A man with glowing red eyes stood in the darkness before me... I watched as he raised a hand to me in a silent beckoning. I yearned to go to him, to go WITH him and forget the shame I beared.
I started to reach for the out streached hand but stop when I saw my arms. Words dripping with blood were carved apon me, words of there hate, of there discust, and of my shame.
"Worthless"...
"Bastured child"..
"Whore"..
"Useless"...
I trimbled from the pain, as blood pooled at my feet. I cried out as I felt the pain of more words forming across my body.
"Cloud"
A female voice called, just as I looked at the glowing crimson eyes of the man before me with sorrow.
"Cloud"
"Its time to wake up son" The gentle voice of my mother called.
My breathing slowed as my eyes flutter open, and the sadness washed over me as the dream faded.
"Cloud dear, what were you dreaming about this time?" My mother brushed my sweaty bangs back in a soothing maner.
"Nothing mother, I can't even remember it now" I replied, as I could not recall what I had dreamt.
She nodded, and stood from the edge of my bed...I try to think about the dream, but all I could recall was pain and a pair of red eyes.
Mother left the bedroom to start breakfast as I got up and stretched. I walked over to the chester drawers and pulled out a shirt, a pair of black jeans.
I went and sat on the bed as I pulled my shirt on, then pulled my black moutain boots out from under my bed where I left them last night. With dressing out of my way I stood and walked over to my only window, the snow had fallen last night making the town look like a winter wonderland.
"Cloud, breakfast is ready!" Mother called from down stair in the kitchen.
With a reluctant sigh, I walked down stairs to the kitchen. I already knew she was fluttering about with a sickly happy smile plastered on her face. She always smiles at me with that fake smile of hers.
It made me want to turn around, walk out the front door run toward the horizon till I fall of the edge of the world. Sadly I knew I couldn't do that, this town would never let me.
I sat and ate, while mother chattered on about the happenings of the town like I cared.
"Then miss Featherhighet started talking about how her husbend as been coming home late, and how she thinks he is bedding that girl May" she paused to take a bite of egg, chewed, then swolled "Can you believe it? such a thing to talk about! and in public no less!" she huffed.
When we finally finished, mother took the plates and I made for the front door with my jacket. Outside the house the people of the town were out wondering around, doing whatever it was they did with there day.
I couldn't have cared less, and started for the old path out of town that headed in to the mountain. As I walked along the only street in the town most of the women were standing around the market hushing each other and glaring at me as I passed. The random male that passed me never talked to me, but always gave the same accusing look.
Off the old path outside of town a mansion sat just to the left of the path. It had been abandoned long before I was born, and would most likely still stand long after I was gone.
But for now it was a get away from the town and they're whispering. The in sides of the place always looked the same dusty, blank, and in shades of brown. I climed the stairs and headed for the rooms on the right, in the second room a staircase was hidden by a false stone wall.
The old staircase was made of wood and lead down in a spiral along the inner stone wall. I clicked on my metal lighter about half way down were the light started to fade into dark.
A tunnel stretched out before me as I came to the end of the stairs, a faint green glow aluminated out from the other end of the tunnel. With a snap, I closed the lighter and placed it back in my hip pocket were I always kept it.
A minute later I was walking through an old heavy wood door. The room looked same way I had left it yesterday, strangly clean with little dust. A rusle of pages caught my attention, and before I could think I was walking tored the sound coming from the old study.
A man with silver hair sat at the desk at the back of the study, flipping through the pages of an old book.
"Hello...Cloud" His green eyes glowed as he looked up at me from his book.
"why?" I muttered, as I stood a little ways from the desk.
"I will never be a memory"
The voice was so soft I almost missed it, or maybe it was just in my head. I blinked at him but he was gone, and the book lay apon the table untouched.
My chest hurt and my eyes began to sting, every year around this time the dead come back to haunt me and it always hurts to see them.
"Cloud" A soft voice called, and it took me a minute to realize it was a female.
I turned to look, and found a girl about my age standing in the arch way to the study. Her hair was long and black, her eyes were red/brown tone. She was dressed like a cowgirl, even had a cowboys hat apon her head.
I remember her from around the town, both our mothers had wanted us to date. Tifa, I think was her name.
"What are you doing down here?" I said to her, my voice sounding colder then I wanted it to.
She flinched as if my words had hurt her, but I could have cared less she was one of the ones who been using me after all.
"Your mother is worried about you, I mean like, whats the point of you coming to this creepy place when you should be like at home?" Tifa said her voice snippy.
I just chuckled, The stupid people of this town tried to control me and I couldn't help but find it funny that she did too. After all, I just the freak who is haunted by the dead?
I walked passed her heading out of the study, and turned down the dark tunnle that lead here. Not to far from the door way that leads here is and older slittly chard door that is almost invisable to the naked eye.
It creeked abit as I closed the door behind me, with my metal lighter I lit a red candle I had left here. The room its self was made of the same old cold stone as the rest the only diffence was this stone was darker gray, almost black in color. The room was longer then it was wide, and raised stone area streched out from the back wall, raising it a few inchs higher the the rest of the floor.
Plain black coffins were settled in random places on the floor, a few sat leaning against the walls. The only unique coffin laid apon the stone stage at the back,It was larger then the rest, with an engraved golden cross on the lid.
"Cloud?" I heard Tifa call from out in the dark hallway "Cclloouudd! Where did you go!?".
Tifa's boots clicked on the harded earth as she walked back to the spiral staircase. I sighed as the clicks start to fade off, and thought about how easy it was to loose her. She never was to swift, we use to loose her and Cissnei all the time, but times have changed.
I lit a few more candles and placed them back in there metal wall hangers.
A chuckle caught me off guard making me jump and I spun around thinking Tifa was behind me but nothing was there. Shaking my head I turned back around and froze.
A young man with black spiked hair sat apon the lid of the larger coffin. He had the same old smile on his face that he use to, and he was wearing jeans and blue shirt that said 'rock out' with neon music notes on it. He had his right knee pulled up to his chest, letting me see the white snow that clinged to his blue and black moutain boots.
His voice came to me like a song in the wind. There, but fleeting.
"Hey, you ok spike?" His loving blue eyes glowed at me
"stop this please" I whispered, it felt like I couldn't breath as I looked at him.
"Found you! You sneeky jurk!" Tifa's voice rang in my ear.
Ignoring her I quickly turned back to the coffen, but the dust looked as if it hadn't been disturbed for many years.
"Hey where did that guy go?" Tifa asked with confusion.
I looked back at her with shock, had she really seen him?
"Well it doesn't matter, your coming with me" Tifa said as she grabbed my hand and pulled me from the room.
Tifa didn't let go of my hand untill we were well outside the mansion.
"Now that I got you out here finally, my mother wants you over for dinner this evening and she won't take no for an answer!" She said with a pleased look.
I scrawled at her, and started for the path leading to the moutains. I will not be told what to do by people who hate me for what they did!
"And your mother said that if you didn't come to my house this evening, she was going to make you come to the winter solstice celebration" She spoke with a malice glee, as I leveled a glare at her.
I hated that celebration, It was more like a cult gathering then a party.
Apon the moutain laid a cave, the towns people believe that in this cave lived a immortal creature called Jenova. The towns people believe that she is an angel that came from the heavens. So they hold the winter solstice celebration in her honor.
It is said that if you take Jenova an offering dearing the celebration, she will 'Bistow wings apon you' and 'Grant you, your greatest wish' or so I was told.
While the young adults walked the mountain path in a 'Rite of passage'. The children of the town would lit green candles then dance and sing around the town square all night.
I never believe in Jenova, and would hide in the mansion every year after what happened to my brother and our friends, I started to care less and less about this town and there beliefs.
Tifa's snickering broke me from my thoughts.
"Fine" I muttered out, and headed for town. 'Just like pulling out a piece of glass' I thought, 'do it quick and don't think about it'.
Like I had figured, mother was at the door withthat fake smile on her face.
"Oh cloud I just can't wait to see you two at the celebration!" She beamed, as I gaged on the inside.
I headed for my room, I figured I had about three minutes to myself before mother came to find me something 'nice' to wear to dinner.
"I think that nice lite blue button down shirt, with those black slacks, the ones Aunt Gillian got you, would look just perfect!" mothers said right on time as she came in with the said cloths freshly washed and ironed.
Sighing I took them from her "Oh and Cloud don't embarras us" she flashed a smile at me as she quickly left the room.
I growled, and started getting dressed. Two hours later, I stood outside the nightmare that was Tifa's house with winter flowers mother bought in my hand, and knocked on the door.
Mister Lockheart answered, the last person I wanted to talk to.
"Strife, your late" He growled at he. I muttered about mother having to do my hair, which was now slicked back with lots of hair gel. snirred at me, and step out of the way so I could enter. Tifa and her mother were sitting in the living room waiting for me.
"Why mister Strife, how nice to see you" Tifa's mother sigh with a happy smile, but I could tell she as thinking very 'lusty' thoughts that made me shudder.
"Hello Cloud why don't you come sit next to me" Tifa said with a giggle.
They're house was alot like mine only it was all above ground, while ours had an underground basment.
The living room was bland yellow and flowered wall paper, dark wood framed all the doors, the funiture was an older style I couldn't name, and a off green rug laid in the middle of the floor. I tried not to pull a face, why does every one in this town have no sense of color?
After a brief talk about the happenings around town. Tifa lead me to the dinning room and made me sit next to her.
The Dinning room was just as tacky, the table and chairs were made of darkened dum apple wood, the walls were painted an off red the reminded me of rust on metal.
Looking around I found the nik-naks on the walls made me think more 'mass killer' rather then 'home sweet home', and yet another rug was laid apon the floor, this one a muddy orange or was it a red color? I could not tell.
I back at my plate of pork-chops, mashed potatoes, and green beans.
"So your mother tells me that you don't want to come to the winter celebration again this year" stated as she passed a bowl with massed potatoes in it.
"Yes, why is that Strife?" add with a growl.
"I just...Haven't been feeling well is all" I said adding cough for affect.
"Oh pore Cloud" Tifa cood as she rubbing my arm.
I tried to show no sigh of the fact I just barfed a little in my mouth.
huffed, and sighed with a glint in her eye. To one I was a wet dream waiting, to the other I was disappointment.
The meal went by with little talk after that, which I was thankful for. I wasn't offered dessert after finishing, and took it as a sigh to apologize then leave. Quickly.
Tifa walked me to the door, and chattered on about something I didn't care about. opened the door for me in what was meant to be a nice jester, but was ruined by her eyes undresing me as I walked out.
I escape quickly, and headed home.
I sigh as I realized Tifa now knew my hiding place and was sure to come find me if I didn't came to the stupid celebration.
I looked up at the banner hanging from the town gate as I passed, and noted I only had two days before the winter celebration.
I paused in front of the water tower that stood in the middle of town, and looked up at the night sky.
"Never forget your honor" came a voice on the wind.
I looked from the sky to a man, who, at one point I saw as a father.
The man looked like an older version of my best friend, only his hair was slicked back and his choice in cloths was more mature.
My mind was flouded with memories of him teaching us as we grew-up, like the proper way to chop fire wood, or to hunt on the mountain
"Why do you taunt me?" I choked out.
His blue eyes glowed in the dark as he looked at me.
"Honor...Cloud...always" The wisper only made the pain in my chest worse.
I closed my eyes to stop the tears from falling, when I opened them he was gone. Apon the ground before me were fresh foot prints in the snow. There was only the one pair, none coming, none going just the pair in front of me were he had stood.
I don't remember the rest of the walk home, or how I got in to the house with out mom knowing. But I woke close to dawn, the sky just barely starting to turn purple, and there was someone sitting at the end of my bed.
"Thy wound bleeds with pain unshed"
I gasped as tears started to run down my face.
"Bound by chains forged from sorrow"
"Please" I banged for the first time since there deaths "Please don't do this to me Gen...Please"
"I shall wrap thee in darkness"
I sobbed in to my pillow, as he ignored my plea.
"And take thee from this world"
As his words sang in my ears, I heard him sigh in content as he stood from my bed and something four legged softly walked to the window. I turned my head to look for the strange sound only to find the curtins fluttering in the breeze.
I sat curled up in an ifinit darkness alone, the light that had shined long sense gone from this place in my dreams taking the wormth with it. A poddle of my own blood pooled around me as THERE words carved deeper in to my skin.
"Do not fear Cloud" A deep voice whispered from the darkness.
"Soon brother" Genesis's voice echoed.
"Soon" Three voices called in unison from the darkness.
"Cloud dear get up" Mothers voice called to me, "you have to start getting ready".
I growned as I turned over on the bed, the dream still fresh in my mind. Sitting up I saw mother was already picking out my clothes for me, even if I didn't not want to were them, mother placed the clothes on my bed and left to start getting the house ready for tonight
Today was the day of my worst nightmare, the last two days had passed in a haze plagued by the phantoms of my past and it was now the day of the winter solstice celebration.
Getting up I got dressed the locked my bedroom door tuning back to my bed I reached underneath the side of the bed to a loose floorboard, moving it I pulled out a small square book I had made.
I made the book from scraps of paper I found and bound it together with twine, I then looked for every picture I could of them from before the accedent even the ones mother tried to hide.
It soon become a tradition for me to look throught it every year on this day as a way to remember them.
Opening the cover I reread the first words I wrote "Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake" Genesis had quoted that from a book when he was teaching me to read. Even after all these years and heart brake I still remember those words, so I thought it only right it they be the first words in a book to remember them.
Flipping throught the pages I stopped at a group picture we had taking infront of the Shinra mansion, the four phantoms of my past smiled up at me with unbound happeness as if they hadn't a care in the world.
My eyes began to burn from the unshed tears at the memory, I turned the page just as a knock came from outside my door.
"Cloud aren't you ready yet?" Mothers voice came from behind the door she was trying to sound sweet but I could hear the agitation in her voice.
With a sigh I placed the book back in it hiding place and got up, unlocking and opening the door mother rushed me down stairs for breakfast.
The house was decorated with mako green candles while Pale puple Lupine was placed in vases around the house with two wriths made from the Lupine, one on the outside of the front door the other place on the door way to kitchen.
Unlike any other day I ate as slow as posible not wanting to leave the house but, like any other day, mother chattered on about the people of the town like a gassiper as I tuned her out with thoughts of how slip away to hide before anyone found me.
The rest of the morning flow by quickly, Tifa had chores as did every one else in the town, and I was no exception mother had me cut fire wood, shoveling the snow.
After my chores mother made me go to a traveling merchent who set up just outside of town for an item for my 'Rite of passage' offering.
The man had many odds and ends from various materia, elemental crystals, to dragon fangs. It took me a few minutes to look throught the wagon but final my eyes settle on a box contaning a Zoloms fang, a very rare item.
Paying the man I tucking the box under my arm and started my walk home, dusk was starting to set in and I was loathing it.
A soon feeling washed over me of being watch as I walked, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
Pausing I closed my eyes to calm myself and took a deep breath in hopes to shake the feeling.
*I have got to stop being paranoid* I thought with a sigh.
Glowing red eyes suddenly flashed in my head as a growl echo across the mountian, opening my eyes I could see no creature to make such a sound.
"So close little one" The dark haired man whispered "But I can't claim you just yet" The man watch as the boy ran back to his village.
Dispite my protest and unwillness mother had kept close watch on me till dark, at the chime of ten from the old clock mother made sure I had my offering with me before shoot me out toward the path to the moutains with the others of the town my age.
Tifa was at the beganing of the path with Cissnei who was holding a small box in her hands, apon seeing me Tifa bid Cissnei a good night and ran to my side pulling a small leather satchel from her belt.
"This is my offering" She said pulling out a small red materia the size of a marble.
"Mother said it's tradition for a Lockheart to bring Jenova a Bahamut summing materia" She bosted before retied the satchel to her belt and tugging me along to the path.
"So what did you bring as an offering?" Tifa asked as we walked.
Cluttching the box I replied "A Zoloms fang"
"Were did you find something that rare?" She gasped.
"The traveling merchent had it" I said looking ahead.
"I wonder, if your that thoughtful about an offering to Jenova, just think about what you're going to get me as a propasal gift" She swooned.
Ignoring her I walked on trying to hurry and get this over with, soon she started taking about the goings on in the town like mother did.
The nibelhiem bridge was the only way to cross the mountains gorge and was fastest way to rocket town as the path cut throught the mountian instead of around it, the cave of Jenova was on the other side.
As we came closer to the bridge I could see it had been remade after the accedent.
*To think it has only been a few years since that nightmare happened* Laughter cut my thoughts short as we came to the gathering place before the bridge.
I focused on the others who were here to take there 'rite of passage' Cissnei was standing with a boy named Kunsel, a girl I bearly knew named Aerith was talking to another girl Shalua.
There were others I couldn't name all waiting to began, a bad feeling hit me suddenly like an oman. Tifa called out to them as we aproched and most waved back to her with smiles behind glares aimed at me.
It was anly a few moment later that the full moon hit it's highest peek and Kunsel proclaimed that he would be the first to cross the bridge.
"This is so exciting" Aerith said from beside me.
"I guess so" In truth I could have cared less for this pagan none-sense.
I few minutes passed for Shalua cried out "Look Kunsel made it back!"
Many flocked around him after he came back across asking about the path, and to my shock he did not boast like before which stuck me as odd.
As the others still praised Kunsel, Shalua decided to taker her turn, and Cissnies not long after her.
A line of sorts soon formed as I stood to the side watching them go one at a time across the bridge, then waited to see like the others if they found there way back.
"You will never make it to the cave Cloud" Kunsel said from behind me.
Turning I face him, I really could say nothing as I agreed with him but I refused to say so.
"You bare a curse, but I think you already knew that" He snickered "The Lady Jenova will not bless you so why even go?".
*Why did I want to go?* I thought, on the way up I had actually started to look forwared to my rite of passage.
But looking at Kunsel now I could not think of a reason why I hadn't just left, Tifa had been distracted and no one would have come looking, so why?
Looking up I staired into Kunsels eyes hoping to find an answer to voice, but as I staired in his brown eyes I realized they had turned green, and not just green, they now had a slit in them like a cats.
I as I took a step back from him Tifa called out to me from the bridge.
"Wish me luck Cloud" She yelled with a waved then was gone in the swirling blackness of night.
"Soon cloud" Kunsels voice sent a chill down my spine "You wont have to hurt anymore, for we are merciful".
Looking around I realized everyone was watching me with green cat eyes now, Tifa and I had been the only one left who hadn't crossed yet. And now I stood alone.
The start chanting as they circled around me blocking any path of escape, dread started knoted in my stumic as they came closer corraling me towred the bridge.
"Do not fear Cloud" Spinning around I found Tifa standing on the bridge behind me.
"You had to know at some point this was going to happen" Her voice was soft but her now green cat eyes pulsed with madness.
Tifa walked passed me falling in line with the others, there eyes pulsed in the darkness with an unearthly green light.
"After all not even your own mather wanted you" Aeriths sweet voice spoke.
"Lady Jenova will rid our village of you cursed existence" Cissnie said as she swayed.
"The time has come for you to face judgment for your crimes Cloud" Tifas cold voice shook me to the core.
She would have looked normal if not for her glowing green eyes, and smile that promised pain that matched the rest of the group.
"It is time to be rid of you my Cloud" She spoke with malice.
As I looked at Tifa with shock Kunstal and some guy came up and grabbed me by the arms. Tifa stepped to the right of the bridge as the two once normal males dragged me halfway across the bridge with inhuman strangth.
"Let go!" I stuggled as best I could in there grasp.
Suddenly they pushed me, making me to fall forwared on to the boards of the bridge just as hard wind causing the bridge to sway dangerously under us.
"There is no going back for you now" Kunstal snerred.
He and the other boy, who's name I could not recall, stood there blocking the way back, they did not act nor seem to care that the bridge swayed wildly under us.
Taking a firm grip on the rope railing, I started move slowly across the bridge and with every step I took I willed my stomach to stop flip-flopping.
I could no longer see the other side of the bridge but I could still hear there chanting as I stepped off on to the thick snow of the mountian. The darkness was thicker on this side, almost to the point of being pitch black, clouds now covered the moon blocking out its silvery light.
I walk, the snow now to my knees, along what I hoped was the path, I was soon unable to feel my feet and legs as the cold numed them to an almost unbareble state.
As I walk I soon realized the snow was getting less deep, now only up to my ankles, as a path of sorts started to form from the foot prints of the others.
I finaly came to a fork in the path, the prints long since gone as the snow started to fall once more, even in the darkness I could see the cliffs jotting out of the moutian in jagged spirals reaching into the darkness of the sky.
Both paths looked dark and unpromissing twisting in to the darkness, I stood thinking as the wind screamed in my ears.
Listoning closely I realized it was not the wind that was screaming, but something else. Howls soon mixed with the screams as they echoed around me in a haunting melody, sending chills far colder then the mountains snow blowing winds down my spine.
The sounds started to grow louder forcing me to move, choosing the left path I ran in hopes of out running whatever was causing the haunting sounds that drifting apon the winds.
The path swisted and turned like a scar across the mountains face, my body soon protested the running a chill set in to my bone and my breath came out in little clouds around me looking up from were I huddled on the ground my eyes landed on the gaping mouth of a cave.
*A cave full of man eating monsters? Or freeze to death out here* I debated in my head.
The ground began to shake under me as a crushing noise echoed across the mountain, turning I found a cloud of snow coming at me from the ledge above, choosing quickly I dove for the cave.
...
...
..
.
I could not tell if my eyes were open or closed as the caves darkness ingolfed me even more then the night did, I cringed as needles danced across the body I could no longer feel.
My mind started to shut down from the pain.
The mountains cold started seeping in my bones.
The steady dripping was my only comfort as darkness began to take me and the howls grew closer.
The red eyed man walk throught the cave looking for the entrence the boy used, they had not meant for him to be outside when the avalanch happed.
The cave was dark but with his eyes it was like daytime, turning a corner he found the boy half barred by the snow.
The boy was not moving.
In a frenzy, the man pulled the boy from the snow. He was cold in him arms, fearing for the young one the man picked him up and walked away into the darkness.
Thank you for reading.
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No thats not the end of it! ha.
I had hope this would be longer but I have the second part in the works as I type, It will take a bit longer to do but it will get done and posted soon.
And yes I know I have mistakes in the ending just bear with them please.
I think I lost my motive for this piece close to it's ending so it may wonder a bit, in truth I couldn't think of how to continue.
*I do not own FF7*
I do not own the qoute from Cloud's book, Lupin is an actual flower.
Just as a side note*
Jenova is a God like creature in this if you haven't already figured that out.