To the lost and struggling:
these words are for you.
It was still dark outside when a young man shot out of bed, trembling in cold sweats from a rather intense night terror. He sat there hunched over his bent knees in a silent stupor, waiting for his muscles to relax and his mind to mellow out. As he was, he listened intently to the small rain drops falling from the sky and landing with their monotonous splats upon everything left out for their wrath. The white noise was pulling him from his present reality to the clammy memory of that day.
"You will...live for the both of us." His breath was shallow and hoarse as he spoke those quiet words. His muscles strained and shook when he lifted his arm up, grasping the boy's golden mane, pulling him down to his chest. "You are my...living legacy, Cloud."
"Zack…!"
He swept his blonde fringe away from his damp forehead and ran his hands aggressively through his hair. "I am your living legacy...easy to make that promise..."
/ / / /
Dawn was beginning to break through the atmosphere when Cloud finally pulled himself together enough to start his day. He slowly went through his habitual motions of getting ready and preparing the things he would need to bring with him. Making his way down the stairs, he made sure to stay light on his feet as it would be a hindrance for him if he woke someone up as he got ready for work.
He stood in front of the door, staring at it, willing it to be sealed shut so he wouldn't have to go out into the world and face the harshness it had to offer him. He stood there with his hand resting on the knob, fighting an internal battle against himself with no end in sight and not a truce to be made.
A low rumble of a distant car starting up jerked him out of his daze. Now or never... He thought to himself. Pulling the door open allowed the dank air from outside to rush into the warm and cozy living space. Peeking past the door, he surveyed the scene in front of him, assessing all of the possibilities and consequences that could happen during his time away from home.
It doesn't matter. Whatever happens, happens. He told himself, trying to coax his mind to allow his body to function and move as it's own entity. As his internal struggle continued, a dim light flickered on.
"Are you leaving already?" A gentle feminine voice inquired from the door frame a few paces behind him.
"Tifa," he breathed out, taken a bit by surprise. He turned his body to view her standing in the doorway, regarding him apprehensively. Her arms were crossed over her chest, trying vainly to ward off the obtrusive chill. She rubbed her thumb against her arm as she thought about something.
"Cloud," Tifa called quietly. "Please be careful, okay?"
Cloud silently gazed at her for a few seconds as a rapid fire of thoughts, both positive and negative, rushed through his mind. He shifted his gaze down to the floor when he answered her request. "Yeah."
Whatever happens, happens. He reminded himself as he turned to the door again, finally walking past the threshold separating the comfort of home from the harshness of life. Just another day… Cloud somberly thought to himself when he quietly pulled the solid wooden door closed to Seventh Heaven.