Chapter 2: Drop Me Down to the Dream Below
Liz slowly crawled out of the tent. She stood on the hard desert ground feeling the heat of the sun on her skin. The wind was still and not a noise was heard.
The silence was broken by a rumbling from Liz's stomach. Her belly felt empty. It hadn't felt that way since the miscarriage.
~months ago~
Liz walked in the front door in a daze. She absentmindedly slid off her jacket not bothering to put it on a coat rack. Kid had been watching TV when she came in and turned around when he heard the noise.
"Hey honey. Did the doctors say anything about the baby?" Kid got up off the couch and walked over to her. Liz stood there motionless for a moment, and then hugged kid tightly and sobbed into his neck.
"Liz? What is it honey?" Kid tried to calm her down by stroking her soft ash blonde hair. Liz just kept sobbing not saying a single word.
Liz sobbed for another 10 minutes before she said the words that would change the couple forever
"K-Kid... I-I'm not p-pregnant anym-more. I-I had a m-m-m-miss... A miscarriage" Liz ran to their shared room where she flung herself onto the bed and buried her face into a pillow. Horrible sobs wracked her body. Kid slowly walked up to their room and sat on the bed. Liz didn't notice that he had came in, she only knew he was there when he started to rub her back softly. She didn't look up, but her tears slowed down as Kid massaged her shoulders.
"Liz... I still love you" Liz couldn't see the tears running down his face. Liz had felt empty inside.
~present~
Liz wiped tears away from her eyes and began to pack up the tent.
After the tent was packed up and gear was put in its proper place, Liz began to hike towards the mountain again. Along the way she snacked on a few protein bars that had been packed in the case of a quick meal.
The sand began to turn into gravel as she got within a mile of the mountain. The crunch of the gravel seemed to remind her of a night. A night that had left her in tears, kid had said something that Liz never wanted to think about.
~past~
Kid and Liz walked down a gravel street seemingly in the middle of nowhere.
They had gotten done with a mission quicker than expected, Patty had felt tired and decided to retire to the hotel room the trio had rented. Kid offered the idea of a walk to Liz and she thought it would be nice to have some more along time with kid.
The two walked out of town following a random road that eventually turned to gravel, making small talk along the way. Liz made fun of Kid's symmetry obsession and he made fun of her fear of ghosts, both were laughing and having a good time.
After walking for a hour or so, Kid looked up at the starry sky and said something that Liz never wanted to consider.
"Liz... When my time comes... Can you forget the wrong that I've done? Can you help me leave behind some reasons to be missed?" Kid began to get tears in his eyes. Liz answered softy for fear of upsetting the young reaper
"K-kid... I don't want you to go before me... I don't think I c-can handle that..." Kid looked at her straight in the eyes and held her hands in his
"Don't resent me when I'm gone. When you're feeling empty, keep me in your memory. Just leave out all the rest..." Kid had a somber look in his golden eyes. They were softer than normal, showing a side of the young reaper few were allowed to see. His eyes showed a boy who loved his weapons, a boy that would do anything to protect the ones he loved, a boy who was strong in the face of danger, but most of all his eyes showed the boy that Liz loved and always would. Liz hugged Kid and cried into his shoulder, she couldn't bear the thought of him leaving her.
The couple stood on that road only illuminated by the light of the moon and the stars, not wanting to let the other one go.
~present~
Liz sighed and thought to herself 'Kid you will always be in my memory.' She began to climb a path that seemed to be carved many ages ago. The mountain loomed in front of her, with rocky outcroppings and snowy peaks. With each turn on the ancient path, the temperature seemed to drop a degree and the mountain seemed to grow by a mile. The sun began to fall asleep and the bloody moon came out to stare at everyone, as it does every nightfall. Liz sighed and found a flat area to set up her camp for the night.
After Liz had struggled with the tent for a good half hour, she decided to attempt at making a fire for warmth. Finding dead twigs and branches on the rocky ground at night was difficult, almost making the fire seem pointless.
After finding the necessary materials and starting the fire, Liz sat as close as she could to be warm. It was getting colder than usual. Liz could have sworn she saw snowflakes, which was a rare sight in the desert. The stars gazed down upon her, intent on seeing her next move for the night. But they were disappointed because she had gone to sleep for the night. She slept next to her meisters soul that night.