Path To Rest In Peace
crystal-mist
Chapter 9
Repentance
Shuon's figure was seen running through the forest… He just happened to trip on a twig and plummeted to the ground. He landed face first in the dirt.
He just lay there for a while, his mind nagging him relentlessly. His hands were trembling.
"What are you doing here all alone in the dark?" came a female voice.
Shuon pulled himself up and through his messy hair, looked at the person in front of him; he scoffed as he saw that this girl had orange hair ….just like Alyce.
Tears rolled down Shuon's cheeks as he stared at the girl with an emasculate expression on his face. This girl however had short hair and purple eyes, she wasn't Alyce.
The girl kneeled down beside him. "What's wrong? You looked shaken up."
Shuon could feel his eyesight blurring and his head was spinning, probably because of all the running in that cold chilly night.
Shuon's next memory was waking up, draped in blankets and in unfamiliar surroundings.
He sat up and pulled the blankets off him and noticed that his bleeding legs had been bandaged most carefully. Shuon gulped as he gripped both sides of his own head. "Please tell me all that was just a nightmare…Please…Please someone…Please let that be just a nightmare." He muttered to himself.
"Let what be a nightmare?" came a female voice as the short orange haired girl walked into the door with a tray of food in her hand.
Shun gazed at the girl almost as if she were a ghost. "You…. But then….That means-" he couldn't complete his sentence as he once again found himself on the edge of the cliff of sanity.
The girl sat down beside him. "I don't know if this food will be of your liking…But please do try it."
"No thank you… I am not hungry right now."
"You must eat something…You passed out yesterday and you were running a high fever. What is it that provokes you to look so miserable all the time?"
He did not answer. His golden eyes only stared at his two hands, the hands that had mercilessly killed Alyce, the one he loved.
At once, his hands clenched in fists and he stood up. "I apologize for being a nuisance to you…But I must leave now." Saying this he turned to leave.
The girl's face dropped as she watched Shuon half limp away. "You are leaving because I have orange hair, aren't you? …Orange is the colour of the devil after all."
Shun turned towards her, there were tears in her eyes and for a moment or two Shuon noticed the way her eyes shone hopelessly just like Alyce's had.
"No…Don't get me wrong. That's not it. In fact," his hands were trembling. "The one I loved had orange hair as well."
She gazed at him in disbelief. "You used past tense…So where is she now?"
"She's…" Shun hesitated almost as if he himself didn't wish to believe what he was about to say next. "Dead."
The girl's features transformed into one of sympathy as she walked over to Shuon. "Is that why you grieve so much?" she questioned softly.
She softly held onto Shuon's hand. "You can stay here you know." She told him. "You…can stay here with me." She rested her face on his chest. "I…I'm so lonely." She muttered. "…Stay here… You can have my heart, my soul, my everything. I will give you whatever you wish…I will be your slave for all eternity is that is your will."
Shuon gazed at the face of the girl in front of him, the girl who so reminded him of Alyce.
That's it; that was the best solution. He didn't have to go back to the village to face the consequences. He didn't have to see her grave… He could just stay here with this girl.
He could…pretend she was Alyce? He could have a life, a family even. He could give her the happiness that he was unable to provide Alyce with.
And as this solution struck him the girl's face moved closer to his; her lips were moving towards his.
Shuon closed his eyes and parted his lips, waiting for contact.
When there was no more than a sliver of a distance between both their lips Shuon's body jolted almost as if he'd been electrocuted. He withdrew hastily. What was he doing? How could he even permit himself to accept such a simple solution? How could he live a happy life after he'd hurt Alyce?
"I'm sorry…But you may look for happiness elsewhere, miss... I cannot stay here…I WILL not stay here. Sorry to disappoint you." and saying this he parted form the girl and walked away from her.
She clutched a handful of her skirt as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I thought that someone would finally accept me." She muttered to herself in vain. But then she shook her head from side to side and quietly went back into her house.
"What was I thinking darn it! I have no right to live a happy life…No right." He muttered to himself as he continued walking almost as if he were a zombie.
Within no time he found himself standing on the edge of a cliff. His golden eyes widened as he looked at
its depths. It was as if fate itself had led him here.
And then he looked at the sky, his face filled with a sudden softness. That's right; he would atone for all he'd done. He walked right to the edge and was about to jump off it when he suddenly stopped in his tracks. He shook his head from side to side and took a step backwards.
Back in reality, Alice's apparition said to herself. 'I knew that he wouldn't jump off. I knew he wouldn't.' she thought to herself.
Shuon had retreated from the cliff's edge. 'I was about to jump off…But then, that…' he walked towards a nearby boulder and knelt down beside it. Without even thinking twice he rammed his forehead onto it. 'If I jumped off that cliff…I wouldn't have gone through nearly as much pain as my dear Alyce had gone through… Not nearly as much!' and thinking that he hit his forehead on the boulder once more.
With each hit he used all of his strength and blood trickled down the side of his face.
'I'm a wicked person' Thud- his head made contact with the boulder once more.
'Good for nothing…' Thud.
'I am sorry.' Thud.
'Alyce…You've suffered so much and what do I do? Hit you with a spade!' Thud, thud.
'I swore I'd love you…' Thud. 'Forever.'
Tears escaped his eyes and mixed with his blood into a coagulated solution of salty red. His arms were trembling from the pain of his wound and he could feel his body getting weaker.
But he relentlessly went on. 'Alyce…You deserved better.' Thud.
'You were, ARE not a monster…You…you were an angel.' Thud.
'And what have I done?' Thud.
'Oh my Lord, what have I done! ?' Thud.
'I must…must suffer….' Thud. 'Must suffer…must pay.' Thud.
And with that thud Shuon couldn't continue any further, the pain in his head had overtaken him and his bodily functions. He could no longer raise his head from the horizontal slab and slam back into it.
His breathe was heavy as the intense pain caused his face to cringe.
Back in reality Alice's apparition watched all this in disbelief. Sure, her blood had boiled seeing Shun with that orange haired girl. But now, she could feel what was left of her heart aching.
Why, why as Shuon doing all this? Was he that upset by his betraying her?
Alice watched, her face betraying the horror in her heart each time Shuon hit himself. He was already lying in a pool of his own blood. But he didn't seem to think that this pain was equivalent to what he had caused her.
Shuon's face lied on the cold rocky slab as more tears rolled out of his eyes. Alice's face , her horror had been deeply etched into the very fibre of his being.
So he reached out sideways, his hand came into contact with what was like a small rock. It had the same size as Shuon's fist and just about fit into his hand.
With what little strength he had he set his hands in motion. He repeatedly hit himself with it.
Alice (the apparition) couldn't hide her horror any more. She brought her hands to cover her mouth as traces of tears streamed down her cheeks. She had expected Shuon to forget about her and live a normal and happy life, but he didn't. He blamed himself for everything…And was now hurting himself so badly.
Shun (journalist who was now the same person as Shuon.) sighed seeing Alice's tears.
"I told you that it would be better off had you not known…" he muttered, looking a bit disappointed.
"Stop it." Whispered Alice.
Shun realized that Alice was now speaking to that young man in the string of memories.
Not that it made much difference. Shuon continued to hit himself regardless of the excruciating pain, regardless of the blood that he lost, regardless of how tired he felt. He continued this process until the stone fell fro his grip. His fingers were weak and could no longer grasp it.
His hand dropped down to his side and then his body would no longer move.
So he just lay there awaiting his impending death.
He closed his eyes and visualized Alyce's beautiful face. Slowly darkness spread throughout her features and Shuon crossed over into oblivion; in other words –he died.
Before she knew what was happening more tears rolled down her cheek as she fell onto her knees.
Shun watched her figure sympathetically. This was exactly why he didn't want her to see this particular trn of his previous life.
He walked over to her. He was remorseful that he had caused dear Alyce's spirit to roam through the reaches of time with bitter desire for revenge; and now, she was crying.
With a sad look on his face he stroked her hair.
"Stay away from me." Alice mumbled; remnants of her previous hatred weighing her down.
Shun said nothing, but he did not obey her request. He only knelt down beside her. He gently placed his hands on Alice's arms and pulled her into a hug.
"I am so sorry you had to witness that dreadful suicidal memory." He whispered. 'However, it was nothing when compared to the manner of your death. It was nearly not that tormenting.'
Alice struggled against his grip. He could have used her spiritual powers to blow him away. But for a few moments it felt as if she were really alive again. Perhaps, it was Shun's caring touch.
"Please, just stay like this for a little while longer even if for only a few more seconds." He whispered holding onto her poltergeist form tightly.
Alice relinquished her struggle for a few moments as she heard his words.
"That's right." He breathed as he felt her half-ghostly body relax.
Alice couldn't comprehend any of this. She was out for revenge. The only reason for her spirit's existence was so that she could exact vengeance on Shun. But now…her mind was muddles… She was not so sure any more.
She was vaguely aware of the severe red eyes of the raven watching her, monitoring her every move.
What was to follow?
And so now… Shun's dead.
Yes, yes… I know you think that I am cruel for making them go through all this suffering… But bear with me alright… As for the ending, the next chapter is planned to be the last. That's right, this is the second last chapter.
So please give me support, inspire me to write the next one –the last one.
And you better REVIEW, if you wish for a happy ending or I'll make them die condemned deaths away from one another and utter misery will overtake their hearts and all that… Just kidding, but seriously, review kay?
Ps- I am also planning on launching a new story…So tell me which title is better kay?
My Muddling Mirage.
My Mesmerizing Mirage.
