Path To Rest In Peace

crystal-mist

Chapter 4

Eighteenth Year

Time is something we have no control of, something ever changing and never static.

For Alice (ghost) time was something that seemed endless. She had spent countless years straying on this Earth and it was not entertaining. Time only multiplied the pain she felt tenfold. Her initial hatred had multiplied itself over the years… And now she found herself viewing her past in third person point of view.

Living it in first person point of view was hard enough and now this was really getting to her. She clenched her teeth as she watched the vision of her in Shuon's arms and her lips on his. It hurt her; the love she had felt was so real but now her only purpose of being tied to this world was to kill that exact same person. Ironic wasn't it?

Days passed by just the same as always… Only one significant change was noticed, Alyce always saved her smile for Shun and Shun alone. It was like a special gift reserved only for him.

Slowly Alice grew up and finally came her eighteenth birthday…

She sat in the clearing of the forest…

She heard the crack of a few twigs, a small smile lit up her face.

"Boo!" came Shuon's voice.

"I heard the noise you made." She stated matter-of-factly.

"Fine…SO I couldn't surprise you on your birthday…Big deal." He commented as he plopped down beside her.

Alyce smiled. "Now don't be upset."

"You could at least pretend to be surprised."

"Shuon…You are nineteen but you still talk like a twelve year old." She said whilst laughing.

'It's nice to see her happy like this.' thought Shuon to himself as he gazed at Alyce.

"What is it?" asked Alyce seeing his happy and self-satisfied grin.

"Oh nothing…" he said, his grin widening. "You are so beautiful…Especially when you are happy."

She felt her cheeks burn up. She immediately tore her gaze from his and looked in the opposite direction, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart.

Just then she saw something dangling right in front of her eyes. She stared at the beautiful green gem that hung on a silver chain.

"For you…" Shoun whispered as he held it.

"No way…" she muttered in disbelief.

"Of course it's for you."

She turned her attention to Shuon who was still by her side but was leaning a bit closer to her as he extended the necklace.

"You won't accept?" he questioned, doubt suddenly filling his voice.

"No it's not that…I just…I can't believe all this." She said as tears filled her eyes. But she blinked them away. If she cried then this whole atmosphere would be ruined and that was not what she wanted. "Thank you." She muttered taking hold of the necklace. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it…It's your eighteenth birthday after all. How often do you turn into a full-fledged adult?" he said in a soft tone.

Shuon's kindness was the only thing that kept Alyce going these days. After all the atrocities she had to face, the only thing that made her look forward to yet another day was Shuon's smile that always awaited her. It was the way that he made her feel. She felt so happy, so light-headed when she was with him. She didn't have to be on the guard when she was with him.

Shuon then took the necklace from her grasp and went behind her. "Move your hair, I'll put it on for you." He told her.

Alyce blushed as she heard this but she moved her hair for him. She could feel her heart beat so fast as the cool chain of the metal made contact with her skin and even more when his skin touched the back of her neck.

"There." He said in a satisfied tone… "Wow, it looks good on you."

"Uh…well thanks…" she said as pink once again covered her cheeks.

But this happiness was short lived.

That night the bells on the town's monastery started ringing in a deafening clang. This only happened when disaster struck or if something important was to be announced.

Everyone in the village came out of doors and waited to know what the village elder intended by using the bell all of a sudden.

"Everyone may I have your attention…." Spoke up the elder. "Lately it has been observed that our Goddess is extremely unhappy about something. And upon long deliberations only on such unappealing thing comes to mind." He was speaking in a calm yet grave tone. "And so it has been collectively decided by the council members to offer the orange haired maiden Alyce to our Goddess as a human sacrifice."

The villages actually sighed in relief…The news of Alyce's sacrifice did not particularly bother anyone, not even her parents. The only ones who were in a state of shock were Alyce and Shuon.

"That's not fair…What proof do you have?" Shuon spoke up without thinking.

Everyone was taken aback by the intervention.

"What do you know, you brat?"

"But this is unfair." Shuon told the elder.

"Keep quiet Shuon…" urged his mother.

"I can't believe that none of you are remotely concerned about justice…" his words were taking the people by storm….Most of them were a bit enraged. "It is not fair…Haven't you made her suffer enough?"

The villagers stared at him "How can you even think of supporting that monster?" one of them spoke up.

Alyce just watched as Shuon's words seeped into the hostile ears of the people. She could see that his words weren't doing much good. All it was doing was turning them against Shuon.

"She is not a monster…I mean, it's not Alyce's fault that her hair is-"

"Shuon…that's enough." Someone had cut him short.

And this time Shuon did not speak up…He knew that voice, he knew it all too well…Alyce…Why was she stopping him like this? He turned his attention to her. Her face was serene as she shook her head from side to side signaling her disapproval at his behavior.

"But Alyce…."

"I…." she closed her eyes in resolve. She didn't want Shuon to suffer on her account. "I accept my fate as you deem it fit."

The elder's wrinkled old face lit up. "Very well then…" he signaled some men to get hold of her. "You will be locked in the shrine from tomorrow…Until eternity."

She allowed herself to be led away by the men.

'Alyce…You crazy girl….Why did you stop me, and why are they so cruel…Can't they see that you are-" he couldn't complete his thoughts because his father had hit him on the face.

"You brat…What were you thinking, standing up for that THING….DO you know that you were putting the entire family in jeopardy. How reckless can you be?"

Shuon's father continued hitting him and he wouldn't have stopped in Shuon's mother hadn't intervened.

Shuon stood up from the ground, rubbing his sore face with his hands. So this was how Alyce felt every time she was beaten up. It was awful…

The next day Alyce would be locked in the shrine and then he could never see her again…Life was so unfair, so cruel.

That night he snuck out of the room and searched everywhere for the place they kept Alyce. But he couldn't find her in any of the storehouses.

"Alyce…" he called out into the night as he fell on his knees in defeat; all of no avail.

Hm….SO how was the story? I know I know all of you're wondering what happened between them but I am sorry to tell you that you might have to wait just a wee bit longer. I am sure curiosity is eating up at you. I Mean, they seem so close….What could have happened?

But that is the thing with human beings…Everything is so unpredictable. From our actions to our words… Just one wrong action is enough to completely turn the tables around…One negative memory is etched deeper into our minds than any positive memory that we have experienced.

Have you noticed? You can remember sad memories more vividly than happy ones… That's just the way we function I guess…

Whatever, sorry for ranting on and on. Thanks for reading…And Please REVIEW.