Welcome to Nona's perspective of things. A fitting chapter for the girl whose name is based on the number nine! Since this chapter is short and acts more like a prologue, no need for warnings. But get ready for characters, old and new faces, a new setting, new concepts, and more! The next chapter shall be out on Friday!
Chapter 9: Beginning of the End
The harshness of gravity pulled her down. Her brown hair was wiping at her face thanks to the wind. She was falling. Falling, falling, falling! Her eyes were watery as droplets were flowing out, carried away from her face by the intense force bringing her towards the water beneath her. Her vision was blurry from the tears in her eyes. But she could see despite the blurriness. Up there on the ledge was a tiny girl reaching her hand out for her. It was futile. They both knew that. Yet even still, she also reached out, silently wishing that the little girl at the ledge could save her.
A useless wish, a prayer that won't be answered.
Too soon, the little girl was getting smaller and smaller. The enemy - a rich-looking child dressed in green was getting closer to her. It was no use. Her friend could do nothing but watch. And she could do nothing but continue to fall. She was going to die, wasn't she?
Mom, Dad... I understand now. Leaving hurts just as much as being left behind. You both left me when I needed you most, leaving me on my own. Now, it's my turn to leave someone who needed me behind. I tried my best. I'm sorry that the promise has to end this way.
Hitting the water, she felt nearly every bone in her body breaking. The pain was unbearable, forcing her to scream. However, no agonized cry of pain came out as water rushed into her lungs and bubbles flowed past her lips. Quickly, she shut her mouth closed. The Pretender quickly followed, crashing into the surface of the sea as well. Already weakened when the boulder had fallen on top of her, the Pretender was no more. She was the first to sink to the abyss down below.
Watching with sad eyes, the raincoated girl felt her heart writhed in sorrow. Despite her enemy had chased after her - despite the many dolls made for her from the many children sacrificed, the girl felt sorry for the rich child of the Nest. The Pretender was alone and she died alone.
But the girl was still alive. Yet, she wouldn't be lasting long as her lifespan was fleeing. From the impact of the water, her raincoat had opened without her noticing. Unable to hold her breath any longer, she slowly closed her eyes in submission as the water returned to flood her system. It was cold. It was dark. She continued to sink, embraced by the cold sea as she drowned.
Finally, her life ended. The girl's body continued to get carried deep into the sea, her raincoat leaving her side as it floats to the surface.
~oOo~
Opening her eyes, Nona sat up, finding herself in a field filled with colorful flowers. Looking at her hands, she briefly wondered to herself, Was it all just a dream?
She was wearing a simple white dress that reached to her knees with three-fourths sleeves. This was something she wore before arriving at the Nest. Somewhere else, before she went on the hot air balloon, she had taken something else as well. Her yellow raincoat. Where was it?
Looking around her surroundings, Nona spotted a charming little cottage up ahead. Deciding to start there for answers, the girl got up and walked down the path. Along the way, she saw a stream that ended with a lake. It was a pretty sight, with many pink lotus flowers. However, something had caught her attention. In the water, she could see the world. It was like having a window where she could see a display full of toys. Peering in the water, she could see the little girl - Six!
The little girl was kneeling on top of the ledge in defeat, having not moved from her spot. Her shoulders were slumped, her hands were slowly curling into fists against the rocky surface, and teardrops were falling from the girl's downcast gaze. Observing this, Nona immediately understood as she place a hand over her mouth. She quickly looked around this beautiful field before turning her sight back to the lake.
Is this... the Afterlife? Nona pondered as she looked at her hands again. But that means... I'm dead...
Today was June 8th and she died at the age of ten.
"Oh, Six... I'm so sorry," she apologized as she watched the living girl.
Suddenly, something was happening. The young child's body was glowing, but it seemed Six didn't realize it. Or maybe only Nona could see the glowing? Perhaps Six wasn't affected by whatever was happening to her? Something was materializing from the girl's back! A head was coming out - a body! An entity of some sort... A girl of dark mist was rising from Six's body, arching backward as she stood - like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, like a ballerina preparing a dance.
The faint, shadowy figure tilted her head back and gasp, taking in her first breath of life. Slowly opening her eyes full of darkness, the entity straightens, taking a few staggering steps out of Six's body. The way she moved - slow with legs trembling weakly - it was like a toddler taking their first steps. Eventually, she stopped and the glowing ceased. Nona didn't understand. What was that... that thing? She doesn't know and yet, she knew at the same time. That thing is a Doppelganger - Six's Doppelganger, the manifestation of her shattered dreams and lost innocence, Six's trauma. A being born because of Nona's death.
The newly born, irregular existence looked just like Six - even wearing the exact same clothes as her, except she didn't have a full form yet. At the moment, everything about her was made of faint shadows, barely even visual. Turning, the Doppelganger looked at her silently crying counterpart with indifference in her eyes before fading away, residing in the girl's fractured heart.
Nona watched soundlessly as Six finally stood up and began to slowly leave the ledge in tears. The older girl sighed sadly as she reflected on everything - her thoughts going back to the beginning. Memories from before the Nest started to surface within her.