He smiled up to his eyes, his heart filled with the innocence of a child. Whatever had happened in his life before, he didn't care. He couldn't really remember. What's the use in crying over spilt milk? Clean it up and start again!! He was going to find the flower lady aka Aeris Gainsborough, and bring he back to those kids. His life held meaning once again.
Since the children hadn't seen her in over two weeks, he decided she wasn't in this city. He'd start looking somewhere else.
He stumbled out of the city, trying to make good time to the next city, but his legs were jerky and he was having problems. Grunting with every step he made his way across the baron wasteland. Eventually small patches of grass popped up from the rock soil. Later, other signs of life came peeking out from the plateaus.
His foot caught a rock and he tripped, falling to the ground. Lying on the cool grass he realized how lucky he was. Breathing hard and watching the small butterflies flutter around his head he sighed, and silently thanked whatever Gods might be listening for his life. Perhaps he was meant to lose his memory; so he could go out and enjoy life and its beauty again. He closed his eyes. Just a little nap, then he would continue on...
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He dreamt. Dreamt of his childhood, long since forgotten. He was in a large house, mansion, it was his home, or at least it had been. He was running. Running as fast as e could. Heat. He could feel intense heat all around him. Into one bedroom, out, into the next. Looking. Looking for someone. Screaming. He was screaming.
"Mother?! MOTHER?! I'm so sorry! Really I am!! Please Mother, come out! Mom!? Mama...?" he began to sob, then his world went black.
He awoke in the arms of a firefighter.
"Hey little guy," the burly man said, smiling. "We were worried you weren't gonna make it.."
"Where's Mother?"
"I'll take him," a different voice answered. The firefighter lowered him to the ground. He walked with the other man.
"Father..." he breathed, frightened like the six year old he was.
"What the hell did you think you were doing?" The man yelled.
"Mom wasn't feeling good," the boy chocked. "She loves candles so I found one and tried to light it. But the match burned my hand and I dropped it," the he hesitantly added, "...and the candle. I dropped it too..."
"Stupid boy!" His father scoffed. "Your mother is dead now because of your stupidity."
"Wha....but, I...." he turned back and looked at his smoking house, eyes frozen to the flames that licked the sky and threatened to make the cloud's cry.
"You nothing! No son of mine is going to be that stupid. I'll have to teach you a thing or too!" His father brought his hand up and the boy's world crumbled as blackness surrounded him again...
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He awoke for real this time. He was still lying on the grass. He tried to shake the memory but it refused to go. The butterflies, however, were long gone and the sky was darkening. Night. He did not know what creatures appeared at night, but in this place he couldn't be sure of anything. He slowly turned to face an angry and hungry wolf. Animal and human eyes locked.
The wolf attacked, missed. As the man turned around he saw the lights of a small village. So close, but not close enough. The wolf attacked again, and this time it did not miss....
