GIRL OF MY DREAMS.
It wasn't as if these dreams hadn't happened before. This wasn't the first time.
Each time, these dreams found a way to make me believe that there was something more than just this island, and that this peace would soon come to an end.
I swung my feet over the side of the bed. It was another warm morning; the island was hitting its peak in Summer. School had been out for a month now, and the days were becoming long. I heard a call from outside my window, and sighed.
"C'mon sleepy head! Your almost as bad as Sora!", giggled Kairi.
I quickly ran to the front of my house, where Kairi awaited me impatiently. She was tapping her foot with a smile. She loved to joke around with me.
"Morning." I said as I began to walk, heading in no particular direction.
"Good morning, Riku", She said happily. "Let's find Sora. He's probably lazing about on the shore again."
She already found us something to do.
We set off in search of Sora, which wasn't hard to do. After all, the island was quite small and unpopulated. It was like a tropical paradise. Yet, hardly anything disturbed this place; it was completely humble and peaceful. Though, despite my time with Kairi and Sora – the goofs who could make anything interesting – it had become a bore. I had been here my whole life; it was the same thing, same people, and same place – everyday. Recently, I felt consumed by the thoughts of other worlds, and adventure. But, in doing so, I knew there would be a consequence. Curiosity killed the cat, after all.
Kairi suddenly paused. I saw a smile fall upon her face, as she looked over towards a sloppy Sora lying on the sand. I continued to walk, making sure to step on his stomach.
"Ouch!", I heard him belch.
"Oh, sorry. I thought you were dead".
"Who would step on a dead body anyway?" he exclaimed, now sitting up.
I gave him a hand up, and he was soon on his feet, with his back slumped. He shook sand out of his messy brown hair, before shaking his head, allowing himself to wake up.
Sora was a very spirited character. I had a tenancy to always compete with him in our daily activities, which I suppose is just my ego coming out.
We had been together since pre-school, in which he would follow me around constantly. When I became a year 1 student, Sora treated me with an utmost respect, as I was his senior. That was something I never let him live down.
As we grew up, we explored every inch of the island together, there wasn't a secret about it we didn't know. We found ourselves in trouble on countless occasions for staying out late, and making a mess of the place while playing around. I was kicking his ass every day, at everything I challenged him to. But despite that, I held an utmost respect for him, for there was something about him that made me envious. I swore to keep that to myself though.
"Well, now that you've woken up, I say we find something to do", suggested Kairi.
We all rubbed our chins, as we thought of something to do.
"Well, we could go for a swim?" suggested Sora.
"I don't see why not. Its a nice day", Kairi agreed.
I didn't complain. So within a few minutes we were in the water, Sora stupidly chasing fishes, while Kairi giggled at him. After a while, I found myself and Kairi doing the same, in which we ended up cornering and catching a curious looking flat-head to cook for later. After great debate, we let the fish go, knowing we couldn't all feast off one fish. We all had our fair share of drowning each other in splashes, and dunks, as well as lazing on top of the water, and relaxing in the sunlight.
At about noon, when I heard Kairi's stomach growl, I suggested that we all head back to the shore for lunch.
"I'll race you there?" said Sora, as he looked over to me.
I stood there for a little, before giving a slight smile and making my dash through the water. I won, of course. Or at least I thought I did. Sora wasn't quarreling about it, so I took the assumption that this one was mine in the bag.
Over the years, most of our races or sword fights had end up in a disagreement over who won.
During my second year of schooling, Kairi appeared on the island from another world. Only a few days after she arrived, I found myself being dragged by Sora to come meet her. She joined our group almost instantly, and became our new umpire.
On the island, we were soon recognized as a trio of mischief, as we went about the island causing havoc using our imagination. Those times have long now passed, as we finally became lazy teenagers. Kairi kept me and Sora motivated however, and we still found something to do every day. I'm sure there are other worlds we could explore though.
"No fair Riku. You deceived me at the start. Why do you always rub my face in the dirt." Sora said, panting.
I laughed faintly, as I inhaled deeply. We both collapsed on the sand smiling from our run. I could faintly hear Kairi in the background shuffling towards us in the water.
I felt myself suddenly tired, and faint, as I closed my eyes, and everything began to fade away.
I felt the sand beneath me disappear, as well as my surroundings – including my friends.
I woke up. Or, at least I thought I did.
It was still dark, although I knew my eyes were open. I waved my hand out in front of myself, and faintly was the outline of my fingernails. I sat up, indecisive as to whether I should stand.
I knew I was dreaming again. Unless the world had finally ended.
It soon occurred to me that I wasn't breathing. My hair lifted, and my body felt light. There was nothing beneath me to sit on, I was floating in water. My body began to panic, as it realized I was about to drown. Instantly, I began to swim upwards, where logic told me there should be air.
As I swam, I began to see clearer and clearer. I noticed a tinge of dark mysterious purple in the distance ahead of me. My body became more and more induced into panic, and the lack of air made me feel faint and tired. I began to struggle with myself, I had to get air –nothing else mattered. Not even the mysterious girl calling my name in the distance. I tried to keep my mouth shut, but my body wanted air. I inhaled, knowing fully well that I would take in a lungful of water, and surely drown. But I was wrong.
I was suddenly able to breathe. My body began to relax, as I stopped moving so frantically, and floated there. I felt stupid from the struggling, my mind becoming clearer on my current situation. I continued to hear the girl calling my name. Everything was becoming brighter, the dark mysterious purple was growing, and ahead of me was a white light. My feet were suddenly on a surface, and I was standing. Ahead of me, was a cloaked girl, calling me name softly. I began to walk towards her, each step I took left a splash of purple liquid evaporating at my ankles.
The girl began to turn. "Wait!", I yelled out, she stopped, and faced me.
"Do you know of your destiny?", she asked me, softly.
"What destiny?", I responded curiously.
"Do you know the destiny of this island?"
I knew the answer. She told me the answer to this in a previous dream.
"It will come to an end". I answered her.
"There's not long left now. Are you ready?"
"How will this world end? What will happen to everyone?" I asked.
She looked up, dazed. "The darkness will consume it." Her head rested back down, and faced me once more. "Riku, watch over Kairi..."
I swore I saw the girl smile under her hood, as she turned around, and disappeared into the light. I began to run after her. "Wait!" I shouted. Where the hell was she disappearing too?
I continued to walk towards the light. But as I stepped, and became more aware of the creatures lurking behind me. I turned around, and found an ambush small dark creatures lurk from my shadow. As the group grew, they began to chase after me. I began to run, knowing that it would do me no good. I took my stand, as one by one they jumped on me. They aimed for my heart, digging straight into my chest. I pulled them off the best I could, throwing them to the ground. As each hit the dark surface, they shattered into a whisp of dark green.
I started to notice the lack of light in this space, as the creatures began to suffocate me. The surface I was standing on once again disappeared, and as I fell, I heard the distinct voice Kairi call out my name…