"Strong Enough"
Chapter Two
              When she awoke a few hours later, Reba felt like she was in a daze.  Everything was passing by like a blur to her; every memory of her past relationship was smudged together.  She could no longer distinguish the individual memories as separate entities.  She just didn't care any longer.
               It was already past noon when Reba finally decided to "wake up."  She opened her bedroom door to reveal the perky, upbeat lives of the souls surrounding her.  But her dismal, dreary, worthless existence contrasted strikingly with her surroundings.  She had been caught after so many years of disguising.  Her emotions were showing through her sterling armor of happiness.
               "Reba!  What happened to you, did a train hit ya?" her mother commented cheerfully.  "Is something the matter?"
               She paused to think of a response to shield what really occurred.  "Oh... I guess it's just been a restless night.  I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, that's all."  She kicked herself for thinking up such a lame excuse; now she just hoped that mom bought it.
               "Oh," she began, a little distraught.  "Well... alright dear, are you sure that's all?"
               "Yeah mom, of course," Reba responded, cutting her mother's last sentence a bit short.  "I'm fine, really."
               Reba then turned and headed into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.  Her back collapsed against the closed door as silent tears began to cloud her eyesight.
               "Regis... I'd like to use a lifeline," she tearfully whispered to herself as her legs began to give way.  She slinked down to the bathroom floor as she silently cried, alone.  Her only lifeline had been stolen the day before, and she missed it oh so badly.
               "But can she survive without it?  Stay tuned..."  Reba moved her lips, but no sound escaped them.  If she had ever pondered what hell was like, she could now state that she had been there and back.
Chapter 3
To Chapter 3