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Night fell upon the city of London...the glowing flames of the street
lamps barely peering through the thick fog which lay like a blanket covering
the
city. There was a light mist of rain trickling down from the sky above
and the late autumn breeze chilled the air.
Dr. Henry Jekyll stood in his room in complete silence...alone with
his nagging conscious and painful memories of the events which had transpired
over the past month or so. Thoughts of how he could overcome the evil
festering deep inside his soul, if there was any way possible to do so,
flooded
his mind. He couldn't help but visualize himself standing over the
bodies of his victims...but, were they his victims? No...they were not
his...they
couldn't be. Henry knew from the start that they all died at the hands
of that disgusting monster, but...the doctor wasn't sure who he was anymore...
"What have I done? What have I done to myself?" he whispered as he looked
in his mirror...the face staring back at him was his own, yet there was
something so unfamiliar and cold. He looked so tired...his beautiful
dark eyes were red from crying and sleepless nights...his handsome face
was
drawn and pale...his long, satiny black hair limply framed his face.
He stood there staring at this strange creature and before he knew it,
he was
weeping. Weeping for his own sake...for those who were so gruesomely
murdered...and for Emma. Henry was sure he'd lose her...that man...that
animal had practically taken away his all sanity and now...this obsession
was pulling him farther and farther away from the one he loved so dear...
"That innocent girl is trying so hard to hold onto me...to keep me from
slipping away into that beckoning tunnel of darkness and what do I do?
I push
her away!" Henry bowed his head while tears of agony and frustration
poured from his eyes. "I can't...I can't do this--" Just then, he looked
up and
caught another glimpse of himself...his vision was distorted and he
saw something which made him sick...in the mirror was Hyde...his piercing
eyes
glaring as he grinned mockingly at Henry. The doctor raised a hand
to his face and touched it hesitantly...ice cold skin, damp with sweat
and
tears..."No", he whispered softly. Inside his mind he heard that voice
he knew all too well..."Don't be foolish, Henry. I live within you...I
grow
stronger with each passing day...you can never escape me. Never, Dr.
Jekyll...never."
"God help me. I am...I am Hyde..." Henry stared into the mirror looking
horrified. He slowly felt the room begin to spin...his head began to
pound...his heart began to race. Never had he been more terrified of
Hyde then he was at that moment...never had he been so terrified of himself.
He stood there shaking...not knowing whether he should just kill himself
and end all the suffering or if he should run. But Henry didn't have enough
strength to kill himself and leave Emma alone in this world and he
knew he could never run away from Hyde. Henry stood there, awaiting Hyde's
next
appearance...there was a light knock, and from behind the door came
a familiar voice...Emma...
"Henry? Henry, darling, are you in there?" When there was no answer,
she took it upon herself to open the door and let herself in. The first
thing she
saw was Henry, standing with his back to her, rocking back and forth,
staring into the mirror. Emma wasn't sure what was going on...
"Henry. What are you doing?" He wouldn't answer. The only sound which
escaped his lips was a moan.Ê "Henry!! Oh God, what's happened?"
She
ran to his side and grabbed his arms to turn him around, but he wouldn't
budge. "Look at me Henry, please!" she cried out to him and he somehow
managed to speak through his hysteria...
"Help me, Emma...please..." he began to sob...
"What's happened to you Henry? Are you ill, love?" he shook his head and grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her tightly...
"Just don't let me go. Let me stay here." He was scaring her, but she
held him close and whispered that everything would soon be alright. But
it
suddenly hit Henry...
"What if Hyde takes control with Emma here? He'll surely kill her. No, I've got to get her out of here." He pulled away and looked deep in her eyes.
"Henry. What's wrong? You're scaring me."
"I don't--" he sighed and composed himself before continuing, "I guess I'm just exhausted from working too hard."
"Are you sure that's all? You look so sick." She began to feel his forehead
and wipe his hair away from his face, but he took her hands in his and
said...
"I may be coming down with a cold, but that's all. I'll be fine Emma.
I'm sorry, darling. I didn't mean to frighten you. But I need my rest.
We'll see
each other tomorrow." He noticed that she was hesitant to leave, "I
promise you, I'll be fine. Goodnight." She gently touched his lips with
her own...
"Alright...I suppose. I'll see you tomorrow then." She took one more
look at his sorrowful face before picking up her purse and leaving his
room. He
smiled through his pain as she left his presence.
Once Henry was sure she was gone, he turned back to the mirror, shouting furiously...
"Goddamn you. You can try to tear my soul to shreds. You can try to
take away all that I have in this life but I will not let you win this
game. And I
will never let you hurt her! Never Hyde!!! Never."
With one swift, strong movement, he lifted the heavy, ceramic wash basin
over his head and threw it at the mirror...shatttering the glass reflecting
that
taunting face...