Date. ---UPDATE 02.09.2002---
Time. 10.40 pm
Chapter 2
Copyright. I don't own The Vision of Escaflowne nor its characters. But I do own Naoko Tokuma and Shinji Hisaishi (for this chapter).
Author's Notes. Wow! You guys, you don't realize how happy you made me when I actually got reviews! I was so excited, I could barely drive. That would kinda suck if I got in a crash, though... Anyhoo, thanks again and here's the next installment. I will give you a warning: Chapter 1 and 2 occur at the same time. Its just that one is Van's view and the other is Hitomi's. The same will go for Chapters 3 and 4 as well. I do need help on one thing though: Does anybody know the colors for the months? You know like Van was born on 12th White (I think, I know its April cuz we had a 20th b-day bash on April 12.) I need help on the others. If you know, write to me. Thanks!
The Vision of Escaflowne. Rota Fortunae
Chapter 2. Close Your Eyes
* * *
The cheerful sun also reached another person that day, peeking through the flower curtains straight into her eyes. She barely lifted one eyelid, revealing a tired emerald eye, to see what was that blinding light source, moaned, and rolled over to the other side of her bed. However, her alarm sounded, signaling for her that it was time to get up.
She sat up slowly and gently rubbed her eyes, her vision blurred from the darkness of sleep. Finally able to focus, she grabbed her light rose silk bathrobe draped across her bed the night before and threw it over her bare shoulders. She tripped over the clutter in her small bedroom and landed back on the bed. She giggled a little, jotting down a mental note to organize her books and such. Picking her way through the mess, she walked over to the tiny kitchen and began to boil water on the old stove. A slight murmur from the sofa caught her attention. Curious of the sound, she poked her head through the window, soon, averting her eyes as she recognized the entanglement of legs and sheets.
"Oh, God, sorry Naoko, I... um... didn't realize you brought company last night," she stammered as the young woman and man rolled off the fold-out bed.
"Hey Hitomi. Me and...um...what's your name? Oh yeah, Kensuke here didn't want to wake you. We got in at about 2 am and you were knocked out."
Naoko threw the thin sheet tighter around her body and grabbed her date's clothes strewn upon the floor. "You gotta go. Thanks again. It was a great dinner and everything. Bye!" She quickly pushed him out the door, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before she shoved him out the door, wearing nothing but his underwear.
Hitomi could not keep from giggling a little. "My God, Naoko! That's like the third guy you've had over to spend the night in two weeks! How can you get so many?"
Naoko narrowed her eye and stared at her. "I have many skills," she said with a smirk. "C'mon! Don't you like to go out and snag a guy for only one night?"
Hitomi's smile vanished from her face. "I don't believe in using guys as toys," she said sullenly.
"Oh yeah, that's right. You're waiting for Mr. Right, aren't you? Honey, there is no such guy that exists."
"I don't know. I met someone a long time ago and..."
Naoko plopped down next to Hitomi on her couch. "Oooo! A love story! Tell me!"
"It's not exactly a love story..." she began. Should I really tell her all this? I'm going to have to leave out so much. She won't believe me.
"Well, for starters, does he have a name?"
She thought for a moment, contemplating on the consequences. "Van," Hitomi said softly.
"Rich guy?"
Aren't kings supposed to be rich? A palace full of treasures and stuff? "Yeah, I guess you could say that."
"Long distance relationship?"
Is another planet far enough? "You have no idea how far."
"Well, what happened? Why isn't he here?"
Hitomi sighed. "This all happened my freshmen year of high school. I did some... traveling and met him. At first, he was pig-headed, stubborn, and unlikable, but once you got to know him... Anyway, I had to go home and he had to stay to rule his... er... I mean, run his business. We promised each other that we would always remain in contact but that fell through after a few years." She played with her robe. "I miss him a lot though."
"See, that's exactly what I'm saying," Naoko stood to her feet. "You're still holding on to him, and you've haven't even spoken to him for years!" She pulled Hitomi up to her. "That's why you're coming with me tonight."
"Why? What's tonight?"
"Nothing much, except that there's going to be a huge Halloween party over on the other side of town. And you're coming with me to get over this Van-fellow."
"I don't know... I have a meet today and..."
"Hitomi, please. The world of men is like... um... ice cream! You need to grab a spoon and dig in!"
"That's an interesting analogy."
"C'mon, it'll be so much fun. You'll meet new people and no one will really know its you since you'll be hidden in the costume."
"I don't have anything to wear."
"Let me deal with that." She got onto her knees and grabbed Hitomi's leg. "Please?" she pleaded. "Please, will you go with me? Please, please, pleeeeeeeease?"
Hitomi thought hard. It's true, she hadn't had contact with Van for almost five years now. There had been no inclination that she would return to Gaea. In fact, he was the one that told her she didn't need to stay with him. As long as we can still see each other... Besides, he's probably moved on in life. Having a wonderful time, married to a beautiful princess. It's time I should do so in mine.
"All right," she sighed.
"Yes!" Naoko clapped her hands. "I'll come pick you up after your cross country meet tonight. What time do you think it will be over?"
"I don't know. Maybe six..."
"Great. I'll bring you your costume. Nope, don't say a word. It's a surprise. This is going to be so much fun!" With that, she slammed the bathroom door, leaving Hitomi on the couch by herself.
Why is it that I think I just got myself into even more trouble? she thought.
* * *
The sounds of children laughing and birds cheerfully chirping made Hitomi smile as she rode her bicycle through the park. She knew that riding on the surface streets would take her to her classes much quicker, but she found the longer route more enjoyable. She took this time to reflect.
---The day that she had left Gaea... had left Van... was horrible for her. She returned to the same day that she had disappeared, lying once more on the medical cot with Amano by her side. No time had passed on Earth, although she had spent months on another planet. She followed the events that happened previously, walking home with Yukari, listening to her lament that the track captain would leave the country for the third time. However, when it came time for her to run under 13 seconds, she couldn't. She left her rose-colored pendant with Van, a keepsake for him. Would that change anything? Would he still come back for me? She kept her hopes up, hanging on the moment that a white dragon would descend, carrying the one person she wanted to see the most.
But he never came.
Having her heart broken, she ran to her room and cried into her pillow, afraid of the fact that she may never see him again. After a while, she got up and moved to her computer on her desk, trying to do some homework. Instead, she stared out her window, straight at the soft glowing disc of the moon, but seeing no other planet. It's not fair. I can't even see Gaea anymore.
Her glance sunk to the small playground across the street where her brother and she used to play as children. Her pendant swept across her eyes, revealing a young man sitting on the swing set with vast, white wings unfurled behind his back. She gasped, a single word leaving her lips. Van...
It was long past midnight as she hurried out of the house, quickly and quietly. She was afraid that the apparition would disappear as quickly as he had arrived. Luckily, he still sat there.
"Van..." she said, hoping to God that he was real.
"Are you alright?" He left the swing and walked towards her. "I felt something was wrong."
"Yeah, I'm fine," she shook her head, her eyes still puffy from all her crying. She reached out to him. "Is this real? I mean, are you really here with me?"
"I don't think so. Maybe this is the way we see each other, through each other."
Her heart fell. "So you're only a figment of my imagination then?"
He smiled. She loved it when he smiled, especially that little smirk of his. "No. I mean, I know this is me talking. But maybe this is your mind's image of what you want me to look like." He looked back at his wings. "You really like them, huh?"
Hitomi blushed. "Yes, I think they're beautiful. They are not a curse. Please don't hide them away."
Van nodded, then somehow winced. "I have to go."
"So soon?"
"I feel extremely tired all of a sudden."
Hitomi looked at the ground, feeling her tears returning. "So... is this... good-bye... again?"
"No, we can still talk, I think. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'll be there to listen." He moved in closer, only a breath away from her. His wings spread out, surrounding the both of them in protection and privacy.
"Please, don't leave me," she whispered, moving in even closer.
"I'm always here for you." Although his body wasn't solid, Hitomi could feel his presence there, his emotions overwhelming her.
And then he was gone, leaving Hitomi once more by herself.---
Afterwards, it hadn't been as awful. She knew that Van was with her in her heart. They could talk to one another by simply thinking. He would often come and check on her if her emotions were out of balance. But it began to fade away. Hitomi had to concentrate on her schoolwork and Van had to rebuild Fanelia. Their connection broke apart.
Hitomi graduated from her high school and now attended the local college, only a half hour from her house. She loved her home and wanted to spend more time with her family ever since her father died. However, Yukari and Amano felt that perhaps their relationship was more than a simple crush. She flew to England and applied for college there, so that she and Amano could be together to see if their love was real. Soon, they married and already had a child. Hitomi was delighted for her friends, but she felt so alone. Her roommate for the past four years, Naoko, was a kind, young woman. However, she felt the need to explore life the fullest and partied about three times a week. Hitomi was surprised that she wasn't already pregnant or had a STD with all the men she has slept with.
Maybe it is time for a change. Maybe I should seize the day. Maybe I should go on with my life.
* * *
"...neuropsychological deficits differentiate specific aspects of the brain-mind relationship. Noting that lesions in different cerebral locations cause different types of intellectual disturbances..." The professor droned on in his lessons on the relationship of the mind and the brain. Hitomi's eyes could barely keep open. She glanced around the large room, filled with hundreds of students. Some were sleeping, others wrote notes furiously.
How could I think that psychology was exciting to me? she thought as she doodled on her notepad. A grinning cartoon cat smiled back at her. Funny, that looks an awful lot like Merle...
A soft humming filled the auditorium classroom. Hitomi looked up from her desk to see who was singing the melody. Oddly, no one else noticed the sound; the teacher continued with the lecture and the students continued their work or napping.
Hitomi strained to listen to the tune. It seemed hauntingly familiar, perhaps something her mother sang to her as a child. But then again, it was almost unearthly. It began to fade away as sneakily as it arrived.
"...extreme positions have been the rule when it comes to discussing the brain-mind relationship..."
* * *
"Did you hear anything during psych class right now?" Hitomi asked a fellow classmate as they exited the auditorium.
"Besides Professor Yamamoto blabber on about the importance of a brain-mind relationship? No, why?" he asked.
"No reason, sorry to bother you."
"Wait a minute, aren't you roommates with Naoko?" he grabbed her hand so that he could talk to her face.
"Uh, yeah."
"Are you going to the party tonight? She's been trying to get a lot of people to go even though it's not her party."
"Yeah, I got roped in as well. You?" Hitomi liked this guy. When she got bored in class, she always watched him. He had nice, soft brown eyes with dark hair. And he smiled a lot.
"Yep. So I'll see you there then..."
"Hitomi Kanzaki."
He grinned. "I'll see you there then, Hitomi Kanzaki. I'm Shinji Hisaishi." He kissed her hand as he looked into her eyes.
"All right," Hitomi felt the heat as she blushed. He walked away with a few young men as Naoko tackled Hitomi from behind.
"Hi! You're still coming tonight, right?"
"Yeah."
"What were you doing right now?"
"I took a spoon."
* * *
"Five minutes until the girls' meet begins! Five minutes!" the loudspeaker announced over the PA system.
Hitomi stripped off her warm-ups and pinned her number to her running singlet. She shook her legs and hopped up and down to keep warm. She discovered that cross-country pleased her almost as much as track. Although it is a team sport, she received the isolation that the track field could not give her. Furthermore, the extra running kept her in shape for the upcoming season. She flexed her calves and tied her shoes tightly.
"Girls, to the starting line, please."
She placed her left foot behind the white chalk line and nervously awaited the snap of the gun.
"On your mark."
She crouched, remembering Amano's words of wisdom when it came time to launch forward.
BANG!
She leapt in front of the mad dash of legs. It was important to break free of the commotion at the beginning, but not to waste all of her energy to stay in front. She could always pick people off on hills.
She concentrated on her breathing, keeping a constant, rhythmic pattern. Trees and spectators flashed by her eyes as she ran down the pavement path in the park. She could hear them cheering on the runners from both teams. That was another thing she loved about this sport. It did not matter what school you were from; the fans still cheered for both sides.
She passed the first mile. Two more to go and still at a good pace. She approached the first hill on the outside of the park. No one would be there cheering. It would only be her and 20 other runners.
Pick up your knees! she screamed at herself. Her breathing fell irregular, and she began to feel light-headed. Concentrate!
The singing she had heard earlier in class filled Hitomi's mind, this time stronger. She could hear the words clearly, though they were in a foreign language she couldn't recognize. She stumbled a bit and moaned.
"Are you... all right?" someone panted as she passed Hitomi.
"Yeah, I feel dizzy," she breathed.
"Keep it up! You're doing great!" she shouted as she left Hitomi in a cloud of dust.
Visions of a dying world shrouded her sight of the course. Trees turned a putrid brown and lost their leaves. Farm crops were destroyed. Rivers and lakes dried, leaving fish flopping and gasping for air. She saw humans lying on the ground, wasting away to skeletons with their flesh hanging off their visible bones. A small boy of about five managed to breathe out "Please help" before he passed on. Hitomi could feel the pain of the world, their sorrow and helplessness. She fell to her knees and grasped her head.
"Please, God, no..." she moaned.
The boy's words echoed in her mind as she watched Gaea die.
"Please help..."
* * *
to be continued...
thanks, working on upcoming chapters, then the sequel. Thanks.
Time. 10.40 pm
Chapter 2
Copyright. I don't own The Vision of Escaflowne nor its characters. But I do own Naoko Tokuma and Shinji Hisaishi (for this chapter).
Author's Notes. Wow! You guys, you don't realize how happy you made me when I actually got reviews! I was so excited, I could barely drive. That would kinda suck if I got in a crash, though... Anyhoo, thanks again and here's the next installment. I will give you a warning: Chapter 1 and 2 occur at the same time. Its just that one is Van's view and the other is Hitomi's. The same will go for Chapters 3 and 4 as well. I do need help on one thing though: Does anybody know the colors for the months? You know like Van was born on 12th White (I think, I know its April cuz we had a 20th b-day bash on April 12.) I need help on the others. If you know, write to me. Thanks!
The Vision of Escaflowne. Rota Fortunae
Chapter 2. Close Your Eyes
* * *
The cheerful sun also reached another person that day, peeking through the flower curtains straight into her eyes. She barely lifted one eyelid, revealing a tired emerald eye, to see what was that blinding light source, moaned, and rolled over to the other side of her bed. However, her alarm sounded, signaling for her that it was time to get up.
She sat up slowly and gently rubbed her eyes, her vision blurred from the darkness of sleep. Finally able to focus, she grabbed her light rose silk bathrobe draped across her bed the night before and threw it over her bare shoulders. She tripped over the clutter in her small bedroom and landed back on the bed. She giggled a little, jotting down a mental note to organize her books and such. Picking her way through the mess, she walked over to the tiny kitchen and began to boil water on the old stove. A slight murmur from the sofa caught her attention. Curious of the sound, she poked her head through the window, soon, averting her eyes as she recognized the entanglement of legs and sheets.
"Oh, God, sorry Naoko, I... um... didn't realize you brought company last night," she stammered as the young woman and man rolled off the fold-out bed.
"Hey Hitomi. Me and...um...what's your name? Oh yeah, Kensuke here didn't want to wake you. We got in at about 2 am and you were knocked out."
Naoko threw the thin sheet tighter around her body and grabbed her date's clothes strewn upon the floor. "You gotta go. Thanks again. It was a great dinner and everything. Bye!" She quickly pushed him out the door, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before she shoved him out the door, wearing nothing but his underwear.
Hitomi could not keep from giggling a little. "My God, Naoko! That's like the third guy you've had over to spend the night in two weeks! How can you get so many?"
Naoko narrowed her eye and stared at her. "I have many skills," she said with a smirk. "C'mon! Don't you like to go out and snag a guy for only one night?"
Hitomi's smile vanished from her face. "I don't believe in using guys as toys," she said sullenly.
"Oh yeah, that's right. You're waiting for Mr. Right, aren't you? Honey, there is no such guy that exists."
"I don't know. I met someone a long time ago and..."
Naoko plopped down next to Hitomi on her couch. "Oooo! A love story! Tell me!"
"It's not exactly a love story..." she began. Should I really tell her all this? I'm going to have to leave out so much. She won't believe me.
"Well, for starters, does he have a name?"
She thought for a moment, contemplating on the consequences. "Van," Hitomi said softly.
"Rich guy?"
Aren't kings supposed to be rich? A palace full of treasures and stuff? "Yeah, I guess you could say that."
"Long distance relationship?"
Is another planet far enough? "You have no idea how far."
"Well, what happened? Why isn't he here?"
Hitomi sighed. "This all happened my freshmen year of high school. I did some... traveling and met him. At first, he was pig-headed, stubborn, and unlikable, but once you got to know him... Anyway, I had to go home and he had to stay to rule his... er... I mean, run his business. We promised each other that we would always remain in contact but that fell through after a few years." She played with her robe. "I miss him a lot though."
"See, that's exactly what I'm saying," Naoko stood to her feet. "You're still holding on to him, and you've haven't even spoken to him for years!" She pulled Hitomi up to her. "That's why you're coming with me tonight."
"Why? What's tonight?"
"Nothing much, except that there's going to be a huge Halloween party over on the other side of town. And you're coming with me to get over this Van-fellow."
"I don't know... I have a meet today and..."
"Hitomi, please. The world of men is like... um... ice cream! You need to grab a spoon and dig in!"
"That's an interesting analogy."
"C'mon, it'll be so much fun. You'll meet new people and no one will really know its you since you'll be hidden in the costume."
"I don't have anything to wear."
"Let me deal with that." She got onto her knees and grabbed Hitomi's leg. "Please?" she pleaded. "Please, will you go with me? Please, please, pleeeeeeeease?"
Hitomi thought hard. It's true, she hadn't had contact with Van for almost five years now. There had been no inclination that she would return to Gaea. In fact, he was the one that told her she didn't need to stay with him. As long as we can still see each other... Besides, he's probably moved on in life. Having a wonderful time, married to a beautiful princess. It's time I should do so in mine.
"All right," she sighed.
"Yes!" Naoko clapped her hands. "I'll come pick you up after your cross country meet tonight. What time do you think it will be over?"
"I don't know. Maybe six..."
"Great. I'll bring you your costume. Nope, don't say a word. It's a surprise. This is going to be so much fun!" With that, she slammed the bathroom door, leaving Hitomi on the couch by herself.
Why is it that I think I just got myself into even more trouble? she thought.
* * *
The sounds of children laughing and birds cheerfully chirping made Hitomi smile as she rode her bicycle through the park. She knew that riding on the surface streets would take her to her classes much quicker, but she found the longer route more enjoyable. She took this time to reflect.
---The day that she had left Gaea... had left Van... was horrible for her. She returned to the same day that she had disappeared, lying once more on the medical cot with Amano by her side. No time had passed on Earth, although she had spent months on another planet. She followed the events that happened previously, walking home with Yukari, listening to her lament that the track captain would leave the country for the third time. However, when it came time for her to run under 13 seconds, she couldn't. She left her rose-colored pendant with Van, a keepsake for him. Would that change anything? Would he still come back for me? She kept her hopes up, hanging on the moment that a white dragon would descend, carrying the one person she wanted to see the most.
But he never came.
Having her heart broken, she ran to her room and cried into her pillow, afraid of the fact that she may never see him again. After a while, she got up and moved to her computer on her desk, trying to do some homework. Instead, she stared out her window, straight at the soft glowing disc of the moon, but seeing no other planet. It's not fair. I can't even see Gaea anymore.
Her glance sunk to the small playground across the street where her brother and she used to play as children. Her pendant swept across her eyes, revealing a young man sitting on the swing set with vast, white wings unfurled behind his back. She gasped, a single word leaving her lips. Van...
It was long past midnight as she hurried out of the house, quickly and quietly. She was afraid that the apparition would disappear as quickly as he had arrived. Luckily, he still sat there.
"Van..." she said, hoping to God that he was real.
"Are you alright?" He left the swing and walked towards her. "I felt something was wrong."
"Yeah, I'm fine," she shook her head, her eyes still puffy from all her crying. She reached out to him. "Is this real? I mean, are you really here with me?"
"I don't think so. Maybe this is the way we see each other, through each other."
Her heart fell. "So you're only a figment of my imagination then?"
He smiled. She loved it when he smiled, especially that little smirk of his. "No. I mean, I know this is me talking. But maybe this is your mind's image of what you want me to look like." He looked back at his wings. "You really like them, huh?"
Hitomi blushed. "Yes, I think they're beautiful. They are not a curse. Please don't hide them away."
Van nodded, then somehow winced. "I have to go."
"So soon?"
"I feel extremely tired all of a sudden."
Hitomi looked at the ground, feeling her tears returning. "So... is this... good-bye... again?"
"No, we can still talk, I think. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'll be there to listen." He moved in closer, only a breath away from her. His wings spread out, surrounding the both of them in protection and privacy.
"Please, don't leave me," she whispered, moving in even closer.
"I'm always here for you." Although his body wasn't solid, Hitomi could feel his presence there, his emotions overwhelming her.
And then he was gone, leaving Hitomi once more by herself.---
Afterwards, it hadn't been as awful. She knew that Van was with her in her heart. They could talk to one another by simply thinking. He would often come and check on her if her emotions were out of balance. But it began to fade away. Hitomi had to concentrate on her schoolwork and Van had to rebuild Fanelia. Their connection broke apart.
Hitomi graduated from her high school and now attended the local college, only a half hour from her house. She loved her home and wanted to spend more time with her family ever since her father died. However, Yukari and Amano felt that perhaps their relationship was more than a simple crush. She flew to England and applied for college there, so that she and Amano could be together to see if their love was real. Soon, they married and already had a child. Hitomi was delighted for her friends, but she felt so alone. Her roommate for the past four years, Naoko, was a kind, young woman. However, she felt the need to explore life the fullest and partied about three times a week. Hitomi was surprised that she wasn't already pregnant or had a STD with all the men she has slept with.
Maybe it is time for a change. Maybe I should seize the day. Maybe I should go on with my life.
* * *
"...neuropsychological deficits differentiate specific aspects of the brain-mind relationship. Noting that lesions in different cerebral locations cause different types of intellectual disturbances..." The professor droned on in his lessons on the relationship of the mind and the brain. Hitomi's eyes could barely keep open. She glanced around the large room, filled with hundreds of students. Some were sleeping, others wrote notes furiously.
How could I think that psychology was exciting to me? she thought as she doodled on her notepad. A grinning cartoon cat smiled back at her. Funny, that looks an awful lot like Merle...
A soft humming filled the auditorium classroom. Hitomi looked up from her desk to see who was singing the melody. Oddly, no one else noticed the sound; the teacher continued with the lecture and the students continued their work or napping.
Hitomi strained to listen to the tune. It seemed hauntingly familiar, perhaps something her mother sang to her as a child. But then again, it was almost unearthly. It began to fade away as sneakily as it arrived.
"...extreme positions have been the rule when it comes to discussing the brain-mind relationship..."
* * *
"Did you hear anything during psych class right now?" Hitomi asked a fellow classmate as they exited the auditorium.
"Besides Professor Yamamoto blabber on about the importance of a brain-mind relationship? No, why?" he asked.
"No reason, sorry to bother you."
"Wait a minute, aren't you roommates with Naoko?" he grabbed her hand so that he could talk to her face.
"Uh, yeah."
"Are you going to the party tonight? She's been trying to get a lot of people to go even though it's not her party."
"Yeah, I got roped in as well. You?" Hitomi liked this guy. When she got bored in class, she always watched him. He had nice, soft brown eyes with dark hair. And he smiled a lot.
"Yep. So I'll see you there then..."
"Hitomi Kanzaki."
He grinned. "I'll see you there then, Hitomi Kanzaki. I'm Shinji Hisaishi." He kissed her hand as he looked into her eyes.
"All right," Hitomi felt the heat as she blushed. He walked away with a few young men as Naoko tackled Hitomi from behind.
"Hi! You're still coming tonight, right?"
"Yeah."
"What were you doing right now?"
"I took a spoon."
* * *
"Five minutes until the girls' meet begins! Five minutes!" the loudspeaker announced over the PA system.
Hitomi stripped off her warm-ups and pinned her number to her running singlet. She shook her legs and hopped up and down to keep warm. She discovered that cross-country pleased her almost as much as track. Although it is a team sport, she received the isolation that the track field could not give her. Furthermore, the extra running kept her in shape for the upcoming season. She flexed her calves and tied her shoes tightly.
"Girls, to the starting line, please."
She placed her left foot behind the white chalk line and nervously awaited the snap of the gun.
"On your mark."
She crouched, remembering Amano's words of wisdom when it came time to launch forward.
BANG!
She leapt in front of the mad dash of legs. It was important to break free of the commotion at the beginning, but not to waste all of her energy to stay in front. She could always pick people off on hills.
She concentrated on her breathing, keeping a constant, rhythmic pattern. Trees and spectators flashed by her eyes as she ran down the pavement path in the park. She could hear them cheering on the runners from both teams. That was another thing she loved about this sport. It did not matter what school you were from; the fans still cheered for both sides.
She passed the first mile. Two more to go and still at a good pace. She approached the first hill on the outside of the park. No one would be there cheering. It would only be her and 20 other runners.
Pick up your knees! she screamed at herself. Her breathing fell irregular, and she began to feel light-headed. Concentrate!
The singing she had heard earlier in class filled Hitomi's mind, this time stronger. She could hear the words clearly, though they were in a foreign language she couldn't recognize. She stumbled a bit and moaned.
"Are you... all right?" someone panted as she passed Hitomi.
"Yeah, I feel dizzy," she breathed.
"Keep it up! You're doing great!" she shouted as she left Hitomi in a cloud of dust.
Visions of a dying world shrouded her sight of the course. Trees turned a putrid brown and lost their leaves. Farm crops were destroyed. Rivers and lakes dried, leaving fish flopping and gasping for air. She saw humans lying on the ground, wasting away to skeletons with their flesh hanging off their visible bones. A small boy of about five managed to breathe out "Please help" before he passed on. Hitomi could feel the pain of the world, their sorrow and helplessness. She fell to her knees and grasped her head.
"Please, God, no..." she moaned.
The boy's words echoed in her mind as she watched Gaea die.
"Please help..."
* * *
to be continued...
thanks, working on upcoming chapters, then the sequel. Thanks.