Chapter 22
Unaware of the havoc she was causing at Garden, Yannie and Gered arrived at the Timber Hotel. It was a quaint little place, the only hotel in Timber. In the foyer was a small model railroad, lovingly handcrafted by the owner of the hotel. Timber never got many tourists. Many were put off because of its recent troubled past, with the resistance groups and the Galbadian take-over. Gered rang the bell on the reception. A cheery receptionist, who wore too much make-up, came through the doors.
"Hello, welcome to the Timber Hotel, how may I help you?" she said smiling showing rows of pristine white teeth.
"We have a booking under the name Ocaspe and Dygsan." Said Gered. The smiley orange-faced receptionist flicked through her book.
"I'm sorry, no bookings under that name."
"Oh…ok…try, Kramer." Again she looked through.
"Sorry." She shook her head. "We do have some rooms free though." He sighed. Cid was supposed to ring up in advance after they had left to book two rooms. It wasn't like Cid to forget.
"Two single rooms please then."
"I'm sorry, all we have is one room with two beds. Is that ok."
"I suppose it will have to be. How much?"
"400 Gil a night for the room." The smiley receptionist said. That's a 100 Gil deposit now and the rest when you leave." Gered got out his wallet and handed over two fifty-Gil notes. "Thank you, here is your key. Room seven, down the corridor, second on the right." She pointed to a swing door.
The room was comfortable enough. There were too beds, one by the window, and one on the opposing wall. The view was that of the station. The trains had helped make Timber into the thriving community it is. Yannie threw her bag onto the bed by the window. She gazed out.
"What are you looking at?" Gered enquired.
"Just the trains." She paused, "I've never been here before." She said.
"I've been here once. Though it was on a SeeD mission, so I didn't really see too much of the place." Then an idea struck him. "Hey, it's only," he looked at his watch, "ten to nine. Why don't we go for a drink in the pub, or walk around or something?" she almost agreed to his invitation, before realising that she was still in a mood with him.
"No, I'm fine." She turned her back on him and gazed out the window. The plumes of smoke from the steam trains billowed up into the sky, and made surreal patterns on the pink and orange sunset backdrop. "You go, I'll be fine on my own."
"Just like you always are." He whispered to himself.
"I heard that." She growled. Gered fell down onto his bed.
"I'm gonna get some shut-eye." He said turning on his side away from her. It wasn't an empty threat. Within minutes he was fast asleep.
***************
[I]I'm there again. The stone house by the sea. It's familiar. I lived there. I know that. Many SeeDs grew up there. That's not unique.
I'm nine. Matron has been acting strange. There's a room that is always locked. Strange noises often some from that room.
Crying.
Billy and me decide to see what's in that room. We can't get in through the door. So we sneak around the side. The brickwork comes loose, and we pull out a few dusty blocks. Inside is dark, and we can't see. Billy gets scared and runs away.
My eyes adjust to the light. In the corner is a girl. She is all-alone.
"Come here." She shakes her head. I hold out my hand. "Please." Her tiny grip grasps my hand, and I pull her through the hole. She flinches away from the sun, and covers her eyes. She is lucky. The supply ship comes today. I take her to the small pier and put her on the ship. Tell her to hide.
The ship sails. I never see her again. Matron is cross, but she never finds out it was me.[/I]
Gered was woken from his dream by quiet sobbing. He looked over, and saw Yannie sat on her bed, reading a letter.
"What's the matter?" he said concerned.
"Nothing! Mind your own business!" she snapped. He stood up and went beside her.
"Let me help. Let me see." She sniffled.
"Its nothing. Just me being stupid."
"Its not nothing if its making you cry." He took the letter out of her hand. Yannie wiped her eyes dry with the sleeves of her jumper. Gered read the letter.
[I]Dear Yannie[/I] it began. [I]No doubt you are looking for answers. We all are. Hopefully by the time you read this, you will be on your way to seeing me. I'm sure you've already pieced together some pieces of the puzzle yourself. I hope I can fill in the blanks. What I have to tell you, I can not tell you in a simple letter, and I hope you understand my reasoning behind my not telling you the truth when you first came to Garden. You have probably already realised it was me who sent you the armlet that you wear.
You have no idea of your importance in the history of the future. I do not want to alarm you, so I shall not elaborate until we meet face to face.
Enclosed is a map and written directions of how to get to my house. I await your arrival soon.
Yours truly,
Edea Kramer[/I]
"But what's the matter with this? You're going to get answers. Isn't that what you've always craved?"
"Yes, but, its actually happening. Tomorrow, I get a past." She sighed. "I'm just scared of what it may lead to."
"Think about tomorrow when it comes."
"I just got a real bad feeling about this."
"Its probably just nerves." Gered sympathised. "You sure you don't want to go for that drink?" she shook her head.
"Just leave me alone."
"You can't cope on your own. Talk to me." She turned around and shouted,
"I said go away!"
"No! Not this time. You can run, but I am not leaving." He sat down adamantly on the bed.
"You always have to be so stubborn don't you?" she said. She stood up.
"Me stubborn? Looked in the mirror recently?"
"I am not stubborn!"
"Yes you are." He walked towards her. "I've never met anyone stubborner than you! Stubborn and untrusting!"
"That was uncalled for." Yannie said quietly.
"But is it? I know you've had it tough, but you have to learn to trust people."
"So, if I'm so bad, why you hang around me?"
"Because I…"
"You are so annoying. Obnoxious, rude, selfish. I could go on all day. I hate you…you…"
"I love you." Yannie froze.
"What did you say?"
"I don't care if you hate me, because I love you." There was no reply. "Yann?" she walked toward the door, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "I know you love me too. I've seen it in your eyes." She shook her head.
"No I don't."
"I know this is hard for you but."
"I don't love you."
"Look me in the eyes and say that." She turned and faced him. She looked into his eyes. "If it's true, then say it."
"I…" before she knew what she was doing, she flung her arms around him and kissed him full on the lips. A bit surprised, he kissed her back. "…love you."
Unaware of the havoc she was causing at Garden, Yannie and Gered arrived at the Timber Hotel. It was a quaint little place, the only hotel in Timber. In the foyer was a small model railroad, lovingly handcrafted by the owner of the hotel. Timber never got many tourists. Many were put off because of its recent troubled past, with the resistance groups and the Galbadian take-over. Gered rang the bell on the reception. A cheery receptionist, who wore too much make-up, came through the doors.
"Hello, welcome to the Timber Hotel, how may I help you?" she said smiling showing rows of pristine white teeth.
"We have a booking under the name Ocaspe and Dygsan." Said Gered. The smiley orange-faced receptionist flicked through her book.
"I'm sorry, no bookings under that name."
"Oh…ok…try, Kramer." Again she looked through.
"Sorry." She shook her head. "We do have some rooms free though." He sighed. Cid was supposed to ring up in advance after they had left to book two rooms. It wasn't like Cid to forget.
"Two single rooms please then."
"I'm sorry, all we have is one room with two beds. Is that ok."
"I suppose it will have to be. How much?"
"400 Gil a night for the room." The smiley receptionist said. That's a 100 Gil deposit now and the rest when you leave." Gered got out his wallet and handed over two fifty-Gil notes. "Thank you, here is your key. Room seven, down the corridor, second on the right." She pointed to a swing door.
The room was comfortable enough. There were too beds, one by the window, and one on the opposing wall. The view was that of the station. The trains had helped make Timber into the thriving community it is. Yannie threw her bag onto the bed by the window. She gazed out.
"What are you looking at?" Gered enquired.
"Just the trains." She paused, "I've never been here before." She said.
"I've been here once. Though it was on a SeeD mission, so I didn't really see too much of the place." Then an idea struck him. "Hey, it's only," he looked at his watch, "ten to nine. Why don't we go for a drink in the pub, or walk around or something?" she almost agreed to his invitation, before realising that she was still in a mood with him.
"No, I'm fine." She turned her back on him and gazed out the window. The plumes of smoke from the steam trains billowed up into the sky, and made surreal patterns on the pink and orange sunset backdrop. "You go, I'll be fine on my own."
"Just like you always are." He whispered to himself.
"I heard that." She growled. Gered fell down onto his bed.
"I'm gonna get some shut-eye." He said turning on his side away from her. It wasn't an empty threat. Within minutes he was fast asleep.
***************
[I]I'm there again. The stone house by the sea. It's familiar. I lived there. I know that. Many SeeDs grew up there. That's not unique.
I'm nine. Matron has been acting strange. There's a room that is always locked. Strange noises often some from that room.
Crying.
Billy and me decide to see what's in that room. We can't get in through the door. So we sneak around the side. The brickwork comes loose, and we pull out a few dusty blocks. Inside is dark, and we can't see. Billy gets scared and runs away.
My eyes adjust to the light. In the corner is a girl. She is all-alone.
"Come here." She shakes her head. I hold out my hand. "Please." Her tiny grip grasps my hand, and I pull her through the hole. She flinches away from the sun, and covers her eyes. She is lucky. The supply ship comes today. I take her to the small pier and put her on the ship. Tell her to hide.
The ship sails. I never see her again. Matron is cross, but she never finds out it was me.[/I]
Gered was woken from his dream by quiet sobbing. He looked over, and saw Yannie sat on her bed, reading a letter.
"What's the matter?" he said concerned.
"Nothing! Mind your own business!" she snapped. He stood up and went beside her.
"Let me help. Let me see." She sniffled.
"Its nothing. Just me being stupid."
"Its not nothing if its making you cry." He took the letter out of her hand. Yannie wiped her eyes dry with the sleeves of her jumper. Gered read the letter.
[I]Dear Yannie[/I] it began. [I]No doubt you are looking for answers. We all are. Hopefully by the time you read this, you will be on your way to seeing me. I'm sure you've already pieced together some pieces of the puzzle yourself. I hope I can fill in the blanks. What I have to tell you, I can not tell you in a simple letter, and I hope you understand my reasoning behind my not telling you the truth when you first came to Garden. You have probably already realised it was me who sent you the armlet that you wear.
You have no idea of your importance in the history of the future. I do not want to alarm you, so I shall not elaborate until we meet face to face.
Enclosed is a map and written directions of how to get to my house. I await your arrival soon.
Yours truly,
Edea Kramer[/I]
"But what's the matter with this? You're going to get answers. Isn't that what you've always craved?"
"Yes, but, its actually happening. Tomorrow, I get a past." She sighed. "I'm just scared of what it may lead to."
"Think about tomorrow when it comes."
"I just got a real bad feeling about this."
"Its probably just nerves." Gered sympathised. "You sure you don't want to go for that drink?" she shook her head.
"Just leave me alone."
"You can't cope on your own. Talk to me." She turned around and shouted,
"I said go away!"
"No! Not this time. You can run, but I am not leaving." He sat down adamantly on the bed.
"You always have to be so stubborn don't you?" she said. She stood up.
"Me stubborn? Looked in the mirror recently?"
"I am not stubborn!"
"Yes you are." He walked towards her. "I've never met anyone stubborner than you! Stubborn and untrusting!"
"That was uncalled for." Yannie said quietly.
"But is it? I know you've had it tough, but you have to learn to trust people."
"So, if I'm so bad, why you hang around me?"
"Because I…"
"You are so annoying. Obnoxious, rude, selfish. I could go on all day. I hate you…you…"
"I love you." Yannie froze.
"What did you say?"
"I don't care if you hate me, because I love you." There was no reply. "Yann?" she walked toward the door, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "I know you love me too. I've seen it in your eyes." She shook her head.
"No I don't."
"I know this is hard for you but."
"I don't love you."
"Look me in the eyes and say that." She turned and faced him. She looked into his eyes. "If it's true, then say it."
"I…" before she knew what she was doing, she flung her arms around him and kissed him full on the lips. A bit surprised, he kissed her back. "…love you."