Thank you everyone who is taking the time to read this story. Yes I plan on adding a bit of SuzakuxLelouch in the far of future. So that means no KaLulu, C. , or ShirleyxLelouch. I would also like to give out a special thanks to BlueWings900 for her help in making this story so much better, and longer, than it was…a month ago? Anyways I hope you all like it! (Almost everything in this chapter that is in italics is a flashback.)
"Rachel, hurry on back home! Your mother must be worried sick about you!"
I turned back to face the baker's wife. "I will ma'am! Thank you for the extra loaf of bread!" And with that I was off. Oh Lord almighty! I hope father won't be too angry! But what if…no! I have to have faith that the Lord will have mercy on me today. I just have too! And with that, I picked up the edge of my dress and hurried down the dirt path toward the manor I worked at.
My vision blurred as pictures and words flashed right before my eyes, only to slow after a while until they were at a pace in which I could see them clearly. Where it stopped, however, was a nightmare. My father always was abusive.
As I fell to the floor, I realized that the Lord is planning something in the future to compensate for the pain that I will now seemed like the only reason since I have not done anything wrong. Or I at least didn't think I did something wrong.
"So you think you could just saunter around here like you are the queen, huh? I asked you a question, girl! Answer me!" my father ordered me, making me cringe.
But I didn't. I couldn't answer because I knew the moment I parted my dry lips, my stomach would feel the fury of his leather boot. Instead I simply cowered, trying to make myself smaller than I was. I wish I could have a father that wouldn't hurt me and a mother that wouldn't make me cry, but I knew that was impossible.
"Tch! So…you don't want to say anything? Anything at all?"
I stayed quiet; not knowing what was going to happen and too scared to do anything else.
"Then I guess we'll help you do just that. Middea (1)! Bring a needle and thread! Your sewing skills will be needed."
No…NO! I don't want to remember that! My heart pounded in my chest as fear overwhelms me. Happier times! I must remember a happier time! Once again my vision blurs and I know that, for now, I'm safe within the memories of my…past…is it my past? I'm not entirely sure. For now though, I'm just happy to be with him.
"You're quite beautiful, Rachel. Your hair is an even more beautiful blue than the sea itself."
Even though I knew the Earl of Prinston had a nasty 'habit' of leading any and all women to bed I couldn't help but feel like he really meant what he said to me. Sadly, I couldn't say anything. The tug of the thread reminded me of this. A thousand and one words wanted to be made known; a thousand and one thoughts that would never be heard.
"Rachel."
I was quickly brought back out of my musings at the sound of his voice. Since I knew better than to even think of parting my lips, I merely gave him a look that showed my curiosity.
"I love you."
I could hear myself say 'I love you too,' but, as the breath that should have been words wisped past my lips, I knew he couldn't hear me. If he did hear then I wonder if things could have been different. I fought the urge to sigh in irritation as the familiar fog stretched over my vision and colors flashed before my eyes yet again. Stopping at a memory that I will hold forever.
I could hear someone calling my name…
"Rachel! Rachel! Who did this to you!?" it hurt to move whatever was left of my lips, but I knew that I had to talk to my beloved while I still had the chance.
"Ian, I'm glad we can…finally talk to each other…"
"Don't move! I'll bring the family doctor so just-"I could feel my life's blood flow out of the knife wound under my breasts, just realizing that I will never get the chance to have children. I quickly hushed him before I took a deep breath.
"Ian, I love you. Even after I found out that your family was an occult, I couldn't beat the thought of leaving you. Even when I found out that they were all planning on making me the sacrifice, I couldn't bring myself to regret meeting you. No matter what happened I kept falling in love with you all over again…" It slowly registered to me that I could no longer hear. I couldn't hear my love telling me not to die, so I trudged on, hoping that Ian would be listening to me.
"I will be reborn…and in that life I will fall in love with you over and over. I'll keep…" the world was getting darker "…falling in love…" and the last thing I saw "…with…" was scared blue eyes… "You…"
This was starting to get confusing. I couldn't tell whether the images and colors flashing before me were connected or not. The few images that caught my eye always fled before I could focus on them. And then one image stuck. This image contained both a boy and girl. Why do I feel so…shy?
As Milly introduced me to...to...what was his name again?
"Lelouch. Lelouch Lamperouge. A pleasure to finally meet you, Ms. Fenette."
Lelouch, I could only come up with one single coherent thought. Have I met him before? I didn't know what part about him was familiar. I didn't know if it was his eyes or hair or his skin color or even his body structure but something was…familiar.
"Hello? Anybody home? Shirley?" Oh! That's right! I was having a (one-sided) conversation with Milly and Lelouch.
"Oh! I'm sorry Madame Pres! Hi my name is Shirley! What's your name? Oh wait! You already answered that. You said your name was Lelouch right? I'm sorry! I guess I was distracted! You know that has always been my problem! That and talking too much. Am I annoying you Lulu? Oh! Is it okay if I call you 'Lulu'? I just think 'Lulu' fits you perfectly! But if you-
…Where…Where am I?
want to then…yeah." I finished lamely with a small blush.
For a moment…all I saw was darkness. Everything was pitch black as opposed to the white that could usually be seen past the visions and words. Just as I was going to start calling out, everything became washed in gray. A gloomy gray; a depressing gray.
The rain was pouring but I didn't feel a single drop. I didn't even realize that Lulu was in front of me until I heard him speak. "I'm sorry I was late. I was sure you'd already left. Anyway never mind that. Come on; let's go someplace to get out of the rain now."
Lulu…Lulu is smart, isn't he? He should know the answer right?
"Lulu tell me…Zero…he fights for the weak doesn't he?"
"What? Yeah well that's what he says."
…Why…is it…so dark?
"Then…" Oh God. "Then why did he kill my father?"
I didn't see the look on his face but, even if I had, I wouldn't have understood why he looked so shocked then guilty. Instead, I started rambling.
"You know my father…was so gentle. He never ever hurt me." A strange thought came to me the moment after I said that. Well at least not this father. "He didn't do anything wrong. But he was buried alive. He couldn't breathe." A sob escaped me without realizing it. "Why? Why did my father have to die!? I…I don't want this! No! Please Lulu! Help me!"
And with that I wrapped my arms around his neck and I kissed him.
If I had opened my eyes and watched him…I would have seen his eyes widen with disbelief, shock, sadness and a tinge of anger even as he tentatively wrapped his arms around my waist.
Maybe it was because I had stolen his first kiss that belonged to someone else…but it is too late for what ifs.
As I left that memory, I began to feel a lump in my throat. I was so focused on pushing that rock like lump down that I wasn't able to focus on the flashing colors.
Imagine my surprise when I found a boy with sand colored hair, Rolo my mind supplied, calling out to Lelouch at the mall where the Black Knights were supposedly attacking.
Even though I was in the same memory, everything just froze. And then I saw Rolo stalk forward. It felt as if the whole world except Rolo was frozen. No sound was made…which was strange. One would have at least heard the clacking sound of Rolo's shoes as they drew closer to me.
Why is it so quiet?
As the image faded, a gunshot disturbed the most disturbing silence I had ever heard. The next memory seemed to be a result of that gunshot.
"Shirley!" I could hear my name being called but…I didn't have the energy to move. So I didn't. I couldn't tell whether or not it was Lulu…I'm scared.
"Shirley who did this to you?" it was him.
"Lulu, I'm glad we can talk at the very end..." He looked scared. He looked scared for me. For a brief moment I was relieved that I was the one dying and not Lulu. He didn't deserve to die so young even if he has killed people.
"Don't say that! It's not the end. I'll call a doctor so just-"
I grabbed the hand that had his phone with energy I didn't know I had. Then I started to say something that sounded vaguely familiar…like I had said it before. And it still held true.
"Ever since my memories came back, I've been feeling very afraid. A teacher who wasn't a teacher. Friends who didn't have memories to share. Everyone was just…lying. I felt as though-the whole world was spying on me. That's the world you've been fighting all by yourself isn't it? All alone. So that's why I-why I wanted to be someone who would at least be truthful to you." The look on his face seemed…regretful.
"Shirley…"
"Lulu," I began when I realized that my next words were…for someone else. "I love you.
Even knowing you caught my father in all this, I simply couldn't hate you. Even though you made me forget everything, I still fell in love with you. Even though my memories were tampered with, I kept falling in love with you all over again…" I was getting…tired…
"No! Shirley! You can't die!" Why are you crying, Ian? Don't be sad no-
"No matter how many times I am reborn, I'll keep falling in love with…you…an. I suppose that it's simply fate…"
My vision started to get blurry so I completely missed the movement Lelouch made towards his eye…Since when did I stop calling him 'Lulu'…? "No! Don't die! I order you not to die!"
I hoped the one I meant these last words to could hear them…"So is that okay then? Lelouch? And as I'm reborn, I'll fall in love with-"…I… "-over and over…I'll keep-" I can't… "…in love…with…you-" I CAN'T BREATHE!
…
My first conscious act was panic. I could open neither my eyes to see nor my mouth to scream. As I moved my tongue, I realized with horror…my mouth was sealed shut with thread. And I felt, with my tongue and pain at the lead of the investigation, the thread pierce through the roof of my mouth to god knows where.
I was now terrified. Then the strangest thing happened. Tears fell from my sealed eyelids even though, as far as I knew, I was not crying.
And then…I blinked. Or at least I believe I blinked. It was so dark I couldn't tell the difference between my surroundings and the back of my eyelids. And I kept on crying. The thing was my tears…didn't feel like tears. They felt…thicker.
As I shifted my jaws a bit to see how much I could move, the threads in my mouth began to snap by their selves and it took practically everything in me to start heaving up everything inside my body. That was until I started to feel something, or things, move-grow inside me. After feeling that everything, whatever 'everything' is, came up and out. Or passed through me to my…lower entrances. I was slowly suffocating. I felt like I was just pulling in air but not breathing. After vomiting the disgusting stuff out, I realized I could move once again. When I tried moving my arm I was startled to find out how tired I was. So with my face and chest wet with whatever was in my stomach, I went to sleep. I slept with ignorance to the fact that, even as I breathed air in, my chest still did not move and the air that came out was not carbon dioxide. It was almost like I was a corpse.
…
As I slowly woke up, I realized how much my entire body ached. I moved my hand toward my face to remove the thread that was threaded through my mouth. Or I tried to.
That very same hand was stopped cold when it hit the roof of…where ever I was. I started moving my legs and arms around. At my sides, above and below me. I, once again, was heart stopping-ly terrified. I started pounding, kicking and scratching at the low hanging ceiling, tearing one of my fingernails in the process.
"Help! Can anyone hear me!? Hello!? Please! Someone help me! Anyone! Please!" Without realizing it, sometime during my begging and violent attacks towards the roofing, I had begun to cry that stuff again. And then I came to the only truth I could find.
"Oh god…" I breathed. "I'm going to die…aren't I?" I asked no one in particular. After that, I fainted.
~John P.O.V~
"I don't like this."
"Oh come on, John! We both need the money and we can't afford to wait any longer!"…I seriously did not want to do this.
"But this feels wrong! I don't think we should dig up some random person's cof-"TUMP!
"…found it." And with that, I watched with disgust as Nathan eagerly pulled the dirt encrusted coffin lid open. And it looked like something straight out of a horror movie.
There was a…familiar, yet beautiful, looking girl inside. Or at least…it looked like it used to be a beautiful girl. Her orange-brown hair looked like bed-hair. As if she had moved around a bit. Her eyelids were closed but there was embalming (!?) fluid leaking out from underneath them. The embalm fluid and blood (!) trickled from her mouth. Which was hanging open. I lost my dinner when I saw the inside. Sutures were cut but still threaded through her gums and roof of her mouth. Even Nathan looked sick.
The fluids were in her hair, chest, neck, and dress. The fabric under her lower body was soiled which led me to believe that she must have been really scared. But what sickened, scared, and angered me the most were the scratches on the inner lid of the coffin. The torn fabric and the half-inch claw marks made me want to murder the bastard who put her through this cruel torture.
"Poor girl. She must have been terrified spit less. She probably struggled the whole time. To her last breath." Good thing he didn't make some smart-ass remark. I would have killed him.
"How could…" I simply couldn't get out what I wanted to say. At least not yet.
"John…some people are just plain sick. In the end they all get what is coming to them. I mean just look at the Demon!"
"BUT HOW CAN ANYONE PUT AN INNOCENT GIRL THROUGH SUCH TORTURE! It's…it's just plain…evil…!" Nathan stared at me with sadness evident in his eyes. Like he knew what I was going to say next and it broke his heart to see someone who he regards as a brother feel this way. With tears making themselves known, I said what I truly believed. "There is no god."
And the moment I finished that sentence, we heard a gasp below us.
~Original P.O.V~
I could see little lights. Above me. And a giant crescent shaped light. That was when I saw (I could see!) two men staring at me in horror and shock. I did the only two things I could have possibly done at that moment. I cried and begged.
"P-please…! Please help me!" I tried to lift my face up but I wasn't strong enough. That was when the youngest one snapped out of his stupor.
"Come on, Nathan! Let's help her!"
"Hold on, John! She's probably hurt!" And that is how I found out that the black haired, green-eye man was called Nathan and the tall platinum blonde haired man with beautiful sky blue eyes was called John.
"Nathan! After you're done, grab the stuff and throw it in the trunk! We need to take umm…what's your name?
That made me realize…
"I don't remember. I can't remember much of anything. Wait…!" John looked at me curiously which made me blush.
"Call me…call me Rachel. Rachel Saphir."
~John P.O.V~
"So how is she?"
I looked up to see Nathan halfway finished filling in Rachel's grave. I ran my fingers through my hair with a sigh. "She's fine. A little dazed at most."
"Well it is better than shock. I mean it must have been at least a little traumatic to be in a coffin buried six feet under with no way out-"
"You are not helping."
"Okay. Okay. Let's just finish this soon. It's already 3:00 and the guards are going to shift at 3:30. It'll take ten minutes to make it through the graves and the gate."
"Yeah. Yeah."
…
As we were picking up our equipment I happened to look at Rachel's headstone. What it said was very surprising.
HERE LIES
SHIRLEY FENETTE
7/9/00-3/18/18
"NOTHING IS UNFORGIVABLE"
There were three things that I realized after reading the headstone. One was that Rachel's real name was Shirley Fenette. The second was now I knew why she seemed so familiar. I remember watching the news about a terrorist attack on some mall. The only casualty was the death of a girl. A girl named Shirley Fenette. The third was that a part of the headstone was wrong on two parts. She couldn't have died in March because that would mean that she has been buried alive for six months. The other was the one that really got me in a bad mood. I had to clench my fists to keep from destroying everything around me. There are some things in life that really are unforgivable.
~Original P.O.V~
As I waited for John and Nathan to finish whatever they were doing at the food mart that the gas station had, I watched everything with wide eyes through the glass window…well anything I could see with the little amount of moonlight that poured through the clouds and the tint the glass had. Truthfully, I was scared that, the moment I blinked, I would end up back in that pitch black cage. It was a bit terrifying to be in the car. I felt like I didn't have enough room to move. Stop it! There is enough room for you to be comfortable. Just breathe. Focus on something else. As I looked around the car, a newspaper caught my eye.
THE DEMON IS DEAD!
The picture on the front page saddened me for some reason. I felt actual tears falling for the first time in what felt like a long time. The picture depicted a young looking boy with black hair and strange white clothing lying on, what looked like, a stage. He looked like he was sleeping and I would have thought he was asleep if not for the title and the giant bloodstain on his white clothes. There was also a masked being above the boy. I couldn't tell if it was a boy or girl but what I could tell was that I hated him. I hated him because I knew, I just knew, that he killed this 'demon.' I looked at the date in one of the corners of the newspaper. Sept. 6, 2018 A.T.B. According to the article the boy had died on the 5th of September.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Startled, I dropped the newspaper to the floor of the vehicle. I glared at John as he insisted I get out of the car. Couldn't he see how dead tired I was? Too tired to even stand, that's for sure. I sighed at the boyish grin he gave me; I would have to get out at some point. Allowing John to take my hand, I followed him to the front of the car where he stopped and looked at me.
"Hey, Rachel. Can I ask you a question?" Well this is strange, I thought as a car's headlights illuminated John's face.
"Sure. As long as I can ask you a question in return."
"Okay…Are you sure Rachel Saphir is your real name?" Oh. I guess I had nothing to worry about.
"I'm pretty sure. How? I don't know but I remember it is so it must be true. Now my turn…What is today's date?"
The look on his face was…special. Hmmm, I guess he was expecting something else. With an annoyed huff, John answered. "September 7, 2018 A.T.B." John then looked at me curiously as if expecting me to explain why I had asked. My reply was simple.
"Oh."
As I watched my first sunrise in my new life, I thought, So…He died two days ago. And then I cried for the boy whom I felt was a very important person in my old life. I cried for what was and what could have been. I cried while I still held my future in my hand. It apparently had callouses.
Comments:
Middea is pronounced middy-ah but you can call her Medea.
There are a lot of important clues in this prologue, if it can be called that, so I would keep an eye out for them.
Facts:
It is the start of my first ever story.
This thing was 8 pages long.
A total of 3,836 words.
Please leave a review! Constructive criticism allowed! Flame me only if it is something that bugs the sh*t out of you.
~Pft980811