Title: Red
Author: Eumenides (flowerofsin)
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: violent imagery, mild series spoilers
Word Count: 369
Summary: Atori dreams of the past.
They race over the rocky terrain, the sound of aircraft overhead loud in their ears. Gunfire can be heard in the distance, intermittent pops and cracks spelling death for soldier or civilian, who knew. A dropped shell from above detonates all too close for comfort. The shock wave of the blast tosses the group of children. Al is thrown against a wall of rock, slumping as his vision goes dark. After a moment, Al raises his head, his blurred vision resolving on the form of Gil, who had been shaking him to wakefulness.
Gasping, Al's gaze falls on the crumpled form of Sarah lying a distance away. Fearing the worst, Al breathes a sigh of relief when the girl stirs, rising with a groan, scraped and bruised but not much worse for wear. He calls to her as he tries to gain his footing with Gil's help. She smiles at him, running forward. Her steps are light, but not light enough as her weight sets off the mine beneath her. The earth shakes with the blast, and Al watches as her small frame is torn apart in a shower of gore and rock and dust. And he screams as he tries to run forward, barely held back by Gil's arms. Al screams until he is hoarse at the red that drips down the rocks and across the barren earth, soaking into the dirt. The vision of her face at that moment replays in his mind, the smile that morphed into a moment of surprise before-
In the dark, Atori wakes with a start, sitting bolt upright in bed, his own ragged breaths loud in his ears. A dream, he realizes as he flops loudly back onto the mattress, his actions not loud enough to wake Tobi sleeping on the bunk above him. The blonde frowns, his lips curling into a sneer. These are the dreams that he hates, reminders of how alone he is in this rotting world. Pulling the blanket up around his shoulders against the sudden cold, Atori turns onto his side to stare at the wall, its paint faded to dull colors. Listening to Tobi's soft breathing, he closes his eyes but sleep doesn't come.
End