.:: Chapter 9: Ghost Town ::.
In the morning, I sleepily trodded down the small, rickety stairs of the Seaside Breeze. As I stepped into the lobby to head out for breakfast I noticed the Bar Maid wasn't attending the counter, and no one seemed to be in sight.
"Hello?" I called out, nervously stepping aorund the the small inn. There wasn't even sounds of life in the building, not a shuffle, breathe, or murmmer. As I was about to step out onto the balcony looking out over the ocean, a black figure swifty ran by me up the stairs. "Wha?? Wait! Hey," I ran over to the staircase, but stopped abruptly when I noticed a dozen pairs of gleaming red, blood thristy eyes all focused on me.
"Rrrrrr," the creature that had so quicky ran upstairs was now inching it's way towards me, with the same red eyes. It was a Whymper, a beast I had only read about in history books and seen on Critter Planet: Going Wild with Tonberry-Rufus. Before I had a chance to escape, all thirteen, which was including the Whymper coming at me from the staircase, leapt at me with huge white fangs, and vicious claws.
"Wha..Wha..WHOA!" I screamed at the top of my lungs and ran as fast as I could out of the Seaside Breeze, locking the door behind me. "Whew.." I sighed a great relief, that is until I looked around to notice that the whole town was deserted, even the Shinra guard that kept watch at the elevator. "Something is so wrong here. Where did everybody go?"
For the next hour I spent my time going in and out of the town's buildings, but nothing living could be found, even the Whympers had disappeared from the inn. After a while, I decided to go into a local deli that I had found. Atleast I'd be able to make a good sandwich. But as I stepped out with a mouth-watering turkey and cheese sub, I was stopped short by a gruesome beast that sat in front of me, as if it was waiting for me to leave the building. Caught by surprise I dropped my sandwich, but then managed to pull out my Wizer Staff, and pointed it at the monster, the tip glowing with the magic I had equipped earlier while rumaging through the Materia Shop.
"Who are you?" I questioned the monster, and it only smiled, baring rotting, blood stained fangs. "Answer me now or you die, beast!" I yelled, losing control of myself.
"I am but a lonely ghost. Much like you are." It was still smiling, and pointed at me. "You are.. But a ghost, no?"
I was dumbfounded. I did not have an answer, and for the first time I realized I was in over my head. The ghost was right, I wasn't really alive. "How.. How do you know what I am?"
"I know." The creature smiled it's toothy grin once more before disappearing in the shadows. I began to shake, terrified that someone else knew. Even if it was a nasty monster with gruesome fangs. It knew, and that's what mattered. I now knew that if I ever wanted to see Cloud again I would have to find this monster once again.
Within minutes I had untied my blue Chocobo. We headed towards the beach. "C'mon Sonyia, you can do it," I caressed the bird. She was extremely hesitant about walking on water, but that was her magical skill. Upon hearing the low growls of a new pack of Whympers, I kicked my heels into her sides, and over the sea we flew. Destination: Costa Del Sol.
In the morning, I sleepily trodded down the small, rickety stairs of the Seaside Breeze. As I stepped into the lobby to head out for breakfast I noticed the Bar Maid wasn't attending the counter, and no one seemed to be in sight.
"Hello?" I called out, nervously stepping aorund the the small inn. There wasn't even sounds of life in the building, not a shuffle, breathe, or murmmer. As I was about to step out onto the balcony looking out over the ocean, a black figure swifty ran by me up the stairs. "Wha?? Wait! Hey," I ran over to the staircase, but stopped abruptly when I noticed a dozen pairs of gleaming red, blood thristy eyes all focused on me.
"Rrrrrr," the creature that had so quicky ran upstairs was now inching it's way towards me, with the same red eyes. It was a Whymper, a beast I had only read about in history books and seen on Critter Planet: Going Wild with Tonberry-Rufus. Before I had a chance to escape, all thirteen, which was including the Whymper coming at me from the staircase, leapt at me with huge white fangs, and vicious claws.
"Wha..Wha..WHOA!" I screamed at the top of my lungs and ran as fast as I could out of the Seaside Breeze, locking the door behind me. "Whew.." I sighed a great relief, that is until I looked around to notice that the whole town was deserted, even the Shinra guard that kept watch at the elevator. "Something is so wrong here. Where did everybody go?"
For the next hour I spent my time going in and out of the town's buildings, but nothing living could be found, even the Whympers had disappeared from the inn. After a while, I decided to go into a local deli that I had found. Atleast I'd be able to make a good sandwich. But as I stepped out with a mouth-watering turkey and cheese sub, I was stopped short by a gruesome beast that sat in front of me, as if it was waiting for me to leave the building. Caught by surprise I dropped my sandwich, but then managed to pull out my Wizer Staff, and pointed it at the monster, the tip glowing with the magic I had equipped earlier while rumaging through the Materia Shop.
"Who are you?" I questioned the monster, and it only smiled, baring rotting, blood stained fangs. "Answer me now or you die, beast!" I yelled, losing control of myself.
"I am but a lonely ghost. Much like you are." It was still smiling, and pointed at me. "You are.. But a ghost, no?"
I was dumbfounded. I did not have an answer, and for the first time I realized I was in over my head. The ghost was right, I wasn't really alive. "How.. How do you know what I am?"
"I know." The creature smiled it's toothy grin once more before disappearing in the shadows. I began to shake, terrified that someone else knew. Even if it was a nasty monster with gruesome fangs. It knew, and that's what mattered. I now knew that if I ever wanted to see Cloud again I would have to find this monster once again.
Within minutes I had untied my blue Chocobo. We headed towards the beach. "C'mon Sonyia, you can do it," I caressed the bird. She was extremely hesitant about walking on water, but that was her magical skill. Upon hearing the low growls of a new pack of Whympers, I kicked my heels into her sides, and over the sea we flew. Destination: Costa Del Sol.