Damn. There's never time to relax .' Cindy thought. "I'll be right there. Just stay away from the door till I get there." She turned off the water. She then proceeded to the bathroom closet and produced two towels that she used to dry her bodyoff with. When her body was safely dried, a bath robe was placed on top of her skin. She then tied the strings together and was off.

Front Door of House

When Cindy arrived at the front door one of the men revealed a badge. "FBI, we have a warrant to search the place for a person by the name of Bill Edwards. We believe that he may have some vital information in solving a murder of Senator Williams." Cindy opened the door and let the men into the Den.

"My husband is currently sleeping at the moment. If you will wait right here I'll go and wake him up." Cindy then left the room.

"Are you here to hurt my daddy?" Chrissy asked the police man.

"No. What ever gave you that idea?" FBI Stan Reno replied.

"Because the tv show showed a police man shooting a guy for being bad." Chrissy said.

"TV and real life are two completely different things. All we want to do is ask your daddy some information." Reno explained.

Chrissy inched a little closer. Her curiosity was getting the better of her. "Do you get to carry a gun?" Chrissy asked.

"Yes we carry one, but only use it if we have to." Just then there was a loud scream coming from Cindy and Bills bedroom. Reno pulled out his gun. "Dan you stay here and cover the girl. I'm going to go in."

"Roger." FBI agent Dan replied.

Reno moved through the hallways as quickly as possible. When he arrived to where the screams had come from he knocked. "Please open the door. If there is a problem we can help." Nobody replied back. Reno tried again. "If you are capable of opening the door please do so now." Again no reply. Reno then kicked the door down. Inside he found Cindy crouched over the bed. She was in extreme shock. Reno inched in closer to try and get a better view of the room.

When Cindy releazed that Reno was there she started to panic. Her mind was racing from all that was happening. " Where is he? Where is he? Where have you taken my husband?" she screamed.

"Calm down. We've been in the other room the whole time. Now who is missing?" Reno asked.

"Bill is! He was just here sleeping and when I went over to wake him up all that was left were his clothes." Cindy said panicking.

A nearby Street

Bill wasn't sure how he had arrived at the street corner. All he could remember was falling asleep in bed and that God awful dream. He was just glad to be out of that hellish place that he had been in. That was when he looked down and noticed the first thing that was different about him. He was wearing a Versatile dress in simple style that had a scooped neckline. Parts of Bill thought that he was still dreaming when he saw the dress on. However when he touched his body it felt real. He could feel the curves of the breast line on his body. The hips were positioned wider then his normal legs. There was no mistake he was a female. 'Damn, is this what the guy meant by choice of fate? Why the hell couldn't they have left me alone. My life was perfect the way it is.' Bill thought.

"The bad men did it to you too I see." At first Bill thought the voices had returned, but when he looked around he saw a cardboard box that had been turned on it's side. In it was Sarah. She was alone , scared, and curled up in a fetal position.

"What bad men?" Bill asked.

"The ones that come in your dreams. They steal your life and claim that you have been a very bad person."

"Did these bad people do something to you Sarah?" Bill questioned.

"Yes, those bastards had the nerves to do this to me!"

"You mean that you aren't Sarah?" Bill asked.

"No damn-it, I used to be Senator Williams."

"Then where is Sarah if your the Senator?" None of what was happening seemed possible, but Bill wasn't about to let his one chance for answers pass him by.

"I have no idea. Chances are they have her locked up somewhere."

"Why then was I changed?" Bill asked.

"First of all I have no idea who you used to be so I couldn't tell you." The Senator angrily replied.

"Don't know what to call myself now, but it's me Bill Edwards."

"Oh God! They got you too? I'm sorry. Chances are they feared I might be telling you information. There's no way that I had planed this to happen." The Senator showed as much sympathy as he could for Bill's current condition.

"Since I'm already involved in this God awful mess. May I ask who they are?"

"CITZEN. Central Intelligence Tech-logic Zoning Evaluation of Negative thought. There mission was to provide a safe environment free of harm from any evil outside that of normal control. By telling you this I'm breaking every governmental law on top secret projects. To them we are just mindless animals that needed to be eliminated in order to proceed."

Back at Cindy and Bills home

Reno could kick himself for not coming the night before. His only lead to the case was now nowhere and everywhere. Reno had come to the Edwards home to question Bill, but not about a murder. He knew deep down the Senator was alive only those damn machines now had control of him. It was his job to track down anyone that might be involved or could be a victim of the CITZEN. "I need an APB out on any family members of a Bill Edwards." Reno called in.

Cindy had been in shock the whole time. This just couldn't happen. It was like a nightmare that wouldn't end. Not only was she affected, but Chrissy as well. " Mommy, what happened to daddy?" Chrissy asked.

Cindy just cried and answered, "I honestly don't know. I just don't know."

In Chrissy's mind she knew who to blame and ran screaming at them, "It's all your fault! It's all your fault! You made my daddy go away!"

Reno felt the first couple of punches, but they weren't strong enough to cause any damage. This was the only bad thing he hated about his job. Cindy came running over and grabbed Chrissy, "They weren't trying to hurt your daddy." Cindy held onto her daughter.

"But they are Police. The tv shows them as hurting people. It's there fault!" Chrissy was kicking and screaming, but Cindy didn't let go. She just held on tighter and tighter till all the pain and anger was gone from her daughter. That was when they both cried.

"We believe that your husband might still be alive. However he might be altered." Reno explained while Dan dusted for finger prints, took pictures of Bill and Cindy's bedroom, and anything else that might help them figure out what happen.

"Altered? How?" Cindy asked. Reno went on to explain about CITZEN, what it's mission was, and how it effected people. Utter shock was seen on Cindy's face. "This awful experiment is what our taxes are going to?" Cindy questioned.

"Yes, but recently the people who controlled CITZEN went rogue. We believe a group of terrorists have taken over the place and is now using the computer to alter people. Bill might have been it's latest victim." Reno explained.

"Can the effects be reversed?" Cindy asked.

"In theory the person could be reversed if brains normal pathways had not been altered." Reno explained

"What happens if the person is altered and brainwashed?" Cindy asked.

"Don't know, we've tested a few features before on convect at the base. Just never had a need to use it."

"Sir, we just got a dispatch from headquarters. They say that a Sarah Williams has been spotted in a alley and is on the run with John Doe. There seems to be no records on the person." Dan interrupt.

"It's them. Send out a unit to track them and have all remaining cars in a grid formation. We can not let them get away." Reno instructed.

The chase

Bill and Mr. Williams were on the move. A police car chased them from behind. "Shouldn't we stop and talk to them?" Bill asked.

"Can't risk it. We have no idea which side they are on. Plus chances are they think that I killed or did something to Senator Williams."

"What on earth would give them that idea?" Bill asked.

"Well when I came to there was a lot of blood from the transformation. I don't know if they were just punishing me or if I was the first, but when I came to blood was all around me. Chances are part of the blood wasn't Sarah's, but my former self. Thus they would link the two together that Sarah escaped and went after her father."

"Damn it, why did you have to get me involved in this." Bill said clutching his fist together.

"You were the only one I could trust with Sarah's life. Ironic I've now suffered the fate of being my own daughter so I guess I can trust you with my life too."

"It isn't like I have a choice now. What will happen to my family? " Bill asked.

"Don't worry. One of our special agents should have gone and talked to them. Two units were keep outside of the project and informed to start acting and control any leakage or problem that comes up, Alpha squadron and Delta squadron. These two team are the soul of the Agency. I'm sure they are taking care of your family right now." Mr. Williams explained.

"Damn my head. It feels like it is on fire." Bill screamed.

"You must fight it. They are trying to get at you by forcing you into sleep. Fight it!" Mr. Williams screamed, but it was to late. Bill was being sucked into the world of illusions and dreams. He had lost the battle and he now was in the hands of a enemy's who's sole purpose was to torment him.

The hospital bed

"She's waking up. Everything should be ok now as long as she gets some rest." A nearby voice said. Bill slowly opened his eyes. When he came to he saw his wife standing next to him."Thank God your finally coming out of it. How does everything feel?" A doctor to the right of Bill asked.

"How does what feel and why am I in the hospital?" Bill questioned.

"You've been under my care for 2 months now. Do you remember your name?"

"It's Bill Ewdards. It's always been since the day I was born." Bill proclaimed.

"Silly girl, you can't be. Because I've always been Bill Edwards your father." A image of Bill stepped forward.

"Then who am I?" Bill asked playing around with the stupid voices this time.

"You are my daughter Christina, you're 13 years old, and you have a loving mother, and a loving little sister.

"You all are lairs. Your the same ones who reduced me to this fate. Sarah was the same way. You took everything taken away from him. What have you done to Sarah?" Christina raged.

"This much was to be expected. Sometimes during long term comas a child will think up a reality separate from her own." The doctor

"You still haven't answered my question. Where the HELL is Sarah? What have you done with her." Bill screamed.

"The only Sarah we have listed in the hospital is a Sarah Williams who was brought in around the same time as you were. The only thing is she was released yesterday." the doctor explained.

"No it can't be true. None of it can be. You are all telling lies. I don't believe any of it. I am not Christina Edwards age 13, I'm Bill Edwards." Christina screamed.

The doctor walked over to Christina and gave her a injection." This should help her get some sleep and in the morning she should be better.

"But I don't want to get any slee..." Christina trailed off.

A Headquarters

"Thank God you came out of it." Sarah said with relief," We were worried that we weren't going to be able to save you." Bill heard Sarah's voice, but she looked bigger and he was uncertain why. " Before we were able to pull you out they changed you again.

"How bad it is it this time?" Bill asked.

"Lets just say that you won't be driving anything soon." Bill said.

Bill then got up and went to a mirror that was at the edge of the room. Looking back at him was a little girl of age 10. She had long strawberry blonde hair. Her eyes were emerald green, She had on a hospital gown that covered her entire body. "Damn them. Why won't they stop tormenting me. Can you believe this time they tried to make me think I was my wife's kid. I almost believed them too till they gave me a injection and I woke up back here." Bill said.

"Oh God, they've started the brainwashing stage. This isn't a good sign." Reno said.

"Bill allow me to introduce you to special agent Stan Reno. He is head of our Alpha team that was sent out to your house ."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I only wish that it was under different circumstances." Bill said while greeting Reno.

"Now I see where your daughter gets her charm from." Reno joked.

"And what is that suppose to mean?" Bill snapped back.

"Oh nothing, just that in that body you could pass as her older sister." Reno replied.

"Ok, now you two stop it. We have a serious matter at hand. They've already started trying to brainwash Bill." Mr Williams explained.

"Well we could try the new experimental drug. It worked on the animal subjects." a lab tech said.

"Then it's settled." Mr Williams went and grabbed the needle. Then they injected it into Bill.

"Ouch." Bill said and then fainted.

The hospital bed

"Where am I?" Christina asked.

"Your back in the hospital with us sweaty. The drug is finally wearing off." Cindy said.

"Did the drug work? What about the people who are trying to brainwash me?" Christina asked.

"Brainwash? Drug? All the doctor did was give you something to calm you down. No relax. Mommy is here to make it all better." Cindy replied.

"It's all a lie. This is a lie. We have to stop them from doing it to anyone else. Don't let them brainwash me." Christina pleaded.

"Shhh, it's ok. Noone is trying to brainwash you. All this stuff has been in your head. I mean honestly which sounds more reasonable a coma or a way for people to enter someone's dream?"

I was so confused at this point that I didn't know what relate was and what I was. I just wanted it all to stop and everything to get back to normal. "I just want it all to stop. This is so confusing."

Cindy hugged her daughter. "Every-things going to be ok now. Thats what we are here for baby. Just allow Mommy to take all the pain away."

"I want to. I just don't know what is real and what isn't." Christina replied.

"I know, sweetheart. I know."

A knock came at the door. "Is she ok now. We have a little one who's been waiting to see her big sister." The Bill of this reality said.

"Hello big sis." Chrissy came in and then headed to the hospital bed. Bill lift her up onto the bed. Then she gave Christina a hug. "Is big sister alright now?" She asked.

"I honestly don't know." Christina replied with a tear in her eye.