chapter 2

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HIS NAME WAS NEPHRITE, THAT MUCH I REMEMBER. WHY OR HOW DO I KNOW HIM? THIS CAN'T BE THE FIRST TIME I'VE MET HIM. IT'S LIKE I KNEW HIM SOMEWHERE ELSE. WHERE COULD I KNOW HIM FROM? HE REMIDS ME OF SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED LONG AGO, BUT I CAN'T THINK OF WHAT EXACTLY. I WONDER IF I'LL EVER REMEMBER.

"LITA? LITA, HELLO THERE. HEY, HAVE YOU HEARD ANYTHING I'VE SAID?" ASKS NEPHRITE.

"GOMAN NASAI NEPHRITE. I WASN'T PAYING ATTENTION. YOU WERE SAYING?" LITA SAYA APOLOGETICALLY.

"I WAS SAYING, IF YOU HAVE FUN TONIGHT DO YOU THINK WE COULD GO SKATING NEXT WEEKEND?"

"THAT SOUND LIKE FUN."

"ARE YOU OKAY LITA? YOU SEEM A LITTLE PREOCCUPIED TONIGHT." SHE NODS HER HEAD. " ARE YOU SURE NOTHING'S WRONG? YOU CAN TELL ME."

"NO, NOTHING'S WRONG. IT'S JUST. I FEEL LIKE I KNOW YOU FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE. WEIRD ISN'T IT?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU FEEL LIKE YOU KNOW ME FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE? WHERE ELSE COULD YOU KNOW ME FROM?"

"I DON'T KNOW. I MEAN IT'S LIKE I KNEW YOU A LONG TIME AGO AND THEN YOU LEFT AND NOW YOU'RE BACK AGAIN."

"PLEASE DON'T THINK I'M CRAZY, BECAUSE I KNOW HOW CRAZY IT MUST SOUND."

"NO IT DOESN'T SOUND CRAZY AT ALL LITA. AS A MATTER OF FACT IT'S PERFECTLY RESONABLE."

"DO WHAT?"

"DO YOU BELIEVE IN REINCARNATION?"

"NO, WHY?"

"LET ME REPHRASE. DO YOU BELIEVE IN SECOND CHANCES?"

"SOMETIMES. IT DEPENDS ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES. WHY?"

"TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DREAMS LATELY. WHAT DO YOU SEE?"

"I SEE A PALACE THAT'S MADE OF CRYSTAL, A BEAUTIFUL LADY, AND A WAR. I SEE, I SEE.," SHE STAMMERS UNABLE TO BELIEVE IT. "I SEE YOU! HOW CAN THIS BE?"

"I DON'T KNOW."

"YOU! YOU WERE THE ONE WHO ATTACKED ME! BUT, BUT, BUT I KILLED YOU. NO THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING."

"WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

"I'M EXACTLY WHO YOU SAID I WAS AND I WANT YOU TO FOR GIVE ME. PLEASE LITA, I DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS GOING TO USE US TO HURT YOU. YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE ME, I NEVER MEANT TO HURT YOU. I WASN'T IN CONTROL, SHE WAS. SHE HAD." LITA CUTS HIM OFF.

"NO. YOU CAN'T BE BACK! YOU ARE A TRAITOR. A TRAITOR TO YOUR PLANET, YOUR FRIENDS, AND TO ME. I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN FORGIVE YOU. I HAVE TO GO." SHE SAYS RUNNING OFF.

"NO. LITA! WAIT, LET ME EXPLAIN."

THAT WAS THE LAST THING SHE HEARD HIM SAY CLEARLY. SHE REMEMBERED NOW. HOW COULD HE HAVE THE NERVE TO JUST SHOW UP LIKE THIS? TO BRING BACK ALL THE BAD MEMORIES. SHE HAD TO BE AWAY FROM HIM. HE HAD KILLED HER. HOW COULD SHE FORGIVE THAT? THEN AGAIN SHE HAD KILLED HIM TOO, AND HE SEEMED TO HAVE FORGIVEN HER. SO WHY COULDN'T SHE FORGIVE HIM. SHE STILLED LOVED HIM, BUT HOW COULD SHE TRUST HIM. 'I'VE BEEN DATING THE MAN THAT KILLED ME SO LONG AGO FOR THE PAST MONTH. YOU'D THINK I'D HAVE STARTED TO GET THE FEELING OF DE JA VU BEFORE NOW. WOULDN'T YOU?'SHE THINKS AS SHE CONTINUES WALKING, NTO REALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO WHERE SHE WAS GOING. SHE FINDS HERSELF AT REI'S HOUSE, SOBBING.

"REI. REI ARE YOU HERE?"

"OUT BACK IN THE GARDENS."

LITA WALKS OUT BACK TO THE GARDENS AND FIND REI THERE PRUNING THE ROSES. REI LOOKS UP EXPECTING TO SEE THE NORMAL CHEERFUL LITA, BUT INSTEAD LITA IS DISTRAUGHT AND CRYING.

"LITA, HUN, ARE YOU OKAY? WHAT'S HAPPENED? LITA TALK TO ME."

THROUGH HER TEARS SHE MANAGES TO TELL REI WHAT HAPPENED. ABOUT THE RECENT DREAMS AND THE TALK TONIGHT, AND EVRYTHING ELSE THAT HAS HAPPENED. REI LISTENS WITHOUT INTERUPTING AND HOLDS HER QUESTIONS UNTIL THE END.

"LITA?"

"YES?"

"DID HE SAY WHY THEY WERE BACK?"

"NO. WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY?!"

"OPPS. NOTHING. FORGET I SAID IT."

"NO, WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY THEM?"

"NOTHING. REALLY."

"REI, WHAT ARE YOU NOT TELLING ME?"

"I TOLD YOU, IT'S NOTHING."

"REI, YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN A POOR LIAR. NOW, WHAT ARE YOU NOT TELLING ME?!"

"I PROMISED SOMEONE I WOUNDN'T TELL AND YOU KNOW ME WELL ENOUGH NOW TO KNOW I WON'T BREAK A PROMISE NO MATTER WHAT."

"REI, WHO ELSE IS BACK?"