Black Feather: Episode XXIV
"Run!"
???
???
Water... All around me... Why wasn't I drowning? A blue light... Maybe... If I follow it...?
Aaarrgh... What the...!? Brother...? He looks the same as always. He has a normal build and very short hair, as if it was shaved and now growing back. He was in his pilot suit, the same one he wore when he left for Mirage. This is a dream... I know it is...
"Why...?" He finally spoke. It wasn't exactly the best way to greet a little brother he hasn't seen in nearly twenty years.
I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. I tried pushing air out to force a word, but nothing... I looked up at my brother again. His face had been blank the entire time.
"Why did you kill me?" His words shocked me. "Why!? WHY DID YOU KILL ME!?" His voice had never been so violent. My brother never really punished me. He always told me that whenever I got in trouble, that means that I've done something bad. He was a wise man, especially for his age. "I was finally able to do something with me life!! I was becoming someone!! I had a chance to make a difference, but you killed me right on the spot!!! MY OWN LITTLE BROTHER!!!!" His face was now wrinkled with anger. He turned and walked away. I ran after him.
I tried to call out to him, to tell him to come back. I forced my lungs hard, but ended up coughing harshly. I felt like I was choking. Maybe all this water has finally taken effect. I grabbed my neck. My vision blurred and I collapsed.
All of a sudden, I felt like I was growing. I was now much taller than my brother. I soon found myself looking down on him as he ran. His head swiveled and caught sight of my monstrous self.
"YOU!? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS!?!?" My brother's pace turned into a sprint. I was now trudging towards him. I caught up and he looked back in terror. My feet raised up to crush him, despite my trying to withdraw.
"NO!! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS!?" A large shadow painted his body. "AAAAHHHHHGGGGGG...!!!!"
_____________________________
I lurched forward, but something stopped me. I opened my eyes. There was some kind of glass. I groped around and realized that there was glass all around me. Water hindered my arm's movement. My old clothes are on, flowing in the strange liquid. It was pitch black. There were a few dim lights, but still pitch black. Wanting to get out of the "tube," I clenched my right fist and drove it into the glass. The liquid poured out as I kicked the lower portions of the glass. I leapt out, and to my surprise, I wasn't a bit wet. My clothes were dry and my hair was as messy as always. An alarm sounded, much to my ears discomfort. A light poured from a corner.
"He's escaped!! It's Malirant!!"
"Capture him at all costs!!"
There was some equipment lying around and a desk near the door. I scurried over to the desk and hunched over, hoping they didn't hear my footsteps.
"What was that!?" Rats. A guard pointed his flashlight in my direction. He barely missed my toes when I took cover. The guard walked straight ahead. Taking advantage of the situation, I jumped out and hooked his neck with my bulky right arm. I grabbed a narrow, sharp piece of glass and pointed it to his neck.
"AAAGGGGHHH!!! H-H-HELP!!!" I shook his head to silence him. The other guards flashed their light at me. I walked backwards to the door, silently threatening to kill him. They cocked their guns. I heard footsteps behind me and realized I was surrounded. I turned my back to the wall of the hallway. The other guards saw the situation and held their fire. I inched my way to the end of the hall. The guards made way, still pointing their peashooters. There was a knob on the door. That didn't help, since I had two arms occupied. My wits returned. I hoisted the hostage up in the air and launched him at his fellow guards. They fired, but thrashed the airborne hostage instead. Blood spat out from his back and some got on my shoes as I pushed the door open. The bullet-clad body collided with the guards. I was already out and running when this happened.
It was black night, but some lights offered guidance. Some other guards' lights searched from around the corner. I was surrounded again, as two buildings covered my left and right with locked doors. A gate leading to freedom was a hundred meters ahead of me. Frantically, I sought refuge. I noticed a grid drain in the ground. I scuttled over, lifted the metal grid, and jumped in. I landed in water and placed the grid over me again, since the space around me was just my height. I pressed my back against a damp wall in the darkness and looked up. A stream of unknown liquid stirred in front of my toes.
Not being very bright, the guards assembled above me, trying to figure out where I disappeared.
"Where did he go?"
"Don't ask me!!"
"What about you, skipper?"
"I thought he was running that way..." They continued to incessantly chat. One of the guards glanced down at the gutter. His eyes clashed with mine. Adrenaline pumped to my heart. It's all over if they find me here. But, he looked back among his comrades.
"What? You see something?"
"Nothing." The guard that caught sight of me had a rough, evil voice. His hair was grayish-white and his eyes were deadly with white. The guards dispersed. I made my way through the sewer-like tunnel. The water that flowed under me was blood. The metallic smell of it was heavy and unbearable. I reached the end and pushed the grid up above me. I climbed out, placed the grid back in its place, and strolled out into the chanting wilderness. My head felt heavy and a voice echoed.
"I let you get away this time, 'brother'... But... I won't next time..."
My head was normal again.
"Run!"
???
???
Water... All around me... Why wasn't I drowning? A blue light... Maybe... If I follow it...?
Aaarrgh... What the...!? Brother...? He looks the same as always. He has a normal build and very short hair, as if it was shaved and now growing back. He was in his pilot suit, the same one he wore when he left for Mirage. This is a dream... I know it is...
"Why...?" He finally spoke. It wasn't exactly the best way to greet a little brother he hasn't seen in nearly twenty years.
I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. I tried pushing air out to force a word, but nothing... I looked up at my brother again. His face had been blank the entire time.
"Why did you kill me?" His words shocked me. "Why!? WHY DID YOU KILL ME!?" His voice had never been so violent. My brother never really punished me. He always told me that whenever I got in trouble, that means that I've done something bad. He was a wise man, especially for his age. "I was finally able to do something with me life!! I was becoming someone!! I had a chance to make a difference, but you killed me right on the spot!!! MY OWN LITTLE BROTHER!!!!" His face was now wrinkled with anger. He turned and walked away. I ran after him.
I tried to call out to him, to tell him to come back. I forced my lungs hard, but ended up coughing harshly. I felt like I was choking. Maybe all this water has finally taken effect. I grabbed my neck. My vision blurred and I collapsed.
All of a sudden, I felt like I was growing. I was now much taller than my brother. I soon found myself looking down on him as he ran. His head swiveled and caught sight of my monstrous self.
"YOU!? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS!?!?" My brother's pace turned into a sprint. I was now trudging towards him. I caught up and he looked back in terror. My feet raised up to crush him, despite my trying to withdraw.
"NO!! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS!?" A large shadow painted his body. "AAAAHHHHHGGGGGG...!!!!"
_____________________________
I lurched forward, but something stopped me. I opened my eyes. There was some kind of glass. I groped around and realized that there was glass all around me. Water hindered my arm's movement. My old clothes are on, flowing in the strange liquid. It was pitch black. There were a few dim lights, but still pitch black. Wanting to get out of the "tube," I clenched my right fist and drove it into the glass. The liquid poured out as I kicked the lower portions of the glass. I leapt out, and to my surprise, I wasn't a bit wet. My clothes were dry and my hair was as messy as always. An alarm sounded, much to my ears discomfort. A light poured from a corner.
"He's escaped!! It's Malirant!!"
"Capture him at all costs!!"
There was some equipment lying around and a desk near the door. I scurried over to the desk and hunched over, hoping they didn't hear my footsteps.
"What was that!?" Rats. A guard pointed his flashlight in my direction. He barely missed my toes when I took cover. The guard walked straight ahead. Taking advantage of the situation, I jumped out and hooked his neck with my bulky right arm. I grabbed a narrow, sharp piece of glass and pointed it to his neck.
"AAAGGGGHHH!!! H-H-HELP!!!" I shook his head to silence him. The other guards flashed their light at me. I walked backwards to the door, silently threatening to kill him. They cocked their guns. I heard footsteps behind me and realized I was surrounded. I turned my back to the wall of the hallway. The other guards saw the situation and held their fire. I inched my way to the end of the hall. The guards made way, still pointing their peashooters. There was a knob on the door. That didn't help, since I had two arms occupied. My wits returned. I hoisted the hostage up in the air and launched him at his fellow guards. They fired, but thrashed the airborne hostage instead. Blood spat out from his back and some got on my shoes as I pushed the door open. The bullet-clad body collided with the guards. I was already out and running when this happened.
It was black night, but some lights offered guidance. Some other guards' lights searched from around the corner. I was surrounded again, as two buildings covered my left and right with locked doors. A gate leading to freedom was a hundred meters ahead of me. Frantically, I sought refuge. I noticed a grid drain in the ground. I scuttled over, lifted the metal grid, and jumped in. I landed in water and placed the grid over me again, since the space around me was just my height. I pressed my back against a damp wall in the darkness and looked up. A stream of unknown liquid stirred in front of my toes.
Not being very bright, the guards assembled above me, trying to figure out where I disappeared.
"Where did he go?"
"Don't ask me!!"
"What about you, skipper?"
"I thought he was running that way..." They continued to incessantly chat. One of the guards glanced down at the gutter. His eyes clashed with mine. Adrenaline pumped to my heart. It's all over if they find me here. But, he looked back among his comrades.
"What? You see something?"
"Nothing." The guard that caught sight of me had a rough, evil voice. His hair was grayish-white and his eyes were deadly with white. The guards dispersed. I made my way through the sewer-like tunnel. The water that flowed under me was blood. The metallic smell of it was heavy and unbearable. I reached the end and pushed the grid up above me. I climbed out, placed the grid back in its place, and strolled out into the chanting wilderness. My head felt heavy and a voice echoed.
"I let you get away this time, 'brother'... But... I won't next time..."
My head was normal again.