Heartbeat
By: Ashley Jarosik
Part One
Chapter One
Heart Beat
It was the middle of winter and a blizzard was thrashing the land about. The cool winds would brush across everyone's face turning their pale cheeks a pale pink, their eye lashes where painted with ice right at the tips, and their lips were purple from the cold. Along the ice capped grounds were dead bodies piled up or scattered around burning to keep everyone warm. The smell was foul as the rotting flesh burned away leaving only bones left. Everyone was warm humming small song of hope and triumph as they kept their hands heated from their dead comrades bodies. I sat away from them my legs curled up to my chest my arms wound around holding myself in a tight ball to keep warm. Often eyes would wander to me scoffing about how stupid I was. I was just staying out here in the cold instead of in the warmth of the shelter.
"Keara when will you learn that you cannot stay out there all day?" I hadn't even noticed one of the soldiers next to me. His face was spread with worry. "Come on, I know its not the greatest things but we needed their bodies to survive, it is the only way." I felt his hand grab my arm and try to pull me away; I wouldn't budge. He kept pulling harder and harder and all I did was tip forward and fall back down into sitting position. "Why do you have to be so damn stubborn! If you don't get warm you will die out here! The blizzard shows no sign of stopping anytime soon. Swallow your pride and get in here."
"I refuse to use what used to be my friends as fire wood or a wall." My green eyes seemed to flash with anger and my voice snapped and snarled like a lion drawing the man away. "I refuse to…" I muttered my back sinking back against the trunk of the tree.
He sighed and drew next to me his arm draped along my shoulders giving me a friendly tug. " I know it seems bad now, but if we don't do anything what are we showing? What are we proving? Everyone is under there and everyone feels bad for what happens but they are all trying to survive to keep their friends honors alive letting them know that they didn't die in vain Keara." I turned to face him my eyes boring into his. I was looking for lies in his words but I saw none and I just sagged against him. "I know, its hard now but things will get better I promise." We rocked back and forth his arms around me and for once I was feeling warmth and I craved it. My nose nudged against his neck and my body pressed more against his. I could feel his smile and I glanced up to smile back at him. "Keara you are so beautiful when you smile…" our eyes stared back and forth until mine drifted shut as his head dipped down finding my lips with his in a soft sensual kiss. "Keara, we need to get inside." He stood up and took my hand pulling me up. I curled against his form as we walked back ignoring all the eyes that burned against me. He led me along the rows of bodies and I squeezed my eyes shut not wanting to stare in their cold depressing eyes. "Keara, stay with me tonight?" Opening my eyes slowly I peered up at him and nodded as he led me in the small tent.
I must have been asleep for hours because by the time I had woken up everyone including Simon was gone. Simon, that thought stayed in my mind and I just folded. He had made me feel so warm and needed last night that I just let him have everything I could offer. The thing that stuck most in my mind was his words. 'Keara, if I die I want you to know I always love you, and I want you to use my body along with the others for warmth. I can't see you die, not after what we have shared.' I pulled the covers up over my breasts just shaking my head. "Simon…" tears were threatening pushing their way through the hot, wet tears streaking down my cheeks. I didn't want to think of the first man I had been with as one being dead; I had just found love I couldn't lose it.
Gulping I reached over snatching up my uniform slipping it on. The fabric was warm since it had been set by the warmth of a few candles in a safe distance as well not to catch fire. Then right under my clothes was my Pokeballs. I took the belt strapping each ball on it before sighing. The war is still going one and all there was now was fighting. I shook my head tying my silky brown hair back. I would have to fight to now that I was awake. The rendezvous point was just over the mountain that was about a sixty-five feet away I would need to go at a smooth jog to get there.
I took my surroundings in getting the room in my eyes with the memories of the night before and my love for Simon. If he was by my side I could do anything. So pushing back the flap of the tent I walked out seeing a few of the men snickered making kiss lips towards me. My cheeks heated up and my feet moved quicker trying to draw me out and away from them.
"Hey Keara why don't you come to my bed tonight, I haven't had a woman in my life for a few months I sure need some company." My eyes darted to the bearded man giving me his cocky attitude.
A smirk crossed my lips and I stopped unbottoning my coat. "Sure, but I rather go now so I have somehting to look forward to when I get home tonight." The man stopped his cheeks turning a rose shade as he let out a small groan watching my body tease his as I swayed my hips from side to side walking to him. "Whats wrong big boy?" I said with pouting lips as I came sitting on his lap. I could feel his hands around me grazing up my back and I shuttered in disgust. I heard his chuckle and my eyes flashed with anger as my hand snapped up grabbing around his neck squeezing. The skin stretched and the sounds of the bones being pressured came as he gasped and gurgled trying to speak. "Don't ever touch me again." I said letting go and standing up. I wouldn't let any man get close to me besides Simon.
Simon! I had forgot about him in that one second and I even forgot about the battle. Quickly I buttoned my shirt and ran forward up the hill trying to reach the top and when I did my face went pale. Pokemon lay scattered on the ground blood seeping from their fur as their masters lay with them dead or mourning while others fought around them. Frantic I gazed around the battlefield trying to find Simon or his Charizard that flamed so greatly.
"Primape, Mega Kick!" I turned grabbing one of my Pokeballs throwing it high into the air as the monkey Pokemon bounded towards me jumping high in the air.
"Scyther!" I yelled out as if for protection as the green grass Pokemon lifted up its sword like arm blocking the kick sliding them both backwards. "Counter with a Slash attack!" I ordered. The Pokemon just grunted before it pushed the Primape in the air before flapping its bee like wings to get good aim. I watched my fingers crossed as the gleam of the blades came down cutting across the Primape opening two large gashes causing a fountain of blood to spray across the ground.
"Primape!" the trainers call was choked and strained as he ran to his friend cradling the Pokemon as its eyes rolled back in its head. I watched lifting my Pokeball calling my own back. "How can you trainers be so cruel, you say your for Underground for the better of the people but you kill Pokemon ruthlessly! How can you help and make lives better for people and trainers alike when you kill their friends? Answer me!" The trainer was only a mere boy. His body was small and skinny his eyes brimming with tears making his blue eyes seem glassy hidden under the mass of black hair. "Answer me!"
I couldn't answer him I didn't know myself. In that whole thing I was only trying to protect myself and find my love Simon before he had the chance to die. I didn't want him dead. "I don't know, but I must go." I shoved past the boy pushing him down as I ran down the hill dodging left and right as Pokemon battled. When I reached the bottom I yelled and screamed for Simon running along where the battle had past through. "Simon, where are you!" Panic rose in my voice as I stopped and waited crying out again. "Where… are you…"
Gazing around I turned to the right and froze my face going pale before I let out a horrible scream.
