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STORY OF A DREAMER - JOSIE
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CHAPTER TWO
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As we stood there, frozen in terror, Pidgeot's voice roared through the forest. From the distance it was away from us we couldn't make out what it was saying, but what we could tell was that it wasn't pleased, it was furious. Just like mother had said. It was coming to attack. Just like it had all those years ago when my uncle had been killed. What was worse was, I knew it was my fault.
"Run!" mother shouted to me. I was reluctant, I felt I should stay and explain to Pidgeot that I wasn't trying to harm her child, only help it. I realised almost immediately that it would be futile. Mother kept shouting to me to leave, but for some reason I couldn't move. I wasn't sure if it was shock or worry but either way I was stuck.
"Go!" I shouted to mother. "I'll be fine." But she wouldn't leave. She begun to. She reached the centre of the clearing, where she was right out in the open, and stopped. I begged her to move. I told her I'd be fine over and over again, but it was no good. She was determined to save me, even if it meant using herself as bait, in effect, sacrificing herself. I wanted to go to her, move her out of the way, anything to make sure she was safe, and yet my legs had given up. I slumped to the ground and begun to weep. There was nothing I could do. Pidgeot was getting closer, it's voice echoed in my ears. That voice was one I would hear in my dreams for a long time afterwards. It was calling for its' child. The one I had saved. The one that had put us in danger. The voice got louder and louder, until it's form cast a huge shadow on the ground, blocking out a lot of the light from the clearing.
As the bird swooped, causing a breeze that shook the trees around me, my mother screamed, and when I looked again she was gone. I blinked once, twice, desperate for it all to be a dream, for my mother to return, to have things back to normal. But each time I opened my eyes the scene was still the same. As I watched, still unable to move, my father dashed forwards into the centre of the clearing. The shadow was still there; the Pidgeot was waiting eagerly for more food. As it noticed father standing there, glancing around for any sign of mother, the Pidgeot swooped again. Father realised too late, before he disappeared he tried desperately to use an electric attack on the bird. It failed. My father was gone, just like my mother. But the end hadn't come. The shadow had disappeared, but as my brothers and sisters, with tears in their eyes, begun to make the short journey from one side of the clearing to the other, the shadow appeared, and they had barely gotten halfway before they too were swooped up and left me alone and isolated. At that moment all I wanted to do was run out into the open; to meet the same fate as the rest of my family. However, I hesitated. Father had always been proud of his family, and had hoped to raise generation after generation. It was up to me now. I was the only one left. The fate of the family was in my hands. If I died, it would mean the end of an era.
"One of those killed my brother…" I repeated her words over and over in my head, it echoed between the sound of the Pidgeot and the scream of my mother as she was lifted from the ground. I hadn't listened. I never did. I was so wrapped up in my world of friendship and harmony that I didn't acknowledge that not all Pokemon could be trusted. Now I was on my own.
oo00O00oo
It was over an hour later when I was sure that there was no danger lurking. Pidgeot had returned to feed his family. I shuddered at the thought. The Pidgey I had rescued had also left, had been taken home. All that remained was a dent in the grass it had laid in, a shrewd reminder of what had just taken place.
Although I had worked out that I was in no danger, I had no idea where I was going to go. The clearing in the forest had been my home all my life; I loved it there. The atmosphere was amazing, just a family having fun and growing up together. Of course, now, there was no one left. The eeriness of the place terrified me. It was as if it had always been that way, it was hard to imagine that just a few hours ago the place had been teeming with life. As I remembered the times I had shared in the place, a tear came to my eye, banishing the thought that they had all run out.
Looking up at the sky I saw the moon just appearing. Night was almost upon me. I took my eyes off the moon. I remembered earlier that day, sitting up right at the top of the tallest tree in the forest and staring up at the sun. I had watched the sun and the moon every day since I had been born, and tonight, however different things may be, that wasn't going to change. And there was only one place to watch it from. I managed a weak smile as I headed through the clearing, aiming for the tree with the view.
Walking through the forest, I once again felt a great sense of loneliness wash over me. At this time of night, the forest was quiet. Most creatures were asleep, gathering energy for the next day. It seemed to me I was the only one still awake. As I reached the base of the tree, it looked taller than ever. I didn't believe I could reach the top, and another tear rolled down my cheek as I attempted to see the moon through the thick leaves. It was hopeless; if I wanted to see the moon I had to climb it, however long it took. What I realised was, I had all the time in the world, because if I wasn't doing that, I wouldn't be doing anything else. I mounted the tree, immediately struggling to keep my footing on the narrow branches growing near the bottom. I didn't give up, however. It took me over half an hour to finally pull myself up onto the highest branch of the tree. I was exhausted, and just felt like falling asleep where I was and not waking up. But I couldn't, before I slept there was something I needed to do. I needed to talk to my family. Ancient legend told me that when a Pokemon dies, it travels back to the moon to remain there for eternity. If my family were there, then they would hear me speak. I took a deep breath and began to recite what I had written down in my mind.
"I don't know if you can hear me. I don't know if you're there. But I've prayed to the moon every night since I was born, never having much to pray about, and now that I have I'm not sure if I know what I should say. I guess what I should say is that I'm sorry. I was so wrapped up in my morals, that I should save any creature who needed it, that I didn't listen to the warnings you gave me. I realise now that was wrong. All I can hope is that you have all gone to a better place, and that some day, when it is my time, I will join you in the moon and we will be reunited… Goodbye." As I said the last word I realised I was crying. I had been so engrossed in speech that I hadn't notice, and now I watched as a tear left my cheek and floated down to earth. I quickly turned my attention back to the moon though, and closed my eyes, remembering m family. As I sat there, a sharp breeze suddenly threatened to blow me right off the branch. I held on with my claws, desperate to remain on the branch. As the wind disappeared, I was still there. I finally opened my eyes; my prayers ended, and found myself having to blink. I was confused, it was the middle of the night, but as I looked to the sky the moon seemed brighter than ever, almost as bright as the sun, making the area appear to be in daylight. To one side of it floated a solitary cloud, its centre dark, its edges outlined in the most beautiful blue I had ever seen. The strange thing was, the shape reminded me strongly of my own kind. A Pikachu. Then, I heard a voice.
"Dreamer…" the voice spoke. The voice of my mother. "Do not feel guilty. It was our time to rejoin the moon; it was fate, nothing more. It is now up to you to keep our spirit alive. Never forget us."
The voice ended. The moon began to fade, returning once again to its original colour. "Mother!" I shouted. " Come back!" But it was no good. That was to be the last time I heard her voice. I wiped more tears from my eyes. All my guilt had disappeared. My mother had told me not to feel guilty, and so I didn't, it made me feel at peace. By the time I finally dropped off to sleep there at the top of the tallest tree in the forest I had decided what I would do, a way of keeping my family's spirit alive…
STORY OF A DREAMER - JOSIE
=========================
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CHAPTER TWO
--------------------------------------------
As we stood there, frozen in terror, Pidgeot's voice roared through the forest. From the distance it was away from us we couldn't make out what it was saying, but what we could tell was that it wasn't pleased, it was furious. Just like mother had said. It was coming to attack. Just like it had all those years ago when my uncle had been killed. What was worse was, I knew it was my fault.
"Run!" mother shouted to me. I was reluctant, I felt I should stay and explain to Pidgeot that I wasn't trying to harm her child, only help it. I realised almost immediately that it would be futile. Mother kept shouting to me to leave, but for some reason I couldn't move. I wasn't sure if it was shock or worry but either way I was stuck.
"Go!" I shouted to mother. "I'll be fine." But she wouldn't leave. She begun to. She reached the centre of the clearing, where she was right out in the open, and stopped. I begged her to move. I told her I'd be fine over and over again, but it was no good. She was determined to save me, even if it meant using herself as bait, in effect, sacrificing herself. I wanted to go to her, move her out of the way, anything to make sure she was safe, and yet my legs had given up. I slumped to the ground and begun to weep. There was nothing I could do. Pidgeot was getting closer, it's voice echoed in my ears. That voice was one I would hear in my dreams for a long time afterwards. It was calling for its' child. The one I had saved. The one that had put us in danger. The voice got louder and louder, until it's form cast a huge shadow on the ground, blocking out a lot of the light from the clearing.
As the bird swooped, causing a breeze that shook the trees around me, my mother screamed, and when I looked again she was gone. I blinked once, twice, desperate for it all to be a dream, for my mother to return, to have things back to normal. But each time I opened my eyes the scene was still the same. As I watched, still unable to move, my father dashed forwards into the centre of the clearing. The shadow was still there; the Pidgeot was waiting eagerly for more food. As it noticed father standing there, glancing around for any sign of mother, the Pidgeot swooped again. Father realised too late, before he disappeared he tried desperately to use an electric attack on the bird. It failed. My father was gone, just like my mother. But the end hadn't come. The shadow had disappeared, but as my brothers and sisters, with tears in their eyes, begun to make the short journey from one side of the clearing to the other, the shadow appeared, and they had barely gotten halfway before they too were swooped up and left me alone and isolated. At that moment all I wanted to do was run out into the open; to meet the same fate as the rest of my family. However, I hesitated. Father had always been proud of his family, and had hoped to raise generation after generation. It was up to me now. I was the only one left. The fate of the family was in my hands. If I died, it would mean the end of an era.
"One of those killed my brother…" I repeated her words over and over in my head, it echoed between the sound of the Pidgeot and the scream of my mother as she was lifted from the ground. I hadn't listened. I never did. I was so wrapped up in my world of friendship and harmony that I didn't acknowledge that not all Pokemon could be trusted. Now I was on my own.
oo00O00oo
It was over an hour later when I was sure that there was no danger lurking. Pidgeot had returned to feed his family. I shuddered at the thought. The Pidgey I had rescued had also left, had been taken home. All that remained was a dent in the grass it had laid in, a shrewd reminder of what had just taken place.
Although I had worked out that I was in no danger, I had no idea where I was going to go. The clearing in the forest had been my home all my life; I loved it there. The atmosphere was amazing, just a family having fun and growing up together. Of course, now, there was no one left. The eeriness of the place terrified me. It was as if it had always been that way, it was hard to imagine that just a few hours ago the place had been teeming with life. As I remembered the times I had shared in the place, a tear came to my eye, banishing the thought that they had all run out.
Looking up at the sky I saw the moon just appearing. Night was almost upon me. I took my eyes off the moon. I remembered earlier that day, sitting up right at the top of the tallest tree in the forest and staring up at the sun. I had watched the sun and the moon every day since I had been born, and tonight, however different things may be, that wasn't going to change. And there was only one place to watch it from. I managed a weak smile as I headed through the clearing, aiming for the tree with the view.
Walking through the forest, I once again felt a great sense of loneliness wash over me. At this time of night, the forest was quiet. Most creatures were asleep, gathering energy for the next day. It seemed to me I was the only one still awake. As I reached the base of the tree, it looked taller than ever. I didn't believe I could reach the top, and another tear rolled down my cheek as I attempted to see the moon through the thick leaves. It was hopeless; if I wanted to see the moon I had to climb it, however long it took. What I realised was, I had all the time in the world, because if I wasn't doing that, I wouldn't be doing anything else. I mounted the tree, immediately struggling to keep my footing on the narrow branches growing near the bottom. I didn't give up, however. It took me over half an hour to finally pull myself up onto the highest branch of the tree. I was exhausted, and just felt like falling asleep where I was and not waking up. But I couldn't, before I slept there was something I needed to do. I needed to talk to my family. Ancient legend told me that when a Pokemon dies, it travels back to the moon to remain there for eternity. If my family were there, then they would hear me speak. I took a deep breath and began to recite what I had written down in my mind.
"I don't know if you can hear me. I don't know if you're there. But I've prayed to the moon every night since I was born, never having much to pray about, and now that I have I'm not sure if I know what I should say. I guess what I should say is that I'm sorry. I was so wrapped up in my morals, that I should save any creature who needed it, that I didn't listen to the warnings you gave me. I realise now that was wrong. All I can hope is that you have all gone to a better place, and that some day, when it is my time, I will join you in the moon and we will be reunited… Goodbye." As I said the last word I realised I was crying. I had been so engrossed in speech that I hadn't notice, and now I watched as a tear left my cheek and floated down to earth. I quickly turned my attention back to the moon though, and closed my eyes, remembering m family. As I sat there, a sharp breeze suddenly threatened to blow me right off the branch. I held on with my claws, desperate to remain on the branch. As the wind disappeared, I was still there. I finally opened my eyes; my prayers ended, and found myself having to blink. I was confused, it was the middle of the night, but as I looked to the sky the moon seemed brighter than ever, almost as bright as the sun, making the area appear to be in daylight. To one side of it floated a solitary cloud, its centre dark, its edges outlined in the most beautiful blue I had ever seen. The strange thing was, the shape reminded me strongly of my own kind. A Pikachu. Then, I heard a voice.
"Dreamer…" the voice spoke. The voice of my mother. "Do not feel guilty. It was our time to rejoin the moon; it was fate, nothing more. It is now up to you to keep our spirit alive. Never forget us."
The voice ended. The moon began to fade, returning once again to its original colour. "Mother!" I shouted. " Come back!" But it was no good. That was to be the last time I heard her voice. I wiped more tears from my eyes. All my guilt had disappeared. My mother had told me not to feel guilty, and so I didn't, it made me feel at peace. By the time I finally dropped off to sleep there at the top of the tallest tree in the forest I had decided what I would do, a way of keeping my family's spirit alive…