He watched her as she walked down the street. Her feet glided across
the cement, her body seemed as light as air. She was walking towards him,
no smile or look of recognition on her face. Yet, he knew her oh so very
well. He wanted to run up and hold her, to smell what her hair smelt like,
to taste her lips against his... He could feel himself blush at the
thought. He'd never do it though...he'd never even get to touch her now.
Shinji awoke from the dream. "Another dream..." He sighed. The world now was so lonely. To him, he was the only person on earth, anywhere. He reached out into the nothingness. "I wish..." He looked up and saw a star. "I wish that things could go back, back to how they were." Shinji laid back down. All he could do with his days now where just sleep, and wish. Though he knew nothing would ever be the same.
He drifted back. The same girl appeared, walking towards him. Suddenly the sky around them pitch black, the clouds a dark maroon color. "Sky, sky of red. Red, the color, the color I hate." He could hear her voice echoing everywhere. Shinji stared at the sky for a moment. "Shinji?" He glanced back, feeling the nausea rise in his stomach.
"You're..." The girl stood there, a crimson puddle around her. The white wings that protruded from her back were ripped and torn, feathers drifting in the pool of blood around her feet. "What happened?" He reached for her, but suddenly pulled back his hand. The cool sticky liquid covered his hand. Shinji's screams echoed inside his head.
"Shinji! Are you okay?"
The boy shot up, a cold sweat covering his body. "What?"
"You were screaming in your sleep again..." The woman touched his shoulder. A girl stood in the doorway, looking worried.
"Misato?"
"Yes, Shinji?"
"Misato!" Shinji grabbed her and held her. The tears streamed down his face, yet he suddenly stopped. Was this another dream?
"Shinji..." Misato laughed lightly. "You're acting as if you haven't seen me in forever."
"Misato, is this a dream?" He stared at her through the darkness, feeling the fabric of her pajamas in his hands. Memorizing it in some hopes that, if this was a dream, he'd awake with that knowledge and be comforted.
"Shinji, you're awake."
"I don't...believe it."
"Go back to sleep, Shinji." Misato looked confused at him. "It seems like you need it." She stood up and walked out of the room, taking one last look at him before closing the door.
"They're alive..." He felt the tears running hot down his cheeks. He'd been alone for so long and now they were all the same, all back with him. But, was it really a dream? She had touched him, she had felt so real...it couldn't be a dream. "I'm home."
--
The girl walked down the street, everything in her body feeling as light as air, but her heart. All her wounds were healed, but the blood still dripped from the inside. She saw him walking down the street, knowing they were both going to the same place. She did not smile, made no look of recognition. Inside she screamed his name. But was it her who was really screaming? Was it her voice?
He hadn't looked up. He followed the movement of his feet, looking as if he were experiencing it for the first time. She found it curious. She wanted to call out to him, but he raised his head instead. His eyes widened and he stopped dead in his tracks. What had happened, she wondered. She continued walking towards him.
"Rei?"
"Yes, Shinji?" Her voice was fairly monotone.
"You're really here..."
Rei stared at him blanking, blinking her eyes. He suddenly lunged at her, throwing his arms around her. "Rei!" He started to sob. Rei stood there, staring down at him in disbelief. Why was he touching her? Why did he hold her like this?
"Shinji..." She stuttered.
"I'm sorry." He stood away from her, clearing the tears from his eyes.
"Why are you crying?" Even more confusion for her.
"You were..." He stopped. She had no idea... "Forget it."
"Shinji?"
"Yes?" He looked at her. He couldn't seem to keep his eyes off her, and it almost made her uncomfortable.
"Commander Katsuragi will be waiting for us after school." Rei stared at him for a moment and then turned and continued walking. She wondered what was going on with the boy.
Shinji watched as Rei walked away. He sighed. She still looked the same. He wanted to call her back, but he'd see her again at NERV. Shinji went through his normal school day, trying to remind himself that they all had no idea that he had lived without them all for about a year. He wondered if he'd ever really wake up from this dream. He almost hoped not.
Shinji awoke from the dream. "Another dream..." He sighed. The world now was so lonely. To him, he was the only person on earth, anywhere. He reached out into the nothingness. "I wish..." He looked up and saw a star. "I wish that things could go back, back to how they were." Shinji laid back down. All he could do with his days now where just sleep, and wish. Though he knew nothing would ever be the same.
He drifted back. The same girl appeared, walking towards him. Suddenly the sky around them pitch black, the clouds a dark maroon color. "Sky, sky of red. Red, the color, the color I hate." He could hear her voice echoing everywhere. Shinji stared at the sky for a moment. "Shinji?" He glanced back, feeling the nausea rise in his stomach.
"You're..." The girl stood there, a crimson puddle around her. The white wings that protruded from her back were ripped and torn, feathers drifting in the pool of blood around her feet. "What happened?" He reached for her, but suddenly pulled back his hand. The cool sticky liquid covered his hand. Shinji's screams echoed inside his head.
"Shinji! Are you okay?"
The boy shot up, a cold sweat covering his body. "What?"
"You were screaming in your sleep again..." The woman touched his shoulder. A girl stood in the doorway, looking worried.
"Misato?"
"Yes, Shinji?"
"Misato!" Shinji grabbed her and held her. The tears streamed down his face, yet he suddenly stopped. Was this another dream?
"Shinji..." Misato laughed lightly. "You're acting as if you haven't seen me in forever."
"Misato, is this a dream?" He stared at her through the darkness, feeling the fabric of her pajamas in his hands. Memorizing it in some hopes that, if this was a dream, he'd awake with that knowledge and be comforted.
"Shinji, you're awake."
"I don't...believe it."
"Go back to sleep, Shinji." Misato looked confused at him. "It seems like you need it." She stood up and walked out of the room, taking one last look at him before closing the door.
"They're alive..." He felt the tears running hot down his cheeks. He'd been alone for so long and now they were all the same, all back with him. But, was it really a dream? She had touched him, she had felt so real...it couldn't be a dream. "I'm home."
--
The girl walked down the street, everything in her body feeling as light as air, but her heart. All her wounds were healed, but the blood still dripped from the inside. She saw him walking down the street, knowing they were both going to the same place. She did not smile, made no look of recognition. Inside she screamed his name. But was it her who was really screaming? Was it her voice?
He hadn't looked up. He followed the movement of his feet, looking as if he were experiencing it for the first time. She found it curious. She wanted to call out to him, but he raised his head instead. His eyes widened and he stopped dead in his tracks. What had happened, she wondered. She continued walking towards him.
"Rei?"
"Yes, Shinji?" Her voice was fairly monotone.
"You're really here..."
Rei stared at him blanking, blinking her eyes. He suddenly lunged at her, throwing his arms around her. "Rei!" He started to sob. Rei stood there, staring down at him in disbelief. Why was he touching her? Why did he hold her like this?
"Shinji..." She stuttered.
"I'm sorry." He stood away from her, clearing the tears from his eyes.
"Why are you crying?" Even more confusion for her.
"You were..." He stopped. She had no idea... "Forget it."
"Shinji?"
"Yes?" He looked at her. He couldn't seem to keep his eyes off her, and it almost made her uncomfortable.
"Commander Katsuragi will be waiting for us after school." Rei stared at him for a moment and then turned and continued walking. She wondered what was going on with the boy.
Shinji watched as Rei walked away. He sighed. She still looked the same. He wanted to call her back, but he'd see her again at NERV. Shinji went through his normal school day, trying to remind himself that they all had no idea that he had lived without them all for about a year. He wondered if he'd ever really wake up from this dream. He almost hoped not.