Chapter 11

Time To Go


Monday morning came a little to soon for Tino's liking. When he first awoke he felt solemn and depressed, at first he didn't know why he did until he shuffled past Berwald's room, discovering how empty it had become. He could feel tears prickling his eyes at the sight.

"That's right..." He muttered shakily, as Hanatamago rubbed his leg in comfort, "He left early this morning."

Tino moved downstairs into the kitchen, trying to put his mind on work today, he found it difficult. Berwald was leaving, probably forever and he was never coming back, Tino was fighting even harder to hold back his tears. Berwald's words for last night soon filled Tino's mind.

"I'll be back, I promise."

'How do I know that?' Tino thought, as he sipped some orange juice, a tear rolling down his cheek, 'How do I know you won't end up like my parents, dying before you can keep your promise?'

Tino sighed, sitting here and crying wasn't going to get him anywhere, he had to work today. After his morning routine of cleaning the kitchen, taking a shower, dressing and starting up the water purifier machine, Tino pulled on his backpack and whistled for Hanatamago. Stepping outside into the mild heat, Tino let out a shaky breath, he can do this. He's been alone for 8 years, he can surely manage living alone until the day he died.

He got in behind the wheel of his car, while Hanatamago and his backpack sat in the seat next to him. He gripped the wheel tightly, not bothering to even start the car, just sitting there in his driveway contemplating his feelings. Why was he taking Berwald's leaving so hard? What is this feeling? Why was he having this feelings in the first place?

Then it hit him. It was so oblivious and yet, he wasn't able to reconize it til now, he mentally slapped himself for his lack of common sense. He jumped out of his seat, he knew what he had to do.

"Hanatamago, jump into my backpack," Tino said, as the dog obeyed her master's order, "I'm going to tell him, I'm gonna give him a reason to come back, I just hope he's going to feel the same. I-I love h-him..."

As he placed his backpack onto his back, Hanatamago poked her head out the opening, giving a small bark. He turned to walk over to the empty ocean, he froze as the ground began to tremble under his feet. He looked up at the beige sky as a rumble pierced the silence, his eyes widened at the sight of a bright light piercing the murky sky. He had to move and fast before it was too late.

"No..."

His heart felt like it was about to bust, as he ran to the vast ocean remains, he didn't think to use his car, all he can think of telling Berwald his message. He ran up to an old collapsed highway.

"BERWALD!" Tino cried, stopping at the path made of downed interstate signs, "WAIT, BERWALD! Hang on, Hanatamago, this is gonna be bumpy."

He jumped on to the interstate signs and ran down the steep slope, running to the landed spaceship. The ship's hatch opened and lower its platform at the feet of a dark blue claded dot that grew closer.

"BERWALD!"

Berwald didn't seem to hear Tino as he began boarding the ship with the container in his hand. Tino ran even faster then before as the masked man appeared at the top of the platform, patting Berwald's back.

"BERWALD! WAIT!"

The two men disappeared into the bright light as the platform began to raise. At the sight of the slowly raising platform, Tino ran even faster, he could feel his thumping hard and loud against his ribcage. He took a flying leap of faith, and had landed on the retreating platform. He ran to the closing door, sliding in as the door closed with a snap behind him.

In another part of the ship, Berwald had moved into a room and set the containment unit on a pedestal. He smiled, now all he had to do was show it to his superior, and return back to Tino and work out these strange feelings he had for the young man.

Tino blinked as he sat with his back against the wall. He could feel that the ship was taking off, preparing to leave his planet behind, he looked around the surrounding area. The walls were a beautiful snow-white, the floors made of a dark-blue and silver bordering lineonum. Bright light lit the halls, hurting Tino's eyes, he never saw such clear light.

He looked down at both ends of the halls wondering which way Berwald went, when he heard the sounds of voices and footsteps. Dark shadows appeared on the walls of the hall on Tino's left side, he gasped, if they saw him, they would like throw him and his dog out into the cold vacuum of space. He jumped up and ran down the hallway on his right, finding some place for him and Hanatamago to hide and quick!


That... That was the shortest story in this entire story... :B Sad.