Chapter Two: A Horrid Past
He was asleep for about half an hour. But then, even though he was asleep, he could sense that someone was there. His eyes darted open, to see a man he thought was dead. It was Doctor J.
" Doctor J.?" Herro asked sleepily, as he sat up. " Yes, Herro." Doctor J. said. " I have come to see you." " But," Herro said, " I thought you were dead." " I am." Doctor J. said. " I have come back from the dead to warn you." " Warn me?" Herro asked. " Warn me of what?" "Warn you of your current future." Doctor J. said. " For if it doesn't change, your fate will be the same as mine." " Same as yours?" Herro asked. " What do you mean?"
" Herro," Doctor J. said, " In my life, I have done a great many sins. Because of this, I have been condemned to the depths of Hell for all eternity. You are also destined for this fate, unless you change."
Herro gave the man a weird look. " How do I know you aren't a dream?" he asked. " This is not a dream, Herro." Doctor J. said. " And I say the truth. You must change." Herro was silent. Then, he asked, " What must I do?" "Tonight," Doctor J. said,
" You will be visited by three spirits. They will be the ones who will save you. The first spirit shall come when the clock strikes one." And then, Doctor J. simply disappeared.
Herro looked around. He was gone. Then, he sighed. " I've been working too hard." He sighed. " I need to get some sleep." He then layed back down, and went to sleep.
He slept for an hour. Then, his digital clock struck one. Suddenly, there was a flash that woke Herro up. He sat up, and looked to his side. He then saw something that made him gasp. Floating beside him, was the little girl he killed years ago.
" Y.. you?" Herro asked. " B.. but, you're dead." " I come in this form because it is a form you know from your past." The girl said. " I am the Ghost of Christmas Past. Come, and let us see what has already been." " Why should I see my past?" Herro asked. " How can my past help change my future?" " Let me assure you," the spirit said. " It is imperative that you come with me. Your past will give great help in saving you from your future." Herro was silent. Then, he asked, " What must we do?"
Suddenly, Herro's bedroom window opened, letting in a cold breeze. He then got an idea. " Spirit," he said. " I am only human. I will surely fall." " If you take my hand," the spirit said, " You will not fall, but will fly." Herro looked at the girl, then reluctantly took her small hand in his.
Suddenly, he was lifted off his bed. He then flew out the window with the spirit. The two flew over the dark, sleeping city. Then, Herro saw a bright light growing at the end of the city. " Spirit," Herro asked, " What is that light? It can't be dawn." " It is the past." the spirit said. Then, the light seemingly exploded. Then, a wall of light came straight at them. There was a great flash.
Now, Herro and the spirit flew over a very familiar city. " I know this place." Herro said. " This is the colony I grew up on."
" Yes." The spirit said. " And I suppose you recognize the building we are about to enter." Then, the two began to float down. Herro looked down to see a large, white building. He instantly recognized it. " This is the lab I trained in as a child." He said. As they came down, they slipped through the roof.
Now, they landed on the floor of a large room. In the room were various weights, hurtles, a gymnastics horse, and loops to jump through. " This was my training room." Herro said. " This is were Doctor J. turned me into a soldier." " Yes." The spirit said.
" I suppose you recognize the boy entering the room." Herro looked to his side, to see a boy entering the room. A boy he knew all too well. " My God." Herro said. " It's me."
Sure enough, a six year old Herro Yuey entered the room. Then, he broke out into a run. He then jumped over six hurtles, jumped through seven loops, and did a magnificent flip over the horse. Then, he layed on his back, and lifted weights nearly twice the weight a normal six year old could lift. After that, he walked back to the doorway, where a younger Doctor J. stood. " Sir." The young Herro said. " I have completed my routine, sir." " Very good, Herro." Doctor J. said. " Do it ten more times." " Yes sir." Herro said. " I remember it so well." The present Herro said. " Six hurtles, seven loops, flip over the horse, and lift the weights."
" Yes." the spirit said. " Let us watch, as time goes on."
Now, Herro watched as his younger self aged. In the end, he saw his fifteen year old self walk to an older Doctor J. " Sir?" Herro asked. " Yes?" Doctor J. asked. " I would like to make a suggestion." Herro said. " Go on." Doctor J. said. " Sir," Herro said. "I seem to of outgrown the hurtles we normally use. With your permission, I would like to go continue practicing my jumping abilities at the colony cemetery. There are over two hundred tombstones, and over seventy statues. They would be perfect for jumping over." Doctor J. put his hand on his chin, thinking. " All right." He said. " That is a good idea, Herro. Yes, go to the cemetery. Come back when you believe you've trained enough." " Yes sir." The younger Herro said. He then walked out of the room. " Let us follow him." the spirit said.
Then the two appeared outside the building. As the younger Herro came out, the two began to float behind him, following him. As they did so, Herro noticed that the buildings around him were decorated for Christmas. And, like him, the younger Herro looked disgusted.
Then the two appeared in a cemetery. Now, Herro was surrounded in tombstones. Snow was falling upon the ground. Then, he heard the sound of footsteps in the snow. He turned to see his younger self jumping over every tombstone he could find. He watched, and folded his arms, proud of himself.
Then, the younger Herro stopped, when he heard something. It was the sound of clapping. He turned around to see a woman about his age, clapping. He walked up to her and asked, " What are you clapping about?" " Why, you of course!" the woman said.
" You have excellent jumping abilities." Herro looked at her, and muttered, " Thank you." The woman then held out her hand. " I'm Cassandra." she said. " What's your name?" At that moment, the younger Herro remembered an important rule Doctor J. had taught him. Never tell anyone your real name. " Robert." Herro lied. He then shook her hand.
" From that day on," Herro said. " Cassandra would come and watch me jump. We became… friends." " Yes." The spirit said. " But now, let us see another Christmas, when Cassandra tried to make your friendship even more." " No." Herro objected.
" I don't wish to see that Christmas."
But then, time shifted to a year later. Now, a year older Herro and Cassandra sat on two tombstones. " You did a great job today, Robert." Cassandra said. " Thank you, Cassandra." Herro replied. Then, Cassandra stood up. " Robert," Cassandra began, " We've been friends for a while now, and I've really enjoyed the friendship. But, I believe we can make it something more. You see Robert, I… I love you. I just want to know, do you love me too?" Herro was silent. Then, he stood up and turned away. " No."
Cassandra was shocked. A few tears ran down her cheek.
" Why?" she asked. " Why do you not love me? Am I ugly? Am I below your social class? Why?!" " Cassandra," Herro began, " The reason I don't love you is because I don't have time for love. You see, I'm a soldier, and I constantly train and get assigned missions. Thus, I have no time for love."
Cassandra was silent for a moment. Then, a look of anger came over her face. " I don't believe you." She said. " Love is the greatest thing a person can have, the greatest feeling a person can experience. And yet, you're saying you'd trade that for a job in a military?" Herro was silent, then slowly nodded. " Well then," Cassandra said, starting to cry again, " If that's the way you feel, then I guess you don't deserve love." Cassandra then began to walk away. But then, she stopped and turned around. " Goodbye Robert." She said. " May you one day become a better man." She then walked away from the cemetery.
The younger Herro kept an emotionless face. But, the present Herro was much different. For the first time in his life, a lone tear ran down his cheek. " I didn't show it," Herro said, " But I did want to love her. But, I knew I couldn't." " You were wrong." The spirit said. " You could of brought her into your life, rather than push her away from it." Herro turned away from the spirit. Suddenly, the cemetery grew dark. Herro looked around. " What is this?" he asked. " This is a Christmas you know very well." the spirit said. " One that reminded you of a young soul you killed." Herro turned to the spirit, with fear in his eyes. " No!" he exclaimed. " Please, don't show me that Christmas. I… I can't handle it."
But then, Herro heard footsteps in the snow. He turned to see his younger self walking through the cemetery. And he looked very depressed. Suddenly, he stopped. He had heard something. He had heard crying. He looked to his side, to see a man and a woman crying at a tombstone. Also, growing by the tombstone, was a group of flowers that seemed to be familiar to Herro.
So, the younger Herro walked to the two adults. " What's wrong?" he asked. " Who are you crying about?" The woman looked up at Herro. " Our daughter rests here." she said. " I'm sorry." Herro apologized. " We are too." the man said. " I only wish we could have been there with her when the disaster happened." " Disaster?" Herro asked, intrigued. " It was a few years ago." the woman said. " We used to live in an apartment complex next to a military base. My husband worked there. One night, we left our daughter and her dog at our apartment so we could go out for a private dinner. We were out for about an hour. Then, as we came home, we saw the fire. The base had been sabotaged. And worst of all, so had the apartment complex. Our daughter died in the fires."
The younger Herro's eyes were now wide with fear, remembering the night the woman had described. Then, he recognized the flowers. They were the same kind that the girl gave him the day she died. " This was her favorite holiday." the man said. " We always pay our respects around this time." The man then looked up at the sky. " If there's one thing I hope," the man said, " It's that the person who did this pays!" " I understand." Herro said. Then, he ran away from the two.
Now, as the younger Herro ran away, the present Herro showed emotions he had never shown in his life. He now cried in his hands, feeling guilty, and ashamed, that he caused so much sadness. He looked up at the spirit, and asked, " Why? Why do you torture me by showing these things? Do you enjoy it?" " I do not wish to torture you." the spirit said. " These are the shadows of the past, that were meant to be. They were caused by you. Don't blame me." " Leave me!" Herro snapped. " Leave me alone." " As you wish." the spirit said. " Goodbye, Herro Yuey."
For a moment, Herro continued to cry in his hands. Then, he looked up to see that he was back in his bedroom. Then, he thought of something. He looked to see that his digital clock had just stuck two. He looked around, expecting to see another spirit. But, he saw no one. He made a sigh of relief, and began to lie down.
