Ungrateful Hope – Chapter 3
Liore.
Rose woke up suddenly. She was feeling dizzy and didn't understand her dream. She didn't understand where she was, who she was or anything. It was the third night in a row. She just knew that, at that moment, she was back to her reality.
The bedroom was modest, with little furniture and unfinished white painting on the walls. Her bed under the window and a blasting sunlight outside.
She got up calmly and sighed. Her eyes firstly stared one of the corners of that bedroom, glancing broken furniture and hanging clothes. Her son was sleeping in the humble wooden bed, breathing peacefully and innocent.
The mirror was somehow asking to be seen. The light reflected in it was so strong…
"Rose, it's just a mirror"
When she approached it, a scarlet spot materialized in front of her eyes for a couple of seconds. She looked down and saw a metallic round nail shining to her. Then, she looked out of the window – the curtains were almost closed and the sign of the restaurant (located across the street) could barely be seen: the only letters she was able to see was the A and the U…
"AU?... A... u… AL… Aru! Alphonse?"
"Edward? Did I dream 'bout them?!"
She only felt overwhelmed and decided to sit back on her bed, trying to remember a thing she had to remember. What did she have to remember? What have she seen? The dream took her to a place she didn't belong, a place she had never seen. But it was probably just a blameless dream, with no purpose. Did dreams have meaning after all?
"Of course not…"
The phone rang suddenly. Rose stared it. It rang twice. Rose should answer it. It rang thrice. There was no need to feel scared of. It was just a stupid dream…a senseless dream…The boys were not there anymore…
"Where were them after all?"
It rang the forth time. Rose picked it violently, saying an energetic 'Hello'. A familiar voice started talking to her; a soft and calm voice started asking how she was and how her life was doing. Replying all these formal and unnecessary questions, Rose felt a harsh relief invading her chest. The person on the other side of the line was asking for room for a couple of days in Liore. Rose said it was okay and her room could be shared. After the agreement, they both set up the date and time to meet at the train station.
"So, that's it. Thanks again Rose!" – said the voice.
"No problem. Oh, before you go…I've to tell you something"
"Sure, what is it? Don't you tell me you need an automail?"
"No, that's not it Winry-san…It's just…" – Rose groaned.
"So, what is it then?"
And Rose told her about the dreams, about the scarlet spot in the mirror, about the shiny nail evoking her thoughts and the sign claiming for help. She didn't expect Winry to believe in any word she was saying, but she just had the feeling she had to tell her. Who else could hear me? Surely not Major Armstrong…
…silence…
"Rose-san…I believe you. Al-kun had the exact same dreams about Edo-kun. He knew his brother was alive and had experiences in another place, living as another person…he was beside Ed, but it wasn't him…I didn't want to believe, but since he got back…"
"Got back from where?" – Rose yelled and an ungrateful hope began choking her words. She felt like she could see the Elric brothers, she was right and could trust her intuition…she started to get desperate, feeling useless, scared… happy…
"We need to talk Rose-san…You made my day brighter now…"
Edward and Alphonse went to a café nearby with Mustang.
Noah went to work at the flower shop and was cleaning the roses, cutting the leaves, throwing away the garbage. Through the window, she looked across the street and noticed the Elrics' presence in there…she wanted to say 'hi', but the girl felt too dizzy to do it…
TO BE CONTINUED...