Aftershocks

Nominated for the 2005 Bootie "Favourite Supernatural or Fantasy Horror".

An AU tale by Angelinhel. Jane deals with the aftermath of The Kiss in this five-part story. Each section reveals another twist on the reality of what events are happening in real life or in Jane's mind.

Part One
Jane wakes up with a severe hangover. Slowly she recalls Daria coming over to discuss her betrayal with Tom. Jane had coerced her into drinking copious amounts of vodka with her, supposedly resulting in a resolution of the matter. As Jane regains conciousness and awareness of her surroundings, she recalls her sudden drunken rage wherein she stabbed Daria repeatedly with a craft knife. Daria is supposedly laying, bled out, on the bed beside her.

Part Two
Jane is standing at her easel noticing the red paint she's spilled across her bed, indicating the previous chapter was merely a revenge fantasy in her mind. Carried away by an artist's inspiration and melodrama, it is implied she takes the same craft knife to her own wrists, only to be discovered by Daria and Tom, who have come to apologize.

Part Three
Again, Jane is seen at her easel, her thoughts indicating the previous chapter was merely an incident in her mind. Trent's reaction to the scene behind Jane however, seems to imply the first part was reality and Daria is lying dead on Jane's bed, having beed stabbed to death the night before.

Part Four
Soley Jane's thoughts, Jane reveals her desolate mental state brought on by Daria's betrayal and the possiblity she had consumed a combination of drugs and alcohol to dull the pain of her best friend's betrayal. At this point it is not clear what has actually happened in Jane's room, or whether any of the previous chapters were real or merely the result of Jane's foray into mind-altering substances.

Part Five
Told from Trent's point of view. It is revealed Jane is kept locked up and drugged in a state mental institution 'for her own safety' after being found mentally unfit to stand trial for Daria's murder. This chapter indicates the first part was the reality making the subsequent parts (2-4) Jane's descent into madness and denial of her unbalanced reaction to Daria's confession. Through her actions and brief dialouge it is revealed she is unaware Daria is dead or that she killed her. Sadly, she tells Trent she has finally forgiven Daria for kissing Tom.