Chapter 18
[I]I'm there again. The house by the sea with the high stone walls. The sunlight creeps in from the ceiling. I hide in the shadows. The light hurts my eyes. The door creaks open. I know it is she again. The one they all call matron. Her name, I know not. Her presence I know all too well. She will come to me over and over, again and again, to ask the same question.
How?
How what? But she never says. She calls me a liar; she calls me evil. And I believe her. I am young and naïve. She seems so old and wise. If only I know the answer. She prods me and makes me bleed, all in pursuit of the answer. And there in her eyes I see fear. It glistens with gold. Fear. Of me? But what do I know. I am only four.
How?
How what? I cry out. But no one comes to my aid. I'm alone. All alone. As always. Does she not see my pain? Do I not see hers?
The light floods into the room. A brick knocked out of the wall. I'm older now. I'm seven, and all grown up.
Follow me.
I ask no questions and does as he says. Asking questions leads to trouble. He is my age. He pulls me out into the light. I turn away from the glare of the sun.
Go.
I go. I never return. On a ship. In with the laundry. Laundry is too good for me I think to myself. After that, I cannot see…
I'm back in the house. I'm four. The lady they call matron is there. She comes towards me with a needle. I scream out…"[/I]
"Agghhhh!" Yannie shouted out. She was in a cold sweat. A dream, just a dream. The moon shone in through the curtains. She looked at her bedside clock.
[I]3:45[/I]
The whole of Garden was asleep. All but her. She lay awake, trying to sleep, but to no avail. The one they called matron, Cid's wife, Edea. She knew.
********************************
Squall arrived in Deling late that morning. After riding on the under sea railway, he had hired a car. He drove to Deling. He parked his car just outside the city, and walked the rest of the way.
It was eleven o'clock and the place was eerily quiet. On every street corner stood a Galbadian solder, but that was no different to normal. General Caraway insisted on it, so that the city of the heart of the empire could be as peaceful as possible. Ruling with fear, as Rinoa had always said.
Squall stood outside Caraway's house. Two soldiers stood at the gate.
"I'm here to see Rinoa." Squall said as he approached the guards.
"I'm sorry, but we are under strict orders not to allow any strangers into the building." Said one of the soldiers automatically. Squall sighed. He knew this would happen. Even though his daughter had a rebellious streak that went against everything that Caraway stood for, she was still his daughter, and he was very overprotective of her.
Can you give her a message?" he asked.
"I'm sorry, I am not permitted to pass on messages." Said the guard.
"Look, just tell her Squall is here." Squall rubbed his head. "Please?" The two guards looked at each other.
"Excuse us one minute." Said the other Galbadian soldier. The two soldiers took a few steps back, and talked in hushed voices. After a moment or so, they came back to their positions.
"Who shall I say is asking?" said the soldier.
"Squall. Squall Leonheart."
"Ok wait here." The one soldier said as he marched inside the building. There was an awkward silence between Squall and the remaining guard before he returned.
"I'm sorry." He said, "But Miss Caraway says that she doesn't know you." [I]Doesn't know me? I only saved her life a million times.[/I]
"What do you mean?"
"She says that she doesn't know you." He repeated. Squall was stunned.
"Ask her again…"
"If I could ask you now to leave."
"I'm not leaving until she sees me."
"Leave now or we will make you." The soldier said irritated.
"Make me. I want to see her!" Squall hit the pavement with a thud. He almost turned to fight the soldiers. He knew he could beat them easily, but there was no point. Rinoa obviously didn't want to see him, and he couldn't change that.
He wondered the streets for a while, deep in thought. If she would just say that she didn't want to see him, fine. But this was torture. It's the not knowing that makes life unbearable. He fell back into a park bench, and looked up at the sky. A shooting star shot by. Though gone, the image was imprinted on his retina. Just like the image of Rinoa at the graduation ball where they first met. She pointed to the sky, pointing at the small particle of dust burning up in the atmosphere, sacrificing its life to bring them closer together.
[I]Oh well, best be off.[/I] he thought to himself. He stood up and was about to leave when a young boy, no older than twelve came running past. He held a package in his hand, what it was he couldn't see. Behind him came running three Galbadian soldiers in their blue uniforms.
"Stop, come back!" one of them shouted.
"Its past curfew!" shouted another. The boy carried on running. One of the soldiers caught up with him, and grabbed his arm and pulled him to the ground. He prised the package out of this hand.
"Ah ha!" he shouted. "Plastic explosive?"
"The price for treason, is death!" shouted the soldier at the back. Squall walked over to inspect the scene. Nobody noticed him. The boy spat in the face of one of the guards.
"Death beyond death!" the soldier pointed the gun at his head, and squeezed of one single bullet. The bullet penetrated the skull of the boy, killing him instantly. He was dead before he even heard the bullet that ended his short life. The two other soldiers high-fived. The head of the corpse was splattered with blood and a slow river of red was spreading onto the concrete. His eyes were open, and his tongue lolled out of his mouth. Squall gagged and had to stop himself throwing up.
"Hey good job man." Said one as he patted the soldier with the gun. He just blew the smoke of the gun in his hand, and smiled. Squall jumped into one of the bushes by the road and listened. He could do nothing to save the boy now. Might as well save himself.
"Better call clean-up. " said one guard as he held up his radio. "Delta Gamma, this is Alpha Romeo, we have a fourteen-seventy two in sector three. Do you copy? Over" there was a reply on the other end of the line, but Squall could not make out what it was. Meanwhile, the other two guards were rooting through the pockets of the corpse.
"Yeah, we need a clean-up crew at the bottom of High Street, next to the hotel. What is your ETA? Over."
"Fenson Aldar, his name apparently." Said the soldier who was rooting though the boy's coat. He held up an ID card. Squall had seen enough. He quietly made his getaway.
****************************
Yannie bumped into headmaster Cid in the corridor outside the second floor classrooms.
"Oh sorry sir." She apologised as she picked up her books. "Sir, while I have you, " she started "I was wondering where your wife was. I was looking for her this morning, but I couldn't find her." Cid's face was expressionless.
"Edea has gone away for a while." He said. "Come with me. I need to talk to you." They walked to his office, and once inside, he invited her to sit down. Cid was facing the window.
"Yannie, Edea gave me specific orders when she left. She told me not to tell anyone where she was," he turned to face her, "except you."
"Me?" Yannie was puzzled, though, she thought, she should be used to being confused now.
"Yes. She said that you would probably come to look for her."
"Where is she?" she asked.
"She is at the orphanage. She left this for you." Cid opened his desk and extracted a large brown envelope. He handed it to her. Her name was written on the front. The handwriting looked familiar. Where had she seen it before?
"For me?" she enquired.
"Open it." She peeled of the top, and looked inside. There was a map, showing how to get to the orphanage, and a letter.
"What shall I do?"
"Go. She wants to talk to you. And I know you are dying to talk to her." He smiled. "You have a lot to talk about." She closed the envelope and put it on her lap.
"I shall go."
"Good. Now who shall go with you?"
"With me?"
"You don't think I'll let you go on your own do you? Not after what happened at Esthar?" She looked down and shook her head. "Very well, now, who is free?" he filed through some papers on his desk. "Ah yes." He picked out one piece of paper. "Mr Dygsan. He will do nicely."
"Gered?" Yannie said appalled.
"Yes is there a problem?"
"Uh," Yannie rubbed the back of her head. "Is there no one else?"
"Hmm, let me see…" he looked through some more papers. "Nope, Squall is on leave, Quistis has her teaching responsibilities, and Zell, Irvine and Selphie are helping in training new recruits."
"What about Xu, or Nida?"
"Xu is still ill, and we need Nida to fly Garden. I'm sorry, Gered gets it by default. Is there a problem?" Yannie thought it through logically. She needed desperately to talk to Edea, and if that meant awkward silences, then so be it. She could live with it.
"No, there's no problem."
[I]I'm there again. The house by the sea with the high stone walls. The sunlight creeps in from the ceiling. I hide in the shadows. The light hurts my eyes. The door creaks open. I know it is she again. The one they all call matron. Her name, I know not. Her presence I know all too well. She will come to me over and over, again and again, to ask the same question.
How?
How what? But she never says. She calls me a liar; she calls me evil. And I believe her. I am young and naïve. She seems so old and wise. If only I know the answer. She prods me and makes me bleed, all in pursuit of the answer. And there in her eyes I see fear. It glistens with gold. Fear. Of me? But what do I know. I am only four.
How?
How what? I cry out. But no one comes to my aid. I'm alone. All alone. As always. Does she not see my pain? Do I not see hers?
The light floods into the room. A brick knocked out of the wall. I'm older now. I'm seven, and all grown up.
Follow me.
I ask no questions and does as he says. Asking questions leads to trouble. He is my age. He pulls me out into the light. I turn away from the glare of the sun.
Go.
I go. I never return. On a ship. In with the laundry. Laundry is too good for me I think to myself. After that, I cannot see…
I'm back in the house. I'm four. The lady they call matron is there. She comes towards me with a needle. I scream out…"[/I]
"Agghhhh!" Yannie shouted out. She was in a cold sweat. A dream, just a dream. The moon shone in through the curtains. She looked at her bedside clock.
[I]3:45[/I]
The whole of Garden was asleep. All but her. She lay awake, trying to sleep, but to no avail. The one they called matron, Cid's wife, Edea. She knew.
********************************
Squall arrived in Deling late that morning. After riding on the under sea railway, he had hired a car. He drove to Deling. He parked his car just outside the city, and walked the rest of the way.
It was eleven o'clock and the place was eerily quiet. On every street corner stood a Galbadian solder, but that was no different to normal. General Caraway insisted on it, so that the city of the heart of the empire could be as peaceful as possible. Ruling with fear, as Rinoa had always said.
Squall stood outside Caraway's house. Two soldiers stood at the gate.
"I'm here to see Rinoa." Squall said as he approached the guards.
"I'm sorry, but we are under strict orders not to allow any strangers into the building." Said one of the soldiers automatically. Squall sighed. He knew this would happen. Even though his daughter had a rebellious streak that went against everything that Caraway stood for, she was still his daughter, and he was very overprotective of her.
Can you give her a message?" he asked.
"I'm sorry, I am not permitted to pass on messages." Said the guard.
"Look, just tell her Squall is here." Squall rubbed his head. "Please?" The two guards looked at each other.
"Excuse us one minute." Said the other Galbadian soldier. The two soldiers took a few steps back, and talked in hushed voices. After a moment or so, they came back to their positions.
"Who shall I say is asking?" said the soldier.
"Squall. Squall Leonheart."
"Ok wait here." The one soldier said as he marched inside the building. There was an awkward silence between Squall and the remaining guard before he returned.
"I'm sorry." He said, "But Miss Caraway says that she doesn't know you." [I]Doesn't know me? I only saved her life a million times.[/I]
"What do you mean?"
"She says that she doesn't know you." He repeated. Squall was stunned.
"Ask her again…"
"If I could ask you now to leave."
"I'm not leaving until she sees me."
"Leave now or we will make you." The soldier said irritated.
"Make me. I want to see her!" Squall hit the pavement with a thud. He almost turned to fight the soldiers. He knew he could beat them easily, but there was no point. Rinoa obviously didn't want to see him, and he couldn't change that.
He wondered the streets for a while, deep in thought. If she would just say that she didn't want to see him, fine. But this was torture. It's the not knowing that makes life unbearable. He fell back into a park bench, and looked up at the sky. A shooting star shot by. Though gone, the image was imprinted on his retina. Just like the image of Rinoa at the graduation ball where they first met. She pointed to the sky, pointing at the small particle of dust burning up in the atmosphere, sacrificing its life to bring them closer together.
[I]Oh well, best be off.[/I] he thought to himself. He stood up and was about to leave when a young boy, no older than twelve came running past. He held a package in his hand, what it was he couldn't see. Behind him came running three Galbadian soldiers in their blue uniforms.
"Stop, come back!" one of them shouted.
"Its past curfew!" shouted another. The boy carried on running. One of the soldiers caught up with him, and grabbed his arm and pulled him to the ground. He prised the package out of this hand.
"Ah ha!" he shouted. "Plastic explosive?"
"The price for treason, is death!" shouted the soldier at the back. Squall walked over to inspect the scene. Nobody noticed him. The boy spat in the face of one of the guards.
"Death beyond death!" the soldier pointed the gun at his head, and squeezed of one single bullet. The bullet penetrated the skull of the boy, killing him instantly. He was dead before he even heard the bullet that ended his short life. The two other soldiers high-fived. The head of the corpse was splattered with blood and a slow river of red was spreading onto the concrete. His eyes were open, and his tongue lolled out of his mouth. Squall gagged and had to stop himself throwing up.
"Hey good job man." Said one as he patted the soldier with the gun. He just blew the smoke of the gun in his hand, and smiled. Squall jumped into one of the bushes by the road and listened. He could do nothing to save the boy now. Might as well save himself.
"Better call clean-up. " said one guard as he held up his radio. "Delta Gamma, this is Alpha Romeo, we have a fourteen-seventy two in sector three. Do you copy? Over" there was a reply on the other end of the line, but Squall could not make out what it was. Meanwhile, the other two guards were rooting through the pockets of the corpse.
"Yeah, we need a clean-up crew at the bottom of High Street, next to the hotel. What is your ETA? Over."
"Fenson Aldar, his name apparently." Said the soldier who was rooting though the boy's coat. He held up an ID card. Squall had seen enough. He quietly made his getaway.
****************************
Yannie bumped into headmaster Cid in the corridor outside the second floor classrooms.
"Oh sorry sir." She apologised as she picked up her books. "Sir, while I have you, " she started "I was wondering where your wife was. I was looking for her this morning, but I couldn't find her." Cid's face was expressionless.
"Edea has gone away for a while." He said. "Come with me. I need to talk to you." They walked to his office, and once inside, he invited her to sit down. Cid was facing the window.
"Yannie, Edea gave me specific orders when she left. She told me not to tell anyone where she was," he turned to face her, "except you."
"Me?" Yannie was puzzled, though, she thought, she should be used to being confused now.
"Yes. She said that you would probably come to look for her."
"Where is she?" she asked.
"She is at the orphanage. She left this for you." Cid opened his desk and extracted a large brown envelope. He handed it to her. Her name was written on the front. The handwriting looked familiar. Where had she seen it before?
"For me?" she enquired.
"Open it." She peeled of the top, and looked inside. There was a map, showing how to get to the orphanage, and a letter.
"What shall I do?"
"Go. She wants to talk to you. And I know you are dying to talk to her." He smiled. "You have a lot to talk about." She closed the envelope and put it on her lap.
"I shall go."
"Good. Now who shall go with you?"
"With me?"
"You don't think I'll let you go on your own do you? Not after what happened at Esthar?" She looked down and shook her head. "Very well, now, who is free?" he filed through some papers on his desk. "Ah yes." He picked out one piece of paper. "Mr Dygsan. He will do nicely."
"Gered?" Yannie said appalled.
"Yes is there a problem?"
"Uh," Yannie rubbed the back of her head. "Is there no one else?"
"Hmm, let me see…" he looked through some more papers. "Nope, Squall is on leave, Quistis has her teaching responsibilities, and Zell, Irvine and Selphie are helping in training new recruits."
"What about Xu, or Nida?"
"Xu is still ill, and we need Nida to fly Garden. I'm sorry, Gered gets it by default. Is there a problem?" Yannie thought it through logically. She needed desperately to talk to Edea, and if that meant awkward silences, then so be it. She could live with it.
"No, there's no problem."