Chapter Thirteen
The concert hall seemed deserted and quiet when Sarah entered. A far cry from the pounding and screams of delight of the concert that once played there. All that was left were a few people moving about on the stage and two people talking in the back seats quietly. Looking around the dim building, she took a deep breath and with determined steps headed toward the side doors near the stage, leading to the dressing rooms, making herself as inconspicuous as possible.
Once she reached her destination, Sarah felt the feelings of before begin to fill her. But this time she was more prepared. She wouldn't be so easily angered again nor caught off guard. It was his turn now.
Without knocking she opened the door quietly and entered. The place seemed a mess as any other singers would be but it did cause her to grin sheepishly at her forthright entry of privacy.
Having felt more determined to come since the events of the day before, Sarah wasn't about to go shy or anything. She'd left the grounds of the school in the morning, catching a bus into the city. She didn't want to explain her actions to the others or the professor and she felt this was a personal matter anyhow.
She winced at the memory of seeing Trevor in the infirmary, his chest bandaged and his face unsettled in sleep. It hadn't stopped her from noticing a side glance from Jean though, who had stood with her back turned to them. But in the glance Sarah felt as if she was being summed up, perhaps even given a leery look. The same had been true when she'd passed some of the others in the hall returning to her room. Were they afraid of her now?
Before she'd left this morning she'd snuck in to check on Trevor but found him not in the infirmary any longer. Perhaps he'd been moved to his room. Then he must be out of danger, she'd thought. Leaving it at that she'd left.
Now here she stood in "Illusion's" dressing room, not knowing what she should do now.
"Knocking is usually a common courtesy, at least so I've heard."
Sarah spun to find him in the shadows of a doorway leading out of the room. She sighed as she realized he didn't seem surprised, even with his mask still on his face. But this one didn't glitter like the others. Instead it was a solid silver one, the lone blue tear below his right eye flashing now and then in the light. His smirk was the same as she frowned again.
Really, I wonder why I even came. To listen to your sarcasm was not it.
"So sorry, my dear. But I find sarcasm a great companion to this empty world. I would think you'd know that."
If that's how you want to be, I'll leave. She turned to go even as he moved out of the doorway, only to grunt, bending forward in pain and gripping his chest in a cough.
With a gasp, Sarah came over quickly and supported him from falling, helping him to a couch. Even under his arm, Sarah felt a warm tingle as she held him and a tug at her heart as she let him sit in the chair, taking a seat across from him.
What happened to you?
"Concern? My, cough that is a strange change from you." Seeing her frown he chuckled inwardly. "A little run in with a disgruntle fan. Seems I stole his girlfriend's heart. I'd say he'd already lost it before I came along, from the way she yelled at him afterwards." Having leaned back and wincing less he sighed.
"So, what brings you here? I would have thought that after our last encounter you never wished to see me again. What changed your mind, I wonder." His voice seemed so filled with arrogance that she wanted to leave again. Yet there was truly a sense of curiosity coming from him.
Knowing it would have been a complete waste of time to have come here at all and leave angry again, Sarah sighed, drawing in her strength.
I believe you know something about me that I don't. Am I right? She raised an eyebrow at his silence and the feeling of mild surprise that escaped him. Other then that, she still could not get past the strange barrier in his mind.
He said nothing for a time, his mouth a thin line. Then he spoke his voice very quiet. "I see. Well, you are very different indeed, as I said before."
I don't mean about what you said at the concert. I'm not just some other fan and that's not why you were staring at me during your songs…
"Well most girls do believe that, now don't they?"
Nor is it the reason I hear them in my dreams.
He laughed, "Dreaming of me, are we? I'm honored."
Her face grew upset again as her eyes narrowed. You really are just another arrogant, self absorbed, egotistical…
"Now, now, don't go flattering me."
With that, Sarah growled in frustration and promptly rose to leave. With a grunt of pain, he leaned forward to grasp her arm.
"Wait, I'm sorry. It's… it's just how I am. Try to understand, it's what I live."
With curiosity sparked in her she looked at him, her face still unchanged.
You'll explain yourself then? Maybe try to be the 'lovely charmer' those people out there think you are?
With a crooked grin, he nodded, releasing her arm as she sat down again.
Leaning back again he stared at the ceiling for a moment before returning his gaze to her. With a sharp gasp, she felt his eyes penetrate her own, felt as if someone were tickling her mind. Then like a dagger it drove into her mind till she felt her head snap back, her eyes going blurry and unfocused as the world spun. Still she felt in her mind's eye that his eyes never left contact with hers, burning with some hidden agenda.
Feeling weak she could feel herself falling, someone's arms holding her and a voice off in the distance.
"Forgive me. It's the only way."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She felt lightheaded and yet very clear about her surroundings. The Escher Room!
"You wish to know me. To understand me, correct?"
She turned to the voice and saw him stand not far from her near a stairway. She herself stood near the edge of a large gap leading no where… and everywhere once again.
"My dream," she murmured, realizing she must be asleep again for her to have her voice here. "How is it possible?"
He glanced around his surroundings with little surprise, his mask once again glittering, "This place? I know it well. Don't you?"
She blinked in surprise even as his clothes changed to that of the partner she once danced with.
"You, it can't be. You're the one from my dream, the one who always appeared in this place and yet another."
"You mean this place?" The voice came from behind as she turned to find herself dancing in his arms again in the room of white lace and pearls.
"But how?"
He grinned, "You do ask a lot of questions. Why not enjoy my company? You do appear to have evaded my company as of late."
Her eyes were glassy, a feeling of weariness coming over her even as they danced to a familiar tune. Her voice was so tired, trying to speak, "I don't… understand." Her head was beginning to loll, her eyes growing heavy.
He smiled as they danced, "You will. Sooner then you think."
Blinking suddenly, she found herself on a hillside, the air around her whistling as it blew.
"Turn back, Sarah. Turn back before it's too late."
Sarah turned suddenly to her left. Some distance away she spotted two others standing before each other in some sort of confrontation. She couldn't make out their faces yet their voices carried on the wind. This whole thing felt like a haze to her and she tried to sense their feelings. The man seemed to be laughing inside and yet with his words it almost sounded as if he were… pleading somehow.
"I can't. Don't you understand that I can't."
The girl, she was concerned, worried even. Something had happened but Sarah could not read her thoughts, neither could she of the man. Her head began to hurt even as she touched her forehead. These… events seemed oddly… familiar. And yet with each feeling her head began to hurt even more.
"What a pity."
"It doesn't look that far." The girl was looking over a labyrinth stretched before her.
"It's further than you think. Time is short." Even as the man spoke from behind the girl, Sarah could feel her own shivers on her neck as if she too had someone behind her, speaking softly.
The man walked back and pointed to something hanging in a tree.
"You have thirteen hours in which to solve the Labyrinth before your…" and here the words grew faint for the man began to fade. Sarah could only blink, as he was suddenly not there.
"Such a pity." The words seemed to waft around her before being blown away like leaves on the wind. She watched as the girl began to walk toward the labyrinth even as the scene before her faded away.
Sarah turned around, looking for something but saw nothing but darkness. Then a light grew even as she walked forward.
"I must get to the castle at the center of the Labyrinth. Do you know the way?"
Sarah jumped. The voice came from all around but what startled her most was it sounded like one she'd heard. A voice that did not often speak and only a little when it happened.
Her own!
"The way forward is sometimes the way back."
This voice she didn't recognize, or at least, didn't remember. But the words sounded like a bell in her mind.
"The way back." She whispered to herself. The words made sense if only a little. Back. Might that mean her past? The memories she'd forgotten? Could the only way she could move forward in life was to find out what happened in her past?
"How do I get to the castle in the center of the Labyrinth?"
Again Sarah's head began to ache like something wanting to be free of her. What was this labyrinth she kept hearing? And in her own voice? Only it sounded different; determined, spirited even frustrated. Yet it was strong and full of courage. Something Sarah had never heard when she'd heard in her own voice when she had spoken.
"And you, Sarah. How are you enjoying my Labyrinth?"
That voice! Sarah felt her throat tighten, like one about to speak. She felt the words spill out automatically though she saw no one.
"It's a piece of cake."
Somehow she felt this was the wrong answer, somewhere it seemed it would end up a bad decision. Laughter began to sound all around her and she felt the darkness shake, nearly sending her falling. The laughter began to change from one of arrogant mirth to one of evil intent. Fear began to creep along her. The laughter did not sound the same as before. It changed, darker tones, possibly from another.
Like glass the darkness shattered around her and she was falling, light spinning around her, wind whipping at her like a twister. She could hear screams and realized in terror they were her own but she had no control.
She pleaded for help even as the dark laughter was covered by the fury of the wind. Even in this chaos, something appeared before her. An opening perhaps? With all her strength she pushed towards it and suddenly felt jolt, like landing on her feet hard.
This place was very quiet, large broken stone floating around her. Only a few yards from her stood the he that had been her dance partner. He was dressed in white, his face completely covered by a mask now instead of the half one, it two an ivory white. For some reason she felt an adrenaline rush run through, like getting ready for a big race.
"Sarah, beware."
Sarah blinked, "What? What do you mean?"
"I have been generous up until now, but I can be cruel."
"What are you talking about?" But then she heard a voice from behind and realized he was speaking to someone behind her.
"Generous! What have you done that's generous?"
Sarah spun and went pale. It was her! She looked back at the man who was walking towards her. With a gasp he walked right through her and continued to the other Sarah. The both of them sparred back and forth and she could feel that the tension was thick enough to slice a blade through.
For a moment she felt once again a pleading from him, though her alter-self seemed not to care. She was trying to remember something. And something in Sarah pleaded as well for her not to follow through with the actions. The other Sarah looked up at the man with pleading eyes and Sarah felt her own eyes well up for no reason.
The girl was speaking and Sarah began to plead in her heart.
"No! No, do not say the words! You don't know what you've done!"
Sarah spun and saw him, on his knees watching the scene from up about on a stair. His hands were fists as he shouted his eyes filled with grief and desolation. Her heart pleaded with him even though Sarah couldn't understand why.
Turning back she found they were gone and the world was collapsing again. A single cried pierced the air as Sarah felt her mind grow weary again. The last she saw was her face, that other Sarah, with a look of victory even as Sarah herself felt a great loss.
Sarah blinked, once again finding herself dancing in her partner's arms. His eyes were fixed on her unblinking.
"What happened?"
It is not what happened but what would have happened. That same girl, she wished to be victorious, to conquer her foe. But secretly she did not. What did happen was her choice. She chose to forget, to not speak the words that were within seconds of being spoken. She changed her destiny."
Sarah sighed in relief, though she knew not why. She glanced up at him, "But then, why did you show me this vision? Why this alter ending?"
His voice was heavy, with grief perhaps? He did not look at her as he spoke again.
"Because they lost regardless of her actions. Something else happened and they were forever separated."
"How sad. But… she was me. Why do you put my face on her? Was it truly me?"
He looked at her again, unblinking. "You decide."
"You know something of my past. You know what caused my amnesia, don't you? Answer me!"
Quietly, he spun her around the room amidst the laughter and music, and said nothing. Instead, he began to sing.
"How you've turned my world you precious thing
You starve and near exhaust me
Everything I've done, I've done for you
I move the stars for no one"
"Please, tell me what you know! Why won't you answer me?"
"You've run so long
You've run so far
Your eyes can be so cruel"
He suddenly released one hand, sending her spinning as he held her other hand, his mouth hard.
"Just as I can be so cruel"
Suddenly she was spinning faster and faster, the dress being ripped as everything went wild.
"Though I do believe in you"
She could see someone reaching out, holding tightly to her hand even as they spun wildly in some strange vortex, the wind pulling at her from all sides. They were calling her name and she was calling something as well though the fierce mistrial snatched every word from them. Even so, she could hear the music in her mind.
"Yes, I do
Live without your sunlight
Love without your heartbeat
I…I can't live within you"
She saw with despair his look of dread even as their hands grew apart. He was saying something to her, their hands glowing briefly even as he mouthed I love you and his hands let go.
Her voice wretched from her body, screams of sorrow and disbelief as she tried to find him again. But her mind was shutting down, everything growing dark as she once again felt she was falling, faster and faster until the world went dark.
I did it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Forgive me. It was the only way."
Sarah felt herself slowly coming out of something like a long swim in deep waters. Light was in her eyes even as she blinked and touched her head briefly. Finding her voice gone again she slowly sat up and glanced forward.
'Illusion' was rubbing his temple, even as he looked to her. Sweat was present on his forehead. Whatever he'd done, it seemed to have taken a lot out of him.
You…you did that?
With a forced grin, he nodded. "A little talent of mine. What I've done is shown you what I know. This is what knowledge I hold. That girl you saw, it is the face that haunts my dreams every night. Incidentally, your face. You understand now why I sought you out. I believed you knew something that would help me; that you were somehow a very important part of my past. I cannot explain everything to you for it would only make you disbelieve."
He leaned forward, looking at her carefully through the masks narrow eyes. "I don't know everything but I do know this. You most likely are the one I seek. You are my destiny."
Sarah stood up, backing away suddenly.
Whoa, hold on a minute buster. Don't think for one minute that I'm going to fall for such a story. It's too unbelievable. No, I can't believe it. She was shaking her head even as she grew upset.
No, you're lying. You've been toying with me again.
He risen and come toward her, even as he winced at his pain, "No, I'm telling you the truth." His grin grew sly even by instinct, "Does this look like the face that would lie?"
How would I know, you hide behind that mask like some kind of criminal. I've heard stories about people like you. What are you, some phantom criminal, hiding out in the open? All twisted inside?
He actually chuckled before he grew suddenly very serious. "If that is your answer perhaps I should remove it." Even as he reached for the mask, something slammed into the back of Sarah's mind, even as the door to the dressing room opened and a technician peeked in.
Illusion glanced to the man even as Sarah made a dash. She felt something was drawing her leave, even when her curiosity was flaring all around her. Even so, something was drawing her outside, away from him even as he called her name.
Giving off an irate breath, he turned on the technician who went meek.
"Uh, sorry sir. J-just letting you know lunch was ready out here."
With an annoyed wave of his hand, he answered, "Fine. Just leave me now."
The technician left quickly as he closed the door behind him. Illusion sat down, a sigh escaping, "What have I done now? I doubt she'll ever come back now."
"Don'ts be so tough on yourself. I don't see why she had to run off like that. But I's suspect it wuz not natural. She looked like a sceared deer." The voice came from the next room, unseen and rather scratchy.
"I don't know. I was sure she was the one. I wish I could have helped her more. Damn, I wish I knew what it was that caused this confounded amnesia in the first place!"
The voice was closer though only a small shadow stood near the doorway.
"Yourz or 'ers?"
"Mine." He said quietly, "I already know what caused hers, or rather whom."
"'Whom', sir? 'ow could you tell?"
"I felt it as I gave her that vision. It hit me so hard I was nearly winded though she didn't feel it." His voice seemed disturbed by this knowledge as the voice came a little closer.
"Who'z work done it then?"
His voice was quiet yet even.
"Mine."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I did it.
Sarah didn't stop till she stood outside the concert hall, taking in breaths and trying so hard to understand what had just happened. And what had brought her running out here.
"I did."
Sarah looked up sharply and there stood slim brunette woman with glasses and a black business suit. For some reason Sarah felt she'd met her before but shook it off as déjà vu.
Who are you? And what do you mean, 'you did'.
The lady smiled as she approached Sarah, with a wave of her hand, "My little secret. A gift given me, for just such an occasion. I've come to help you."
Help me? She smirked, even ignoring the obvious fact that this woman seem none to alarmed that Sarah did not speak and that she could even hear her. I doubt there's anything you can do. Good bye.
Sarah walked past the woman even as she turned toward Sarah as she passed.
"Your past. You want to know, don't you? Why you've forgotten? Who's to blame?"
Sarah turned sharply, a look of surprise. How… What do you mean 'who'? I don't even know you.
"Ahh," she woman chuckled as she slowly walked forward, the click of her heels sounding in the strangely quiet street, "I know much about you, Sarah Williams. You yourself know deep down inside what caused your pain, your amnesia. Everyone does eventually. I can just help you remember that much quicker. I do have my ways." She began to casually glance over her fingernails, as if waiting for an answer.
Sarah was thoughtful. The professor was helping her though and…
The woman suddenly laughed rather harshly, "That old man? If you stay with him, you'll never remember. Why do you think he takes his time with your training? He could show you the highest potential for your powers yet instead he holds you back. He keeps things from you, doesn't he? And now even the others fear you, am I right?"
Sarah was pale. This woman was reading her very fears. And all of what she said rang true. It was what she'd been thinking about, deep inside. Something she wouldn't even tell Trevor.
Eyeing the woman carefully as she walked slowly to the side, she swallowed.
Why should I trust you? How do I know you won't do the same?
The woman grinned, her eyes flashing, "Come with me and I'll show you why. That power that surges through you it is the same. We are blood sisters, you and I. We are both mutants, outcasts even among our own. I only wish to help you grow in the right direction. And…" her eyes flashed a deep gold and her appearance was beginning to shift even she raised her hand, a strange claw marking glowing from a pendant in her palm.
Sarah's eyes suddenly clouded over in a milky haze even as her chest seemed to burn. Her vision felt sharp as the woman before her was suddenly blue, wearing a white outfit, her hair a fiery red.
Sarah suddenly felt weak and collapsed, oblivious to world around her. The woman walked up to her, a grin growing on her lips.
"…To help pay back those who have wronged you. Now who can pass up a bargain like that?" She laughed as the two of them vanished from the street.
Even as they were gone, one thing was left behind on the concert hall's steps.
Sarah's purse… and an owl's feather.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
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