「Scattered Memory」
by CupcakeLerman
× dedicated to the Japanese victims of the earthquake; in times of trouble, they need your prayers.
Chapter 8: Decisive Twilight : Part III
The last image of Naminé I saw haunted me. The frantic figure of her spoiled perfection chilled my nerves, just to even think about it. I heard bangs and shouts on the door, and I could tell Naminé did not like being dragged out of anything. Gulping nervously, I faced my attention to the middle of the room (or what I thought was the middle), waiting for Sora's voice to come up again from the darkly shadows.
Eventually, Sora's unusually-higher voice echoed through the halls. "O-kay. Who else wants to get the hell out of here?" I heard nods of agreement, yes's and no's, and soon I felt my hand shoot up. I needed to get out of here. This hallway was just suffocating me just by standing here. Plus, Naminé—what in the world happened to her?
"I'll go first," Sora said, approaching the door. I hadn't realized it yet, but my senses were heightened, my ears almost perking to every noise. I heard the twist of a knob, the squeak of a struggle with it, and eventually, a release of the door handle. Footsteps. Sighs. A voice behind me.
"Locked. From the outside. What the hell is going on?" Sora exclaimed. I could almost hear him crying, as did almost everyone else in the room. I didn't move a single inch, and since everyone else was acting like a sour puss, then I guess I'll have to take a stand.
"You do know we're still in the game, right?" I heard my cracked voice rise through the sobs. Several became hushed, until a deep and recognizable voice rose again.
"Who gives a crap? We might as well just sit and wait around until someone gets us in forty-five minutes," the boy Sora called Terra shouted. Hushed agreement words followed.
"Yeah, but as Sora and Mr. Strife mentioned beforehand, we could all be in danger if we stay put. Sora, where's the salt?" I felt completely reckless, like I had nothing to lose (when I could lose my life), and this was just like jumping into an abyss on my way to school. But hey, someone's got to be fearless, right?
I could almost see Sora's frightened expression. His eyes were red from his silent crying, and as I looked lightly into his dim eyes, I felt the need to reassure my younger friend. He really needed help. But as I stood there, a bag of salt was dropped into my hand, and I felt a hand overlap mine.
"Take it, Roxas. Lead them. I'm staying here."
"Sora, no. You gotta come with us. If you don't...this Midnight Man...he'll plague you in nightmares." Had I really just said that? Was this now more than a childplay game? No, apparently it was, because I was beginning to nearly panic and take this seriously.
"Roxas...you've always been the brave one," he said to me. "But now, I can't take it. It's an instant ticket to being out of the darkness for just a little while if I just...wait here."
Geez. In all my idiocy and all the racket, I remembered my best friend's truest fear: the midnight, the twilight...the dark. He consoled to me that it made him feel weak and under pressure. This kid, he had too much light that he had to protect it. And he knew he couldn't do that when all around you is an eternal and lurking darkness ready to seep into every crack and crevice, including the ones hidden deep inside other people.
"Okay, dude. But if you need anything, anything—just shout." I turned to the rest of the group, who I could now all see better since my eyes had adjusted a bit. "Everyone who is too immature to join us, stay here at all costs. Everyone else brave enough—come with me."
When I herded my followers, I wasn't all that surprised when I noticed I had only about four out of a the large group of nearly thirty. I divided the salt rations, and with Sora's guidance, instructed everyone on the guidelines. We were to be mobile all the time, and we were to not scream or provoke in any way whatsoever. This was really itching my spine right now, and I had too many jumpy nerves. But when I felt my hand, my index finger wasn't just bare, but I had begun to feel a surrounding pressure on it. Around it, I felt a plastic ring with two hooks on the top, and like always, I felt it. The audacity I needed to get above everything and feel much better. Did Namine really have the power to do all that, when she wasn't even in the same room as I?
"Onward," I commanded my small group. Our shoes clanged on the polished surface of the hallway. Groping around for something relatable to a light switch, I didn't find anything of that sort. I almost retracted my arm a bit, since I didn't know what I'd lay my hands on. My right hand was clenched in a fist, gripping tightly on little bits of sandy feeling pebbles of salt.
"Roxas, we have thirty minutes left. Do you think we'll make it?" a girl I recognized as Rikku said questioningly. She was in my Physical Study class this year; I knew her as the braided perky girl that was too helpful to ignore. Even in this infinite dark, I could hear her voice collecting with trust and calmness.
"Of course we will, Rikku. We're the dream team."
"Nice, Roxas." Rikku responded dully.
"Roxas," a new voice appeared. "Don't say anything unnecessary now. It's not really the time." Ugh. Mr. Freaking Strife. Who the hell does he think he is? He isn't that cool. And...why is he in my group?
"Shut up, Cloud," I said, unintended and intentional anger seeping in my voice. Did I just tip off my school president/father/stepfather? Why yes, I just did. And it felt awesome.
A stuttered breath was my reply, as I guessed he was done criticizing me. I slowly made my way into what I guessed was a large room. The air was a lot less stifling, although it was probably that way because of our awkward tension, the feeling that someone could leave unwillingly. A breeze tickled my hair, and I felt several others shiver along with me.
"Roxas, did you feel that?" I heard someone other Rikku and Cloud call out. Her voice was surreptitiously brave, but a small portion of a squeak was trying to be strong, and trying hard at best.
"Who's that?" I said.
"It's me. Kairi," the girl's voice said.
"Kairi? Wh-What are you doing here?"
"I'm the, er, leader of Drama Department, remember?"
"Oh, right...well, no matter how cliché it sounds, I did feel that breeze," I replied finally to the unnoticed girl. "You need to go back with Sora. It'll be much safer, Kairi. I—I don't want you to get hurt..." I said, sincerely taking care of younger little Kairi.
"Nah, Roxas—I'm up for a fight today," she said excitedly as I felt her punch my left arm.
"Okay, Kairi, but don't come crying to Sora when you feel a spider crawl up your leg," I muttered mockingly, glancing around the dim room.
"What was that?" Kairi pounced, catching my whispering.
"Nothing, nothing," I said, flaunting a smile that no one could see.
A loud crashing noise originating from the hallway caused all of us to spring up, almost too surprised to even inch towards the door way. The monotonous and treacherous room that was once a threat to enter was now a safe haven for us. Loud bangs echoed in the hallway. They vibrated my body as I felt the repercussions move throughout the room, sweeping the rest of my group also. The next things I heard were so deathly terrifying that I finally gave in—this wasn't a child play game, it was real life we were dealing with. Screeches, squeals, cries—all the exaggerated synonyms for 'scream' were played un-exaggerated. Girls, women, men, Sora—I heard discords of these terror-stricken people escape their mouths as sloppy noises, contrasted from the chilling screams, were background noises.
My first instinct was to gather everyone up. I took ahold of Kairi's hand, which I could differentiate from all the bangles on her wrist, and locked mine with her's. I took Rikku's hand, which was shivering violently. Her hands were a lot softer than I'd normally imagine...—So I wrapped an arm around the other team member, who I hadn't gotten the chance to formally meet. Sadly, I also had the sense to take Mr. Strife's rough hands with mine, but I was feeling way to aggravated at him, so I decided to just leave him out of the circle.
I wouldn't say that we were all cringing in the corner or anything, but in actuality, if the lights were on, you'd see we were cowering. I wasn't hiding as much as everyone else was back inside the actual room, because all I could think of was the people outside. Slowly, I crept to the entrance of the hallway. Why the heck were we not "rescued" yet? Naminé was dragged out, right? So, they probably need reinforcements. And now that people were now suddenly shrieking in terror, my head couldn't help but to fill with supernatural thoughts that made my skin crawl and my hands shake.
After what seemed like an eternity, an ominous silence covered the Meds hall. All five of us could feel it—wait, where did they go? Taking a quick inventory check, I discovered the corner they were just in...it was now unoccupied. Nothing. Zip.
"Guys?" I nervously yelled into the dark air. I had the feeling it wasn't the best thing to do, but I couldn't care less. Even if one of them was my mortal enemy, I couldn't help but want to help them. The thing is, I didn't dare move a muscle. Whatever was going on—they'd have to come to me.
After what seemed forever to attention deficit kids and me, I couldn't wait any longer. Whatever was waiting in the hallway was going to meet me, whether they liked it or not. I unconsciously dropped salt the size of ice pellets, sounding as if I dropped a bag of marbles on the stupid floors. My sneakers nervously guided me out into the hall even when I knew it wasn't to be advised to anyone smart enough to realize something was fishy.
What I saw concerned and horrified me. The scene was roughly twenty students lying on the ground, unconscious or not, I don't know, were sprawled all over the exit of the hall. One was trying to pound on the door, but his hand was limping and weak. In the middle of the chaos, Sora laid mystically in the middle of the hallway. With the little slit of light peering finally from a stray window, I could see his chest heaving, his air chilled, and his eyes wide in too much shock.
"Sora!" I called to him. Somehow, I sensed that wasn't the right thing to do, but I realized there had to be a reason, and so this is what I came up with. Kneeling gently to my longtime friend, I could see his eyes fluttering about, seeing like he was drifting off to sleep any second—hopefully not an eternal sleep.
"Sora. Sora, hey. You gotta get up—the game," I tried explaining.
"Roxxxx...as..." I heard him mutter. He voiced genuine concern and trepidation, it made me even shiver. "Don't—look—"
"Look? What..." Like the bad kid I am, I had to take just a peek. As my head wanted to alter directions from Sora's petrified expression, I flashed a list of possibilities of how he could be so terrified. My worst fear was not related to the matter, but my heart was beating relatively irregularly, and I feared that maybe I might collapse before I even get to see—
Thowp. A slow reaction on my part made me come to terms that something had indeed dropped from the ceiling, landing on the hallway floor. Panic and other waves of emotion came tumbling to me—namely dread. Dread from what was to come over me as I remained in the hallway of apprehended people, all fearing the same thing as I.
A slick noise pattered on the hallway floor. I knew, without a doubt, that my fate was alike to that of Sora and the rest of the group. What was I to do? The slippery creature walked—yes, it had feet—towards me. I could feel the anxiety coursing through my veins as I sucked up all the courage I had to look this thing in the face. I, Roxas, have officially gone mad.
My head turned around slower than a broken carousel just to see the grim eyes of a long-haired woman with estranged looks. A spectral and ghostly moan was her call, which wasn't the only shock. She struck a bearing resemblance to—
So many things...swirling about. What happened? Did I save them? "Thank you...the annual...Festival!" I heard snippets of clear words being said while crickets chirped harmonically. Crickets? That meant...snifffff...fresh air flowed to my head, clearing my penetrating headache. Speaking of fresh air, I found myself sprawled on the courtyard outside the Med Hall. Did I really make it out alive?
Head—check. Limbs—check. Sanity—maybe.
"Roxas!" A healthy-colored Sora bounded up to me, still in that silly getup. His lips parted into a huge grin, and he spilled over with laughter.
"You should've...seen your...face!" he said in between his confusing laughs. Of course, what would you expect from Sora?
"You set it all up, didn't you..." I said, controlling my anger and my fierce willing to laugh too. I wanted Sora to feel bad about what he did.
He laid an arm around my shoulder reassuringly before he spoke. "It's my apology. I'm sorry I didn't understand you perfectly before. Now, I understand that you're terrified of the Grudge—"
"Shut up, Sora! That thing was pretty convincing. What, you got a doll or something?"
"A doll? No, of course not! It was—" He dug his arm into the crowd of students outside the hall of doom and pulled out a woman with stringy black hair wearing a white blood-stained dress and the bulgy eyes.
"—This girl." She waved politely, her hands also stained in blood. It was a grim gesture, but it seemed to add levity to the world that revolved confusingly to me. "Hi, Roxas!" the girl in the dress said.
I took one look at the girl. Her dress. Her mocking black hair. I narrowed my eyes, and said, "I hate you, Xion."
"Not my fault, Rox! You've been acting like such a zombie nowadays. I love how everyone also pitched in to daze you. Funny how Sora does it," Xion sweetly said. Sora nodded, agreeing.
"So...Kairi...she was in on it too?" I said. Nods.
"...and Mr. Strife...?" Extra willing nods.
"...and Naminé...?" The two partners-in-crime looked at each other before they said in unison. "Yes."
"But how? I thought she wouldn't meet you. I'm so confused..." I patted an area of grass before I took a seat down. Not enough air was circulating in my head, making me feel like I was about to pass out again.
"She did meet up with Xion and I. It's cause we told her we were doing it for you," Sora said, but I wasn't all that convinced. "And so, here we are. And there she is." Sora gestured across the courtyard while my head whirled toward the direction of his pointing. There she really was, Naminé in all her secret glory. Her hands were cupped together, and she was grinning proudly, like I just won a medal or something.
"'Scuse me guys," I said, waving them off while they looked on. I approached Naminé while she just continued to smile, sharing in that inside joke everyone but me participated in.
"Hello again, Roxas," she said mockingly to me. "It's funny how you're still sane."
"Naminé! You told me that you wouldn't meet my friends. What changed your mind?" I said, a little hurt she didn't tell me anything.
Her face turned serious, her mien of giddiness fading. "I didn't change my mind. I just improvised. I wanted to help you, and this is why I did what I did. I even went inside after they 'dragged me out'."
"That collapse was a setup?"
She inched away from me. "Yeah."
"Naminé, you had me worried to—"
"I'm sorry, Roxas! But your friends have been telling me you've been acting sick lately, so I thought maybe I'd help them cheer you up—"
"You don't understand, Naminé," I asserted. This conversation, I knew, was going to end up in the wrong places.
"What don't I understand?" she innocently asked, her eyes seemingly sparkling while she pretended to beg by fluttering her eyelashes. That just made it harder to be mad at her.
"...you're the reason I'm acting sick to them, Naminé," I truthfully announced. "I'm always spending time with you, and...and..." I unconsciously took her hand with mine again. "...I'm finding myself wanting to spend more time with you."
She was literally glowing at my words. "Thank you, Roxas. But...it's not supposed to be this way. I can't...just keep you away from your friends I'm...I'm..."
"...you're mine, Naminé. And I'm yours. Don't forget it, okay, Naminé?" My face seemed to inch itself a little closer to hers, my head begging me to inch back a little bit more comfortably. But as I resorted to an untimely hug I pulled into, her face buried onto the crook of my shoulder, her mouth whispering words not audible to the rest of the world, I had already accepted it.
Even if she did mutter, "I'm not real..."
Took so many days to finish(: I somewhat rushed it, since it's only 3,000 words or so. My goal is so hard to reach sometimes. I may have more to write since I gave up playing Kingdom Hearts for Lent, and I'll be implementing that time. So I will be on semi-hiatus to start writing at least two chapters for all the stories I've proposed. I know, I was supposed to skip updating on RokuNami Day '11, but I felt it was sleazy or something. Anyways, Enjoy your guys' spring breaks(:
- CupcakeL e r m a n.
