Author's Note: In my English class we've been doing stuff on symbols in
stories, so see if you can spot my large symbol and try to figure out what
it stands for. =)
One Last Breath
~By: Lauren~
L O N E
C H E R R Y
T R E E
"What are we going to do?!" Meimi stamped her foot on the dirt angrily. It was one thing to spread rumors but to actually beat up her friend and then kidnapped the girl who was practically a sister to her! That was something the red head would NOT stand for. She couldn't believe it. "Who are the Lost Souls? Who's Celeste?! And why would they want to take Tammy!?!"
Marie sighed while she stuck a band-aid over a deep gash on Tony's forehead. "You're lucky they didn't break any of your bones." Her words came out strained with anger. The three could tell her temper was boiling inside of her. Not only had they defeated her brother but they had also kidnapped Tammy. And Meimi knew they had to have known them in the past, by the way they acted.
Tony rubbed his temples, fighting a throbbing headache, not to mention all the pain that was coursing through his body but Marie had taken good care of him. She had cleaned and bandaged up all of his wounds tenderly. "Go ahead. Tell her." He motioned to Meimi with his uninjured hand.
Aaron took Meimi by the arm, leading her away from the two siblings. "Celeste is Tammy's sister. Before we met you she was part of the group but there was a bad and dangerous gang that developed about the same time as ours. They would follow us around town to town and create various crimes then blame them on us. Because of them Tony's got a record with the police, for something he never did. They're a bunch of low life jerks and they killed Celeste a few days before we found you. They killed her on this very same day. After that we were pretty broken up but we found you and you were like the glue that kept us all together from then on. We thought we were rid of the Lost Souls though, (that's what they called themselves) for they had appeared to just disappear from the face of the earth. They probably were in jail or out somewhere else causing chaos and torturing some other poor person. Until now. It seems they've just decided to make a come back and they're the ones responsible for the robbery. NOT Tony. They want to blame it on him to get themselves off the hook. They must have found out that we're avoiding the police and might leave soon. Or they know that we know a detective. Your friend. Either way, they kidnapped Tammy so that they can force Tony to confess. They know she's his weak spot, besides his sister." The blonde boy finished with a sigh. He couldn't go into too much detail for even he got a bit emotional when it came to Celeste and now was not the time to be sitting around telling stories of the past. Something had to be done.
Meimi took in all the rapid information while her face tried to stay calm. It was hard to explain how she felt. It was like some kind of horror, but a certain kind of horror is beyond tears. Tears would be like worrying about watermarks on the furniture when the house is burning down. How could she have not known this tragic story? Why didn't Tammy ever tell her that she had a sister? Not only that, Meimi had been gone when Tammy truly needed her. And now look what had happened. "I guess I remind her of her sister or something. Maybe she never told me because it was too painful. I don't know...either way...we have to save her!!" Meimi nodded at her own thoughts. She wasn't going to be selfish or question Tammy's reasons for hiding this from her. She trusted her friend and right now was not the time for doubt or self-pity. That was horrible. All of this was horrible. It was just... so... so messed up. Fire, hatred, anger and sorrow all mixed as one filled up Meimi's heart. She wasn't the naive high school student she had once been. She never would be. And this fact shattered Meimi. She crumpled, broken into jagged, tear splattering pieces.
Aaron gave her a supportive pat on her back as if he had heard her thoughts. "It's ok, there's no way you could have known about this being the day or that the Lost Souls would show up." And with that he hurriedly walked back towards Tony and Marie. He gave them both a fleeting, empty smile. "So what's the plan?" He questioned.
Meimi could hear them whispering and was thankful they had decided to leave her alone. Right now she just couldn't handle anything else. It amazed her, how much Aaron had matured and grown since she had first met the young man. Through her tears glistened the night sky. How had she not noticed the growing darkness around her? Then again this had been a long, painful day. A comet flicked across the sky. Dismally, Meimi tired to admire the distance and clarity of the stars. She reached up a hand to touch the stars. Would they be metallic with cruel edges that pricked her fingertips? Would they scald her like the flames of a candle? The tinkling, harmonious voices of the stars resonated throughout her. The stars were omnipotent, spiraling, ever changing. They died and were created again. What did they care of mortals and their emotions? Dewdrop tears rolled out of her eyes that she could have swam in. Suppressing her sobs, she slid down to the ground and wrapped her arms around her knees. What did Tammy do to deserve all of this? To deserve all of this hurt and pain? She was just a kind, sweet girl that wanted a happy normal life, just like everyone else. What right did anyone have to go and make her life miserable? "She's had enough already, she doesn't need more. None of us need anymore misery." Meimi thought to herself. She didn't want to believe the world could be so unjust. But, of course, it was right there in front of her nose. If the truth was a snake it would have bitten Meimi a long time ago. It would have had her for dinner. As she had learned, life dealt everyone unequal hands. It was best to play what cards a person had. Maybe, if Fate was kind, Luck would be too. She tilted her head towards the now glowing fire near the three teenagers. "I've always thought I'd had a pretty hard life. But I keep finding out that life can be hard in ways I never knew about." The redhead frowned. She was afraid to understand her own thoughts. "Poor Tammy...I hope she's ok. We'll get her back!! We have too..." Meimi whispered to herself. Suddenly, she thought of something. "If I'm this upset about this...Tony must be torn up inside. I should be there for him...they've all been there for me. Now I can repay some of what I've gained." She stood up, wandering over to the three on the ragged couch. Plopping down next to them, she listened to the fire crackle in silence, afraid to speak and break their own quiet solitude. When Meimi was a child she had a set of paper dolls. They were called the Family of Meimi's Dolls and each one had a name written on the base under its feet. Their names were Mom, Dad, Sissy and Little Brother. She played with those dolls in a desperate, loving way until their paper arms and feet disintegrated. She loved them in spite of the fact that their tight-knit little circle was far beyond her reach. Even at her young age, she had some uneasy feeling that the perfect world she lived in wasn't so wonderful after all. But that night she looked at the four of them there on the car seat and her heart hurt while she thought, "In a different world we could have been the Family of Meimi's Dolls."
~*~
Tony sunk into his seat, unable to believe what had happened. They had kidnapped Tammy. They had stolen his most precious thing and also beat him up. The blood stains, cuts and bruises were the proof of that. And he was going to make those bastards pay. For every ounce of pain they caused his love, he was going to pay them back tenfold. Abruptly, a thought bounced into his mind. Since when had she become his love? Memories of the both of them flooded into his mind. Sure, they had a wonderful relationship and all but...love? Wasn't that a whole new level of relationships? They had always been friends and for a while he looked at her as his little sister. Someone to protect, to nurse and care for but now...now it seemed totally different. His little sister had grown up and she wasn't a sister anymore. She was far beyond that. Tammy had been cruelly ripped away from him and now a sudden ache for her had appeared in his heart. He loved Tammy. She wasn't just a good friend or companion, she was so much more to him than that. She had somehow wiggled herself into his heart. Tammy had seen every side to him, his lowest point, his highest and every place in between and yet she was always by his side. Why had it taken him so long to realize this? Sure, they had flirted a bit before but the actual thought of them as a couple had never really come to him. Now it was there. And he loved it. But it was too late for confessions of the heart or comforting hugs and kisses. She was gone and if he didn't do anything she would be gone forever. If he didn't turn himself into the police she would die and it would be his fault. He had to save her, even if it meant giving up the ultimate thing. His freedom and his newly discovered love for her. Agony, like blood dipped arrows, shot through his soul. His brown eyes were moist with his impotent tears. A lone one trickled out of his right eye. Tony muffled his hoarse bawling in his throat where a lump kept expanding. He couldn't breathe; oxygen was foreign to him. Words couldn't express the meaninglessness within him, the hollowness of loss and grief. Or how his heart was shattered into a million jagged edges.
~*~
Asuka Jr. wandered the streets. Where he was going, he had no clue. Why he was out walking, he had no clue about that either. He was torn between two choices. To take Meimi's word that her friends didn't rob the bank and let it slid or to do his job and arrest the rascals. The detective truly didn't know what to do but deep inside him he had a firm belief that they were guilty. Why? Maybe it was because he feared for Meimi, worried of their so- called 'influences' or other things. Asuka Jr. knew they would take her away from him...that they would steal her and run off somewhere, never to be found. And he couldn't allow them to do that, even if it meant arresting them and breaking her heart. He wanted to be the one there for her, not them. It was for the best, or so he thought. Asuka Jr. knew he had to get out of his house, get some fresh air and BE somewhere. Of course, he found himself standing by that lone cherry tree that stood solidly by the lakeside. Just then he noticed how sorrowful the tree looked with its great branches swooping down, letting pale pink cherry blossoms cascade to the ground. The tree looked...so alone...standing there proudly but with no one by its side. Asuka Jr. frowned. Why did he suddenly care so much about a stupid tree any ways? But the itching thoughts in the back of his mind forced him to leave with an actual destination and goal. He wouldn't let that tree be alone anymore.
An hour later he returned carrying a tiny cherry tree, obvious that it was in the prime of its youth. It had a thin trunk, which Asuka Jr. hoped would become sturdy one day. It's tiny branches stretched upward while little pink petals occasionally came loose. In his left hand he carried a shovel. With sweat beaded across his brow, Asuka Jr. dug a deep hole beside the large cherry tree and firmly planted the new tree in it. Now the tree wouldn't be alone any more. It had someone. It had a friend. Tomorrow, tomorrow he would decide what to do but for now he only wanted to rest.
~*~
Tammy groggily opened her eyes while a constant pain seemed to course through her body. Where was she? And why were her hands behind her back? Not to mention the ache around her wrists. Everything seemed blurred and dark while the world spun through her mind. What had happened? Where were Tony, Meimi, Marie and Aaron? All she remembered was crying and talking to Tony. She was buried in his arms and had said to him. "Life is confusing...it's uncontrollable. It's just sometimes it makes me feel so helpless...like I should have done something..." And then there was some kind of weird scream and her world had gone black. Finally, after what had felt like an eternity, her vision cleared. And what she saw scared her. It scared the hell out of her. Something smelled disgusting, so bad that she had to force back a gag. It was as if someone had taken rotten eggs, spoiled milk, old banana peels, and moldy cake and then proceeded to grind them in a blender. It gave her a queasy feeling in her stomach. Ignoring the smell, she looked around and sure enough, she was surrounded by garbage. Everything from ripped up shirts and old TV's to random pieces of food, not to mention the flies that swarmed around it. In the distance Tammy heard a dog wine, most likely a stray digging for food. Then the brunette knew why her wrists hurt so badly. She had been placed on a wooden chair while her arms were pulled around the back. Thin metal wire cut into her now raw skin while the same wire was tied around her ankles and the chair. She wriggled, unable to free any of her limbs while it only added to the pain around her wrists. And not only that, she had a splitting headache. It felt as if someone had smashed her skull into the nearby TV and then carried her around like a sack of potatoes. Which most likely was what had happened.
"You won't get out of there." A mocking voice chuckled. "Ahh, you truly do look so much like your sister."
Tammy snarled with anger. Out of the shadows a man stepped forward. A man she had known. Someone Tammy had memorized every single facial feature and hated him for it all. The boy was tall and appeared to be the age of about eighteen. He had jet-black hair that hung in his eyes, a reason many people blamed Tony for his crimes. They looked very similar if it wasn't for the olive Italian skin that Tony sported. The man had on black slacks and a torn up black shirt while a large scar ran across his cheek. It went from his jaw to his nose. His eyes were a cold emotionless gray. He ran a finger over the red and tan scar delicately. "Your sister did this to me. She scarred my beautiful face. I owe you this one. I won't let you be beautiful if I can't be either." Out of nowhere he produced a pocketknife while he lunged forward. Tammy tried to squirm out of the way but it was useless. The razor sharp metal ripped into her cheek, causing her nerves to send flaming signals of searing pain all through her body but it mainly focused on her face. The man pocketed the knife and stepped back, smirking. Crimson blood dribbled down Tammy's cheek and then dripped off her chin, staining her jeans.
"What do you want with me Rei?!" Tammy hissed, glaring daggers at the man while she forced back her tears.
"Oh, just a little fun." Rei smirked. "Your friend Tony has been avoiding the cops. He has to pay for the deeds he's done and so...I'm going to use you to make him pay."
"You're still the same Rei! The same Rei who buried his heart with Celeste." Tammy spat on the ground in front of his shoes. "Can't you grow up?! You never change!"
Anger from her words seized Rei's heart. "Shut up now!!" With the swing of his arm Tammy felt pain surge through her already throbbing cheek. Her own blood now spotted his pale hand, making a strange contrast between the colors. Red and white.
Out of the shadows emerged a girl clad in spiked black leather clothing and high boots. Part of her hair was dyed a purple color and the other was blonde while a boy next to her sported blue hair. He was the same height as the girl but his skin was more of a ghastly pale than hers was. The girl spoke. "Leave Rei alone. It's Celeste's own fault that she died. If she would have let Rei take over your group and accepted his feelings then she would have never died..." But the girl was cut off by Rei.
"Shut up Zoey!! I don't have feelings...for anybody." Rei roared. It was obvious his words hurt the purple haired girl but Rei didn't seem to notice. No one ever did.
"Zoey...Joe...I see you're still part of this stupid gang. How I pity you...having to live with this pain in the ass. I still don't understand why." Tammy gave them a smug smile. Turning to Rei again, she spoke. "Tony won't give in to your lousy tricks, he's not dumb!! And you'll pay for what you did to Celeste!! YOU WILL!!" Her voice was instantly cut off as Rei leaned down, bringing his lips roughly against hers. She struggled to remove his lips from her own but her moving stopped as his icy hand ran down her neck causing shivers to course up and down her spine. He stopped when he reached her shoulder, letting his hand slip under her shirt collar then suddenly they were back on her neck, squeezing it tighter and tighter as it cut off her air supply. After a few moments along with many gasps, cold air filled her lungs as Rei chuckled with glee.
"Oh, this will be so much fun!!" He laughed. And with that, the three teenagers disappeared into the shadows once again. Tammy sighed, knowing they were gone and any screamed words would be useless. The abyss of darkness cushioned her in a womb of eternity. She was glad night had fallen but still longed from some kind of light to guide her. There were no resplendent firefly stars to grant her absolution. No silvery means of moonlight to give her a ladder to hope. She was all by herself, just one girl. A chilly breeze whistled by her. More warm blood dripped down her cheek as her hair rippled behind her. She tried to spread her arms, failing as the wire tugged her back. She wanted to open her arms, as if she might sprout wings. Somehow to save herself. "Is this...the end...?" She thought to herself. Tammy shook her head violently, letting the cold air plaster the blood to her face. "No! I won't let it end like this...!! I've got some much I want to say...so much I want to do. I want to tell you Tony... I want to tell you that I love you!! And I want you to be happy Meimi...! And I want to make my dreams come true! I want that big house with the white picket fence!" But even her thoughts didn't seem to comfort her.
To herself, Tammy vowed to return to her friends for three reasons.
First, to go to Meimi and Asuka Jr.'s wedding.
Secondly, to punch that stupid Tony in his face.
Third, to kiss him senseless.
~*~
Meimi suddenly lifted her head; her face etched with a newfound happiness that shown clearly in the firelight. "I'VE GOT IT!!!" She squealed with joy. "I know how we can save Tammy!!"
~*~
I don't have anything
Because I don't have you
I don't have anything
~*~
Lauren: *gasp* OH NO! I've run out of song lyrics again!!!! Whhhhyyyy meeeeee?!?! Tehehe, I actually wrote during the week!! *cheers* I'm so proud of myself but it was mostly because everyone begged me to update...so here it is! What did you all think of it? I can't wait for the weekend, finally I can sleep in and stay up late! And write more! YA! Oh and with that piece of fanart I had I was bored and I created a wallpaper with it! You can see it here: http://www.geocities.com/watergoddess415/TAMMYTONYbyme.jpg
One Last Breath
~By: Lauren~
L O N E
C H E R R Y
T R E E
"What are we going to do?!" Meimi stamped her foot on the dirt angrily. It was one thing to spread rumors but to actually beat up her friend and then kidnapped the girl who was practically a sister to her! That was something the red head would NOT stand for. She couldn't believe it. "Who are the Lost Souls? Who's Celeste?! And why would they want to take Tammy!?!"
Marie sighed while she stuck a band-aid over a deep gash on Tony's forehead. "You're lucky they didn't break any of your bones." Her words came out strained with anger. The three could tell her temper was boiling inside of her. Not only had they defeated her brother but they had also kidnapped Tammy. And Meimi knew they had to have known them in the past, by the way they acted.
Tony rubbed his temples, fighting a throbbing headache, not to mention all the pain that was coursing through his body but Marie had taken good care of him. She had cleaned and bandaged up all of his wounds tenderly. "Go ahead. Tell her." He motioned to Meimi with his uninjured hand.
Aaron took Meimi by the arm, leading her away from the two siblings. "Celeste is Tammy's sister. Before we met you she was part of the group but there was a bad and dangerous gang that developed about the same time as ours. They would follow us around town to town and create various crimes then blame them on us. Because of them Tony's got a record with the police, for something he never did. They're a bunch of low life jerks and they killed Celeste a few days before we found you. They killed her on this very same day. After that we were pretty broken up but we found you and you were like the glue that kept us all together from then on. We thought we were rid of the Lost Souls though, (that's what they called themselves) for they had appeared to just disappear from the face of the earth. They probably were in jail or out somewhere else causing chaos and torturing some other poor person. Until now. It seems they've just decided to make a come back and they're the ones responsible for the robbery. NOT Tony. They want to blame it on him to get themselves off the hook. They must have found out that we're avoiding the police and might leave soon. Or they know that we know a detective. Your friend. Either way, they kidnapped Tammy so that they can force Tony to confess. They know she's his weak spot, besides his sister." The blonde boy finished with a sigh. He couldn't go into too much detail for even he got a bit emotional when it came to Celeste and now was not the time to be sitting around telling stories of the past. Something had to be done.
Meimi took in all the rapid information while her face tried to stay calm. It was hard to explain how she felt. It was like some kind of horror, but a certain kind of horror is beyond tears. Tears would be like worrying about watermarks on the furniture when the house is burning down. How could she have not known this tragic story? Why didn't Tammy ever tell her that she had a sister? Not only that, Meimi had been gone when Tammy truly needed her. And now look what had happened. "I guess I remind her of her sister or something. Maybe she never told me because it was too painful. I don't know...either way...we have to save her!!" Meimi nodded at her own thoughts. She wasn't going to be selfish or question Tammy's reasons for hiding this from her. She trusted her friend and right now was not the time for doubt or self-pity. That was horrible. All of this was horrible. It was just... so... so messed up. Fire, hatred, anger and sorrow all mixed as one filled up Meimi's heart. She wasn't the naive high school student she had once been. She never would be. And this fact shattered Meimi. She crumpled, broken into jagged, tear splattering pieces.
Aaron gave her a supportive pat on her back as if he had heard her thoughts. "It's ok, there's no way you could have known about this being the day or that the Lost Souls would show up." And with that he hurriedly walked back towards Tony and Marie. He gave them both a fleeting, empty smile. "So what's the plan?" He questioned.
Meimi could hear them whispering and was thankful they had decided to leave her alone. Right now she just couldn't handle anything else. It amazed her, how much Aaron had matured and grown since she had first met the young man. Through her tears glistened the night sky. How had she not noticed the growing darkness around her? Then again this had been a long, painful day. A comet flicked across the sky. Dismally, Meimi tired to admire the distance and clarity of the stars. She reached up a hand to touch the stars. Would they be metallic with cruel edges that pricked her fingertips? Would they scald her like the flames of a candle? The tinkling, harmonious voices of the stars resonated throughout her. The stars were omnipotent, spiraling, ever changing. They died and were created again. What did they care of mortals and their emotions? Dewdrop tears rolled out of her eyes that she could have swam in. Suppressing her sobs, she slid down to the ground and wrapped her arms around her knees. What did Tammy do to deserve all of this? To deserve all of this hurt and pain? She was just a kind, sweet girl that wanted a happy normal life, just like everyone else. What right did anyone have to go and make her life miserable? "She's had enough already, she doesn't need more. None of us need anymore misery." Meimi thought to herself. She didn't want to believe the world could be so unjust. But, of course, it was right there in front of her nose. If the truth was a snake it would have bitten Meimi a long time ago. It would have had her for dinner. As she had learned, life dealt everyone unequal hands. It was best to play what cards a person had. Maybe, if Fate was kind, Luck would be too. She tilted her head towards the now glowing fire near the three teenagers. "I've always thought I'd had a pretty hard life. But I keep finding out that life can be hard in ways I never knew about." The redhead frowned. She was afraid to understand her own thoughts. "Poor Tammy...I hope she's ok. We'll get her back!! We have too..." Meimi whispered to herself. Suddenly, she thought of something. "If I'm this upset about this...Tony must be torn up inside. I should be there for him...they've all been there for me. Now I can repay some of what I've gained." She stood up, wandering over to the three on the ragged couch. Plopping down next to them, she listened to the fire crackle in silence, afraid to speak and break their own quiet solitude. When Meimi was a child she had a set of paper dolls. They were called the Family of Meimi's Dolls and each one had a name written on the base under its feet. Their names were Mom, Dad, Sissy and Little Brother. She played with those dolls in a desperate, loving way until their paper arms and feet disintegrated. She loved them in spite of the fact that their tight-knit little circle was far beyond her reach. Even at her young age, she had some uneasy feeling that the perfect world she lived in wasn't so wonderful after all. But that night she looked at the four of them there on the car seat and her heart hurt while she thought, "In a different world we could have been the Family of Meimi's Dolls."
~*~
Tony sunk into his seat, unable to believe what had happened. They had kidnapped Tammy. They had stolen his most precious thing and also beat him up. The blood stains, cuts and bruises were the proof of that. And he was going to make those bastards pay. For every ounce of pain they caused his love, he was going to pay them back tenfold. Abruptly, a thought bounced into his mind. Since when had she become his love? Memories of the both of them flooded into his mind. Sure, they had a wonderful relationship and all but...love? Wasn't that a whole new level of relationships? They had always been friends and for a while he looked at her as his little sister. Someone to protect, to nurse and care for but now...now it seemed totally different. His little sister had grown up and she wasn't a sister anymore. She was far beyond that. Tammy had been cruelly ripped away from him and now a sudden ache for her had appeared in his heart. He loved Tammy. She wasn't just a good friend or companion, she was so much more to him than that. She had somehow wiggled herself into his heart. Tammy had seen every side to him, his lowest point, his highest and every place in between and yet she was always by his side. Why had it taken him so long to realize this? Sure, they had flirted a bit before but the actual thought of them as a couple had never really come to him. Now it was there. And he loved it. But it was too late for confessions of the heart or comforting hugs and kisses. She was gone and if he didn't do anything she would be gone forever. If he didn't turn himself into the police she would die and it would be his fault. He had to save her, even if it meant giving up the ultimate thing. His freedom and his newly discovered love for her. Agony, like blood dipped arrows, shot through his soul. His brown eyes were moist with his impotent tears. A lone one trickled out of his right eye. Tony muffled his hoarse bawling in his throat where a lump kept expanding. He couldn't breathe; oxygen was foreign to him. Words couldn't express the meaninglessness within him, the hollowness of loss and grief. Or how his heart was shattered into a million jagged edges.
~*~
Asuka Jr. wandered the streets. Where he was going, he had no clue. Why he was out walking, he had no clue about that either. He was torn between two choices. To take Meimi's word that her friends didn't rob the bank and let it slid or to do his job and arrest the rascals. The detective truly didn't know what to do but deep inside him he had a firm belief that they were guilty. Why? Maybe it was because he feared for Meimi, worried of their so- called 'influences' or other things. Asuka Jr. knew they would take her away from him...that they would steal her and run off somewhere, never to be found. And he couldn't allow them to do that, even if it meant arresting them and breaking her heart. He wanted to be the one there for her, not them. It was for the best, or so he thought. Asuka Jr. knew he had to get out of his house, get some fresh air and BE somewhere. Of course, he found himself standing by that lone cherry tree that stood solidly by the lakeside. Just then he noticed how sorrowful the tree looked with its great branches swooping down, letting pale pink cherry blossoms cascade to the ground. The tree looked...so alone...standing there proudly but with no one by its side. Asuka Jr. frowned. Why did he suddenly care so much about a stupid tree any ways? But the itching thoughts in the back of his mind forced him to leave with an actual destination and goal. He wouldn't let that tree be alone anymore.
An hour later he returned carrying a tiny cherry tree, obvious that it was in the prime of its youth. It had a thin trunk, which Asuka Jr. hoped would become sturdy one day. It's tiny branches stretched upward while little pink petals occasionally came loose. In his left hand he carried a shovel. With sweat beaded across his brow, Asuka Jr. dug a deep hole beside the large cherry tree and firmly planted the new tree in it. Now the tree wouldn't be alone any more. It had someone. It had a friend. Tomorrow, tomorrow he would decide what to do but for now he only wanted to rest.
~*~
Tammy groggily opened her eyes while a constant pain seemed to course through her body. Where was she? And why were her hands behind her back? Not to mention the ache around her wrists. Everything seemed blurred and dark while the world spun through her mind. What had happened? Where were Tony, Meimi, Marie and Aaron? All she remembered was crying and talking to Tony. She was buried in his arms and had said to him. "Life is confusing...it's uncontrollable. It's just sometimes it makes me feel so helpless...like I should have done something..." And then there was some kind of weird scream and her world had gone black. Finally, after what had felt like an eternity, her vision cleared. And what she saw scared her. It scared the hell out of her. Something smelled disgusting, so bad that she had to force back a gag. It was as if someone had taken rotten eggs, spoiled milk, old banana peels, and moldy cake and then proceeded to grind them in a blender. It gave her a queasy feeling in her stomach. Ignoring the smell, she looked around and sure enough, she was surrounded by garbage. Everything from ripped up shirts and old TV's to random pieces of food, not to mention the flies that swarmed around it. In the distance Tammy heard a dog wine, most likely a stray digging for food. Then the brunette knew why her wrists hurt so badly. She had been placed on a wooden chair while her arms were pulled around the back. Thin metal wire cut into her now raw skin while the same wire was tied around her ankles and the chair. She wriggled, unable to free any of her limbs while it only added to the pain around her wrists. And not only that, she had a splitting headache. It felt as if someone had smashed her skull into the nearby TV and then carried her around like a sack of potatoes. Which most likely was what had happened.
"You won't get out of there." A mocking voice chuckled. "Ahh, you truly do look so much like your sister."
Tammy snarled with anger. Out of the shadows a man stepped forward. A man she had known. Someone Tammy had memorized every single facial feature and hated him for it all. The boy was tall and appeared to be the age of about eighteen. He had jet-black hair that hung in his eyes, a reason many people blamed Tony for his crimes. They looked very similar if it wasn't for the olive Italian skin that Tony sported. The man had on black slacks and a torn up black shirt while a large scar ran across his cheek. It went from his jaw to his nose. His eyes were a cold emotionless gray. He ran a finger over the red and tan scar delicately. "Your sister did this to me. She scarred my beautiful face. I owe you this one. I won't let you be beautiful if I can't be either." Out of nowhere he produced a pocketknife while he lunged forward. Tammy tried to squirm out of the way but it was useless. The razor sharp metal ripped into her cheek, causing her nerves to send flaming signals of searing pain all through her body but it mainly focused on her face. The man pocketed the knife and stepped back, smirking. Crimson blood dribbled down Tammy's cheek and then dripped off her chin, staining her jeans.
"What do you want with me Rei?!" Tammy hissed, glaring daggers at the man while she forced back her tears.
"Oh, just a little fun." Rei smirked. "Your friend Tony has been avoiding the cops. He has to pay for the deeds he's done and so...I'm going to use you to make him pay."
"You're still the same Rei! The same Rei who buried his heart with Celeste." Tammy spat on the ground in front of his shoes. "Can't you grow up?! You never change!"
Anger from her words seized Rei's heart. "Shut up now!!" With the swing of his arm Tammy felt pain surge through her already throbbing cheek. Her own blood now spotted his pale hand, making a strange contrast between the colors. Red and white.
Out of the shadows emerged a girl clad in spiked black leather clothing and high boots. Part of her hair was dyed a purple color and the other was blonde while a boy next to her sported blue hair. He was the same height as the girl but his skin was more of a ghastly pale than hers was. The girl spoke. "Leave Rei alone. It's Celeste's own fault that she died. If she would have let Rei take over your group and accepted his feelings then she would have never died..." But the girl was cut off by Rei.
"Shut up Zoey!! I don't have feelings...for anybody." Rei roared. It was obvious his words hurt the purple haired girl but Rei didn't seem to notice. No one ever did.
"Zoey...Joe...I see you're still part of this stupid gang. How I pity you...having to live with this pain in the ass. I still don't understand why." Tammy gave them a smug smile. Turning to Rei again, she spoke. "Tony won't give in to your lousy tricks, he's not dumb!! And you'll pay for what you did to Celeste!! YOU WILL!!" Her voice was instantly cut off as Rei leaned down, bringing his lips roughly against hers. She struggled to remove his lips from her own but her moving stopped as his icy hand ran down her neck causing shivers to course up and down her spine. He stopped when he reached her shoulder, letting his hand slip under her shirt collar then suddenly they were back on her neck, squeezing it tighter and tighter as it cut off her air supply. After a few moments along with many gasps, cold air filled her lungs as Rei chuckled with glee.
"Oh, this will be so much fun!!" He laughed. And with that, the three teenagers disappeared into the shadows once again. Tammy sighed, knowing they were gone and any screamed words would be useless. The abyss of darkness cushioned her in a womb of eternity. She was glad night had fallen but still longed from some kind of light to guide her. There were no resplendent firefly stars to grant her absolution. No silvery means of moonlight to give her a ladder to hope. She was all by herself, just one girl. A chilly breeze whistled by her. More warm blood dripped down her cheek as her hair rippled behind her. She tried to spread her arms, failing as the wire tugged her back. She wanted to open her arms, as if she might sprout wings. Somehow to save herself. "Is this...the end...?" She thought to herself. Tammy shook her head violently, letting the cold air plaster the blood to her face. "No! I won't let it end like this...!! I've got some much I want to say...so much I want to do. I want to tell you Tony... I want to tell you that I love you!! And I want you to be happy Meimi...! And I want to make my dreams come true! I want that big house with the white picket fence!" But even her thoughts didn't seem to comfort her.
To herself, Tammy vowed to return to her friends for three reasons.
First, to go to Meimi and Asuka Jr.'s wedding.
Secondly, to punch that stupid Tony in his face.
Third, to kiss him senseless.
~*~
Meimi suddenly lifted her head; her face etched with a newfound happiness that shown clearly in the firelight. "I'VE GOT IT!!!" She squealed with joy. "I know how we can save Tammy!!"
~*~
I don't have anything
Because I don't have you
I don't have anything
~*~
Lauren: *gasp* OH NO! I've run out of song lyrics again!!!! Whhhhyyyy meeeeee?!?! Tehehe, I actually wrote during the week!! *cheers* I'm so proud of myself but it was mostly because everyone begged me to update...so here it is! What did you all think of it? I can't wait for the weekend, finally I can sleep in and stay up late! And write more! YA! Oh and with that piece of fanart I had I was bored and I created a wallpaper with it! You can see it here: http://www.geocities.com/watergoddess415/TAMMYTONYbyme.jpg