From the author of
"An Autobiography of Vincent Valentine"
Phoenix Down.
Phantom Wall Devils: A tale of Sephiroth
Part: Upsilon
Tet
Since I lost you I am silence-haunted
Sounds wave their little wings
A moment, then in weariness settle
On the floor that soundless swings
(D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930). Amores. 1916)
Together, and in silence, the pair walked home.
It was in reverent ways that they wandered in wordlessness.
The silence hung like a reserved phantom,
Flexing its talons into Sephiroth's skin, and winding its tongue around Art.
A fork split the snaky path,
Without thinking they choose the latter to trod.
And they walked that thin line thread.
They went back to Mideel,
And it was a hot summer mid-day.
Art left him as they reached her father's house. The flies and other tropical bugs clouded around Art's head as he walked away.
Sephiroth partially wished that he would stay; he didn't know what to say when she would open the door.
Sephiroth knocked.
A moment later Katrina answered.
She was not well.
And her hand rested upon her abdomen.
It did not seem that it was swollen.
"Where... were you last night?" She asked. Her house smelt stale.
"Sorry... I ... went for a walk, and I think I got lost in the forest."
Sephiroth touched an end to his lengthy locks of hair. His silver hair was matted, oily, and unwashed.
His face felt icky.
His feet were locked in sweaty boots.
Katrina's face was contorted.
Was she angry?
"Oh. You. Seemed, uhm, listen, the doctors... they called me this morning."
He looked at her.
Her face was plain, and dropped.
"Dad's dead. And I'm sick."
He said nothing.
She began to cry.
After a moment, he put his arm around her.
"I'm sick. And it's mako poisoning. I thought you should know, because I'm pregnant, too."
"Shh..." He hissed gently, "Shh... I know... I know about that already, sweetie. It's ok...Did they say how you two contracted mako poisoning?"
"No," she sniffed.
"What's... this?" Sephiroth asked as he took her arm. Had he noticed it before- and not made note of it? How could he not have noticed it...?
"You have a tattoo?"
"Huh?" Katrina raised her ruined and red face. Her tears soaked through to his shoulder. She dragged her other arm under her nose.
"You... never... n-noticed it? I-I've had it since... sniff... I wa-was little. Dad has one... too. I feel so much better... calmer... around you... Sephiroth... my god, my lord, great... Sephiroth..."
"What Katrina! What are you talking about?" Sephiroth let go of her arm. The tattoo on it was simply the number, 10.
As he held her, her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and her body fell limp.
He gently let her body down to the floor.
Sitting on the coffee table near her was a black cloak.
He pressed his hand to her chest.
There was no beating.
He took her wrist, and checked her pulse.
Nothing.
"Katrina!?"
He paused. He hated the silence.
No weak breathing.
No thumping of a heart...
No birds outside.
Dead.
Dead silence.
He hated that sound.
"KATRINA, breathe! BREATHE! Bitch! Breathe! Come on!"
He pressed his mouth to hers.
He wasn't sure if he was doing this right... He never did it before.
It was better than nothing.
He pushed air in, then found her belly button... Moved his hands up a notch, and pushed... One, two, thee...
"Breathe! Come on!"
Again...
Push air in...
Push.
One.
Two.
Three.
"Come on... a thump... anything, breathe... please... just breathe..."
Again.
Nothing.
No response.
Flat line...
Beeeeee..... . . . . p.
"Breathe! Baby, come on, please, do it for me... god. Jesus. Breathe, sweetheart, for our baby... please."
...
Silence.
One.
Two.
Three.
Since I lost you I am silence-haunted
Sounds wave their little wings
A moment, then in weariness settle
On the floor that soundless swings.
Oh. No.
Oh. God.
No.
"An Autobiography of Vincent Valentine"
Phoenix Down.
Phantom Wall Devils: A tale of Sephiroth
Part: Upsilon
Tet
Since I lost you I am silence-haunted
Sounds wave their little wings
A moment, then in weariness settle
On the floor that soundless swings
(D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930). Amores. 1916)
Together, and in silence, the pair walked home.
It was in reverent ways that they wandered in wordlessness.
The silence hung like a reserved phantom,
Flexing its talons into Sephiroth's skin, and winding its tongue around Art.
A fork split the snaky path,
Without thinking they choose the latter to trod.
And they walked that thin line thread.
They went back to Mideel,
And it was a hot summer mid-day.
Art left him as they reached her father's house. The flies and other tropical bugs clouded around Art's head as he walked away.
Sephiroth partially wished that he would stay; he didn't know what to say when she would open the door.
Sephiroth knocked.
A moment later Katrina answered.
She was not well.
And her hand rested upon her abdomen.
It did not seem that it was swollen.
"Where... were you last night?" She asked. Her house smelt stale.
"Sorry... I ... went for a walk, and I think I got lost in the forest."
Sephiroth touched an end to his lengthy locks of hair. His silver hair was matted, oily, and unwashed.
His face felt icky.
His feet were locked in sweaty boots.
Katrina's face was contorted.
Was she angry?
"Oh. You. Seemed, uhm, listen, the doctors... they called me this morning."
He looked at her.
Her face was plain, and dropped.
"Dad's dead. And I'm sick."
He said nothing.
She began to cry.
After a moment, he put his arm around her.
"I'm sick. And it's mako poisoning. I thought you should know, because I'm pregnant, too."
"Shh..." He hissed gently, "Shh... I know... I know about that already, sweetie. It's ok...Did they say how you two contracted mako poisoning?"
"No," she sniffed.
"What's... this?" Sephiroth asked as he took her arm. Had he noticed it before- and not made note of it? How could he not have noticed it...?
"You have a tattoo?"
"Huh?" Katrina raised her ruined and red face. Her tears soaked through to his shoulder. She dragged her other arm under her nose.
"You... never... n-noticed it? I-I've had it since... sniff... I wa-was little. Dad has one... too. I feel so much better... calmer... around you... Sephiroth... my god, my lord, great... Sephiroth..."
"What Katrina! What are you talking about?" Sephiroth let go of her arm. The tattoo on it was simply the number, 10.
As he held her, her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and her body fell limp.
He gently let her body down to the floor.
Sitting on the coffee table near her was a black cloak.
He pressed his hand to her chest.
There was no beating.
He took her wrist, and checked her pulse.
Nothing.
"Katrina!?"
He paused. He hated the silence.
No weak breathing.
No thumping of a heart...
No birds outside.
Dead.
Dead silence.
He hated that sound.
"KATRINA, breathe! BREATHE! Bitch! Breathe! Come on!"
He pressed his mouth to hers.
He wasn't sure if he was doing this right... He never did it before.
It was better than nothing.
He pushed air in, then found her belly button... Moved his hands up a notch, and pushed... One, two, thee...
"Breathe! Come on!"
Again...
Push air in...
Push.
One.
Two.
Three.
"Come on... a thump... anything, breathe... please... just breathe..."
Again.
Nothing.
No response.
Flat line...
Beeeeee..... . . . . p.
"Breathe! Baby, come on, please, do it for me... god. Jesus. Breathe, sweetheart, for our baby... please."
...
Silence.
One.
Two.
Three.
Since I lost you I am silence-haunted
Sounds wave their little wings
A moment, then in weariness settle
On the floor that soundless swings.
Oh. No.
Oh. God.
No.