Rose part 1

She was disappointed in herself for letting this happen. She quietly cursed to herself as she opened the door to her condo. She was too tired to lock the door, which to her seemed stupid. She went to her room, throwing her gun and badge on the desk near the door.

FBI Special Agent Clarice Starling has caught a cold. She is a very strong girl, as you may know, but for some reason she has become weak and unhealthy. Starling walked into her bathroom, checking herself in the lone mirror placed on the wall. “Damn do I look pale.” She placed her palms on her redden cheeks. They were hot, most likely from the fever. She let out a few coughs here and there as she drew herself a bath. She lay in the warm water letting it consume her body as she lost herself in the comfort. The water felt good on her skin and made her aching muscles feel somewhat better.

After a few minutes, though it seemed longer to Starling, she rose from her bath, steadying herself so she wouldn’t fall. She carelessly threw a silk nightgown on and sat at the end of her bed. Grabbing the house phone she called in work saying she would be out tomorrow. This was the second time she had taken off from work. It felt oddly strange and foreign to her. She wondered if it would disappoint her father if she missed work. She shook it away quickly and placed herself in the bed, falling fast into a deep hopefully peaceful sleep. The next morning Starling abruptly woke from her sleep to the phone ringing. She lightly rubbed the sleep away from her eyes, yawning and coughing before she picked up. It was the ever so annoying Paul Krendler from Justice beating in her ear. “Mr. Krendler, I called in” she coughed, “I called in sick. Your gonna’ ” He cut her off in the middle of her sentence. “Damnit Starling I don’t care if your dying! I can ruin your career if you don’t listen. Now go talk to him then you can go back to your shit house and sleep away your life for all I fucking care.” Then he slammed the phone shut before she could get in a rude remark. “ Bastard.” Starling groaned, smothering her face into a pillow.

Paul Krendler had wanted Starling to pay a little visit to Mason Verger, it was more pleasurable knowing that she would be in pain the whole time. Krendler was sadistic like that. Ever since she had turned him down he had made her life miserable. Starling had no idea why the hell he needed her to go, but she listened obediently like she always had. She didn’t particularly have a choice in this sort of situation.

She drove up to the familiar house of Mason, being greeted by Crodell Doemling as she normally was on her other visits to the farm. Starling entered the dim-lit, almost black room, walking next to the bedside that Mason was closes to. Crodell put a chair next to the bed for her to sit at, then left the room. Starling coughed lightly, Mason taking notice. “ Oh dear! Your sick Agent Starling? Pity.” He flicked on a light so she could make only his distorted face out. :Mr. Verger, what exactly did you want me here for?” she asked trying not to sound rude, even though she really wanted to punch him the face for making her get out of bed. “Ah yes.” His voice slurred as he reached down to pick something off of his bedside and handed it to her. Starling braced herself for whatever mason had up his sleeve. She knew she couldn’t trust him all that much, but she had to do whatever it came to. Mason had handed her a picture. She looked down at it, studying every little detail. “ I received it this morning from a reliable source. Think you should go after him? I wouldn’t want you to get run down of course.” Mason stated, smirking at his own lack of courtesy. :Mr. Verger who did you get this fro-“ ” A reliable source!” he said again. The anger showed in his voice. “ Mr. Verger I-“ “Are you going to follow him or not?” She stood slowly, coughing once again. Even if she was ill, Mason knew she wouldn’t pass up any changes with Hannibal Lecter. Starling looked at the picture once more, studying the surroundings in the picture. It was definitely Dr. Lecter in the picture, she had agreed, but where exactly was he? Was it close? She guessed it had to be if Mason had given it to her. It seemed vaguely familiar to her but she couldn’t put her finger on it just yet. “Do you know where he is Mr. verger?” her voice cracking as she began to cough again. Mason was clearly enjoying her ailment, most likely just as much as Paul Krendler had. “Hmm, I’m not sure. Good luck Agent Starling.” He said sneering at her as she walked out.

She hated that about Mason Verger. He always knew things but failed to share his knowledge with others, enjoying the disadvantage to other people that he would cause. Starling got back into her car and sat in front of the verger house for quite some time, studying the picture. Fuck Krendler. Fuck Mason. What the hell don’t they get! I’m goddamn sick!

Starling took off, leaving the verger farm far behind. She stopped at a gas station to fill up her car, not knowing how far she would have to go for Lecter. It seemed strange to her that he was close by. What could he want? She didn’t think he would kill her, no she knew he wouldn’t kill her. But still, had he let the picture been taken, knowing that she would obtain it? He would do something like that, she though. Either way, whether he intended to or not, she would pay him a little visit. That is to say if she didn’t pass out from her illness that seemed to be getting worse. It felt like her insides were collapsing and all her energy was being sucked out of her by some unknown force. Starling had only been sick a few times in her life. She didn’t like the feeling, but then again who does. It is a horrible feeling, you feel as if you are dying and helpless.

While at the gas station she studied the picture some more. Finally! She realized where he was. It was rather shocking to her. He was in an abandoned house very close to her own. She passed it nearly every day on her way to work. Maybe he really did want her to know where he was. Well she would find out soon enough. It took a good hour or so to get from the farm to where Dr. Lecter was currently residing at.

She was close now. Her head felt heavy and she let out a loud disturbing cough as she got out of the car. Gun up by her face she proceeded to the front door. So many thought were running to her head she could barely even think straight. Her vision blurred as she stood in front of the door. As she extended her hand to knock she felt herself black out, falling on her side, dropping her gun. Everything went black and all she could feel was her sickness taking over.