Hello again oh so wonderful readers! I'm not quite sure which inspired this chapter more--Kingdom Hearts, or Blue October. Probably the latter. Anyways, this may seem a bit like... Where this come from? But... ah well, any questions, comments or concerns call the toll-free number! Just press that little purple button down there...
And Just So You Know: 'Thoughts'
Disclaimer: ((swings ten-foot pole)) Back foul lawyers! Back!
He was falling… falling, wind roaring in his ears. Then he landed softly on the ground, surrounded by darkness. He turned and looked around; a figure in the distance fell into view.
He couldn't make out his appearance but the person's skin glowed faintly with a comforting white light. A small bell tinkled somewhere and a girl appeared not far away, her skin glowing brightly.
She started to run for the figure in the distance, her hand out-stretched in a desperate attempt to close the distance between them, frilly dress dancing around her legs.
The girl was soon passing by him and time seemed to slow as she stumbled and eyes widen as she began to tumble slowly to the ground. Instinctively he lunged and caught her, spinning so he'd hit the ground first.
But he didn't hit the ground; instead they fell through water deep and dark, only lit by the soft light coming from the girl in his arms.
Said girl looked up at him and drew closer, closing the distance between their faces quickly. Her closeness would have been suffocating but for some reason it wasn't.
Then there was a brilliant flash of light and her form exploded into thousands of tiny bubbles. He began to sink faster, spiraling towards the bottom as the bubbles sped for the surface.
He didn't feel any lack of air but his head began to pound from the pressure of the water pressing above. He closed his eyes to but a sliver and stared up above him where the faded light grew smaller and smaller.
He landed softly on the ground and opened his eyes. He lay on sand, warm and cushioning, molding beneath his fingers. Somewhere nearby he could hear the gentle lapping of waves. But he couldn't see, he suspected that he was on a beach but he saw nothing.
He heard the soft crunch of sand as someone scrambled to stand and fell a few times then finally found their footing. He could also hear the soft cry of a gull floating high above where nothing could touch it.
The sound was somewhat… soothing. As if for that moment he had no cares… no worries whatsoever.
He heard the crunch of footsteps as the person nearby began to walk in a circle or something to that effect, his footsteps slowly speeding up frantically.
Another bell sounded off, this one deeper than the last and the girl from before appeared, her frilly dress hung in bloody tatters and her matted hair hung in her face in thick clumps that dripped blood.
Her sickly pale skin was smeared with blood and gashes that oozed more crimson liquid. Her dull, lifeless eyes lifted slowly and her mouth moved to form words, more blood trickling from her mouth.
Her eyes rested on him and he felt his insides tighten. "Tell me I'm not alone," She said as if it were an order. As if her life depended on it. A cut across her forehead gurgled out a bubble of blood that dripped down the side of her face.
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He jerked awake covered in a thick sweat, gasping for breath. "Guagh!" He choked and tumbled to the ground and vomited, spitting up what seemed like everything he had ever eaten in his entire life.
Coughing with watery eyes he rose weakly, his field of vision spun, dizzy he tumbled down to the ground and landed on his knees.
Coughing some more he lifted handfuls of snow to his face and to rinse out his mouth and sooth his stinging throat. He hacked so hard it made his chest hurt, he fell forward, his hands sinking deep into the snow to stop himself.
Gasping heavily he struggled to rise and found no strength. It was as if someone was pulling his energy from his body; he felt drained.
His stomach gave a lurched as he recalled the girl from his dreams, bleeding heavily with a cloud of death winding around her, empty lifeless eyes…
He spat up stomach liquid as his throat contracted, his vision spun and his head throbbed. A freezing rock tumbled down his gut as he recognized the bleeding girl.
He doubled over, clutching his sides suddenly feeling light-headed her name rung in his head even as he fell down out colder than the snow he landed on.
'Karame…'
He stood in a sea of blackness, alone. All alone. The silence was almost suffocating, pressing in on all sides and vibrating eerily.
He searched for something else there but found nothing, nothing but inky blackness stretching on and on.
Then there was a sound like the tinkle of a small bell and a figure appeared far away, his skin glowing with a dim white light.
The man moved a bit, looking around until his gaze met his own blue one. There was pause then a slightly louder bell sounded and another figure appeared, even farther away but her skin glowed brighter.
Almost immediately she began to run towards him, he could faintly make out her hand stretching out towards him. He could feel her despair and her need for help from him.
He found himself wanting to help her so much it made his heart ache. But he could no longer move, his feet rooted to the ground and he could only watch as she drew even with the other figure and stumbled.
The man next to her dived and caught her but the two sunk through the black ground anyways as if it were water.
He dragged his foot forward, fighting his chains, but it sunk into a thick, molasses like substance. The black stuff flowed slowly up his leg, another like liquid started to claim his other leg.
He yanked hopelessly on his feet; a glob of the substance leaped off his left leg to cling to his shoulder and started to seep over his arm.
Then another bell sounded and the girl appeared in front of him even as inky blackness oozed over his body.
She reached out one hand and he did the same, struggling to grasp her fingers as she did, the same thick black stuff overtaking her form as well.
His vision was beginning to shrink as the essence slid over his face when his fingers reached hers' and gripped them tightly as the thick, glossy liquid dragged them both down.
He opened his eyes quickly and blinked, his face pressed down into the sand. He slowly tried to stand, his vision swimming finally his legs began to work and he rose.
He stood by a body of water, probably an ocean from the look of it, also the sharp smell of salt water was evident in the air was a hint. The gentle waves lapped at his feet in a slow, continuous motion.
He raised his eyes up to the sky and closed them, letting the breeze ruffle his hair fondly. Funny, he'd never seen an ocean so bright and clear before.
Slowly he cracked open his blue eyes to stare at the clear, cerulean sky a sliver of the moon's shadow high in the sky not far from another half moon and an equal distance away a full moon floated.
He closed his eyes once more and realized he couldn't hear anything, the waves made no noise nor did the albatross that circled the sky slowly, it's beak opening in a silent song.
And he couldn't feel, couldn't feel the cool water nipping at his bare toes or the warm sand under his feet.
He turned around as he did so he re-opened his eyes. Behind him… there was nothing. A deep, impenetrable abyss of inky darkness creeping forward slowly towards him with hungry intent.
He spun around to see that the ocean was darkening as well, it's bright colour slowly seeping away to be replaced by a dark nearly black blue. The water shifted faster, it's waves growing and crashing down at the line of sand angrily.
The space where he stood was slowly shrinking, feeding both the darkness and the deep blue water. He stepped in a circled cautiously, looking for a way out before either the furious ocean or the calm, unmoving blackness swallowed him.
"Open your eyes…" A voice rang out; it's echoes bouncing around him in a complex dance, "Open your eyes," The voice said again, clearer, surer than the first time.
He searched for the source of the voice franticly, spinning around, eyes darting everywhere seeking out the owner of those eerie words.
"And tell me… I'm not alone," The last three words where spoken with more confidence and louder, almost an order.
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Then, he believed that he woke. Alone, in the dark with only his pounding heart in his ears to tell him that he was, indeed alive.
He struggled to free himself of the clutches of his sheets, only managing to tangle himself further. Eventually he stumbled out of his bed wearily and trudged to the window, throwing it open.
Breathing in the fresh, cool air of winter helped clear his pounding head but it did nothing to re-energize his tired limbs or fill the exhaustion inside him.
He struggled to lean out the window but slipped and almost fell from the window, barely catching himself with weak arms. Bracing himself in the window he craned his neck to look on top of the roof.
A form stood un-moving on it, looking over to the moon, long scarf thrashing in the wind the person turned to look down at him, eyes clear and direct.
"It's coming, get ready. For her sake." The words came from an unseen mouth in the shadowy form of the person, its' hair winding in the wind.
Ryou blinked and the form was gone, slowly he turned to look at the moon. It could've been exhaustion, or he could've still been dreaming but it seemed like three moons hovered in the air.
One half moon, one crescent and a full orb of light held up by clouds gliding by. His legs gave way and he was asleep before he hit the floor.
As sleep threw a warm blanket over his shoulders, easing both his mind and body to rest, his lips formed words lost on their way, as if speaking them would help in some way or another.
"Hitomi…"
'Please be okay'
Heh heh... yeah, I'm lost as for what to do after this... how about... err...
Review please!