MEMORIES UNBOUND

[SHORT STORY]

WRITTEN FOR PIX-PIX AS A PRIZE FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE

"DREAMCATCHER CHALLENGE"

Chapter 1 – Extra Class

Another day of school, repetitive, just like so many others.

To an orphan of both parents like me, routine had few to offer me. Nothing new, nothing special, always the same.

My ticket out of this place was university. In order to do that, I had to excel at my grades. And, in order to do that, I had to study hard. A lot.

I lived in a shelter home since the day I had lost my parents in the day the world seemed to stop, when one of the Midgar's sectors was completely devastated. It was an industrial accident – a reactor exploded. And, just like that, thousands of lives were harvested. Thousands of homes… separated.

A generation of orphans had been created.

The shelter home was a good place, we felt like a huge family, all deprived of parental support and love, but we had each other. Places like this, similar to where I live, spread all over Midgar.

The place wasn't bad. It wasn't ideal either, but it was better than being abandoned to my own luck when I was only eleven years old.

Thankfully, we had good tutors – kind adults responsible for us. Non-abusive, tender persons. I had heard rumors of less lucky orphans out there.

Well, finally, I was a senior. One more year of high-school and that was it.

There wasn't a day I didn't think about what would be life outside of Midgar. Go to college, meet new persons, maybe find a decent guy. Those seemed to be a species at the verge of extinction, also. I did have my dreams after all. In all aspects of life.

Today I walked towards the school next to my room-mate, Christine, like every regular morning.

Little did I know that today something memorable was about to happen.

"Honestly, Sora, I don't understand how you can find biology interesting."

"Well, but I do, a lot." I said, looking at her with a censoring gaze.

"It's so boring!"

"Not for me." I declared. It was true. I loved biology. I could spend hours reading stuff about it. Well apparently Chris didn't think the same about it.

"You're such a lab rat! You could spend just a little time with us after lunch time. It's fun, we get to play cards."

I half-stopped and turned, looking at her intently. She had got to be kidding me!

"And gossip about the entire school." I added, making a face. "Really, Chris, I'm not into that and you know it."

"We could play Uno. I know you like Uno."

God, she was really insisting sometimes!

"I would play Uno with you guys, if you actually did play it. But the attentions are constantly diverted to... less proper directions."

Yep, it was true. The few times I tried to play cards with my colleagues, there was nothing of card playing, and a lot of unidirectional flirting.

"You mean Sean? He likes you Sora, why don't you give him a chance?"

Oh, God, not this subject - again.

"That's very simple." I stated, fixing my stare on hers. "For the hundredth time, I don't

like him that way."

But she was not the one to give up that easily.

"Come on! There has to be someone of your liking!"

"No, thank you. I'm worried about going to college, not in engaging in some ridiculous

relation-ship that obviously will lead to nothing."

Wow. That was a hell of a good justification. I felt proud of myself!

"You can't know that for sure."

"I know what I want." I concluded. "Good grades. University. Period."

"You can have both, you know? University and… Love."

Man. She was the hopeless romantic, as always.

"I don't believe … that, Chris."

"Oh, Sora." She whispered, scandalized. "That's an awful thing to say."

"Sorry." I half-laughed, somehow pleased with the reaction I had provoked on her. My room-mate was very expressive. Maybe too much for her own benefit.

We travelled silent the rest of the way.

As we approached school, we met, gradually, our colleagues that were also on their way to school as well. My friend Christine didn't seem now too affected by my harsh,

insensitive words, since she had engaged a smiley conversation with one of the hotties of the school - a nice catch, under her perspective.

I engaged some small talk with my colleagues until we reached the school gates, and then – finally - we were headed to our classroom. We had Chemistry in our first hour. It was kind of cool, all those compound mixing and stuff, equations and reactions… nonetheless I preferred biology. I wanted to be a scientist. I wanted to be of use to the world, investigating new forms of saving the planet from its obvious decaying.

With a grin decorating my face, we sat in our usual places and I prepared at once my notebook, my pen and pencil, my eraser. I felt strangely active, today. Chris sat next to

me and she blinked at me, an obvious sign that she had news – fresh news from her recent gossiping with the super cute guy of late.

The teacher's arrival interrupted our intention of dialogue, and we resumed ourselves to silence, only the noise of brushing paper and resting backpacks on the chairs filling the air.

"There is something I have to tell you class. Please be silent."

Oh. The teacher was slightly nervous. Why would that be?

"There is someone outside who needs to parlor."

Someone was outside. Almost instantaneously an annoying murmur arose all over the classroom. All I could hear was the random talking of some of my colleagues.

"It's the military, I told you!"

The teacher didn't let them speculate much more.

"Sean. Thomas. Be quiet." He declared. The teacher breathed in and out several times before announcing."I'll leave you five minutes with-"

"It won't be necessary, I can shorten this."

And then a tall, male figure invaded the classroom, large footsteps, decelerating as he reached the teacher. He was huge, massive. It was like he was a lab-made human or something. His face, his eyes, his strange long gray hair – were as alien as breathtaking.

Finally, his stare landed on all of us and his grave – masculine – voice was finally heard. Just the mere sound of it sent shivers up my spine.

"As you all must know, I'm General Sephiroth, from Shinra military corporation."

Oh, okay. Military. Maybe they're all like that in the military. Like freaking giants and… and… creepy. I had to blink several times to believe my eyes. This man was really, really… strange. And… handsome. Not to mention his eyes – could something like that exist? Was it possible for a man to be so sinister and so amazingly seducing, at the same time?

Strangely familiar…, my mind added. Wait, what?

His voice took me from my daily reverie.

"I am here to inform you that, given the recent wave of violence in the city, the military

adjusted their services to teach basic skills to all of you, seniors, who are practically adults by now."

His voice. So melodic. So harsh.

I've heard this voice before. But where?

"Extra classes after P.E. will be added to provide you with the basics of self-defense. Two to three hours a week, starting today. I won't tolerate lateness or laziness of any kind. After all, this is of your best interest."

His stare scanned all of us.

"Who will teach us, sir?" It was Sean. Of course. He couldn't stay silent or control his foolish curiosity.

"I will."

The silence was crushing. I didn't get it, though. I didn't quite understand if my colleagues considered it was a good or a bad thing. An honor or… a nightmare. I didn't know as well. All I knew was… I wanted distance from that… man. His presence freaked the hell out of me. I was starting to feel a nervous shivering betraying me.

"Very well people, any questions?" His tone was authoritarian. Logically, he thought he was dealing with his soldiers back in the military base. There was no response. Only eyes ridiculously bugged at him and chins almost hitting the ground.

"See you all at 4 p.m."

And with that, he left, swiftly, not minding the impression he gave, not minding our opinion, not minding anything at all… but his orders. His long hair was the last thing I saw, flowing, with unnatural ease, awakening something inside me I didn't know what it was. It was like… his presence was familiar. It was like I had seen him before, somewhere, someplace… maybe in a dream or one casual day of my childhood. This was strange. This was… bizarrely, bothering me.

"That's all I needed…" I whispered, while the teacher now prepared to begin the class. "Yeah…" Christine answered me, although I didn't hear her. I didn't recognize her tone, not even her words. My soul felt too constricted to hear or say whatever it was, for the next hours.

Later that day, after lunch break, I sat with Christine outside, still mesmerized with the news. Chris scanned the entire place, which consisted of an average-sized garden, with places made of stone for us to sit and some occasional stone statues decorating the place. No half-naked obese Cupid angels statues, thankfully.

"God, I don't want extra classes." I said, facing my hands.

"I know it's a pain in the ass but, come on, the guy's hot. Admit it." Judging by her tone, she really meant it.

"I think I'm gonna barricade myself in the library." I admitted, a little ashamed of saying it, even if Chris was my best friend and the closest thing I had to a sister.

"Gosh, Sora." She declared, lazily, her eyes searching mine. "There's no need to do that. It'll be like P.E., you'll see."

"I'm not that fond of P.E. to engage in this little extra." That's right, I wasn't. And I was avoiding telling her the truth.

"Well, the General is a hell of an extra all right."

Damn, she couldn't be more out of subject. How could I tell her that he freaked me out?

How could I tell her that his presence threatened me and my… control? And that I had only seen him once. It was a great extra to reinforce my theory.

Right.

"Don't make such a fuss over this." She declared, kind of amused, smiling softly. "What can go wrong?"

"I don't… like him."

"What, the General?"

"He's…" I paused, not knowing what word to pick. "Strange…"

"Sexy…"

Geez, she could be so annoying sometimes! Now I was upset.

"Can you stop? I'm talking seriously here. He is freaking scary, did you take a look into his eyes?"

"Uh… well, not exactly."

"Well, you should. It's…"

Yes, it was something. Undescribable. There were no words. Only… actions. What?

Where did I get that from?

"Anyway…I don't want to go to his class." I declared, decided to make my point. Each

time I thought about it, more convinced I got that I had to run from him. From his stare.

From his words. From his touch.

"Sora, come on, you can't skip it. You're a role student – role students don't skip any class."

Oh right, I was about to make a hell of an exception here.

"I'm not going. I don't want to." I said, realizing I was behaving like a brat here. But I didn't care.

"Great so, what are you going to do? He'll find you."

"Not if he doesn't know where I am."

I eyed Christine with a naughty stare and a smirk on my lips.

"No." She said, avoiding my stare. "I am so not doing that."

It was something really incredible, the fact that we knew each other so well that we were far too predictable already.

"Come on, Chris. You owe me. I did cover your precious little ass when you went into the gym for a hot making-out session with the O'Connell guy, remember?"

I only heard her sigh, while her stare found my own again.

"You're terrible, you know that?"

I smiled openly.

"Only when I have to." I said. "And the occasion calls for it."

"Does the man scare you that much?"

If she only had the slightest idea…

"It's not scare. It's something else… serious. I don't know what it is but my guts tell me to keep away from him."

Her eyes were on mine, trying to process the information. Clearly, she failed.

"Okay then." She said, her lips a tight line. "What's the excuse?"

"Tell him I'm at home, with sudden fever. The lunch did not make me feel well."

"Fine." She answered, a couple seconds after.

"Okay. I'll be at the library." I declared, while I grabbed my books and stuff, half running through the path that would take me to that place I liked so much. That place filled with books, calm and quietness.

"I have a bad feeling about this…" Chris mumbled, as she made her way to P.E.

Worried over her friend's I'm-scared-the-shit-out-of-the-man attack, she wondered, if that little outburst could be a consequence of her difficult childhood or simply due to the

fact that Sora had lost her parents so soon.

It was something very hard to believe, since she was always so down-to-hearth and straightforward. Wondering, Christine could only imagine what that man could eventually evoke on Sora, for her to behave like this.

She didn't get to any conclusion.

"Solano, Christine." The voice of the General himself echoed the exercise room number

four. No one dared to talk. Chris' inner voice seemed to shout in the devastating silence.

"Here." She said, her heartbeat rising, knowing the name that would follow.

"Sukiru, Sora."

Silence.

More silence.

The general's eyes did not leave the paper where all their names were listed.

"Uh… she's not well, sir." Chris's voice sounded weak, and she wondered if it could be

an obvious sign that she was lying.

The General's eyes met hers instantly, scanning her, invading her. He said nothing – and he hadn't to, while a nervous shiver invaded her.

"She went home after lunch with some mild fever."

Christine's voice faltered, as she dared to lie for her friend. She said what she had to say, the way she promised to her friend – no, more than friend, she was like her sister.

She had said it, such an innocent lie, such a childish thing to do… but the General's gaze on her felt implacable. And, just like that, she knew she had been caught. He knew she was lying. He knew she was covering for her colleague. And how could he know that? Well, that was a mystery she would never dare to explore, never wanting to find that out.

"Where is she?" He said, calm as ever.

Oh, maybe she could just give it one more try.

"I-I told you, sir, she-"

"No, no, no, you didn't understand my question." Oh-uh. Bad idea, Chris. Reeealy bad idea. He stepped slowly towards her, his cold gaze squeezing her of vital force. "Where. is. she?"

"The library." Christine whispered, mesmerized at such eye-power. Sora was right after all. His eyes were really something.

"Thank you, Miss Solano." He said, suddenly very… well, normal. He stepped towards

the door and before opening it, he faced the constricted mass of students standing and

said:

"15 minutes of warming up until I get back, class. Now move!"

After that, he just disappeared.

"Miss Sukiru."

It sounded like a whisper, a tender, caring murmur, falling from above me. It absorbed me dangerously, inciting contradicting feelings from inside me: fear and longing –simultaneously. As my eyes reached the source of that voice, one of those feelings easily smashed the other one, fear magnifying and turning easily to terror.

General…

Yes, he was here. Yes, he was so damn close to me it almost hurt. His face, so close to mine, his essence surrounding me for brief moments, while he whispered horrific words with discretion.

"I understand you were supposed to be at my class right now but, for some reason I cannot seem to grasp you are here, at the library, reading Charles Dickens while Miss Solano insulted my intellect with a ridiculous lie about your lack of health to justify your absence."

Oh, crap. I gulped, barely blinking, my stare trapped on his.

"What I cannot tolerate, Miss Sukiru, is that you purposely avoided my class to feed your worthless hobbie."

It's not worthless…, my mind concocted, as I felt my heartbeat going faster. For a couple of seconds, I didn't move, he didn't move, we simply stared – at eachother. I felt shrinking to the size of an ant, while his presence certainly would match the solar system magnitude.

It felt devastating.

"Get up and walk. Smoothly." He said, standing swiftly, his stance allowing me to guess the path he wanted me to walk.

And I didn't have much choice but to get up, pack my stuff and walk with him on my tail, that somber form chasing me until we finally reached our destination.

A second before we arrived at the dressing room, he ordered me precisely:

"You have five minutes to get dressed and present yourself in exercise room number 4."

When I entered the exercise room, no one seemed to notice my previous absence. Well, at least I didn't have to face more censure today – the general's censure was undignifying enough.

"You still have 7 minutes of warming-up left people. Let's get it done properly. What are you? Children? Run like grown-ups!"

I started warming up, easing my face to meet up with Chris, who seemed as ashamed as

I felt. Running side by side, her voice broke the uneasy silence between us.

"Sorry, Sora, but he knew. I don't know how, but he did."

Yeah, I bet he did.

"It's okay, don't worry over that." I declared, realizing she was feeling terribly oppressed by the latest events. I could, without doubt, imagine what he had said to her for her to give me up so fast. It was very easy to, considering what he had told me at the library.

Discreetly, I eyed the General, whose presence stood at the middle of the gym, watching us like a predator. His eyes met mine too easily and I avoided it at once. He was watching me. And, most likely, preparing a hell of a punishment, expressly concocted for me.

Breathing out heavily, I let time pass by, minutes of warming-up at countdown, as I faced the unknown.

"I usually ask for a volunteer but this time, I assume Miss Sukiru will not mind to volunteer in our first class."

The General's last declaration made me look at him, as everyone around us looked at me instead. Oh, I was so screwed.

Bastard…, my mind whispered, realizing this was going to be much more humiliating than I thought.

"Of course not, sir." I said, swallowing my shame. With my eyes on his I remained, standing, clearly defying him for a fight I knew I had already lost.

"Approach me, please." He suddenly said, gesturing with two of his fingers.

Slowly, scared, my heart pounding inside my chest, I moved forwards, reaching him, leaving a concrete meter between us. He looked at me from above, towering me, so menacing… I had to leave his eyes for a moment, or I would pass out. Around me I didn't hear a thing – my colleagues seemed to be muted, not moving, not talking, not… breathing?

It was the strangest sensation ever – this feeling of a bubble made for two persons, alone in one place, facing each other with nothing to say.

Finally, his voice seemed to bring some realism to the scenery around me – this was the gym of my school and the General was in front of me, teaching a lesson. Or, should I correct – teaching me a lesson? My rational thinking got lost in between his words.

"Rule number one: at any hostile intention, react. I will teach you how to react properly, to defend yourselves and evaluate your odds: to fight or run away."

Oh, right. Self-defense. That was the class subject, right?

"So I'm playing Miss Sukiru offender. Let's see how she defends herself from my attack."

Oh, man. Me? Defending myself? How, if I knew how to use my words only? No violence, no… beating, come on! My face must have been a mirror of my astonishment.

So, he reacted with plenty of adequacy: threatening.

"If you don't do something, I will."

I didn't know what to do, how to react. Okay, I was supposed to do something, defend myself in some way from a unmoving and psycho opponent. Eventually, my mind came up to something. I raised my arm in his direction, planning on punching him right there on his chest – but I failed shamelessly. Before I could think, breathe or react, his hand reached my arm and I felt the whole gym spin. I didn't know what was happening, all I felt was a human wall around me, my back completely glued to his form, as he trapped my arm, using it to maneuver me as he pleased. Reflexively, I gasped, reacting to the feeling of such massive man touching me. It was not only the fact that his hand was on my arm, but his body, completely adhered to mine, a strange sensation transporting me to… some place I didn't recognize. It smelled wonderfully, herbal and fruity, the sun was shining and there was no one around us.

"Your ineptness bores me." He suddenly said, his voice grave and somber. "See how you can easily be knocked out by any ordinary delinquent?"

Right before I could process the information, I was sprawled on the floor, completely unable to move. I didn't realize what he had done, the moves he had played while using me as his guinea pig… but I was categorically trapped. With him, within him, his eyes on mine, his form kneeling above me, his strong legs surrounding mine… our arms and hands entangled… and the sight of that awkward place surrounding us, coming and going, vanishing and appearing at its will…

Am I going crazy?

My desperate thought must have been very transparent on my face, because the man above me did seem a little taken aback also. What, was he seeing the same I was? Those shades, those smells, those trees and the icy breeze blowing around us?

I didn't know. All I could hear was his voice, that misty scenario around us now vanishing instantaneously. Suddenly, I realized I had lots of eyes on me. On us.

"At this time I could do want I want. Once the victim is secure, the offender plays with advantage."

Yeah, he could play with advantage all right. Quickly, I felt the pressure he had been applying on me fading, leaving me laid down on the gym floor, mortified.

As I got up swiftly, I didn't say a word and I realized he was already making a demonstration on another student already. Everybody seemed to be very concentrated on it, not minding me and my… apparent vision of … what the hell was that anyway? Trying to become invisible, I went to the back of the group, hoping they wouldn't remember the horrible experience I had been trough seconds ago.

I felt despaired. I felt like crying – a thing I didn't do for a long time now… and I had to focus extra hard not to. For the sake of the remaining dignity I had on me, which was plenty residual by now.

Minutes passed by and the General paired the students to perform the moves he had been teaching before.

Faster than I could expect, I did the math quickly: we were 21 students. And I was on the back. That would leave me with no one to pair with. And, according to P.E rules, that meant… pairing with the teacher.

I almost gasped at my logics. There was no way I was going to touch him again. No. Not like that. No way!, my mind shouted, as I saw him clearing some concepts with one of my colleagues.

Okay, I had to end this, and now. I didn't know where on Earth I got the courage to approach him after what I had felt before, with him.

"Sir…" I said, my voice firm, earning a stare from him and a clear sign of dismissal for my colleague. His eyes locked on mine, as he expected me to complete my sentence. Gathering the strength to face him was painful, really. "…can I excuse myself for a couple minutes?"

His eyes half-narrowed and I had the strange sensation he knew what I was feeling. A strange sensation that he knew exactly the reason of my discomfort.

"Keep on with the exercise. I'll be right back." He declared to the rest of the class, while we both stepped outside the gym, the General closing the door behind him and scrutinizing me terribly after that. A thick silence followed, strategically disrupted by his question.

"What seems to be the problem?"

Oh, fuck you.

"I need to go to the girl's restroom." I lied, my face completely altered. The anguish I felt mixed with anger, a very dangerous combination I haven't felt yet.

"You're lying." He declared, neutral. Solemn. His eyes seemed to burn against mine, almost glowing in the shadowy hall that decorated the gym main door. His right hand moved, clearly headed to my face.

"Don't touch me." I snarled at him, through my teeth. I was so furious I could punch him. Literally. How dare he, to humiliate me like this? And, as if guessing the turmoil I felt inside me, he whispered against my face:

"Tell me, in my face, what you want to say."

Okay, just keep on with it. Don't compromise yourself.

"I just need to-"

"Say it." He interrupted me, as if enjoying the way my mind and words struggled. It was very obvious by now I was restraining from saying something that I would definitely regret later.

"Leave me alone." I snarled once again, looking at him with my breathing altered, my watery eyes betraying me. His eyes remained on mine, and I never could expect the following words from him:

"Go. Now. Before I change my mind."

And before I could think, I was inside the girl's dressing room, changing to my regular clothing, tears falling from my eyes, as I sobbed silently, alone in that cold, tile-plastered precinct.

To be continued…

Next: Chapter 2. Hide and Seek