Chapter 16 – Shock
A/N: Oh man, you guys are so great… I'm awfully touched with your reviews… so here's a New Year's Present for you… completed on the stroke of midnight on 31.12.2002, no less… Thank you, all of you!
Oh… this is going to be a short one… (obviously) since it's sole purpose is to create an ending for this fic… but no way am I going to stop here… please be assured cos I would never dream of disappointing the Almighty Reader (bows in gratitude). Enjoy, and Happy 2003!!!
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I tossed and turned in my bed as gently as I could possibly manage, mindful of the presence of another lying beside me.
Lately, I've been plagued by nightmares of the gruesome kind… well the impression it gave me was bloody, but the actual scenes remain unclear when I wake from it. I suppose I should be grateful for that, for whatever bloodshed I had faced during my missions was quite enough for me already.
It affects me badly, and everyone with a functioning mouth had asked in concern about my health. But none of us knew anything about what was happening to me.
This drives me stark raving mad! At least, very soon it will turn me into a screaming lunatic with dishevelled hair and all.
"What's the matter, darling? Can't sleep again?" Seifer stirs from his sleep and props up an elbow to look at me.
"Yeah… Did I wake you up? I'm sorry." I turned my body to face him, noticing to my anxiety that dark circles were forming under his eyes as well. He hadn't been sleeping well of late too, due to my incessant tossing and turning, and at times disturbed by the heavy sighs that escape from me as I stared at the ceiling above me.
"It's alright, baby." His arms enclosed my body and I find myself pressed against his muscular chest. Stroking my left arm with slow caresses, he kisses my forehead and tries to lull me back to sleep with his curiously flat voice. I had never known that he was tone-deaf before, his singing voice being miles away from the gorgeously deep one that was so fond of whispering sweet-nothings into my ear.
Hardly suppressing a laugh that felt like it was going to erupt any moment, I pretended to close my eyes in response to his admirable attempt at curing my insomnia.
The time drags on… and how it drags… the long hours that seemed to last forever, while I hoped desperately for dawn to break, or for the slumber worms to wriggle inside my mind again…
I could hear the deep-throated snores coming from him.
How I envy his ability to fall asleep immediately.
Looking at him for a second longer to ascertain that he was truly in the midst of dreamland, I extracted myself from his arms like a ghost. It wouldn't do if he were to find out that I had vacated his embrace, for it would surely raise alarm bells of the "Code-Red" kind. And this was the last thing that I wanted.
I make my way towards the bathroom… I felt an urgent need to wipe the sticky sweat off my face. Maybe it'll make the sleep come easier.
Switching on the light, I turned the faucet on and cupped my hands to gather a pool of cool water, splashing my face with it.
I look into the reflection.
Shock envelopes my senses as I tried to connect the image of that reflection to myself.
It stays with me as I climb back into bed and pulled the covers up to my chest.
A shiver penetrates my body, even though it was so warm, and I HAD already buried myself into that thick quilt… but still it doesn't stop the goosebumps from coming out as well.
Sleep would be more and more of a remote possibility now…
********S********
This morning, I opened my eyes to one of the longest days of my life. I plummeted from the clouds of heaven to the deepest throes of hell.
Never have I ever felt such despair, such misery and such a sense of loss.
Quisty was gone.
I searched in all the places she could possibly be.
No sign of her at all.
Leaving only a note in her cursive elegant script… an abrupt message.
"Do not look for me."
How can she expect me to do that?
The only thing that occupies my mind now is a big "WHY?"
I'll find you no matter where you are, and bring you back.
I swear to Hyne.
Wait for me, Quisty.
One night was all it took to change their course of path
One night to set the stage for the new, and paradoxically ancient evil.
What is his aim, and what will happen to our dear SeeDs and their loved ones should he get his way?
It is all the more fearsome that he is an unpredictable one, such that even those presently in control of the world do not rightly know enough to stop him.
The world is about to be embroiled in chaos and mass destruction.
And yet…….
AND YET THESE PEOPLE STILL HAVE THE MOOD TO CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR IN SUCH DIRE TIMES!
WHAT IGNORANT (and blessed) FOOLS THEY ARE!
WL: YAYAYAY!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR! WISHING ALL A GOOD 2003 AHEAD!
Celestine: So, how does it feel to age for yet another year, o ancient one?
WL: Stop calling me that! If you want to compare who's more ancient, why don't you look at yourself? I think the accurate age for you would be five hundred, ahahhahahahh!
C: Well, I'm different cos I'm immortal… and my looks will stay forever young… unlike you with your fine lines and saggy skin, hahahahah!
WL: Good, rub it in. POOR ME!!! BULLIED BY MY OWN CHARACTER!
C: So what's you wish for 2003?
WL: That the scientists can invent cloning of Zell Zell.
C: Why is that so?
WL: So that we don't have to share. I love him as much as you do, but how come you get to hog him all to yourself?
C: But you can't clone him. The cloned Zell won't be the same, and not to mention the ethical implications… blah blah blah blah….
WL: You just HAVE to be a wet blanket, don't you? Fine!
Z: Say, you girls don't want any hotdogs? There won't be any left you know, after I've been through them.
WL: No thanks. Why don't you just give me a kiss?
Z: Can that be eaten?
WL:!!!!! I give up!
The countdown clock reaches ten seconds coincidentally at that time.
Quisty: 10
Seifer: 9
Rinoa: 8
Squall: 7
Selphie: 6
Irvine: 5
Yuri (Girl with pigtail lah) and Nida (hah, gotcha there!): 4
Damien: 3
Celestine: 2
Zell: 1
WL: ZERO!!!!
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
HAPPY
NEW
YEAR!!
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
*loads of confetti fly around, every person kisses his/her other half*
Except for Water Lily.
WL: *Sniff sniff* Well, at least I'm the only one, so it's okay. But… if you really pity lil' old Water Lily, why don't you give her a review? Arigatou Gozaimasu!!! (Thank you very much!) We'll see you next year, and next fic! Thanks for your patience up till now!!!
P/S: I actually added that bit beginning with that "one night was all it took ……" this morning only… which is about eight hours later from the first posting. Because I thought it would be too abrupt and disruptive to continue suddenly with a New Year greeting from WL, hahahahah! I don't know if it's heavy traffic or whatever… but it took ages to load it (not to mention no fewer than ten times, cos the idiotic Microsoft Word keeps formatting my words, which in turn causes the words to go all out of alignment…grrrrrr!!)! Anyway… you wouldn't be reading this if you missed it, right? So I'll just leave it as that. Bye Byee!!