Not only human…
__________________
Change the street,
Change the decade,
Still the longing's left inside,
Why am I too small to carry you?
Why does twilight make me cry?
Maybe there's a light that's always on,
Maybe I'm not only human…
_______________________________________
The fires were finally dying down, the embers that still glimmered echoing the stunning red sunset that stretched across most of the sky. Faint wisps of smoke rose lazily into the hazy sky, fluttering their way as if enchanted, into delicate spirals. If the scene below them wasn't one of absolute destruction, it could easily have been viewed as beautiful. Unfortunately, the stench of death still hung heavily in the air, tainting all who breathed it with the guilt of so many deaths.
The hills were alive with the survivors: camps of people, crouching in the dirt, building shelters out of whatever scraps of material they could find. More arrived to the area daily, carrying what was left of their possessions on their backs. Occasionally carrying what was left of their families.
By day search parties of those still able roamed the rubble below them, pulling out those still alive trapped under the rubble of what was formerly the hi-tech city of Midgar. By night bodies huddled together, by large open fires, keeping off the chill of the wind, eating whatever could be scavenged from the land.
Meteor had been and gone, effectively levelling every being, human or otherwise. Name, rank, gender meant nothing here. Life was the tie that bound.
That night, as the past seven nights since the impact, there were the sounds of crying, screaming, mourning. The sounds of those who were lost, and the reunions of those who were found. There were stories around the fire, singing to keep up the spirits, and recriminations.
A little way off, on a grassy verge away from everyone else, lay a young woman. She was curled up on one side, shivering slightly in the cold night air. Her face was bruised, and a cut marred her forehead, but she had made no effort to clean it. Her hair, once shining, was now covered in dust, and her suit was in tatters where she had ripped bandages for others. She had been part of the search party today, and was still haunted by the deaths that she had encountered, those she has failed to help.
She didn't feel worthy to join the knot of humanity that was grouped behind her. Instead she chose to be solitary, to watch the fires in the city below. As twilight hit, a tear ran down her cheek, cold in the night air.
From behind her a man approached. He had noticed her absence, and though wouldn't admit it to himself, was worried about her disappearance. He had grown fond of her; they had been former workmates, fighting side by side. He wore the same outfit, and his was in a similar state of disarray, yet he had somehow retained his trademark sunglasses.
He approached, and sat quietly on the already damp grass.
"Hey 'Lena."
"Hey." She returned quietly. She continued to stare at the bleak scene below. Silence reigned over both of them, as her friend joined her scrutiny. Finally, she spoke again.
"Look what we've done." Her mind swirled with the enormity of what they had been a part of, of what they had helped create.
Rude, not knowing how to ease her pain, and feeling much of the same himself, settled with placing a comforting hand on her back. Words stuck in his throat. He patted her gently, as though he didn't want to add any more to the burden she was carrying. That they were carrying.
As he moved his fingers over the rough fabric on her back, they encountered a small lump near the base of her neck. Craning his head forward and slipping his sunglasses forward to get a better view in the fading light, he discovered an angry red welt, perfectly circular in shape, with a small glow emitting from its centre. Tugging at her collar gently he discovered another a few inches below, nestled on her spine. Elena, uncomfortable, pulled away from him.
"Sorry 'Lena, I didn't realise…"
She turned to face him, tilting her head so her eyes met his. She had never seen him without his sunglasses before; his eyes were a light green, and shone brightly with the mako that surged in his veins.
"He got you too." She whispered under her breath. He nodded almost imperceptibly. She turned to face the wreckage below once again, the tears running freely down her face.
"That Hojo was a bastard." She stated simply.
_________________________________
What is going on I hear you say... a chapter fic from illy... what will happen next.
Well, I'll tell you, You'll review right now, and then I'll try the next chapter!
As Always, not Belonging to me! Belonging to Squaresoft!
Lyrics by heather Nova, for the song "Not Only Human" an the Siren album.
Lady_illyna@hotmail.com
Take care all!
__________________
Change the street,
Change the decade,
Still the longing's left inside,
Why am I too small to carry you?
Why does twilight make me cry?
Maybe there's a light that's always on,
Maybe I'm not only human…
_______________________________________
The fires were finally dying down, the embers that still glimmered echoing the stunning red sunset that stretched across most of the sky. Faint wisps of smoke rose lazily into the hazy sky, fluttering their way as if enchanted, into delicate spirals. If the scene below them wasn't one of absolute destruction, it could easily have been viewed as beautiful. Unfortunately, the stench of death still hung heavily in the air, tainting all who breathed it with the guilt of so many deaths.
The hills were alive with the survivors: camps of people, crouching in the dirt, building shelters out of whatever scraps of material they could find. More arrived to the area daily, carrying what was left of their possessions on their backs. Occasionally carrying what was left of their families.
By day search parties of those still able roamed the rubble below them, pulling out those still alive trapped under the rubble of what was formerly the hi-tech city of Midgar. By night bodies huddled together, by large open fires, keeping off the chill of the wind, eating whatever could be scavenged from the land.
Meteor had been and gone, effectively levelling every being, human or otherwise. Name, rank, gender meant nothing here. Life was the tie that bound.
That night, as the past seven nights since the impact, there were the sounds of crying, screaming, mourning. The sounds of those who were lost, and the reunions of those who were found. There were stories around the fire, singing to keep up the spirits, and recriminations.
A little way off, on a grassy verge away from everyone else, lay a young woman. She was curled up on one side, shivering slightly in the cold night air. Her face was bruised, and a cut marred her forehead, but she had made no effort to clean it. Her hair, once shining, was now covered in dust, and her suit was in tatters where she had ripped bandages for others. She had been part of the search party today, and was still haunted by the deaths that she had encountered, those she has failed to help.
She didn't feel worthy to join the knot of humanity that was grouped behind her. Instead she chose to be solitary, to watch the fires in the city below. As twilight hit, a tear ran down her cheek, cold in the night air.
From behind her a man approached. He had noticed her absence, and though wouldn't admit it to himself, was worried about her disappearance. He had grown fond of her; they had been former workmates, fighting side by side. He wore the same outfit, and his was in a similar state of disarray, yet he had somehow retained his trademark sunglasses.
He approached, and sat quietly on the already damp grass.
"Hey 'Lena."
"Hey." She returned quietly. She continued to stare at the bleak scene below. Silence reigned over both of them, as her friend joined her scrutiny. Finally, she spoke again.
"Look what we've done." Her mind swirled with the enormity of what they had been a part of, of what they had helped create.
Rude, not knowing how to ease her pain, and feeling much of the same himself, settled with placing a comforting hand on her back. Words stuck in his throat. He patted her gently, as though he didn't want to add any more to the burden she was carrying. That they were carrying.
As he moved his fingers over the rough fabric on her back, they encountered a small lump near the base of her neck. Craning his head forward and slipping his sunglasses forward to get a better view in the fading light, he discovered an angry red welt, perfectly circular in shape, with a small glow emitting from its centre. Tugging at her collar gently he discovered another a few inches below, nestled on her spine. Elena, uncomfortable, pulled away from him.
"Sorry 'Lena, I didn't realise…"
She turned to face him, tilting her head so her eyes met his. She had never seen him without his sunglasses before; his eyes were a light green, and shone brightly with the mako that surged in his veins.
"He got you too." She whispered under her breath. He nodded almost imperceptibly. She turned to face the wreckage below once again, the tears running freely down her face.
"That Hojo was a bastard." She stated simply.
_________________________________
What is going on I hear you say... a chapter fic from illy... what will happen next.
Well, I'll tell you, You'll review right now, and then I'll try the next chapter!
As Always, not Belonging to me! Belonging to Squaresoft!
Lyrics by heather Nova, for the song "Not Only Human" an the Siren album.
Lady_illyna@hotmail.com
Take care all!