Her lungs did not expand. They had refused to. The pain that had
spread through her body only made it worse. She had long before stopped
breathing. The blood had long before stopped coursing down her arm. She
had long before died.
Ryoko opened her golden-yellow eyes to the world around her, and realized she was floating in vast darkness. It was like an empty space, an empty dimension, only there was some kind of wind. It spoke of sorrow and death; pain and destruction. Her cyan spikes of hair blew aimlessly in it. She raised her hand and rubbed her eyes, unintentionally smearing blood across her face. Her skin was pale and cold. She was naked.
"What the...what the hell happened to my battle suit?! And where the hell am I?!" Ryoko looked wildly around, but still seeing nothing.
She put her hand to her face, covering and closing her eyes, spreading more blood. She felt weak and tired, almost unreal. When she opened her eyes, she gasped. She could see straight through her hand! Quickly, she looked down at her body. Her skin was so pale, it was almost totally transparent.
"What is going on?" she whispered to herself, looking up.
Out of nowhere, a limp figure appeared in front of her. It was wearing a black and red tight battle suit with puffy shoulders. It's head hung low, eyes closed. The cyan spiked hair hung loosely around its head. There was a dark crimson stain on the figure's left side.
Blood.
"Oh God. That's me." Ryoko couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"Exactly, Ryoko," a voice, so cold, spoke in the darkness. It sounded so familiar.
"Who are you? What do you mean? What in the hell is going on?!" Mixed feelings flowed through her mind. Fear and anger, mostly. She was getting pissed. Oh, was she getting pissed.
What is happening?!
"You know who I am, Ryoko." The voice was like no other. Merciless, hateful. Yet Ryoko still couldn't place it.
Suddenly, she felt herself fading. But the strange thing was, as she faded, her body seemed to gain more life, like it was coming back. Only when she felt the unbearable pain in her side did she realize that she was fading back into her body. The spirit and the body were once again becoming one. Only, this was not a good thing.
Ryoko's pain increased. It spread throughout her body. It seemed to penetrate her soul, blinding her. Tears formed in her eyes. Tears of her own red lifeline. The dark red blood began to flow again. Her lungs screamed for air. She was going to die for a second time.
No, this is worse than last time.
Blood splattered from the wound that had earlier sealed her fate. She grew weaker from the loss of the vital fluid and fell to her knees, holding her side and screaming. The voice was laughing. Ryoko's eyes closed.
She began to cough up her own blood. It spilled out of her mouth and splattered the black and red cloth covering her skin. Her body couldn't take it any longer, and she collapsed. The thick, scarlet liquid seeped through her fingers.
She was screaming as loud as she could, but it was a scream no one would hear. Her heart was slowing…slowing…stopping. There was nothing she could do.
Ryoko, cold and sweating, woke up screaming and clutching her side.
Ryoko opened her golden-yellow eyes to the world around her, and realized she was floating in vast darkness. It was like an empty space, an empty dimension, only there was some kind of wind. It spoke of sorrow and death; pain and destruction. Her cyan spikes of hair blew aimlessly in it. She raised her hand and rubbed her eyes, unintentionally smearing blood across her face. Her skin was pale and cold. She was naked.
"What the...what the hell happened to my battle suit?! And where the hell am I?!" Ryoko looked wildly around, but still seeing nothing.
She put her hand to her face, covering and closing her eyes, spreading more blood. She felt weak and tired, almost unreal. When she opened her eyes, she gasped. She could see straight through her hand! Quickly, she looked down at her body. Her skin was so pale, it was almost totally transparent.
"What is going on?" she whispered to herself, looking up.
Out of nowhere, a limp figure appeared in front of her. It was wearing a black and red tight battle suit with puffy shoulders. It's head hung low, eyes closed. The cyan spiked hair hung loosely around its head. There was a dark crimson stain on the figure's left side.
Blood.
"Oh God. That's me." Ryoko couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"Exactly, Ryoko," a voice, so cold, spoke in the darkness. It sounded so familiar.
"Who are you? What do you mean? What in the hell is going on?!" Mixed feelings flowed through her mind. Fear and anger, mostly. She was getting pissed. Oh, was she getting pissed.
What is happening?!
"You know who I am, Ryoko." The voice was like no other. Merciless, hateful. Yet Ryoko still couldn't place it.
Suddenly, she felt herself fading. But the strange thing was, as she faded, her body seemed to gain more life, like it was coming back. Only when she felt the unbearable pain in her side did she realize that she was fading back into her body. The spirit and the body were once again becoming one. Only, this was not a good thing.
Ryoko's pain increased. It spread throughout her body. It seemed to penetrate her soul, blinding her. Tears formed in her eyes. Tears of her own red lifeline. The dark red blood began to flow again. Her lungs screamed for air. She was going to die for a second time.
No, this is worse than last time.
Blood splattered from the wound that had earlier sealed her fate. She grew weaker from the loss of the vital fluid and fell to her knees, holding her side and screaming. The voice was laughing. Ryoko's eyes closed.
She began to cough up her own blood. It spilled out of her mouth and splattered the black and red cloth covering her skin. Her body couldn't take it any longer, and she collapsed. The thick, scarlet liquid seeped through her fingers.
She was screaming as loud as she could, but it was a scream no one would hear. Her heart was slowing…slowing…stopping. There was nothing she could do.
Ryoko, cold and sweating, woke up screaming and clutching her side.