The Search Of A Guilty Woman

- Chapter 17

Nightmares

The sun was shining so beautifully, the wind was soft and cool, the birds seemed happier as they chirped gleefully in the soft green trees. It would seem like a perfect morning to mostly everyone. But, even the beauty of the morning couldn't lift the mood of the two brothers making their way down the dirt road.

Edward was still a little tense and on edge from the other night, and was having a hard time trying to find the confidence and strength to move forward. The only motivation being finding his daughter and brining her home.

Alphonse wasn't his chiper self either. He walked slowly beside his brother casting quick glances at him every once in a while. He was still a little worried and concerend for him.

"Are you sure you're okay to keep going?" Alphonse started, "Cause we could rest a little more if you want?"

Edward didn't answer at first and just kept walking. There was no way he was stopping now, no matter how much he might have wanted to. Time was of the essence.

"Brother?"

"I'm fine Al!" Ed interupted, not wanting to go further into the conversation, unfortunatley Alphonse wasn't going to give up so easily.

"I'm not an idiot Ed, you're obviously not okay." He threw his arm out in front of his brother to stop him from going any further, and stepped in front of him so that they were face to face.

"I know this might not be something that you want to disscus at the moment, but we have to talk about it sooner or later." He finished.

Edward sighed in defeat, knowing that Alphonse wasn't going to let him move any further until they talked.

"Well what exactly do you want me to say?" He questioned. "I mean I have no idea what that THING was."

"No, and neither do I, but whatever it was it made your emotions go crazy and I want to know what happened there." Alphonse explained, thinking back on the screaming, and the tears, and everything else that went crazy last night.

Edward looked down at his feet thinking back on the same thing. Whatever that thing was it terrified him. it was like a shadow filled with every upseting emotion like regret, anger, denial, fear, guilt, envy, and sorrow. It was like a never ending song of sadness and despair. It was so strong that you could feel it even when it wasn't touching you. All it had to do was stand next to you and you would burst into tears, and when it really did touch you it was so painfull and frightning. It almost felt like you were being ripped apart on the inside, dying from within.

He looked back up at his little brother and saw the concern in his eyes, but there was also a little bit of curiosity there as well.

" I'm not sure what really happened Al," He began walking again down the road, forcing Alphonse to follow. "All I can say is that the feeling it gave me was absolutley wretched. It almost felt like my insides were being ripped apart, and it was a feeling that I couldn't even comprehend."

Both of them were silent for a few minutes as they continued to walk.

" What I want to know is where it came from, where it went, and what it wants." Edward finished.

"Well it was dragging you up this way down the road, and so that's where were going, but I have no idea what it wanted." Alphonse replied.

"It did seem to really want you, though it could have taken either one of us."

"You think it wants me?" Edward asked.

"I don't know, maybe, or maybe you were just closer and thats why it took you. whatever the reason may be, I have a feeling that we'll figure it out soon enough."

Robin sat in the tent looking closly at a map of the area they were in. She had probably been staring at it for an hour now. Of course she spent most of the time thingking about her dream. It had bothered her ever since she woke up.

"You know, you really should be trying to get some sleep." Robin quickly turned her head towards the entrance to the tent to find Kevin comining in from outside. It was still dark out and the sun probably wouldn't rise for another hour.

"I'm fine," Robin turned back to her map. "I'm not even tired anymore."

Kevin sighed and looked at her with disbelief. "Robin you've been looking at that silly thing for an hour now. What are you even looking for?"

Robin didn't bother to look up as she answered. "I'm looking for places simillar to the one in my dream. Maybe if I find a place like that I'll find some answeres."

"Robin it wasn't a dream, it was a nightmare. You said it yourself. Why would you want to find a place that was in a bad dream?" Kevin questioned.

Robin didn't look up, but she stopped concentrating on the map as she remebered her vivid dream.

"It's all your fault." The woman said as she began to make her way towards me. Her hair was as black as a ravens feather and her eyes like blood and fire.

"You killed her." She said with a sickening grin. She didn't stop her advance towards me, and I kept backing up. The curiosity I felt just a second ago was now replaced with fear and dread.

"No, I...I havn't killed anyone. I swear!" I said nervously, still backing further away.

"Stop it, stay away!" I began, now terrified of the woman. It was then that she lunged towards me, screeching."

"YOU KILLED HER!"

"NOOO!" I shrieked. I turned to run, but tripped and fell to my knees. I closed my eyes, tightened my fists, and waited for the pain. However; it never came. slowly I started to open one eye then quickly flung both of them open as she was faced with white tile flooring. I looked up and was faced with a chair. It was gray and made of metal and plastic. I pulled my hands off the floor so that I was sitting on my knees. I quickly noticed that there was more than one chair. In fact there were nine of them. five were placed against the wall next to each other, while the other four where placed against a wall next to the other wall. It looked like a perfect nighty degree wall with chairs neatly stacked against it.

I quickly got to my feet and turned around to get a view of where I was, and was suprised to find myself standing in what looked like a hospital. In fact I was sure it was a hospital because it had that strong chemical smell. However; I found it quite strange that there was no one there. It was absolutley silent.

"Hello?" I called out. I started walking down a hallway, looking for anyone who could have been there. It was strange. The further into the hospital I went the more familliar it I got to the end of the hall I turned the corner and stopped. In front of me stood a tall beautiful woman. She looked similar to the girl in the water. She had long blonde hair and blue eyes like the sky. She was facing a door in the wall, and she looked saddened. I started making my way towards her.

"Hello?" I began, trying to get her attention. She seemed suprised as she turned to me. She then smiled sweetly and caressed my face with her hands.

"My sweet little girl." She whispered. Her touch felt so warm and inviting, almost like a mother's touch. However her warmth didn't last long as her eyes narrowed and her hands slid down to my neck. She held on tight and didn't let go, and I could feel my breathe slipping away. I tried to break free but she was too strong. The woman began crying. She looked so sad.

"You wretched girl, look what you've done. LOOK AT ME!" She screamed as her beautiful appearance melted away to be replaced with a hideous corpse.

"TRISHA!"

Then Robin woke up, sweating and panting like crazy. Robin looked back up to Kevin.

"I have to find her." Robin said as she continued to scan the map.

"Who?"

"The woman in my dreams," She began still foucusing on the map. "She knows who I am. I can feel it." Robin couldn't help but think back on the name she screamed, Trisha. Robin knew she had heard that name before, but she couldn't remember where and it was driving her insane.

Kevin could see the fire in her eyes and realized that it was pointless to argue with her. He can't help but worry a little as she pushes herself. He knows it's not healthy, and if she dosen't get any sleep soon, she will most likely pass out from exaustion. However there is something else that is putting him a little more on edge. She seemed diffrent somehow. In the begining she was so hopeful and determined to find her parents. She seemed so bright and full of life, but now it seems like that light has been exstinguished and been replaced with a darkness. She seems more driven than ever, but it doesn't seem like it's hope that's driving her, no it seems more like it's fear. It almost seems like if she doesn't find what shes looking for she'll die.

"There seem to be some country towns further down south here." Robin started again, "I think we should start there." Kevin sighed and took the map from her hands.

"Great, now can you please get some rest." He pleaded as he stuffed the map back in his bag. However when he turned back around Robin had already fallen asleap on her sleeping bag. Kevin chuckled a little at how cute she looked all tuckered out. Kevin also realized that he was begining to fall deeper for this girl. Everything she did captivated him, and he absolutley loved to look at her. She was nothing shy of beautiful that's for sure. Even though he wasn't technically a human, it almost felt like it at that moment. Nothing could hide the fact that Kevin was falling madley in love with Robin Scott.

He grabbed one of the small blankets in his bag and carefully draped it over the girl. He sat down next to her and pushed a red strand of hair out of her face and smiled. He just hoped that she would find what she was looking for soon, and hoped that his gut feeling about this darkness was nothing but him being paranoid.

"Where am I?" The young man woke up with a pounding in his head. he looked around and found that he was surrounded by what looked like piles and piles of books. It looked a little like a labratory. The young man tried to stand up. He wobbled a little but finally got a good sturdy stance.

"Hello?" He called out. It was a little hard to see in this place, it was so dark.

"It worked." The young man quickly turned around and was faced with a broken man. He looked to be very old, somewhere in his mid 60ies. He had no hair and his eyes were full of pain. His body was hunched over and he was breathing heavily. He seemed so dull and lifeless. He then fell to the ground and stopped moving. The young man freaked out. He fell to the floor next to the man and flipped him over.

"Hey are you okay!?" He then saw the pale lifeless expression on his face and realized he was dead. He gently put him down and stood back up.

"What the hell is going on here!?" He franticlly looked around the lab to find any clues as to what had just happened. He spotted the table with all the notes scattered. He quickly headed over and started ruffiling through them. It was a little hard at first to decifer them, but it got easier the more he looked over them. They seem to be some kind of alchemy notes. As his hands flew through the papers, his hands hit something hard that went flying of the table and onto the ground with a loud cracking sound. He bent over to pick it up. It was a mirror, but it now had a crack in it from the fall. He was a little suprised by his reflection. He seemed like a perfect specimen. Very cut and very handsome. His eyes wear a mystic purple color and his blackhair was short and tassled, but what intruiged him the most was the dragon tatoo on his forehead. He gently touched his forehead with his fingers.

"What happened to me?" He almost whispered. His eyes then caught sight of some papers that had been scattered on the floor. He looked down and recognised the picture as the same on his head. He put down the mirror and knelt down next to the papers.

"A homonculous, What's that?" But before he could read more a loud banging sound came from the other side of the lab, and a light blasted into the dark room. The young man covered his eyes for a second as they tried to adjust. He could hear sevral footsteps coming closer and struggled to see what was going on. Finally his eyes adjusted and he was able to make out a very tall thin man. he was dressed in a black tux and his blonde hair was neatly comed back. He had a very erie prescence. He was also accompanied by four big burly men in some kind of uniforms.

"Well look what we have here." The man sneered as he kicked the dead body of the old man.

"You old fool."

"Who are you?" The young man asked getting back on his feet. The fancy man turned to face him and instantly broke into a more erie smile.

"Well lookie here, I guess the old man really did it." He began making his way closer the him. "My name is Daniel Heart, and you," He then pointed to the young man. "Are going to make me millions."

"What are you talking about?" The man asked as he began to slowly back away. Daniel stopped his advance and looked back to the old man.

"That is Dr. Kevin Philipps. He was working with me to create artifical intelligence, or in this case, a homonculous."

"What's a homonculous?"

"A homonculous is an artificsally made imortal human being. You draw a part of yourself out and create life with it, usualy a sort of trait or emotion, at least so I've heard. The doctor was the one who dealt with all the technical aspects of the project. However it seems like he used a little too much of himself. Now the poor bastard is dead." He had such a malicious smile to his face and his whole body just radiated with greed, selfishness, and pure evil. The young man didn't like this at all.

"Perhaps it would be better if you had a name so I would know what to call you." Daniel took a look at the doctor and smiled.

"How about Kevin? I fine way to honor the poor bastard." He then looked back at the young man and smiled. "Don't you think?"

"You're insane." Kevin said as he began scanning the room for an exit. There was no way he was staying here with this lunatic. Daniel frowned at Kevin's accusations.

"I'm not one to play games young man, but if you resist I will not hesitate to use any force neccasary. This whole ordeal is not as legal as you may think. And if you think I'm going to let it slip that I've been messing with things that ought not to be messed with, then you're not as smart as I thought." However Kevin didn't listen as he found an exit about 12 feet to his right. He took one glance back at the poor old doctor and booked it.

"AFTER HIM!" Daniel screamed as his burly bodygaurds sprang into action. Kevin sprinted out the door and was imediatly welcomed by a cool wind. The entire place was covered in snow. He squinted and saw faint lights on the horizon and ran. He never stopped, not even the crisp, freezing wind could stop him. It help that he couldn't really feel it. He guessed it was a perk of being imortal. His legs were strong and they were able to carry him far, but the gaurds never stopped chasing him.

He made it to the small town, but kept going. What now? Where was he supposed to go? He was so obsorbed in finding a place to hide that he wasn't really paying attention to the road ahead, and in a second he was on the ground. He looked up to find a girl rubbing her head. He looked back behind him to see the gaurds gaining in fast. He scrambled from the ground and to the girl. There was no way he was gonna let her give him away.

"HEY, watch where you're going moron!" The girl yelled, but Kevin quickly put his hand to her mouth and pulled her into the ally way nearby. Little did he realize that he was about fall head over heels in love with the beautiful woman in his arms.