Stuck

By Tori Salber – Oct 20th 2011

The room, if you could call it one, was white. The walls, the flooring, even the curtains over the barred windows were the atrocious color. In the back center of the room was an off white, grayish, couch. Across from it a large television on the wall - playing static- the only noise in the room.

On the couch there were two people, completely different, but stuck within the room in a head that had been built, together. The door out of the mind and room had disappeared long ago. One of the people didn't know how the other had gotten in. The walls around them were there to keep people out.

The older person in the room a man in his mid-twenties. He had long white hair, with bangs on either side of his face – it was a beautiful face. Women wanted it and men were envious of it – but his eyes – his eyes were cold and lifeless and gray and empty. He sat quietly at one end of the couch with a stoic expression on his face. He wore gray and black leather. His name was Sephiroth. This was his room, in his mind and the other person shouldn't have been there. Sephiroth didn't know how she had gotten in, and didn't like that she had.

The other person sat across from Sephiroth on the couch. She was a fidgeting eight year old girl. She wore the only color in the room. In an oversized t-shirt that had psychedelic flowers on it and rainbow striped leggings. Her bare feet swung back and forth against the couch, annoying Sephiroth. The girl's face was bright and happy; it made you want to smile back at her. Her name was Luna.

Scooting over to Sephiroth's side of the couch Luna stared at him, her mahogany hair swishing with each sudden movement she made.

"Why are you so sad?" She demanded. When he didn't respond she moved closer, so they were touching, and poking him in the stomach asked again, "Why are you so sad?"

"He left me." Came the solemn reply.

"Who left you?"

"The love of my life."

"Why?" She was upset at the unseen person – why would they do that to Sephiroth?

"Roxas." The one word was spoken with a miserable tone of grief that he was unable to hide.

"That's stupid. When he starts using his brain again he'll come back Sephiroth."

"No. He won't." Sephiroth spoke with the finality of the dying.

"Then he's a stupid-head. Why wouldn't he come back?"

"I don't think Cloud cares anymore." No emotion leaked into Sephiroth's voice this time, he was shutting himself away again.

"Well then move on." Luna commanded him.

"I can't."

"Yes you can. It's not like you're drowning or anything."

"I am." The words were spoken so softly Luna almost missed them.

"You're looking at the glass like its half empty, cracked and you cut your lip on a chip in the edge." At that Sephiroth chuckled quietly. "It's not half empty,"

Luna continued, "It's a little over half full of your favorite drink, the crack isn't leaking and you haven't cut your lip on the chip… yet."

"I like that. The yet."

"It's true. You need to keep moving forward, don't look back it slows you down."

"I can't Luna. I'm stuck."

"Then use your legs. You have two good ones there, don't you?" Luna glanced down at his legs as if to check that she was right.

Sephiroth wiggled them to prove they did indeed work. "I guess I do," He paused for a second, considering his words, then continued, "I don't think I can though, Luna."

Luna clasped his large hand in her much smaller ones and held it tightly. "You can." She smiled at him, "I'll help you Sephiroth. Everyone has choices – you just have to figure out what yours are."

Sephiroth stared at little girl next to him, sometimes it was easy to forget how young she really was. A few seconds passed before he responded. "You're pretty smart for a little kid."

Luna nodded at that. "Shinra said that too!"

"Oh?" Sephiroth was shocked, Shinra wasn't a nice person and he didn't like children. With his sister Sephiroth didn't blame him, but Ivan really didn't put up with things he didn't like, that Luna spoke of him smiling was in itself telling of the young girl's gifts with people. "I think you'll have to be the one to help find those choices. It's feels like I'm drowning in quicksand."

"You aren't drowning. You need to lift your feet and walk forward with me. Out into the world, come on Sephiroth." Luna held on to his hand with one of and stood up. She pulled him up.

Sephiroth stood for the first time in what seemed like months. Looking at her he asked "Now what?"

"We leave. The world doesn't stop just 'cause we want it too."

Across the room from the two a door started to creak open. It was white like the walls, the reason they could see it was because the edges around it emitted a bright yellow light.

The two walked toward it; out of the walls in Sephiroth's mind – his cage – he had locked himself within, and into a new day.

~The End~