5She gently splashed water onto her face, feeling the cool droplets trickle down her cheeks to her chin and back into the water basin. She looked up into the mirror, hardly recognizing the aged face that stared back at her. The slight sting of water made her blink quickly. The tears she was holding back didn't help. She had gone through so much in the past few weeks, but now she must leave it all behind.
She wiped off the remainder of the water, then leaned down over the sink and pulled out a small box from a felt bag. Ripping open the package, she pulled out a slim tube. It was an OTC product, a rarer one at that. Many of the core worlds didn't even produce this product anymore, for it was not fashionable to dye your own hair. She reached up at the clip holding her hair at bay. Before she unfastened it, she looked one last time in the mirror. She knew this would be the last time she would have her hair done in a dignified manner. Pulling it loose, she watched as her hair fell softly to her shoulders. The soft brown locks started falling to the ground as she shortened her style in a jagged manner. She never went to school for this. After all the hair was the length she wanted, she tried her best to even it out, but anyone could tell that it was an amateur's handicraft.
As soon as she was satisfied as possible with her work, she pulled on some latex gloves and unscrewed the top of the plastic cylinder. Then she squeezed the chemical product along her part and the hair line, and gently messaged it into her roots. It was a fast acting product and she quickly walked over to the shower. Turning on the water, she let her robe fall to her ankles and silently stepped into the running water of the shower. She pushed the scent button and let the aroma of rose petals fill the air. She knew this would be the last time to enjoy such luxuries that she decided to take this pleasure in one more time. She let the warm water beat on her back and neck, messaging some of the tension out of her muscles. She closed her eyes and felt her exhaustion start to set it. She had been growing more tired lately, but she knew it was just stress getting to her.
Her eyes flew open; this was no time to relax. She hurriedly washed out the remaining dye, and stepped out of the shower. Grabbing a towel, she rubbed the water out of her hair. The cotair enhanced wool soaked up all the excess moisture, but leaving just enough water to be healthy. She looked at her reflection, and she hardly looked like the same woman. The angle of the hair and the brown-red color changed her appearance enough to make anyone think twice before recognizing her. It gave her face a harsher edge to it also, just what she had been hoping for. Where she was headed was a place where soft looking women are easy prey.
She pulled out her nail clippers and chopped off her beautiful nails that she had spent so long working on and growing, then raided her closet. She pulled out the frilly things, the classy things and went straight for the work clothes. She might have had servants, but she still liked being in the middle of things. A grease spotted kilp and a pair of brown delsin pants would work. She quickly put them on, and glanced over at the clock, the timer slowly ticking down. Time was running short. She grabbed her old duffle bag she had since she was a child and stuffed some other work clothes in there, but she couldn't leave behind the dress her husband had given her for their 5th anniversary.
"Wo ai ni." She softly said into the smooth fabric. "Wo da sheen hun i ni."
The red silk had little delicate flowers speckling it and one large black flower decorating it along the hem, with black stems connecting all the flowers. It was an ageless fabric, one that would always remain in style. She folded it up gently and laid it across the bottom of her duffel, rearranging everything to make room for her treasured article of clothing.
Then she vacuum sealed the bag and tossed it by the front door and headed to pulled out of the hall closet a small transport box, one with hard sides, and flipped the lid open. The vacuum seal broke and air rushed in. Grabbing the nearest family jewels, she gently placed them in, and then covered with a piece of Kasben velvet for protection. She ran over to her husband's desk, and pulled out the emergency credits and pocketed that; and grabbed the file sitting on his desk. She placed that in her duffle as will. Then she ran into the kitchen for the family silver. She ruefully thought that big houses didn't make for fast exits as she ran down the stairs to the kitchen. The empty house sounded hollow without the servants around, but they were unnecessary beings to be injured in the fallout that was to occur. She mentally ran through a list of the most portable things of value. The stature of earth that was. It was crafted by the finest artist on Hasabeth. She ran upstairs again, taking them two at a time. She grabbed it off its pedestal and trotted back down the stairs. She looked at the timer on her wrist. 3 minutes and counting.
She ran into the laundry room and grabbed the hover-port. Pushing it over to her luggage, she placed the sculpture into the box, then loaded it up and quickly headed out the door. A piece of garbage transport sat in the front drive, looking completely out of place with the landscaped garden and the immaculate grounds. She hurriedly tossed the luggage in the back, then ran and sat in the driver's seat. Looking back one last time as she sped away, she saw the windows blast out and the wood splinter as her home was blown to bits. Inside was the body of her husband, and the body of a medical cadaver. Tears pricked her eyes at the thought of her husband not having a proper burial, and she angrily brushed them away.
With that, Sarah Lorran headed off for a new life.