A/N: well... here I go again with another story... I watched Red Eye and what can I say? Inspiration. Please review and let me know if you like it. If I am to continue, I will need lots of reviews! So you like? Then review! Well, please enjoy! Thxs!

Chapter 1

Lisa stood behind the counter at the Lux Atlanta, fulfilling her usual job. It had been three months since the Red Eye flight, since her run in with Jackson Rippner, and her multiple near death experiences. Life had never been the same. She had become distant, antisocial, paranoid, and she rarely ate anything. To be honest, it really scared her. She knew that she was changing, and not for the better, but it felt as though she could do nothing about it.

Her job was her life, and she hated it. She hated how she was always caught up in the customers' problems and could never really focus on her own life, on her. It was as though she could barely feel, as though she could barely even think on her own. She felt like a lost child, with no one to take of her.

Lisa sighed. She often had these thoughts, sometimes accompanied with vicious images of her bad memories.

She absently logged onto the computer, entering the customers name into the computer in order to receive their room. This customer, Kim Honth, was just like all the others: rude and impatient, just eager to get to her room. People were pushy, which Lisa had learned to accept. They were how they were, and somehow, above everything else, she had learned to cope with that.

Why is it so easy for me to handle other people, she thought sourly to herself, when I can't even handle myself?

As she handed the customer the room key accompanied by her regular, fake smile, she wondered how much longer she could take this for. How much longer could she deal with other people's problems, just to avoid her own? She knew it wasn't healthy, that she should talk to somebody, but there was no one.

Yes, her father Joe was there, but she felt that he had enough problems on his hands. Work with him was busy, and she didn't want to burden him with her problems, let alone make him worry.

Then there was Cynthia, her coworker and possibly her only friend. Lisa knew that Cynthia would listen and do anything in her power to help, but it seemed useless to Lisa.

After her other experience out in the parking lot, where she was... attacked, she had talked to people. She had seen a therapist and had confided in her father. Neither or those things helped. It was Lisa who helped Lisa, not some shrink, or her father, as much as he tried. She was the one who built up her defenses, her walls to protect herself. Inside was where she found the most sanctitude.

But lately, she had been crumbling. All her walls and defenses were failing and she didn't know what to do, where to turn to. Who was there to help her? It seemed as though Lisa Reisert was really dead, but of course, not in the literal sense.

Lisa knew that she needed a change, something different to occupy her mind. Her job, her family, her coworkers, they were only reminding her of all her bad memories. She felt like she needed to make new memories, good memories, where Jackson Rippner did not exist.

Jack… Lisa thought slowly.

She had tried her hardest over the past few months to not think about him, but try as she might, it was impossible. He was the cause of her pain, and he hated him for it. He ruined everything that she had built, everything that she had fought so hard to get; ruined… everything.

That was why she needed a vacation.

Behind the desk, Lisa noticed a picture tucked away safely behind a file. It was a picture of Venice, Italy, the river winding through its' ancient buildings. It looked so beautiful to Lisa, so peaceful… she wished that she could be there right now, away from the madness that was her life.

Then it hit her. She could go to Italy. She could live that dream.

Her eyes lit up at the idea, truly charmed by the fact that she could go to Italy for at least a month. Suddenly she felt the urge to ask right away.

"Cynthia," she whispered to her friend who was working the desk next to her.

"Yea, Lisa?" she responded, looking over at her friend.

"Could you take over for a moment, please? I need to go speak with our boss," Lisa asked hopefully.

Cynthia nodded her agreement, and so Lisa went as quickly as she could to the managers' office. When she got there, she tapped lightly on the door, just to be sure she wouldn't intrude. She heard the "Yes?" on the other side, and so she gingerly opened up the door and stepped inside.

"Excuse me, Mr. Winman?" Lisa asked politely, standing before her seated boss.

"Yes, Ms. Resiert?" he questioned.

"I was just wondering if I could take a few weeks off, a month perhaps." She saw the skeptical look on his face. "Just to clear my head. You know I've been distracted and I just... need a vacation."

Mr. Winman stood from his desk. "Ms. Reisert, you know that I respect any and all of your decisions." Lisa nodded her head dumbly. "And I really think that you should take this vacation. God knows you need it; after all you've been through? I'll give you all the time you need."

Lisa smiled. "Thank you so much, Mr.Winman. I swear that when I come back I'll work extra hard and…"

Mr. Winman pushed her out the door and said, "Don't you worry about a thing. Just relax and have a good time."

She could only smile before her boss closed the door in her face. Inside, Lisa was actually very excited, the most she had been in an extremely long time. She could not wait to tell her father.

The rest of the day at work, Lisa was beaming and could endure the two hours left of work with great ease. She knew that she would not have to work again for a long time, and so she tried to enjoy every minute of it.

At last her shift was over, and she climbed into her Miata and drove back to her apartment. Once inside, seeing that it was still only 9 at night, she decided to call her dad right away and tell him the good news.

She dialed his number into her home phone and immediately heard the familiar ring. "Hello?" the other side said.

"Hi daddy," she said sweetly.

"Oh hello, darling. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I have some really good news."

"Oh?"

"My boss agreed to let me go on vacation for at least a month!" she said excitedly into the phone. "I'm going to Italy!"

"That's wonderful darling!" her father replied. Lisa could tell that he was really excited for her by the way his voice raised. "When do you leave?"

"Two days from now."

"Oh my, how fantastic!"

"I know, dad!"

"Well is that all the news?"

"Yea, it is," responded Lisa. "I thought you might like to know, even though it is a little late for you."

"I am so glad you called Lisa," her father said. "I hope you have a very nice trip."

"Me too. Call you soon?" wondered Lisa, although she already knew the answer.

"Please do, sweetie. Talk to you soon."

"Okay, bye dad," finished Lisa as she hung up the phone.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady her excitement. She was going to Italy, and she would have a good time. No matter what, Lisa swore to herself, she would have a good time.

Even if Jack showed up, she joked. I would still have fun.

Little did she know just how literal that statement would be.

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