To Love a God

Chapter 11: :Land of the Gods

As I feel myself regaining consciousness, or at least the ability of thought, a pain shoots through the entirety of my body. It's starts at the centre, from the heart to the very ends of my toes, as if a deadly poison was coursing though my veins. I jolt, and then I start to feel normal once more, save for an aching head.

It takes great effort to open my eyes, almost as though they were plastered together. I felt like a vampire approaching the sunlight, or a child escaping the womb and entering the briskness of life. My hands quiver as I raise them upwards, to cover whatever it is that blinds me. My lids flutter open, and my sight starts to adjust.

Although covered, the burning star in the sky stabs my eyes like a dagger, as though destroying my optic nerves.

I sit up slowly, the pain returning once again, but instead shooting only down the length of my spine. And then, I see something wonderful…

Before me was the beauty of seemingly never-ending fields and flowers, all stretching into the unseen distance. I felt nostalgic, the sight made me think of myself as being Dorothy awakening from her long slumber in the enchanted (Or better yet, cursed) poppy field of Oz.

If one was a normal individual, then they would surely slap themselves across the face, or pinch their cheek, but I had grown accustomed to the unusual, and so I decided it would be best to wander and explore before making assumptions.

Memories of my strange meeting with that mysterious person flood through my mind. What was he up to? Better yet, who was he? And when he said he'd kill 'her', did he mean Haruhi or that girl? These are all the thoughts that begin to fly through my mind, and for all of them I have no answer. All I know is this: I'm now part of some twisted 'game'; A chess piece on his board…Or am I his opponent?

Damn! It's as though I have a shroud surrounding me, preventing my eyes from seeing what's actually there, right under my nose!

Hours pass, and the sun doesn't move…At least, I think that's what's occurring. Perhaps I'm somewhere else, an altered reality or another dimension? Maybe time doesn't even exist? Or there's the possibility that, already, I've drifted into madness and now believe that I have walked continuously for roughly eight hours. Like in Oz, I feel as though these flowers are having a strange effect on me, but rather than evoking the need for sleep, they serve as an annoyance. A person can only be among such beauty for so long before feeling as though they were being engulfed by it!

The minutes drag! The seconds crawl! Hours fade to days; Days to hours! An endless cycle of something becoming nothing! A petal falling from it's flower being the only difference one sees! Sweat falls down my face, yet the air is cool! But is it sweat or tears? I don't know, for I have grown so weary that the only movement be the one in my dragging legs! It feels as though I have been here for months or years, exploring this constant realm of daylight only to find that I am in an abyss; Limbo holding a firm grasp on me! And yet I walk on…Why? For myself? For adventure? For anything?…For Haruhi…?

"HARUHI!" I shout to the sky, more of an exclamation than a call. Falling to my knees, breathless, I know now that it's not sweat upon my face, but tears. Not tears of pain nor sadness - Tears of desperation. I needed a salvation; A sign. I needed Haruhi.

My gasps for air become sobs, and my sobs become weeps. "…Haruhi…" I whisper, "…Where are you?…"

Clutching my face, the tears roll down and fall from my jaw, landing upon the coloured petals. Then, as if by some miracle, a sudden light reflects from the tear and disappears again. This catches my eye. Something different! Then, the light reappears, flickering away and then returning constantly! The light dims with each appearance, and the world around me grows darker. I look up, and am greeted by the stars! The sun is gone and, in it's place, thousands of pure white glowing specs dot the sky - The night sky!

Had she heard my call? Had Haruhi come to my rescue? Had I…Escaped?

"Mister…?" I hear a small voice ask. My ears can not believe what they have just received… "Are you alright?"

Turning slowly, anticipation fills my gut, and then, just a few inches away, is a small girl with a handful of flowers. A look of worry is noticeable in her eyes, and my own grow wide in shock. What was she doing here? Better yet, why would she approach me: A whimpering stranger? Was she not-

"Are you crying, mister?" She tilts her head slightly, making her pony tailed hair fall from her shoulder, down her back.

Snapping back to reality, I rub my nose with my sleeve and start to stand slowly. "…Er…No. I was just…Well…" I search my head for an excuse, when I notice what's in her hands once again. "Flowers. I'm here to pick flowers…"

"Really?" She asks, with a cynical tone. I nod in response, unable to speak. It's as though this girl, as cute as she is, had the presence of a demon. Her expression changes into a typically childish one; Smile and all. "So was I! See?"

She stands on her toes and almost thrusts the flowers into my face. "Yes…I can see that."

Placing her hands to her side, and taking the stance of a strong and in-charge individual, she asks, "Say, you're a while away from anywhere, huh?"

I turn around, staring into the distance only to be greeted by more fields. "Seems that way."

"Why don'tcha come with me? I'm sure Suzu would help ya!"

"Suzu?" I question, raising one of my brows.

"My mother!" She giggles, while swinging forwards and backwards on her feet. "C'mon, I'll show ya!"

Clasping her hand around mine, the girl begins to pull me with her. "H-Hey! I'm not sure that you're mo-!"

"Don't worry about it! She's cranky, but kind! I'm sure she'd help ya! After all, ya seem lost, mister…?" She grinds to a halt and asks, "What's your name anyway?"

"I guess you could call me…Kyon." I answer with a friendly smile.

"That's boring! What kinda person comes up with a lame nickname like Kyon, huh?" Same response as another person I know. Is it really that bad? Thankfully, she caught on that it's just a nickname…Smart kid. Once again, she starts to pull me along with her. "Well anyway, Mr K, you can call me Akichi Kami!"

So, her name's Akichi Ka-Wait!…That name…Kami…?

End of Chapter

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Another short, long-time-coming chapter…Sorry! See, I'm a wee bit unorganised, and I had some whacky plans for this and other stories! And when one gets the creative juices flowing, it's hard to stop, and eventually the story becomes a totally different creature than the one you started with! This story has taken a large 'MYSTERY' turn, but it's still on track for what it was intended to be, but massively improved; Both writing and plot wise!

Anyhow, I hope to update another chapter soon! (Bet you're tired of hearing it, but I do try!) Please review and I hope you enjoyed this chap, adios!