Marooned

By Dixxy

Chapter Nine

(Glenn)

Night fell apon us soon enough, and it was time to go to sleep. Still feeling rather mushy and romantic, I thought that it would be nice to sleep under the stars. Leena went right for it and the two of us were dragging pillows and blankets outside, setting up a makeshift campsite.

Once we had everything set up, I started to point out different constellations to her that my father and Radius had taught me for navigational purposes (and the occasional bedtime story). Leena nodded, lazily resting her head on my shoulder and placing a hand on my arm.

"Glenn?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think this could go anywhere?"
"You mean 'us'?"
"Exactly."

I turned to her, kissing her nose. "What do you mean by that?"

"How far do you see us going?" she asked. "Two days, a few months, the rest of our lives? Do you think that we could make this relationship a real serious one? Like one that could possibly lead to a marriage or something? I know I'm kind of jumping the gun, but I'm just curious as to what's on your mind on the subject."

I shrugged. "How should I know? For now, I'm content right where I am now," I said. I put my hands behind my head. "Just lying under the stars with you by my side. . . this is so peaceful and nice. I wish this moment could last forever. Just you and me here for all time."

Leena gave me a suspicious look. "What do you mean by that, Glenn?"

It took me a minute to figure out what she was referring to. "Whoa, whoa, nu-uh-uh! I'm not looking for THAT!" I said, sitting up and looking at her. I shook my head. "First of, Serge would kill me for touching someone whose tech skills contain the words 'virgin' and 'maiden'. Second, Viper would kill me- nah, skin me alive is more like it- because when you enlist into the Acacia Dragoons you take a vow of chastity until you decide to marry, if you decide to marry at all. But you can get in big trouble if you aren't married and you're getting joined at the hip."

My friend turned sweetheart looked at me with a wide smile. "You're a virgin?"

I raised an eyebrow, feeling a little hurt. "You thought I WASN'T!"

Leena laughed. "I don't know," she said. "Now don't get me wrong, I don't think you're the town playboy or anything like that but . . . bah, Steena and I are the only ones that people really look at and think 'virgin' or 'maiden'. I see you, I think 'knight' and 'Dragoon' and 'mine'. So I guess the long and short of it is that I never really sat down and thought to myself 'gee, is Glenn a virgin?', you know what I mean?"

I nodded, understanding what she was getting at with her little speech. "Even if I didn't take that vow, it isn't like I have a long list of old girlfriends anyways," I said. I rolled my eyes, breathing out heavily. "And it's not like I haven't been tempted before, either. Last year I somehow got involved with this woman with a body that I know a lot of women would KILL for- the florist told me that- and she tried to get me into her apartment's bedroom right from the first date. I know some guys outside of the Dragoons who would've had their pants off before you can say 'Viper Churro'. But I told her that I wouldn't ruin my family's reputation for a one night romp in bed. She said it was okay and she wouldn't do it again, but after she tried it two more times I said 'uh-uh' and left."

Leena looked at me with a higher value of respect. "I'm impressed."

I nodded. "If I'd continued to pursue a relationship with her my father would have rolled over in his grave," I mumbled. "You know, she ended up getting pregnant not long after I dumped her and last time I saw her she was walking around Termina with the most sleazy looking man I've ever seen in my entire life and the absolutely putrid looking kid. It screamed and cried and gave a few people a near heart attack."

"All babies scream and cry," said Leena. "You probably did when you were a baby."

I shook my head. "Not like that kid. It sounded like something was DYING," I said. I shrugged. "That's what she gets for spreading her legs to everyone she meets, though. A slime ball for a husband and a banshee for a baby. Serves her right." I shook my head. "But enough on her- she's not important. She's behind me, she ruined her life on her own, and she isn't any concern to me anymore."

"Yes, that's because I am!" Leena insisted, pointing at herself. She kissed my forehead. "Mine." She kissed my lips. "Mine." She kissed my neck. "Mine." She traced her hands over my arms, chest, and stomach, saying "Mine" after each time. She then hugged me. "You get that? MINE! MINE, MINE, MINE!"

"Hey!" I argued with a smile on my face. "I'm not some trophy boyfriend!"

Leena giggled. "You're not?"

I wasn't sure if I was flattered or insulted. I REALLY hope she's only being possessive in a playful way, or else I need to find a way off of this island before she carves her name into my forehead, I mused. But one look at Leena told me otherwise. Nah. Let her have a little fun. She looks so cute when she's happy- don't spoil this moment any.

My sweetheart sighed happily as she fell onto her back, her head bouncing as it hit the pillow. She yawned cutely, pulling my down onto the blanket so she could wrap her arms around my waist. "Sleepy time," she announced. I chuckled as she proceeded to cuddle as close as it was humanly possible. She looked up at me, kissing my nose and then my lips. "Good night."
"Good night."

Leena smiled sleepily at me. "I love you," she said softly.

I gave her a peck on the lips. "I love you, too."

"Glenn. . . oh Glenn!"

I groaned, looking around to see I was once again in some sort of a dream world. This time, however, I wasn't sure where I was. It looked like the inside of a castle hallway of some sort from all of the stone grey bricks. Six torches lined the walls around me, giving the whole area a rather eerie feel as shadows bounced of the walls with the flicker of the flames. I bit my lip, seeing that the only way to go was down the long, dark corridor and hope for the best.

I looked down at myself, very pleased to see I was armed once again, and, much to my pleasure even more so, the Einlanzers were swinging at my sides, ready for me to use them. I smiled, patting both swords. After securing my arm shield, I started to slowly walk down the dark hallway.

With each step I took, more torches lit themselves, and those that were behind me extinguished. I wondered if it was some sort of a treadmill and there was no end to this hallway. While it was creepy, there was most definitely worse that I could deal with. I KNEW I was dreaming- in the real world I was asleep, Leena hanging off me like I was her personal teddy bear (which I didn't mind in the least).

Soon, however, I could make out the faint outline of some sort of a throne ahead of me. I squinted, wondering what was on the throne. Or, more specifically, who was on the throne. Clutching one of my hands on one of the Einlanzers, I picked up the pace and continued on towards my supposed goal.

When I stood before the throne (well. . . before some carpeted steps that led TO the throne, but before it none the less), I could definitely see that someone was sitting on it, but it was so dark around them that I couldn't see what the person looked like. I tried to see if I could recognize some sort of an outline or a breathing pattern, but no such recognition came.

FLASH!

I had to shield my eyes as the room was suddenly illuminated. Once my eyes adjusted, I saw that it was, once again, my worst nightmare lounging across the seat with a catlike grin on his face. I growled. "Curtis!" I sneered, drawing the Einlanzers. "I don't know how you're doing this, but I'm not going to run away anymore!"

Curtis chuckled, swinging his legs around to the front. "I don't want you to run away, Glenn. I want you to stay right here," he said. I lowered the Einlanzers, but didn't re-sheath them- that would've been stupid. He stood up and began to descend the few steps until we were face to face. His mouth curled into a very smug grin. He shook his head, raising a hand to the scarred cheek. I backed away, never taking my eyes off of the source of my childhood torment.

"What do you want?"

"I thought you already knew that- revenge," he said. Curtis roughly grabbed my chin, causing me to drop the Einlanzer and prevent me from retrieving them. He twisted my face around to see the scarred cheek. He chuckled, tracing a gloved hand over the old wound. "I must say I did quite a nice job here. So clean, so neat, so hideous, if I do say so myself. The finest piece of art I've ever completed."

"You know what, Curtis? You're a sick bastard and you're a coward- Norris hates you for a REASON," I said, trying to pull away from his grip with little results. Leena, you can wake me up anytime with that AquaBall you love so much, I thought grimly. "He hates you because he knows you're a monster!"

"Norris hated me because of my demotion- wait just a damned second," said Curtis, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. He shoved me on the ground, where I landed roughly. I saw the Einlanzers on either side and tried to grab them, but before I could lay so much as a finger on them, they both disappeared. I looked up at Curtis, who had a confused and curious expression on his face. "How did you know my son's name?"

I grinned. "How else do you think my brother and Karsh were able to sneak into that facility without some inside help?" I said. Curtis' eyes widened. "Norris was that fourth kid with the rest of us when you confronted us. He's the one who helped me escape into the woods outside of Porre. He's the one who was able to get that nun to hide us in the broom closet of the shrine."

"WHAT?"

"Do you know WHY Norris did that? Because he was smart enough at eleven years old to figure out that what you did was morally wrong- you were the sickest, most vile soldier in the entire Porre army for what you did! General Viper would execute anyone who harmed a child no matter who their parents were!" I said. "Besides, if you were more comfortable attack a FIVE YEAR OLD, then that shows you must be pretty weak!"

Curtis snarled, and snapped his fingers. The throne and the hallway faded away into a more dungeon like setting. No longer was I on the floor, either- my hands were bound above my head, my back to a wall and my feet several inches off the ground. I looked up at the binds in frustration, trying to slip out. I looked before me to see Curtis laughing hysterically.

"That's right, boy, struggle all you'd like. It won't do you any good when I kill you here and now," he said. My eyes widened in terror. That slice on the arm was just a warning to try and jostle my nerves. If he could do something that simple to my in my dreams and make it a reality, couldn't he just as easily kill me, too?

I shook my head in defiance. If he wanted to play mind games, then we'd play mind games. "Yeah, what a big man you are. Killing me where I'm unarmed, tied up and unable to fight back. What great revenge you're gonna have killing me as helpless as I am. If you were a REAL man then you'd fight me honorably, not tied up like this, you yellow-bellied coward."

Curtis' eyes flared up. I'd learned the hard way from Poshul that calling someone of the innate attribute Yellow a "yellow-bellied coward" was a BAD idea, and I knew that Curtis was Yellow innate. Crap. Now I've just pissed him off. Good going, Glenn, Leena's going to wake up tomorrow morning to find a dead body in her arms, I thought with a heavy heart. I closed my eyes. Mother. . . Father. . . Dario. . . I'll be with you soon.

Curtis chuckled, a huge executioner's ax appearing in his hands. "Say good-bye, Glenn." His eyes were menacingly wide as he drew the blade backwards, ready to swing it forward and kill me in one blow. My eyes widened in terror as I watched the blade begin its journey from behind Curtis to my body-

"AQUABALL!"

KER-PLOOSH!

I sat up, shaking my head free of the water from Leena's element. I looked over at my concerned girlfriend, shaking. "Leena. . . you saved my life!" I said. "He tried to kill me! He tried to kill me! That bastard was going to end my life! The cut was a warning shot! He wants to kill me!"

To say the least that scared the living daylights out of Leena as her eyes widened in terror. "Glenn! Glenn! Are you all right! GLENN!" she cried out. She dove onto me, smoothing me in hugs and kisses. I immediately immersed myself in her advances, feeling as if I was ready to start crying.

"Leena. . ." I said. "Oh, Leena. . ."

"It's all right," she said. She looked at me. "What happened?"

I shook my head. "I don't think there are ordinary nightmares, Leena. They're getting too real for my liking, and so vivid! They've NEVER been this vivid before! Never this real!" I sighed heavily, putting a hand on my forehead. "Maybe I AM going crazy. Leena, this is getting stupid!"

Leena gently ran her fingers through my hair. "Glenn, I don't know what to tell you. The only thing I can do is try and comfort you after they're over. We're going to have to wait until we can talk with Steena or maybe even Norris, what with Curtis being his father, on this one. There isn't much I can do."

I sighed, leaning into her. "I know, but I'm scared."
"I am, too."