<div style="text-align: center;"><a class="postlink" href="http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn24/SociallyToxicBeauty/d79a6451-7684-4475-b516-5e22f7eaef3d.jpg">[ img ]</a></div><br/><br/>Mira could hardly grasp what was happening when Chuck began to alternate between his voice and the man in red. He claimed to be her boyfriend, but changed it up once more--asking her if she had really thought that Chuck was making breakfast that morning. She didn't know. It was a bit out of character for Chuck, but he had always come through in the end for her when she was obviously stressed out. But what if it hadn't been Chuck at all? Where was Chuck?<br/><span style="color: #FF8080"><br/>"It...it had to...it had...But Chuck...where..."</span>Mira's words were incoherent as she sank down to the ground, a terrifying idea forming in her mind. What if that really wasn't Chuck? Where was he? What could have happened to him? Was he real? She shook her head furiously, covering her face and sobbing as she tried to make sense of things. It had to have been Chuck cooking breakfast--Merlot was the shapeshifter, not Chuck. Merlot had been the disguise! Chuck probably had simply gone out while she was sleeping to go do something, that had to have been it. Red was just back to fuck with her. That had to be it--it just had to be!<br/><br/>Mira didn't notice as Kai slipped past her to go outside, too busy trying to figure out what was real and what was not. She continued to sob as she began to wonder if anyone she knew was actually who they said they were. The idea that she had been with and loved a total lie tore at her frantically beating heart.<br/><br/>A hand rested on her shoulder, but Mira did not react--she was too tired. Kai's voice filtered through the air as he gave her an explanation--one that she wanted to accept if only to make sense of the mess she was in. Still, a part of her mind whispered to her that Kai was lying--that he had never had any intention of protecting her. After all, why would he reveal himself now to her? Why not just keep up the charade? Why hold her at gun point the previous evening? Why participate in any of this madness?<br/><br/>Even so, as Mira looked up to see the pained expression on Kai's face, she began to believe him.<span style="color: #BF0000"><span style="font-style: italic">"Please, Mira. I might have only been pretending to be Chuck, but you really do matter to me. I don't want you to get hurt..."</span></span>A part of her mind had already accepted the explanation--and even though her soul didn't fully believe, the rest of her grasped desperately to the lie.<br/><span style="color: #FF8080"><br/>"H-how can you k-keep me...safe?" </span>she stuttered out, trying to wipe the hot tears from her face. Her cheeks were flush and her hair stuck to her wet cheeks. She wiped her sleeve across her runny nose, giving a sniffle as she tried to breathe some--only being rewarded with a somewhat loud snorting noise. She knew she probably wasn't her most attractive at that moment, but if Kai really had been Chuck the whole time--he had seen her look a lot worse. If not, well...he could fucking deal with it. She had been through hell the night before and she was pretty sure she was still in it.<br/><span style="color: #FF8080"><br/>"I'm going to go..."</span>she said finally, wiping her nose once more with her sleeve. Slowly she stood on wobbly legs, her knees popping as she went. She was still wheezing a little from crying, her chest feeling heavy and unbearable.<span style="color: #FF8080">"I don't need to be here. I don't....I have nothing here anymore..." </span>she continued to speak to herself in hushed tones as she went to the closet to, once more, pack her clothes into a suitcase. She would just leave--that would solve everything, right? She had been planning to leave Chuck for a while, just never had the courage. Now that he was obviously just a fraud, there was no reason to pretend anymore, right?<br/><br/>Mirabell pulled out a suitcase and dropped it on the bed, her movements becoming more frantic as the seconds passed. She stuffed more and more clothes into the case--then suddenly plopped herself on the bed. She covered her face and began to sob again.<span style="color: #FF8080">"What am I going to do?"</span>she cried, anger beginning to form in the pit of her stomach.